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billballas.bsky.social
University marketing instructor, political psychology enthusiast and writer (Bill Ballas Neuropolitics1 on Substack.) He/Him.
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In 1913, 10-year-old Sarah Rector, a Black girl in Oklahoma was given a 160-acre land allotment. While the best farmland was reserved for white settlers, her barren plot struck oil, making her one of the country’s first Black millionaires.

submitted 77 days ago • 114 comments

. . . .As a non-clinician, I admit to not being qualified to make such a diagnosis. However, the 20 criteria and 6 traits are based on how well Mr. Trump's BEHAVIOR or PERSONALITY matches the criteria and traits. It doesn't help knowing our "Felon in Chief" is also a sick MOFO.

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

at least 30 is needed for someone to be classified as a psychopath (though the term is now referred to antisocial personality disorder or ASD, for short). When it came to the 6 questioners asking if Mr. Trump showed a “persistent disregard for the rights of others” I scored him a perfect 6 of 6....

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

. . . . on a consistent basis 5. Being easily provoked or aggressive 6. Failing to feel remorse (feeling indifferent to or rationalizing the mistreatment of others) In your PCL-R evaluation, what score did you assign Mr. Trump? I gave him a 31 out of a possible 40. A score of at. . . . .

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

. . . . .the following traits: 1. Disregarding the law (such as committing acts that are grounds for arrest repeatedly) 2. Acting in a deceitful manner (lying repeatedly, deceiving others for personal gain or using aliases) 3. Being impulsive or failing to plan ahead 4. Acting irresponsibly. . . .

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

. . . . .how well their behavior or personality matches the item’s description. As stated by the DSM-5 clinical criteria as listed in the Merck Manual, for a patient to be diagnosed with APD, the individual must show a “persistent disregard for the rights of others” in three or more of. . . . .

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

. . . . that the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is the best, most utilized, and state-of-the-art assessment for clinical professionals to diagnose psychopathy. This evaluation psychology-tools.com/test/pcl-22 features 20 criteria on which a patient is rated 1, or 2 depending on. . . .

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

The categories psychopath and sociopath no longer exist in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, individuals with characteristics of either condition fall under the designation of antisocial personality disorder (APD). Scholars have claimed. . . . .

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

The Misunderestimating Trap: Many progressives think that people who vote conservative are just stupid, especially those who vote against their economic self-interest. Some believe that if we tell them the real economic facts, they will change how they vote. 🧵 www.theframelab.org/twelve-commu...

submitted 75 days ago • 18 comments

Sometimes the combination of arrogance and ignorance is breathtaking. Yes, US health care has high admin costs; that's because it relies so much on private insurers. Govt-run health insurance has much lower overhead

submitted 79 days ago • 1324 comments

Last night, I spoke with Amnesty International's executive director about their new report on Israel's war in Gaza and its conclusion that Israel is committing genocide. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPSi...

submitted 78 days ago • 282 comments

They’re planning a heist in plain sight.

submitted 78 days ago • 821 comments

As Dems reelect a spritely 74-year-old Chuck Schumer as Senate Leader, this is a reminder that U.S. politicians are the oldest of any democracy, despite the U.S. having one of the youngest populations.

submitted 80 days ago • 97 comments

Sometimes it amazes me how unrepresentative the Democratic Party is of its voters, especially considering how crucial younger voters are to their electoral success. The Senate is a glaring example: half of registered Dems are under 50, yet only one Democratic senator (Ossoff) is in that age group.

submitted 79 days ago • 13 comments

As we gawk at the $250M Musk spent elect Trump, take a guess how long it took him to “earn” it back in the market? It took just 15 minutes. I'm not kidding... 15 minutes. According to Bloomberg, his net worth soared by $8B just today. That’s billionaire math for you—and it’s all of our problem.

submitted 78 days ago • 97 comments

Just got an invite to review for a political theory journal! So I'm officially a political theorist now! I'll no longer feel like an imposter writing 1/2 a book chapter on democratic theory! 😂

submitted 77 days ago • 5 comments

Regimes seem solid until they are not. Every resistance act matters because often regimes are crumbling from within from corruption and yet good at hiding that fact. cc: Russia

submitted 77 days ago • 132 comments

The combined net worth of America's twelve wealthiest people just passed $2 TRILLION. 12 people. $2 trillion. The bottom half of America collectively holds $3.5 trillion. Wealth inequality is eating this country alive.

submitted 76 days ago • 234 comments

Takeaway #2 from Dr. Kalmoe's UCI talk was the concept of "moral disengagement." This occurs when political actors dehumanize others, assert themselves to be righteous and opponents evil, act as if the ends justify the means, and diffuse/displace blame from themselves onto others. Reminds me of DJT

submitted 77 days ago • 0 comments

Yes, we can win back our democracy. Watch Dr. Kalmoe @nathankalmoe.bsky.social remind us that our democracy evolved from a violent insurrection against England so about only 7% of colonists could have voting rights in the subsequent country. That was one takeaway..... sites.uci.edu/centerforneu...

submitted 77 days ago • 0 comments

As Dr. Kalmoe (@nathankalmoe.bsky.social) reminded us during his presentation at the UCI Center for Neuropolitics, the American Revolution was a violent insurrection against England conducted so about 7% of colonists could have voting rights in the subsequent country. sites.uci.edu/centerforneu...

submitted 77 days ago • 0 comments

Unlike the field of economics which is based on "rational actor theory," no such beast exists in political science (or marketing) despite what professional pundits allege.

submitted 79 days ago • 0 comments