the war on mental illness
BY BOB FRISBY, M.S.
Politics
today!
order
I didn't want to have any political comments in this web-site but the current republican party is encouraging delusional thinking; basically, encouraging people to be mentally ill ! Something has to be said about this behavior:
When I think about politics these days, I'm thinking about capitalism,
socialism and fascism. Let’s look at their definitions:
Capitalism (according to my Webster’s New World Dictionary, College
Edition, 1962): “the economic system in which all or most of the means of production and distribution, as land, factories, railroads, etc., are privately owned and operated for profit, originally under fully competitive conditions; it has been generally characterized by a tendency toward concentration of wealth, and, in its later phase, by the growth of greater corporations, increased governmental controls, etc”.
Socialism (according to my Webster’s New World Dictionary, College Edition, 1962): “the theory or system of the ownership and operation of the means of production and distribution by society or the community rather than by private individuals with all members of society or the community sharing in the work and the products”.
Fascism (according to my Webster’s New World Dictionary, College Edition, 1962): a system of government characterized by rigid one-party dictatorship, forcible suppression of the opposition (unions, other, especially leftist, parties, minority groups, etc.), the retention of private ownership of the means of production under centralized governmental control, belligerent nationalism and racism, glorification of war, etc.
When I think of our two party system I think the Democrats are encouraging more socialism within our way of living, even though they're capitalist as well. I see Republicans wanting to hold onto their capitalist interests and currently leaning toward fascism as a way to add to their wealth. I don’t see the Democrats wanting to end capitalism and I do see some Republicans as being willing to spread some of their wealth around to the poor and disadvantaged. The current argument within our country appears to be this: what percentage of the profit made by capitalists should be taxed to assure that the poor and disadvantaged are living a lifestyle which includes having
sufficient wages for their labor; so they can afford decent housing,
eat healthy foods, dress in clothes that aren’t ragged, maintain a home,
afford decent health care, have reliable transportation to get to and
from work, and have sick leave and affordable child care services. The
“working class” deserves respect and compensation for the hard work they do keeping the rest of the world comfortable.
In the book I wrote: The War on Mental Illness (Street Version), I indicated my belief that my job was twofold; help my clients get a piece of America’s pie and make sure the people’s tax dollars are spent wisely. In my opinion, spending tax dollars looking into voter irregularities which have been proven to be no more significant than in any other election, is a big waste of money! Restricting the right of people to vote is as anti-American as Putin.
Now if you read various letters to the editor and books on politics, you’ll see that some people say that Democrats want to de-fund the police. I’m probably considered a moderate Democrat and I’m proud to say that I have voted for Republican Presidents (not Trump) and Republican Governors. I don’t believe in de-funding the police; hell, my son was a State Trooper!
Some people say Democrats want Medicare for all, and I can tell you that I believe everyone should have the same coverage that our legislators have. You pay according to your means.
Some folks don’t want the United States in the UN, NATO or any Paris
Climate Accord, yet I, as a Democrat, feel these groups will save
our world from destruction. These groups are trying to maintain a peaceful world, and are doing a pretty good job against the evil that is out there.
Some say the Democrats don’t want religion and a Christian God as part of our national fabric, and I would disagree with that. There has to be separation of church and state, as that is what our nation was predicated upon. The United States didn’t want King George telling us how to practice our religion. The abortion issue is a good example of people wanting to force others to live according to their religious beliefs. I’ll leave it up to the pregnant woman to make her own decision and not hold her decision against her. It is an issue between her and her Higher Power. Statistics would show that a sizable percentage of Democrats would try to find alternatives to abortion and therefore aren't necessarily pro-abortion. They should be considered pro-women's rights, even if they're in a pro-abortion rally.
I served five years of active duty in the US Army including nine months in Vietnam. Around election time I could be quoted quite frequently saying to people that I fought for their right to vote. I didn’t care who they voted for as that was up to them, but I wanted them to exercise their right to vote. I also commented that I fought for their right to have a different opinion than mine. When we entered the service there was an oath we recited and if the internet can be trusted, it went like this: “…I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers
appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of
Military Justice, so help me God.”
There was a Lt. William Calley in Vietnam who participated in the killing of innocent civilians at My Lai. He claimed he was ordered to do so by his commander, a captain Ernest Medina. Both ended up jailed, because if your behavior is breaking the Uniform Code of Military Justice or not in accord with our Constitution, you will be held accountable for those crimes. This should be the same for the January 6th attempt to overthrow our government. Just because Trump urged people to participate and fight, doesn’t mean they had to obey those orders; they’re illegal orders and the rioters should have known that.
It is unfortunate that the current Republican Party has chosen to “live the lie” (i.e., the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and given to Biden) and not behave according to our Constitution. They need to stop making efforts to prevent some people from voting and instead encourage folks to vote. They need to stop lying. The Bar Associations of every Republican who continues to back “the big lie” should hold those representatives accountable and remove their license to practice law. The people they represent should make sure these particular Republicans don’t win re-election.
There are still some great Republican legislators out there who know the election wasn't stolen and who support voter's rights; vote for them if you have Republican leanings. Just ask your Republican legislator if they believe the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Ask them if they believe Trump was a good president. If they answer yes to either question, or don't answer at all, don't vote for them!
It is unfortunate that a large percentage of Americans have been watching Fox News, as this organization, in my humble opinion, is spreading “the big lie” and other misinformation which only divides our country’s people. The manner in which Fox News and the Republican Party under Trump have been treating the Covid virus pandemic is nothing short of criminal. So many lives were, and are being lost, because of them giving misinformation about the virus and refusing to accept scientific knowledge as a way to combat the virus.
Since Twitter has changed ownership recently, it has also again allowed hateful speech on it's product. There is no place in a civilized society for hate speech and therefore everyone should avoid using Twitter accounts. Don't even visit the site! It's also important to only use social media like facebook to communicate with your family and immediate friends; friends you can visit locally. Don't try to build a vast number of followers or establish "pen pals" out there with folks you only know by what they say on line. Don't visit Tik-Tok, even if it has interesting things displayed on its web-site; people can say things on these sites that aren't true and you will get caught up in the lies. Don't spend more than a couple hours a day involved with social media, unless it's your job. Remember that someone said "80% of communication is non-verbal". It is through face to face meetings that you gain and lose energy; where the humanness is clear. If you need friends, join local organizations in your area that are doing things you like to do. You will be rewarded for being more careful in this new world we live in.
It is my professional opinion that it is not beneficial to your mental health to watch Fox News. It is far better for your mind to watch the major network news channels, like CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and PBS. While some of these appear to be democratic, that is only because they are speaking the truth and trying to stop “the big lie”. If you hear a lie being spoken often enough, you begin to believe it; that is the line you then cross into what are called delusional beliefs. These are fixed erroneous beliefs that can't be changed by logical evidence. I believe the German people in the first part of the 20th century got caught up in Hitler's delusions. Hitler controlled what the mass media said and killed those who disagreed with him. Putin controls the mass media in Russia and puts his adversaries in prison. Trump called the news people of America “the enemy”, “fake news”. He caused a riot where police were beaten and killed, on our capitol grounds!
And do you remember what happened in Jamestown? On November 18, 1978 a man named Jim Jones led hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide in the South American nation of Guyana. Now we see Trump's followers being sent off to prison for doing what he recommended. Are Americans really considering voting him and his followers back in to office? Not me, I'm voting straight Democratic ticket in this next election.
It also appears that many people in America believe all sorts of conspiracy theories and are spending much time debating these theories. It is far better for your mental health to leave the conspiracy theories to the CIA, FBI and Homeland Security. You don’t have to worry about them or spend any time thinking about them. Let the government agencies work on those issues.
I always told my clients that if we didn’t have honest communication in our relationship, then we didn’t have a meaningful relationship. There are too many legislators who are being dishonest or evasive in their
communications; they need to be voted out of office.
Some final thoughts for you to ponder: what is greed? I believe it’s when you want more than you really need in life to fulfill your mission on this planet. Without a religious/spiritual base as your mission guide, you may well believe that fascism is the way to go. When it comes time to vote, it might be a good idea to ask yourself “who would Jesus Christ vote for?, Muhammad?, Buddha?, Confucius?, and for the Native Americans: Mother Earth?" They wouldn't vote on one issue, they would look at character, caring for others, honesty, and how they show respect for all things on this Mother Earth.
P.S: I just saw an ad where a Republican said he was trusted by Trump and you can trust him to protect and fight for you. We don't want anyone in office who's supporting Trump or backed by him. Trump thinks Putin is an OK guy. And what is this OK guy doing to the country of Ukraine? Killing women, children, the disabled and the aged. Trump and his Republican backers are interested in filling their pockets with more money. These folks are full of the greed that isn’t healthy for them, their families or our nation. By the way, there is a significant percentage of democrats that are too greedy as well.
These are my personal beliefs and Go daddy administration doesn't
necessarily agree with all I have just said; here, or anywhere else in this
web-site. Dated: May 2022
Addendem dated 10-12-24
1. Vice President Harris will lead our country forward and unite our people; she will maintain our democracy. Former president Trump will send our country backward with his dictatorship and create so much havoc throughout the country that you would think it was a civil war.
As you get ready to vote, just think; do you want a democracy or a dictatorship?
2. Do you want a country where women who have a dead fetus in their body can't get it out without moving to a location where it is legal to get it removed?...this, by the way, is part of the definition of abortion. You didn't think of this when you said I'm against abortion, did you? Vice-President Harris will fight for the woman's right to health care without government interventions. Former president Trump will cause all abortions across America to be illegal. Women will have to go to another country to get the deceased fetus removed.
3. As far as immigration is concerned, the democrats co-sponsored a bill with republicans that would have done much to fix our border crisis and what did Trump do? He told them to not bring it up for vote till after the election. You have no right to say the democrats are responsible for border problems. Harris would work well with republicans to fix our border problems.
4. Our economy is doing very well considering what former president Trump and his party left the Biden administration to clean up. The covid pandemic was an economic disaster for all countries throughout the world. It takes time to recover from a hit like that. You will fare much better under a Harris administration than a Trump administration. He isn't thinking of you; he only thinks of himself. Democrats are noted for caring for the poor and the middle class; if you fit into one of those classes, you should vote for Harris.
5. The current republican party isn't the republican party we used to know. It has become a cult led by Trump. They take your money and lie to you about how they will help you. To them, lying is ok. To them violence against those who disagree with them is ok. To them, only their books should be read. Their going to tell you how you will live, just like those living under Putin, or those in China, Iran and North Korea. Are those people in those countries doing well? Are they free? The people in those countries have been brain washed with the thoughts that America wants to take over their country and harm them in various ways. That is just another lie. You won't have many freedoms under Trump. If lying is ok, how about the next time you buy a car the dealer doesn't say it needs an engine? Lies hurt everyone!
6. Trump is a criminal and some trumpers say most of New York is criminal in behaviors. Two wrongs don't make a right. Anarchy is living without laws to control human behavior. Everyone must be held accountable; none of this "well, eveyone's doing it." Trump has shown a disregard for the laws of our nation. His behavior on Jan 6th was treason. Lets put a honest person in the White House.