To see a rogue state, the US need only look in the mirror

Johnny Zokovitch

Source: Pax Christi USA

In 2024, more than 200 mental health professionals issued an open letter theorizing that President Trump exhibited behaviours that meet the criteria for antisocial personality disorder.

"Even a non-clinician can see that Trump shows a lifetime pattern of 'failure to conform to social norms and laws,' 'repeated lying,' 'reckless disregard for the safety of others,' 'irritability,' 'impulsivity,' 'irresponsibility,' and 'lack of remorse,'" the letter said.

What's interesting to me in that description is how those characteristics describe US foreign policy, and especially - at this moment - the war being waged by the US and Israel against Iran.

As the early justifications for the war on Iran from President Trump and others in his administration repeatedly hammered on the description of Iran as a "rogue state" that engaged in "terrorism," I found myself recalling a class I took as an undergraduate student in college, General Psychology, and the first time I learned about the psychological term "projection."

To read on see: https://paxchristiusa.org/2026/03/06/to-see-a-rogue-state-the-us-need-only-look-in-the-mirror/

Johnny Zokovitch is the former executive director of Pax Christi USA. He currently serves on the board of the Pax Christi International Fund for Peace and is in pastoral leadership at St Cronan Catholic Church in St Louis. Read more from Johnny at https://johnnyzokovitch.substack.com/ and sign up there to receive his articles directly to your email inbox.