When I look at the cheerleaders for the Washington Consensus - including the neocons, the CEO cult, the FT, the Economist, and the Straussians - I see no sign of empathy or human values.

This is a quasi-religious tribal cult that sees the rest of the world - and that includes everyone and everything outside of the privilieged circle - as either a threat, or a resource to be exploited.

It's completely pathological. It's beyond simple criminality, because it's not just about exploitative or violent practices. It goes much further into the systematic promotion of these exploitative values, and  a deliberate attempt to destroy any point of view that promotes empathy, fair negotiation, and mutual respect among individuals, businesses, or countries.

This week's Economist headline is 'Why ethical shopping is bad for the world.'

I mean, come on, let's be honest about this - how utterly insane are these people?

And under it there's a stench of death and self-hatred, which you can see clearly in Bush and the other neocons.

This wouldn't be so bad, but Bush is America at this point in time. Those exploitative values are the values that the US seems to run on - competition without quarter, winner takes all, break the law if you can, and if you lose, you fall out of the bottom of the system. And best of luck.

There's still a sizeable interest in fairer values down among the populists. But the (would-be) artistocracy has lost the plot completely, and they really do need help before they drive everyone off the cliff.