Are we governed by sociopaths? The West’s complicity in the Gaza genocide says “yes”

The sociopathy of Western leaders is more insidious than that of Russian or Chinese leaders because it operates under the guise of democracy. It reveals a calculated indifference that mirrors authoritarian sociopathy but is cloaked in democratic legitimacy.

 

By Fareed Khan 

 

In an era marked by cascading global crises—climate change, extreme economic inequality, and escalating conflicts in different parts of the world—the question of whether the world’s major democratic nations are led by individuals exhibiting sociopathic traits is a question we must all ask ourselves.  

 

 

Sociopathy, clinically termed Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), is defined by the Mayo Clinic in the United States as a consistent disregard for right and wrong, a profound lack of empathy, manipulative behaviour, and an absence of remorse, even when actions or inactions cause immense pain and suffering.  Authoritarian and dictatorial regimes have always had leaders with extreme sociopathic tendencies.  The leaders of China and Russia, and before that the Soviet Union, have certainly demonstrated that in their actions, as have many past and current leaders of various nations in Africa, Asian and Latin America.

 

More recently, Western leaders, particularly in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and their allies, have demonstrated sociopathic traits through their complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza through weapons sales to Israel, their refusal to intervene and stop Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians, and despite Israel’s stated aim of ethnically cleansing almost two million people from Gaza.   This lack of action reveals a chilling and callous disregard for human suffering that aligns with clinical definitions of sociopathy.   

 

While authoritarian leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin or China’s Xi Jinping are often assumed to exhibit such traits, the presence of similar behaviours in leaders of Western democracies is deeply troubling.   Such conduct challenges the moral superiority that leaders of these nations often claim.  At this moment in history the Gaza genocide serves as a litmus test for the morality of the West, exposing how democratic leaders prioritize geopolitical agendas and economic gain over humanity and human lives, a hallmark of sociopathic behaviour.

 

Defining sociopathy in leadership 

 

Sociopathy, as outlined by the Mayo Clinic, involves a pattern of behaviour where individuals show no regard for ethical norms, manipulate others for personal gain, and lack remorse for the harm they cause or allow to happen.  Sociopaths have also been described as charming and intelligent, using these traits to deceive and exploit, justifying their actions with self-serving rationales.  In leadership and politics, these traits can manifest as prioritizing power, self-serving political agendas, or geopolitical alliances that devalue human lives.  

 

Historically, sociopathy and even psychopathy in leadership has been evident in figures like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Pol Pot, who collectively were responsible for the death of nearly 100 million people.  These leaders exhibited a callous indifference to human life and human suffering, a hallmark of sociopathy.

Sociopathy is not confined to dictators.  Lack of action to prevent
pain and suffering can also constitute sociopathic behaviour.

However, sociopathy is not confined to dictators.  Lack of action to prevent pain and suffering can also constitute sociopathic behaviour.  This understanding of such behaviour is critical when examining Western leaders who fail to halt or actively enable atrocities, such as the genocide in Gaza.

 

Research suggests that sociopathic traits may be over represented in leadership roles.  A 2012 research paper published in Science Daily found that traits like fearlessness, low empathy, and dominance—often associated with psychopathy, a related condition—correlate with leadership in competitive environments.  Similarly, another study revealed how narcissistic and sociopathic traits, can propel individuals to political power, where naked ambition and lack of empathy leads to destructive outcomes.  In democratic systems, these traits may be masked by charisma, charm or lofty political rhetoric, making them harder to detect but no less dangerous.  The Gaza crisis provides a lens to examine whether Western leaders at this time exhibit these traits through their policies, actions, lack of actions, and manipulations.

 

The Gaza genocide: A litmus test for sociopathy in global leadership

 

The ongoing crisis in Gaza, where Israel’s brutal military campaign has resulted in a catastrophic loss of life, serves as a prima facie case for examining sociopathic traits in Western leadership.  As of the end of July 2025 over 72,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel, predominantly women and children.  A January 2025 study put the number 41% higher, with a June 2024 study by the British medical journal Lancet estimating up to 186,000 deaths, factoring in indirect causes like starvation and disease.   However, a new 2025 study published by Harvard, authored by Israeli academic Yaakov Garb and based on data from the Israeli military, estimates that as many as 377,000 Palestinians, and possibly up to 400,000 have been killed, are missing, or lie buried under the Gaza rubble.   Considering that the Gaza Health Ministry bases its numbers of Palestinian dead on the number of death certificates issued, it would not be surprising that their calculations of Palestinian deaths undercounts the true number by a factor of six or more.   With entire family lines wiped out by Israel, in many instances there is no one left to report those who have been killed to what remains of the Gaza administration. 

 

These figures align with the Genocide Convention’s definition of “inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction,” encompassing deliberate starvation and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The widespread devastation—80% of Gaza’s residential areas demolished, 83% of food aid obstructed, and targeted attacks on hospitals, schools, and water treatment facilities—points to a deliberate and systematic effort to annihilate Gaza’s Palestinian population. This genocidal intent is echoed in statements by some Israeli politicians, military and religious leaders, and supported by 47% of Israeli Jews, according to a March 2025 poll published by Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz.

 

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership epitomizes
sociopathic traits.  His invocation of the biblical Amalek
narrative dehumanizes Palestinians, a tactic consistent
with sociopathy’s disregard for the humanity of others.

 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership epitomizes sociopathic traits.  His invocation of the biblical Amalek narrative, calling for the complete destruction of enemies, dehumanizes Palestinians, a tactic consistent with sociopathy’s disregard for the humanity of others.  His government’s actions, including targeting civilian infrastructure and blocking humanitarian aid, demonstrate a calculated and deliberate indifference to the suffering of Palestinians.  But Western leaders, whose complicity is clearly evident through inaction or active support of Israel, reveal their own sociopathic tendencies.  By failing to enforce international laws and conventions—the UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Geneva Conventions, Genocide Convention—continuing arms exports to Israel, and suppressing pro-Palestinian voices, leaders in Canada, the US, and Europe exhibit a lack of empathy and remorse that mirrors authoritarian sociopathy.  Their selective application of moral outrage—condemning Russia, China or Iran while defending Israel—further underscores Western sociopathy and hypocrisy.

Canada’s complicity: A case study in sociopathic inaction

Canada, often applauded for its progressive values, self-proclaimed commitment to human rights and international rule of law, provides a compelling case study of sociopathic leadership through inaction.  Former prime minister Justin Trudeau consistently affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law, a phrase that obscures the disproportionate nature of Israel’s actions, which has been condemned by UN experts as genocidal.  Despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issuing provisional measures in January, March, and May 2024, ordering Israel to prevent genocide and allow humanitarian aid, Canada has not pressed for compliance or taken legal or diplomatic action to see the ICJ’s measures implemented.   This is in contrast to how it responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine or actions taken against Iran over the years .  Instead, Canada has continued to supply arms to Israel, with Quebec-based General Dynamics Ordnance involved in a $61.1 million US-approved weapons deal in 2024, despite a House of Commons motion calling for an end to Canadian arms exports passed in March 2024.  This contradicts Canada’s stated commitment to international law and human rights, revealing a manipulative approach to maintaining geopolitical alliances, even after tens of thousands of Palestinians had been murdered by Israel.

Trudeau’s response to South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel, which accused Israel of genocidal acts, was also dismissive.  In January 2024, Trudeau stated that Canada supports the ICJ but not necessarily the genocide claim.  This stance avoids engaging with the overwhelming evidence against Israel—detailed in UN reports and assessments by human rights and genocide scholars—while projecting neutrality.  This selective engagement with international law, condemning violations elsewhere (e.g., Russia’s actions in Ukraine) while excusing Israeli crimes, reflects a sociopathic tendency to manipulate narratives for political gain.

  

Canada’s mainstream news media, often aligned with
government narratives, has been complicit in
suppressing pro-Palestinian voices.

Furthermore, Canada’s mainstream news media, often aligned with government narratives, has been complicit in the genocide by suppressing pro-Palestinian voices and amplifying those supporting Israel.  Outlets like CBC, CTV, Global News, the Postmedia newspaper chain, and the Globe and Mail, have given a sympathetic platform to pro-Israel voices, and some have instructed their reporters to avoid terms like “genocide” or “Palestine” unless quoting directly, erasing the gravity of the crisis and marginalizing credible and effective pro-Palestinian voices.  This aligns with the sociopathic trait of controlling narratives to maintain power, limit transparency, and avoid accountability.

Canada’s inaction extends beyond Gaza to other global human rights crises, such as the Uyghur genocide in China.  While Trudeau condemned China’s actions, his government failed to impose significant sanctions or lead international efforts to hold China accountable, prioritizing trade relations over human rights.  This pattern of selective moral outrage—condemning adversaries while excusing allies—suggests a lack of empathy and remorse, core features of sociopathy.  Canada’s failure to take decisive action in these cases reveals a leadership more concerned with maintaining power and economic ties than addressing human suffering, a hallmark of sociopathic behaviour.

Western leaders: A broader pattern of sociopathic behaviour

The United States, under President Donald Trump, provides a stark example of sociopathic leadership.  In the 2017 book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, 27 mental health professionals described Trump’s impulsivity, narcissism, and lack of empathy as posing a global threat.  He, as well as former president Joe Biden, displayed sociopathic traits with their unwavering support for Israel, which is evident in the US$61.5 billion in arms sales to the rogue state since October 2023, despite evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

These actions and the refusal of US government officials to even use the word “genocide” to describe Israeli crimes, reflects a callous indifference to the suffering of the Palestinian people.  Trump’s executive orders targeting migrants, Muslims, and pro-Palestinian protesters further demonstrate a disregard for human rights and civil liberties, prioritizing political gain and power over any ethical considerations.  His rhetoric, often inflammatory and dehumanizing, aligns with the sociopathic trait of manipulating public perception to justify destructive policies.  For instance, his characterization of pro-Palestinian protesters as “terrorist sympathizers” dehumanizes those speaking for the rights of a brutalized people, a tactic that mirrors the justifications used by authoritarian regimes when they target dissenters or activists.

European leaders also exhibit these traits.  Germany, France, and the UK have sold military hardware to Israel for the better part of two years since October 2023 to arm a regime that is a regional super power fighting against a people with neither an army, navy or air force.  This, despite the ICJ’s rulings against Israeli and enormous amounts of evidence that genocide is taking place.  Germany’s ban on Palestinian flags and France’s prohibition of pro-Palestinian protests suppressed free speech and freedom of expression, revealing a willingness to violate democratic principles to shield a criminal regime.  The UK’s reluctance to support South Africa’s ICJ case, despite its historical role in drafting the Genocide Convention, further illustrates this selective morality.  These leaders’ failure to act decisively against Israel’s actions, coupled with their condemnation of pro-Palestinian voices and legal dissent, reflects a sociopathic disregard for suffering and accountability. suggesting a calculated prioritization of geopolitical alliances with a genocidal regime over human lives, which is a hallmark of a sociopathic character.

The European Union’s leadership, while somewhat less overt, is also complicit through its failure to enforce accountability.  The EU resumed funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in 2024, after suspending it based on Israeli lies about UNRWA staff working with Hamas.  However, it has not imposed sanctions or an arms embargo on Israel, despite calls from UN experts like Francesca Albanese, who described Israel’s actions as a “genocide scaffolded by corporate profiteering.”  This inaction, coupled with public statements by the EU president downplaying the crisis, and her refusal to use the word “genocide” to describe Israeli actions, reflects a lack of remorse and empathy, aligning with sociopathic traits.  The EU’s refusal to challenge Israel, a key ally, reveals a manipulative approach to maintaining the status quo, even at the expense of thousands of human lives and the immense suffering of two million people.

Comparing authoritarian and democratic sociopathy

Authoritarian leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping provide a contrast that highlights the subtlety of Western sociopathy.  Putin’s orchestration of the Ukraine war, resulting in over 46,000 civilian deaths by May 2025, and the suspicious deaths of his critics like Alexei Navalny and others, demonstrate a blatant disregard for the lives of others and dissent.  Similarly, Xi’s policies against Uyghurs—mass detentions, forced assimilation, and cultural erasure—fit the Genocide Convention’s criteria of genocidal crimes, driven by a thinly veiled justification of “counter-terrorism.”  Additionally, the destruction of hundreds of mosques, burning of Qurans and Islamic texts, the abduction of Uyghur children and their placement in indoctrination camps, and forced cultural assimilation of the Uyghur people, reflect Xis' calculated indifference to human suffering of those he deems “other".

  

The sociopathy of Western leaders is more insidious
because it operates under the guise of democracy.

  
Yet, the sociopathy of Western leaders is more insidious because it operates under the guise of democracy.  While Putin and Xi openly consolidate power, Western leaders hide behind legalistic rhetoric and selective moral outrage.  Their failure to act against Israel’s genocide, despite overwhelming evidence, reveals a calculated indifference that mirrors authoritarian sociopathy but is cloaked in democratic legitimacy.  This hypocrisy totally undermines the moral authority that the West claims, exposing a sociopathic tendency to prioritize power and politics over basic humanity.  The contrast lies in execution: authoritarian leaders wield overt violence, while Western leaders employ inaction, political manipulation, narrative control and indifference to achieve similar ends through subtler means.

 

The broader implications of sociopathic leadership

 

The presence of sociopathic traits in Western leadership has profound implications as we deal with a less stable international environment.  First, it erodes trust in democratic institutions and weakens democratic societies.  When leaders prioritize political agendas over human rights, as seen in Canada’s refusal to unequivocally condemn Israel, as South Africa, Ireland, Spain and Turkiye have, or impose broad sanctions similar to the ones imposed on Russia, citizens question the moral foundation of their governments.  This erosion of trust undermines democratic legitimacy, creating fertile ground for populist or extremist movements.

 

Second, it perpetuates global impunity.  By shielding Israel from accountability, Western leaders signal that international law applies selectively, undermining the global order they claim to uphold.  The ICJ’s rulings on Gaza have been largely ignored by Western nations, contrasting with their swift condemnation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.  This double standard emboldens other states to violate the human rights of their populations, knowing that geopolitical allies face little consequence.  The failure to hold Israel accountable sets a precedent that weakens the international legal framework.

Third, the normalization of sociopathic traits in leadership risks long-term societal harm.  When leaders exhibit a lack of empathy and remorse for a people facing horrors that few of us have known, it sets a precedent for tolerating such behaviour in other spheres, from corporate governance to community leadership.  This erosion of ethical standards threatens the social fabric of society, fostering cynicism and division.

Finally, the psychological toll on populations under sociopathic leadership cannot be ignored.  The Gaza genocide, enabled by the West, has created a humanitarian catastrophe that reverberates globally, fuelling anger, despair and possible extremism.  The failure of Western leaders to act decisively exacerbates this psychological harm which, coupled with the physical destruction in Gaza, underscores the devastating impact of sociopathic leadership.

A call for accountability and change

The Gaza genocide has revealed a deeply disturbing truth.  Western leaders, despite their democratic rhetoric and claims to be defenders of human rights, exhibit sociopathic traits through their action, inaction, complicity, and manipulation.  Canada’s refusal to enforce international law as per ICJ and ICC rulings, its continued arms exports, and the de facto censorship of Palestinian voices by news media executives, mirrors the callousness of authoritarian regimes, albeit veiled in the rhetoric of a liberal democracy.  This is not merely a failure of policy and politics, but a moral collapse rooted in a lack of empathy, remorse and humanity—core features of sociopathy. 

To address this, voters in democratic countries must hold leaders accountable by calling out their sociopathic behaviour at every opportunity.  In the case of Western response to human rights crimes and genocide, states should impose arms embargoes and economic sanctions, support ICC investigations, and amplify marginalized voices that speak for the oppressed and persecuted.  Citizens themselves must demand transparency and ethical leadership not just for the sake of those suffering overseas but also for the sake of their own governance, by unequivocally rejecting the normalization of sociopathic behaviour in politics.  Grassroots movements, such as those advocating for Palestinian rights, demonstrate the power of collective action to challenge complicity.  Only through such efforts can we dismantle the systems and political structures that enable sociopathic leaders to function, and ensure that empathy, justice, and accountability prevail over indifference and power.
  
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