Kathrine Frich
Kemp labels Trump as a “textbook narcissist,”
Kemp labels Trump as a “textbook narcissist,”
Expert warns three leaders could be blamed for Armageddon
Dr. Luke Kemp of Cambridge University says US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping form a “walking version of the dark triad.”
The traits, narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, have historically been present in elites who led civilisations to ruin.
The “dark triad” explained
Kemp labels Trump as a “textbook narcissist,” Putin as a “cold psychopath,” and Xi as a “master Machiavellian manipulator.”
He believes this dangerous mix can accelerate global collapse.
The comment was made in an interview with The Guardian.
Lessons from 5,000 years of history
By studying 400 past societies, Kemp found that many collapsed due to power-hungry elites ignoring existential threats.
He calls these civilisations “Goliaths”, powerful but fragile states that ultimately fall apart.
Modern threats are worse than in the past
Climate change, nuclear weapons, food shortages, and mass extinctions make today’s risks even more severe.
Kemp warns that current elites are ignoring these dangers, much like leaders of past failed empires.
How inequality weakens empires
Historically, Goliaths like the Roman Empire or the Han Dynasty became unstable when elites monopolised resources.
Inequality bred infighting, corruption, and public unrest, making them vulnerable to collapse.
When collapse brought prosperity
Kemp notes that after Rome’s fall, common people were actually taller and healthier.
Without elite dominance, living conditions could improve, but he warns this may not happen in today’s nuclear-armed world.
Nuclear weapons make modern collapse more dangerous
Unlike past empires that relied on swords or muskets, modern leaders might try to reassert power with nuclear arms.
This raises the risk of catastrophic destruction after societal breakdown.
The Doomsday Clock is ticking
Global tensions, fears of World War Three, and authoritarianism have kept the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it’s ever been to symbolic annihilation.
The only way to avoid the end
Kemp believes the solution is creating “genuine democratic societies” that dismantle elite monopolies on power.
He insists humanity has the capacity to govern itself fairly on a global scale.
