- The Article Is Bogus
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- Comment
- Cameron McLaughlin
- 8-8-5
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- Regarding this article from
- http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/info_schedule_
battle/Anti_Government_Phobia.html
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- There is no such article in MEDLINE.
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- It contains no references and does not cite the NIH award
number that was supposedly used to fund it. All publicly-funded, peer-reviewed
research must contain references and funding acknowledgments.
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- Beyond that, it is simply ridiculous.
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- Cameron McLaughlin
- ----
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- Abstract
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- This study conclusively demonstrates that unfounded fear
of government is a recognizable mental illness, closely related to paranoid
schizophrenia. Anti-Government Phobia (AGP) differs from most mental illnesses,
however, in that it is highly infectious and has an acute onset. Symptoms
include extreme suspiciousness, conspiracy-mongering, delusional thought
patterns, staunch "us against them" mentality, withdrawal from
reality, and often religious fanaticism. Having the patient committed to
a qualified mental health institution is the best option for family and
loved ones. For this reason, all psychiatrists and family physicians should
be provided with educational materials which will help them recognize the
various symptoms and warning signs accompanying onset. Since comparatively
little is known about Anti-Government Phobia at the present time, a government-funded
health commission should be set up to oversee, and help focus, future research.
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- Incidence and Etiology
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- Anti-Government Phobia has a worldwide distribution,
but has a particularly high incidence in the United States. Infection rates
are estimated by mental health officials to be about 5% of the general
population, and this rate is growing at an alarming rate. Rates are highest,
but not limited to, those who are disaffected in some fashion, especially
those who have a strong personal grudge against the federal government
for one reason or another.
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- Although certain variants of the illness have been around
for many years, it is only in the last decade or so that the more virulent
and infectious strains have appeared. This is most likely due to the rapid
buildup of government, at all levels, during the 1980's. Closely paralling
this trend was an explosion in the number of cases in which individuals
were diagnosed as having unfounded fears concerning such.
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- Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis Anti-Government
Phobia is marked by extreme suspiciousness toward government. Onset is
acute. Symptoms start almost immediately after a run-in with some agency
or institution of the government, or when the patient is introduced to
anti-government propaganda, in one form or another, by a self-styled "patriot."
Common ways in which this harmful, anti-government propaganda is spread
include: books, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers, audiotapes, videotapes,
short-wave and conventional radio programs, computer bulletin boards, and
various Internet sites.
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- Upon exposure to "patriotic" propaganda, the
patient mysteriously begins to imagine hidden links between unrelated current
events, weaving these gross distortions of reality into a complex delusional
web; a labyrinth of conspiracy theories with all imagined clues leading
straight to the federal government. With further exposure, the patient
becomes increasingly paranoid, and slowly withdrawals from reality. However,
mental deterioration is usually so gradual that the patient is often unaware
of it.
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- This mysterious malady progresses until the patient invariably
assumes a staunch "us against them" mentality. For instance,
in the patient's warped mind-set, each new piece of gun-control legislation
is oddly rationalized to be merely one additional step in an ultimate plot
by the federal government to confiscate guns altogether. In some unusually
severe cases, the patient assumes a survivalist mentality, stockpiling
guns, ammunition, de-hydrated food, and other "essentials," in
preparation for "D-Day" or "Armageddon."
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- At this stage, the patient also inexplicity experiences
increased delusional thinking. For instance, he may start fallaciously
believing that the Federal Reserve is not in fact part of the federal government,
but is instead controlled by wealthy Zionists. Other far-flung delusions
may involve the United Nations, "black helicopters," concentration
camps, or the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Delusions involving "takeovers"
by foreign military troops, or jack-booted government storm troopers dressed
in all black, are also commonly diagnosed.
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- Anti-Government Phobia is often associated with religious
fanaticism. An excellent example of this is the infamous Branch Davidian
case, in which most cult members preferred a fiery suicide over peaceful
surrender to the forces of what they considered to be "Mystery Babylon."
There have been other prominant cases in which "patriots" have
became involved with terrorist activity, fallaciously believing that they
were somehow doing the "will of God." More commonly, "patriots"
have been involved in aggressive outbursts in courtrooms, and other public
places such as town-hall meetings.
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- Overall, the worldview eventually adopted by "patriots"
interprets modern-day news events as pieces of a giant jig-saw puzzle.
Oddly, they believe that it is their solemn duty to put these unrelated
pieces together in order to discover the underlying "picture."
The warped interpretive framework used by many "patriots" in
their missionary-like endeavor of saving the lost "sheep" (derogatory
term comparing non-patriots to lost sheep) is a hyper-literal interpretation
of Biblical prophecies, particularly those contained in the book of Revelation.
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- Spread of the Illness
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- In the eyes of the so-called "patriots," the
relentless drive to indoctrinate others with extremist political beliefs
is seen as a righteous and compulsory act to save their "self-destructing"
nation. Wildly fantasizing that America can somehow turn back the clock
to better times, which in reality never existed, many "patriots"
feel obligated to quote constantly from the Declaration of Independence,
United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the writings of the Founding
Fathers. In an ironic twist of fate, when "patriots" expose others
to their divisive anti-government propaganda, through their misguided efforts
to restore "individual liberty," they are actually infecting
them with an extremely contagious mental illness.
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- A strong analogy can be drawn between "patriotic"
indoctrination and patterns of religious conversion. In both cases, ultra-idealistic
individuals believe that it is their solemn duty to gain proselytes for
their particular faith. This is usually done on a person-to-person basis
with a friend or acquaintance. To keep new converts from going astray or
"backsliding," they are eagerly provided with a steady stream
of propaganda. In each case, the devotee imagines that there is an evil,
sinister force which must be opposed at all costs. In the case of various
religions, the faithful are supposedly rewarded in the afterlife for sparring
with the "devil." In the case of the "patriot," the
so-called "New World Order" is viewed as the demonic bogeyman,
with the reward for opposing it supposedly being an increased amount of
"personal freedom." In both "patriotic" and religious
circles, there is an entire counter-culture, centering around various anthems
and holy books, constantly being promoted by prophets, preachers, and paranoid
propagandists of all creeds, colors, and strains.
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- Prevention
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- Needless to say, prevention is the first line of defense
against any type of illness or disease. Unfortunately, many mental illnesses
are genetic in nature and thus can not be prevented. Fortunately, Anti-Government
Phobia is non-genetic and thus wholly preventable. From an individual standpoint,
the most effective prevention policy is obviously not to allow oneself
to become indoctrinated by a self-styled "patriot," preferably
by staying as far as possible away from any potentially divisive propaganda.
As an added precaution, one should rely exclusively on well-known and reputable
sources for news and other information.
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- Family members and loved ones can help out in this effort.
However, it should be noted that prevention programs work best only when
the entire community is involved. We all need to practice constant vigilance
in order to spot diviseness and hate in our communities. In this regard,
networking is the ultimate key to success. A successful community-based
empowerment program would include the following elements: citizen-citizen
networks, police-citizen networks, parent-teacher networks, pastor-parisoner
networks, doctor-patient networks, state-local law enforcement authority
networks, and federal-state law enforcement authority networks.
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- Treatment and Prognosis
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- Although the prognosis is generally good if the illness
is treated soon after symptoms first appear, studies have shown that a
disturbingly low percentage of patients allow themselves to be treated.
Thus, having the patient committed to a qualified mental health institution
is the best option for family and loved ones. For this reason, all psychiatrists
and family physicians should be provided with educational materials which
will help them recognize the various symptoms and warning signs accompanying
onset. Once the illness is properly diagnosed, they should next notify
the patient's immediate family members and discuss the various treatment
options with them. This effort should be reinforced with extensive public
ad campaigns promoting a 1-800 help line. Since comparatively little is
known about Anti-Government Phobia at the present time, a government-funded
health commission should be set up to oversee, and help focus, future research.
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- It can not be over-emphasized that prevention is the
key to stopping the spread of Anti-Government Phobia. Once a person is
infected, the illness is generally incurable. The only proven treatment
is an extended, and often risky, "de-programming" session conducted
by qualified professionals, such as the Cult Awareness Network (CAN). Left
untreated, chronic symptoms invariably persist throughout the entire lifetime
of the patient. Sadly, even the patients themselves realize this horrifying
fact and surprisingly, seem apathetic to it. Oddly, they often confuse
their symptoms with being "awake." For instance, they have been
known to garble gibberish such as "once your awake, you can't go back
to sleep." Further research is presently being conducted on the reasons
why they rationalize their mental illness in this highly unusual manner.
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- Acknowledgements
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- The writer wishes to thank the following individuals
and organizations for contributing their expertise to this report: Morris
Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Rick Ross of the Cult Awareness
Network (CAN), the United States Justice Department (USJD), the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms (BATF). This study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes
of Health (NIH).
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