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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 43. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Barbaracat on November 17, 2004, at 5:29:30
In reply to off topic, but important, posted by mcp on November 14, 2004, at 5:05:32
My heart goes out to these troops, they're fighting a brutal and senseless war - and here's some food for thought: Does anyone ever wonder why none - I repeat NONE - of the children/grandchildren of any Senator or Congressman are fighting over there? One or two may have enlisted, but not for combat. Not one. Anyone curious about if and when the Bush twins will be getting sent over there? I thought this war was THAT important. Or do their lives rate more preferential treatment than anyone else's son/daughter's? Oh, and George is taking SSRIs, just so we can stay on topic ;->
Posted by Sad Panda on November 17, 2004, at 5:29:30
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by Barbaracat on November 16, 2004, at 2:51:45
> My heart goes out to these troops, they're fighting a brutal and senseless war
>
>Ummm, who sent them there & why?? I remember now, there is a peabrain in Washington who was born in CT but has a faked Texan accent that is gathering up oil from other countries so he can pump it back in to the ground. Sounds like a reason that is as good as any to send the boys in to kill anything that moves.
Posted by jclint on November 17, 2004, at 5:29:31
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by Barbaracat on November 16, 2004, at 2:51:45
> Oh, and George is taking SSRIs, just so we can stay on topic ;->
Lol, did you make that up? Wouldn't be surprised. At a stupidly high dosage, inhibiting his cognitive functions :)
JFK was famously on a cocktail of psychiatric meds, just to add my bit!
Posted by Mats on November 17, 2004, at 5:29:31
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by jclint on November 16, 2004, at 7:24:58
a bad topic
Posted by Barbaracat on November 17, 2004, at 5:29:32
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by jclint on November 16, 2004, at 7:24:58
> > Oh, and George is taking SSRIs, just so we can stay on topic ;->
>
> Lol, did you make that up? Wouldn't be surprised. At a stupidly high dosage, inhibiting his cognitive functions :)
>
> JFK was famously on a cocktail of psychiatric meds, just to add my bit!**Yes, JFK was, and no, I didn't make it up about George W's meds. Frankly, I think it's a good idea that someone recognizes the need for him to be taking them. I've considered this whole topic and whether or not this forum is the place to discuss such things (it could get out of hand and off topic of meds rather quickly), but since we've now made the association, let's discuss it.
You can go to any number of sources on the internet and read about the alarm and concern regarding his mental stability and what it means for not only our nation, but globally. But an internet search/source is not where I got my info, but much closer to the horse's mouth. It's no big Deep Throat secret either, but fairly common knowledge up on the Hill. But more like an alarming hot potato topic. People's jobs and livelihoods are at stake - politically and journalistically. I believe that with the resignations of so many cabinet members and others, we'll be hearing a bit more about this in due time.
It is no secret in Washington that Mr. Bush has shown alarmingly unstable, labile, volatile and delusional traits. He is not so much ridiculed as feared. He is known to be on medication, and is taking an array of at least SSRIs. The details about which meds and how much are subject to inaccuracy, but that he is on psychiatric meds is not just a rumor, but hopefully, a good idea that will bear good fruit.
What is alarming, however, is that we, the people, are not allowed access to this information. The government, however, is allowed access to ours. We can no longer afford to be ignorant of the mental or physical state of the holders of offices of this magnitude. Of course, it's not savvy to broadcast info that can cause political backlash, and this is why we are not privy to it. But the people of this country should have access to what medications the president and V.P. are taking and why. We hear sketchy results of their yearly White House physicals. Why not a yearly psychiatric exam administered by a top-notch non-partisan team of psychiatrists? The mental stability of the presidential administration is everybody's business. Urine tests are required for most jobs these days. Not so with the presidency.
There is an interesting book by a D.C. psychoanalyst and professor of psychiatry "Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of a President" by Justin A. Frank. Very insightful, enlightening, and disturbing - that our country has come to this. But I'm under no delusions that anyone who really needs to or should read it ever will.
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 17, 2004, at 5:37:51
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by Sad Panda on November 16, 2004, at 5:33:11
> there is a peabrain in Washington who was born in CT but has a faked Texan accent
Please respect the views of others and be sensitive to their feelings. The last time you were blocked it was for 1 week, so this time it's for 3.
If you or others have questions about this or about posting policies in general, or are interested in alternative ways of expressing yourself, please see the FAQ:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#civil
Follow-ups regarding these issues should be redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration. They, as well as replies to the above post, should of course themselves be civil.
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 17, 2004, at 5:38:34
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by jclint on November 16, 2004, at 7:24:58
> a ... senseless war
>
> Barbaracat> At a stupidly high dosage, inhibiting his cognitive functions :)
>
> jclintPlease respect the views of others and be sensitive to their feelings. Thanks,
Bob
Posted by sunny10 on November 17, 2004, at 11:54:53
In reply to Re: please be civil » Barbaracat » jclint, posted by Dr. Bob on November 17, 2004, at 5:38:34
I, for one, am shocked that you guys would malign ANYONE on meds. Haven't we been fighting to make society recognize depression as a disease which can be medicated to maintain "remission" ?
And how can you assume that YOU know what you're doing/talking about if you, too, suffer from depression? Should we all discount YOUR words and actions, too?
I'm not a fan of any of our current slew of politicians, but I am ashamed to hear "us" maligning OURSELVES in this way.
okay, okay, off my righteous soapbox...
Posted by Barbaracat on November 17, 2004, at 16:52:01
In reply to Re: please be civil, posted by sunny10 on November 17, 2004, at 11:54:53
Dear Sunny,
If you read through my post, you will realize I was and am not maligning anyone's use of meds, so please reconsider including me in that category. My attitude towards this president surely filters through and colors the tone of the message, but not the message.I first only mentioned that Bush was taking SSRIs just to throw in a med reference because I was on the meds thread and hoped to stay there (but Social is more appropriate). I later stated that in Bush's case it is a very good idea that he IS on meds as I hope it will reorder his thinking into a more coherent and healthy direction - for ALL of our sakes.
I also said I was grateful that someone, he or whomever, recognized his need for meds. Because what has been apparent for too long has been his erratic and frequently violent behavior, info we rarely get from the news media. Thank God he's taking meds! Jeez, if I hadn't found lithium and became President, I shudder to think... I truly hope he's getting the best treatment he can. I truly hope it's not just a rumor and that he really is getting treatment.
I have nothing against anyone using meds that are helping them think more clearly, especially someone who has they're their finger on the button. The sorry thing is the the hush-hush flavor of the whole 'oooh Bush is taking SSRIs' and shows we're still in the stone age about all that stigma nonsense.
A point I wanted to make and that I stand by is this: more than anyone in this land, the president and vice president need to have thorough physical and psychiatric tests performed every year and the results made accessible to the public. They're not. The particular brands of meds they're taking don't interest me - the fact that they're even taking meds doesn't interest me - but the conditions they're being treated for do. I don't give a rip about privacy rights when it comes awareness of the mental health of the leader of my country. The fact that he can gain access to my medical records and I can't to his disturbs me.
I believe we should be have access to health information of all public officials who are in positions of responsibility where compromised decision making could be a jeopardy. We pay them, we hire them. We are their employers. Our employers have access to their employees' medical info. We should have access to ours'. The President, for all the Commander in Chief titles, is our public servant and our employee and we forget this.
I hope Mr. Bush has great doctors, gets himself healthy in every way and does a great job for this country. But if he's showing signs of psychosis and it's jeopardizing my country, I want to know about it. I would feel the same way about anyone in this important position.
> I, for one, am shocked that you guys would malign ANYONE on meds. Haven't we been fighting to make society recognize depression as a disease which can be medicated to maintain "remission" ?
>
> And how can you assume that YOU know what you're doing/talking about if you, too, suffer from depression? Should we all discount YOUR words and actions, too?
>
> I'm not a fan of any of our current slew of politicians, but I am ashamed to hear "us" maligning OURSELVES in this way.
>
> okay, okay, off my righteous soapbox...
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 17, 2004, at 22:30:54
In reply to Re: please be civil » sunny10, posted by Barbaracat on November 17, 2004, at 16:52:01
> I hope it will reorder his thinking into a more coherent and healthy direction
>
> his erratic and frequently violent behaviorPlease respect the views of others and be sensitive to their feelings. Sorry, but I just asked you to be civil, so now I'm going to block you from posting for a week.
Bob
Posted by gromit on November 18, 2004, at 1:16:33
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by Barbaracat on November 16, 2004, at 2:51:45
> My heart goes out to these troops, they're fighting a brutal and senseless war - and here's some food for thought: Does anyone ever wonder why none - I repeat NONE - of the children/grandchildren of any Senator or Congressman are fighting over there? One or two may have enlisted, but not for combat. Not one. Anyone curious about if and when the Bush twins will be getting sent over there? I thought this war was THAT important. Or do their lives rate more preferential treatment than anyone else's son/daughter's? Oh, and George is taking SSRIs, just so we can stay on topic ;->
Well George didn't fight, why would his daughters? OTOH I would do anything to protect my own son. If I could do anything to keep him safe I would do so without thinking. This doesn't excuse their hypocrisy. Why didn't they speak out when it could have made a difference? I was reading way before we invaded that the administratrion had already made up it's mind and was rejecting reports that there were no WMD. They sent them back until they supported their position. Now they are blaming bad inteligence
W has wasted all the support we got after 9-11. I remember seeing huge crowds protesting the terrorists. Now there are huge crowds protesting this administration. They want international support but only want American companies to get all the big contracts. The ironic thing to me is after all this we re-elect him despite all this stuff that could be consider criminal. Yet a few years ago they tried to impeach Clinton over a *%$#@!@ ***w-job. In exit polls a majority of people who voted for W sited moral values as the biggest reason. Reminds me of relatives of mine (by marriage) who will let their kids watch 2 hours of violent killing but cover their kid's eyes during the "bad part". Apparently killing people with a chainsaw is more acceptable than seeing a woman's breasts.
The only positive thing I can see is unlike our last misguided "police action" we are not blaming our own soldiers for doing their job. Mostly they are heroes who have the misfortune to have a boss who is not.
Wow this is a little scattered. I'll stop now, I could rant all day about this though and usually I don't pay any attention to politics.
Peace
Rick
Posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 8:07:04
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by gromit on November 18, 2004, at 1:16:33
Your post, as well as some before yours, is offensive to me. My sons are in the Army Reserve. They serve because they choose to. No one has forced them to sign up. They love the Army, love this country, and admire our President. No one forced any of our military to join. They are all volunteers and know it is part of their job to go where they are sent. This is a chance they take in return for the numerous benefits, including free college education. No one wants to lose a child. But I already know that if one of my sons loses his life there, he will have died doing what he wanted to do and doing it proudly.
Posted by peace train on November 18, 2004, at 9:36:42
In reply to Re: off topic, but important » gromit, posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 8:07:04
> Your post, as well as some before yours, is offensive to me. My sons are in the Army Reserve. They serve because they choose to. No one has forced them to sign up. They love the Army, love this country, and admire our President. No one forced any of our military to join. They are all volunteers and know it is part of their job to go where they are sent. This is a chance they take in return for the numerous benefits, including free college education. No one wants to lose a child. But I already know that if one of my sons loses his life there, he will have died doing what he wanted to do and doing it proudly.
>
There is no real difference between US forces in Iraq & Arab Terrorist's attacking the USA, in
both cases it is people slaughtering people. Same goes for Israel & the Palestinians, it's just
people killing people. It's a little ironic, but hardly surprising that a Jew invented suicide
bombing & not an Arab.
Posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 10:14:46
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by peace train on November 18, 2004, at 9:36:42
I see a world of difference.
Posted by Jai Narayan on November 18, 2004, at 10:14:47
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by peace train on November 18, 2004, at 9:36:42
I have often pondered what the human race is doing on this planet.
Are we here learning something?
have we planet hopped and we are currently on earth maybe getting ready to find our next planet?
Is karma real?
if so what is our karma here?
are we here learning lessons?
What do you think is the lesson of this killing?
I get caught up in the details of killing and being killed.
I get emotional about the lives of each of these people and how they can no longer have a life.
the act of killing another may change the person doing the killing.
I worry about all these questions.
Jai Narayan
Posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 10:29:55
In reply to people killing people, posted by Jai Narayan on November 18, 2004, at 10:14:47
Is sin real? Yes. Is evil real? Yes. If I am an abused wife, do I just sit quietly and wait for the husband to start being nice? No. If I see someone being abused, do I just mind my own business and go on with my life? No. Sometimes it is not easy to tell the difference between good and evil. Our government wants to liberate, not oppress. We have the power to do good in the world and we must do it. To do nothing and just go on with our comfortable, materialistic lives would not be more noble. Sacrifice is necessary for lasting change. Most of the sacrifices of our military through the years have not been in vain. We have held back the forces of evil and the world is a better place.
Posted by peace train on November 18, 2004, at 10:46:29
In reply to Re: people killing people » Jai Narayan, posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 10:29:55
> Is sin real? Yes. Is evil real? Yes. If I am an abused wife, do I just sit quietly and wait for the husband to start being nice? No. If I see someone being abused, do I just mind my own business and go on with my life? No. Sometimes it is not easy to tell the difference between good and evil. Our government wants to liberate, not oppress. We have the power to do good in the world and we must do it. To do nothing and just go on with our comfortable, materialistic lives would not be more noble. Sacrifice is necessary for lasting change. Most of the sacrifices of our military through the years have not been in vain. We have held back the forces of evil and the world is a better place.
>
>Iraq is all about the oil & contracts to American companies & has got little to do with liberating people.
Posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 11:45:18
In reply to Re: people killing people, posted by peace train on November 18, 2004, at 10:46:29
Did John Kerry say that? Would he say that? I don't think so. He knows better.
Posted by Jai Narayan on November 18, 2004, at 12:20:56
In reply to Re: people killing people » Jai Narayan, posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 10:29:55
Since life seems to be filled with a variety of perceptions and points of view:
can we agree that one person's liberation might just be another person's oppression?*for instance, I don't think I would want to be killing someone so that I could be a force for liberation, no matter what the motivation.
*I certainly wouldn't like to be the person being killed because someone's concept of liberation didn't include my way of being in this world.I find the topic of good and evil to be difficult.
Spirituality, for me, includes a variety of ways of looking at and being in the world.
My spirituality is a very personal topic that I really don't debate.Jai Narayan
Posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 12:40:48
In reply to can one persons liberation be anothers oppression?, posted by Jai Narayan on November 18, 2004, at 12:20:56
Yes! Aren't you glad you live in a country where you are free to believe as you wish? Aren't you glad you are not forced to be a particular religion? Aren't you glad someone was willing to fight for your freedom and that you don't have to fight for it? Aren't you glad that regardless of the debate about spiritual beliefs we have the voting booth? I thank God every day that I have been the beneficiary of the sacrifices of others, including 16 ancestors who were Patriots in the American Revolution.
Posted by Jai Narayan on November 18, 2004, at 12:59:23
In reply to Re: can one persons liberation be anothers oppression? » Jai Narayan, posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 12:40:48
Funny it seems like we are in open but with a luxury of time to type.
Jai
Posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 13:01:24
In reply to I too am a DAR daughter, posted by Jai Narayan on November 18, 2004, at 12:59:23
Well, you will have to carry on. I'm on my way out of town for the birth of my first grandchild.
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 18, 2004, at 13:39:33
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by gromit on November 18, 2004, at 1:16:33
> their hypocrisy.
>
> gromitPlease respect the views of others and be sensitive to their feelings. Thanks,
Bob
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 18, 2004, at 13:39:57
In reply to Re: off topic, but important, posted by peace train on November 18, 2004, at 9:36:42
> It's a little ironic, but hardly surprising that a Jew invented suicide
> bombing & not an Arab.When you're blocked, you're not supposed to post, so now I'm going to block you from posting for 9 weeks.
If you or others have questions about this or about posting policies in general, or are interested in alternative ways of expressing yourself, please see the FAQ:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#civil
Follow-ups regarding these issues should be redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration. They, as well as replies to the above post, should of course themselves be civil.
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by gromit on November 18, 2004, at 13:53:00
In reply to Re: off topic, but important » gromit, posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 8:07:04
> Your post, as well as some before yours, is offensive to me. My sons are in the Army Reserve. They serve because they choose to. No one has forced them to sign up. They love the Army, love this country, and admire our President. No one forced any of our military to join. They are all volunteers and know it is part of their job to go where they are sent. This is a chance they take in return for the numerous benefits, including free college education. No one wants to lose a child. But I already know that if one of my sons loses his life there, he will have died doing what he wanted to do and doing it proudly.
I didn't intend to offend anyone. Your post could also be considered offensive, you seem to be implying that because one doesn't support the war they aren't proud to be American and don't support our troops. I understand that we have a volunteer army and like I said those guys are heroes, your sons are heroes. If my son chose to go in the service I would be proud of him of course.
I am not proud of our foreign policies, especially the current administration's policy of shoot first ask questions later. I am angry about the so called "Patriot Act" and many other abuses of the Bill of Rights and I'm not going to apologize for having an opinion others disagree with.
Rick
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