The American Right has turned into a gaggle of Drama Queens with Borderline Personality Disorders [View all]

[Tom Rinaldo]

Sorry for the gender based language in "Drama Queens" but in common usage it applies equally to men and women and there is no gender free equivalent that so clearly captures what this fringe encompasses. The Tea Party is addicted to conflict. They thrive on it. They need it. It makes them feel heroic and important to take serial stands defiantly resisting forces they assert will lead to the destruction of America and even civilization as we know it (If we don't defeat the Islamic infidels at our gates). That language pours freely from their mouthes. Fundamentalists among them are starting to refer to here and now as "The end times." Those who remain more secular see current politics as the final culmination of a centuries long struggle between those who love Liberty and those who wish Tyranny upon us.

They are still fighting the American Revolution with the rest of us cast as Tories in their self aggrandizing world view. President Obama HAS to be morphed into King George, or Hitler, or Stalin or the Anti-Christ in order to elevate their struggle to one reaching the epic proportions they yearn for. They live for the next Battle, the next showdown. The more the odds are stacked against them the more heroic they feel. And with such a mind set it is not surprising that many of them are willing to risk, if not actively seek, an economic calamity to bring on that cleansing fire.

For more of an actual psychological perspective I just did a search for Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms.Here are the ones listed at a site run by the Mayo Clinic.

Signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder may include:

Impulsive and risky behavior, such as risky driving, unsafe sex, gambling sprees or illegal drug use.

Awareness of destructive behavior, including self-injury, but sometimes feeling unable to change it.

Wide mood swings.

Short but intense episodes of anxiety or depression.

Inappropriate anger and antagonistic behavior, sometimes escalating into physical fights.

Difficulty controlling emotions or impulses.

Suicidal behavior.

Feeling misunderstood, neglected, alone, empty or hopeless.

Fear of being alone.

Feelings of self-hate and self-loathing.

OK, there are always problems inherent in ramping up an analysis focused on individuals into one focused on a movement, but even so the full description found at the Mayo Clinic site sounds disturbingly familiar if applied to some of todays leading right wing figures. Find it here:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/borderline-personality-disorder/DS00442/DSECTION=symptoms

This is what we are up against. It can not be placated. It must be confronted directly with reality based interventions.