I am going to break down these two general questions into three specific ones.
1. Evil?
Evil means profound immorality. As this definition goes, evil is simply the deepest of immorality, so should we not expect to find among the power elite some profoundly evil members? Does it also go without saying that lesser degrees of immorality abound among the power elite? A.Q. Smith, a progressive journalist, undoubtedly would think so for he has concluded that "it's basically just immoral to be rich," and adds that "people who possess great wealth in a time of poverty are directly causing that poverty."15 For me a clear sign of immoral behavior is when the ends of power and wealth justify the means of achieving those ends, and the means always involve wrongdoing from the mundane to the heinous.
Pathological?
Chris Hedges, journalist, broadcaster, and prolific author, regards the "pathology of the rich white family [to be] the most dangerous pathology in America---cursed with too much money and privilege [and] devoid of empathy, the result of lifetimes of entitlement." That statement was just his opening salvo in a long article that ends with: "They steal with greater finesse than anyone else."16
Psychologist William Hirstein has mined the expansive field of research and authoritative opinion on what a psychopathic personality is. Its signature attribute was deemed by the medical profession in the early 1800's to be that of "moral depravity" or "moral insanity." Other attributes now included by authorities are uncaring, shallow emotions, irresponsibility, insincere speech, overconfidence, and selfishness.17
Consider for a moment just the 43 U.S. presidents long enough in office to be surrogate murderers and have some experts give us their opinion, which is that being psychopathic fits every single one of them.18 Their assessments go as far as Obama, but we can turn now to a prestigious panel of psychiatrists who concluded before his first 100 days in office that President Trump "has a dangerous mental illness [and] is paranoid and delusional."19
Greedy?
Are the powerful elite "cursed with too much money, as Mr. Hedges contends, or are they cursed with wanting even more money? Considering the previous two questions, the answer to this third one might seem irrelevant except that greed motivates evil and pathological people.
In Closing
Can you just imagine if they were to read the quoted remarks of some of their revered, iconic leaders what the responses would be from most Americans, having been indoctrinated from early formative years forward by the power elite to see what they believe?
By the way, what, if I may ask, are your answers to the three questions, and do you have more to raise and answer?
Endnotes
1. Sample, I. Oldest Homo Sapiens Bones Ever Found Shake Foundations of the Human Story. Science, June 19, 2017.
2. Jefferson, T. A Rebellion or Revolution is Needed Every 20 Years! Amin, October 8, 2011.
3. Zinn, H. A People's History of the United States. Harper Perennial, 2005, p. 188.
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