Comments: Bush To Blame For America's Depression?
Of course Bush's vanity war/murder spree has got to impact the national mood, war takes a toll on a people, not to mention torture, spying on citizens and the shredding of the Constitution. Even with the paltry media coverage, and regardless of the tendency toward political disengagement we all know these things are happening. You hope your country is doing the right thing, and then learn they lied about WMDs, waterboarding, white phospherous at Fallujah, are making soldiers extend their stay regardless of the toll it takes, we have no exit strategy, everybody hates us and he's talking about WWIII!
Good times.
Posted by flawedplan at October 31, 2007 03:20 PM
President Bush did have a message. In announcing his New Freedom Commission on Mental Health on April 29, 2002 he said, Our country must make a commitment: Americans with mental illness deserve our understanding, and they deserve excellent care. They deserve a health care system that treats their illness with the same urgency as a physical illness.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020429-1.html
The New Freedom Commission members also also had a message which was included in the Letter to the President wihch accompanied their interim report, Our review for this interim report leads us to the united belief that America's mental health service delivery system is in shambles.
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/interim_letter.htm
Can a mental health system in shambles regularly foster outcomes that are not reflective of it? The last thing we need now are more messages. We are still digesting the old ones, The Era of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, The Era of Evidenced Based Practices, The Decade of the Brain, The Era of Recovery and Wellness. Let's have an Era of Less Words and a Few More Deeds.
Posted by Joe at November 1, 2007 09:45 AM
I'm troubled by the name "New Freedom Commission on Mental Health." I think most of us labeled as mentally ill would be thrilled just to have the "Old Freedom." I imagine the new freedom has some new limitations. Anyone know if it grows out of the 12 step program promises of a "new freedom and a new happiness?"
Still, I'm not sure Bush is a cause of national depression as much as one of many tragic results of it. People are tired, isolated, and looking for facile promises like those of a Bush or an Abilify Commercial.
As Kurt Vonnegut suggested, "What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”
Posted by Sally at November 1, 2007 10:25 AM
You're right, Sally. I fear "new freedom" refers to drugs, drugs, and more drugs. Myself, I'm promoting the freedom to be left alone.
Posted by Francesca Allan at November 2, 2007 09:31 AM