The Times leader today

The economic approach of Mr McDonnell is short on targets for the budget deficit and public debt and long on imagination. Figures concocted by Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant who advises Mr Corbyn, purport to show huge sums that go uncollected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. This is deliberate, insists Mr Murphy, because of the government’s ideological zeal for a smaller state. It is a fantasy, so in that respect it is at least not as dangerous as the scheme for “People’s Quantitative Easing” proposed by Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell. This involves instructing the Bank of England to underwrite deficit financing for any purpose decreed by a Corbyn government. No government concerned about living standards would contemplate a course that would undermine the Bank’s mandate to target inflation.

Please do note that Murphy is NOT given credit for devising PQE; Corbyn and McDonnell get that.

All in all expect a response from the ‘Man Sincerely Selling What He Doesn’t Realise Is Snake Oil’ to the effect that “Murdoch rag blah blah blah” and “let the libel pass”. Of course you will Richard.

My good lady significant other, in connection with something else, sent me this link about Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Do these character traits remind the regulars here of anyone? I couldn’t possibly comment, obviously, apart from to say that it sounds like the LTHD’s assessment notes

The “standard” nine characteristics
“1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance.
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
3. Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
4. Requires excessive admiration [regularly fishes for compliments, and is highly susceptible to flattery].
5. Has a sense of entitlement.
6. Is interpersonally exploitative.
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling [or, I would add, unable] to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
9. Shows arrogant, haughty [rude and abusive] behaviour or attitudes.”

to which that particular author adds the following extra six:

“1. Are highly reactive to criticism
2. …Have low self-esteem
3. …Can be inordinately self-righteous and defensive
4. …React to contrary viewpoints with anger or rage
5. …Project onto others qualities, traits, and behaviors they can’t—or won’t—accept in themselves
6. …Have poor interpersonal boundaries

FA>

The thing with such remote diagnoses is that mental health disorders tend to be part of a spectrum: personality traits shade into mild forms of disorder, which in turn shade into serious problems.

So, making amateur remote diagnoses of Ritchie’s problems is hard. But we can all agree that he’s a cunt, so let’s go with that.

“…so let’s go with that.”

However, an increasingly successful one. Having some input to the leader of the opposition is not something you guys would ever have.

What’s Farage doing nowadays? Rabble rousing racists in Peterborough?

Arnald

Schengen is falling apart so who has been proved more correct – Farage or the EU fantasists wearing blindfolds?

@BraveFart – there’s an expression for a commonly found conjunction of disorders, the “Dark Triad” of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. I take @Dave’s point about the spectrum of each and I don’t think RM is Machiavellian in any way, he’s far too boorish and unpleasant for that. Still, as Meatloaf sang, “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad”

“Potty” ouch!