Nancy Pelosi's Daring Diagnosis
NOVEMBER 29, 2019
by CESAR CHELALA
Victor Lustig, who was born in Bohemia in 1890, was a child of unusual charm and imagination. He used these talents in unique ways during his life. Taking advantage of his mastery of several languages, he tricked the passengers of ocean liners steaming between Paris and New York City, making them believe that he had a money-making machine. He sold the machine at the exorbitant price of $30,000. Over 12 hours the machine would produce two $100 bills. As Lustig’s supply of those bills was limited, once they were finished, the machine ceased producing them. When the buyers realized what had happened, Lustig was long gone.
Lustig’s most remarkable feat, however, was still ahead. After reading in a newspaper an article that dealt with the problems the city of Paris was having in maintaining the Eiffel Tower, Lustig adopted the persona of a city’s high government official. In that capacity, he sent a group of six scrap metal dealers an invitation to discuss the possibility of selling the Eiffel Tower for scrap. One of the dealers bought the tower, and Lustig left for Vienna with a suitcase full of cash. The dealer was so humiliated that he decided not to complain to the police. Thus Lustig became one of history’s most notable impostors. Until now.
A few days ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s totally wrong and inappropriate Twitter attack on a long-serving U.S. diplomat during the impeachment procedures. “He should not frivolously throw out insults. But that’s what he does. I think part of it is his own insecurity as an impostor. I think he knows full well that he’s in that office way over his head, and so he has to diminish everyone else,” said Pelosi referring to the President.
Perhaps without realizing it, Pelosi was referring to the “Impostor syndrome”, a psychological pattern of behavior in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as “frauds”. This phenomenon was first described by Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Dr. Suzanne A. Imes in 1978. Individuals with this behavior often attribute their success to their believing that they are more intelligent than the rest of the people, a fact repeatedly expressed by the President in public or Twitter (his weapon of choice) pronouncements.
More:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/11/29/nancy-pelosis-daring-diagnosis/
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