Published on Australian Independent Media Network 6.8.2023
State and federal politicians are generally quite bright — although we can all write a list of those who are anything but! And it’s true that many MPs and senators have similar attributes to the classic CEO.
She/he is “… a strategic thinker who can master the details. A tireless worker with incredible focus and problem-solving skills. They are well-liked by employees, but also able to make and execute unpopular decisions. Above all, they have exceptional communication skills to convey a vision to any audience.”
It’s a direct quote from Forbes, the prestigious century-old business magazine, which then went on to say:
“…(but) they are also chameleons, able to disguise their ruthlessness and antisocial behaviour under the veneer of charm and eloquence.” And further: “Up to 12 per cent of CEOs exhibit these psychopathic traits … much more than the 1 per cent found in the general population, and more in line with the 15 per cent found in prisons.”
Forbes’ article was headlined The Psychopathic CEO. But this CEO analysis fits equally with career politicians, senior public servants, executives within mainstream media, and religious hierarchies. While the negative “chameleon” attributes may not be universal they are clearly associated with positions of power and influence.
How many of our politicians have similar psychopathic traits?
It’s not difficult to compile a catalogue of MPs over recent decades. Indeed the Rationalist Society, in their July 26 RSA Daily, suggest politicians should be psychologically tested, “to weed out the sociopaths and psychopaths”.
What a brilliant idea! Is it time to mount a public campaign to cajole all political parties to psych-test their candidates before endorsement? Or will they continue to put more chameleons into parliament, with their penchant to lie, cheat, and defraud? Think Robodebt, endless funding rorts, and Morrison’s 5 ministries.
But why stop with a psych test? Surely it needs to be coupled with a basic science test — simply, “does the candidate accept that Homo sapiens evolved from a common primate ancestor, over several million years?”
It’s a binary answer; yes or no? And this is not a “religious test” — it is based wholly on science and does not contravene Section 116 of the Constitution. Voters would finally have a chance to know whether their candidate believed in human evolution or creationism — and the anti-social problems that arise if she/he is a creationist.
Climate denial is linked closely with religious conservatism
The devoutly religious believe in both Creationism and the Apocalypse. For evangelical Christians this comes from the first Book of Genesis, through to the Book of Revelation — the final book of the New Testament (not Old).
Fundamentalists have no concern for the climate crisis as Revelation tells them the world will be “consumed by fire.” This includes politicians, media personalities, and influencers who say “what crisis? It’s all a myth.”
But deluded fundamentalists put all progressive social policy is at risk, not just action to save the planet on climate, and the global pollution of land, sea, and air. They also strive to overturn same-sex marriage, VAD (voluntary assisted dying) and to again outlaw abortion — empowered by the US Supreme Court on Roe vs Wade.
Australia is not immune to the bizarre agenda exported by America’s Christian Far Right — the Seven Mountains movement (7M) — which openly urges followers to infiltrate and dominate the seven pillars of society. That is; government, finance, education, media, the arts, churches, and the family. The Guardian profiles Kimberly Horne who stood for the Nationals in 2022, saying she wanted “God’s kingdom to penetrate the political mountain.”
That says it all: “God’s kingdom to penetrate the political mountain”!
Is it then so outrageous to suggest a psych and science test for political candidates? Do we really want more “chameleons” in parliament — the fundamentalists who genuinely believe in the Apocalypse and Rapture — and the 7M mountaineers who want their brand of Christianity to dominate and control all of society?
From the outset it has been clear that the psychopathic traits detailed in the Forbes article can easily apply beyond corporate CEOs to include politicians and senior executives in the public service, media and churches.
Politicians culpable in the rise of private religious schools
Australia is now ranked 4th highest within the OECD for “social apartheid”, according to an OECD report. It’s the result of a political obsession with private religious education. The system is socially divisive, and the move away from secular public education has escalated since the 1960s.
It was Robert Menzies who substantially increased funding to Catholic schools, to politically wedge the Labor Party during their split with the DLP. And it’s an illusion to believe private schools cost less than public education.
Almost 40 per cent of kids now attend private schools, segregating them by class, wealth, and religion. While public schools flounder financially, the private sector is over-funded and extravagantly over-resourced – with rowing tanks, wellness centres and archery fields, according to The Guardian. And religious indoctrination is mandatory.
At what point will politicians be held accountable for dividing society in this way — and facilitating an education system that promotes supernatural beliefs impervious to the climate catastrophe we’re now experiencing?
State Education Ministers also fail to curb the teaching of Creationism in public schools
NSW education minister, Prue Car, has refused to take responsibility for evangelical organisations which provide unqualified ‘teachers’ to indoctrinate public school students with stories of “god’s creation” — with scientific evidence of human evolution openly repudiated.
The Rationalist Society of Australia (RSA) continues to expose what’s being taught, and in this article they publish Prue Car’s reply to their letter which asks some pointed questions. Labor supports SRE (Special Religious Education) and they pass responsibility for the myths being taught over to the Christian agency. Once again, Dracula is running the blood bank.
Queensland’s public schools are no different — with creationism as standard policy! An article in RSA’s Rationale magazine covers in great detail some of the bizarre material used by evangelical teachers.
Education specialist Dr Jennifer Bleazby explains how religious indoctrination encourages children to accept information at face value, without question, and without supporting evidence. They are sold on the simple myth of all biblical stories being “the word of god”. It sets up science denialism and opens a path to conspiracy beliefs.
So, our politicians of unknown religious pedigree — and with a doubtful psychopathic quantum — continue to allow the nation’s children to be inculcated with religious ideas which are patently anti-social and anti-scientific.
Really, is it any wonder that we’re struggling to find the political drive and commitment to finally come to grips with the catastrophic problems that threaten the viability of this planet? Only the evangelists are smiling — they have the Rapture to look forward to! But only in their own deluded psychopathic minds, that is!
Plain Reason: promoting science, reason, and critical thinking.