Common Mental Illnesses

--- Kevin Walsh, Editor of NACAZAI and EASPF 

As someone who has been declared mentally disordered by a court of law, I would like to comment on real mental disorders that are shared by most of the population. I would like to focus on two in particular: toadyism and defeatism. These cannot meet the statistical definition of mental illness, as they are shared by the majority of the population and therefore must be considered normal behavior. They do, however, meet the functional definition of mental illness, in that they lead to objectively dysfunctional behavior, behavior which threatens the existence of entire nationalities.

Toadyism is the tendency to kiss the hand that lashes one and to praise and defend the powerful people who oppress one. Jews have repeatedly shown themselves to be the enemies of all nationalities, yet people continue to praise and pity them and despise those who attack them. The imperialist bourgeoisie and their compradors and collaborators likewise have many defenders among the masses. Those who shed tears for the dead of the World Trade Center or the Murrah Building are engaging in this dysfunctional behavior. Those who shed tears for Jewish or imperialist soldiers who get blown up by human bombs are likewise practicing this behavior. Those who feel sorry for those who immigrate into their countries and those who hire them to undercut their wages are also guilty of this foolishness. Mentally healthy people hate their enemies and oppressors and are glad when their enemies and oppressors fall victim to acts of resistance. Unfortunately the mentally healthy are in the minority right now, and if this continues the integrity of all nationalities is in peril.

Defeatism is an even more insidious mental illness which afflicts many people. Defeatists often recognize who their enemies are and may even hate their enemies, but they believe all resistance is hopeless. They criticize those who resist as "fools," "terrorists, " "murderers," or "maniacs," but they offer no constructive advice on better means of resistance, often offering clearly nonsensical advice that is known to invariably fail, such as "work within the system" or "write your congressman" or "vote in the next election." Very often defeatism is spread by dishonest people who are really guilty of toadyism and resent those who resist and therefore seek to demoralize them. The logical conclusion of defeatism is that oppressed people should simply endure their oppression, or in the classic analogy, bend over and take it. That is not what mentally healthy people do. Mentally healthy people defend themselves and those they love. They don't accept oppression passively.

No psychiatrist can cure society of these mental illnesses. The cure for some will come with the hard knocks of harsh reality, but for many of us, the cure is exposing the dysfunctional thinking to the cold light of reason. That is why propaganda work is essential for revolutionary organizing.