Browsing social media, it’s apparent that people are quick to point out problems in the world, but what I see less often are suggestions for how to solve them. At best, I see vague ideas that might solve one issue but introduce new ones, which are rarely addressed.
Simply stopping the bad behaviour rarely is a solution in itself. The world is not that simple. Take something like drug addiction. Telling someone to just stop taking drugs is not a solution.
Being as that we have the tools now, any person who wants to run for a public office in a position of leadership, I.e mayor, vice mayor, sheriff, judge, Congress person or president, should have to undergo a psychological evaluation and if they show any of the three dark traits they should be rendered invalid and unable to participate in politics.
We don’t need any narcissistic psychopaths running the government, but narcissistic psychopaths are the ones that are the most likely to get elected because they’re the best at manipulating people into voting for them in popularity contests.
The reason psychopaths aren’t diagnosed frequently is that it’s simple for a psychopath to fool the test. They have to WANT an accurate diagnosis to get one.
Also, these tests would be gamed to keep specific people out of power. That’s why the restrictions on public office are so low. To prevent gaming.
What tools are these? As someone who has frequently been evaluated, I’ve found I get different results depending on the bias of the evaluator, ranging from, functional: able to work to a danger to themselves or others, should be supervised or committed.
Now I totally agree that there is a problem with elected officials when Feinstein is still a senator when she is no longer coherent. Or when Trump’s lawyers and principal staff see he has diminished capacity (the finale of Fear: Trump In the White House by Bob Woodward) they leave him in place because he remains a useful idiot. But I know our psych assessment methods are not yet able to yield consistent results, and it would be easy for political interests to game the system to keep those they like, and flunk those who are too much of a nuisance (say, those who actually want to serve the public).
(President Wilson had a stroke, and spend the end of his tenure in bed with his wife faking his signature. The US is no stranger to staffers faking it when elected officials were to incapacitated to function. )
Sadly in 20-fucking-24, mental illness remains enough of a stigma that anyone who relies on public approval just won’t take the test if they can opt out.