Can Countries Lose Their Minds?

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To say that a country lost its mind is a metaphoric description of a politically dysfunctional state. The intense irrationality of the behavior of a country and the pervasiveness of irrational behavior make the metaphor compelling.

Twentieth century history provides numerous examples of countries in such turmoil. Craig Nelson, distinguished author, in his latest book, Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness, describes Japan in the decade that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor as being beset with conflicts that included a civilian government that was isolated and largely powerless going against a strong military that had become the dominant force in the country, a weak emperor who had symbolic power but had little actual decision making authority, a war with China that was much less successful than had been hoped, and a government that was internally divided. Nelson notes, “One simple explanation for Pearl Harbor… is the great difficulty American leaders had in crafting an effective defense strategy against an enemy that had lost its mind” (1). Nazi Germany is another vivid illustration of a country from the same historical period that seems to have lost all bearings of its prior acceptable societally sanctioned behaviors and norms.

A more recent example is the civil war in Rwanda, in which the government instructed the Hutus to murder the Tutus. The Hutus enthusiastically complied with the government edict and murdered thousands; rape and the machete were the weapons of choice. The Tutu victims were often well known neighbors of the Hutu perpetrators who had lived together peacefully for years.

Can the USA merit a designation as a country that metaphorically risks losing its mind? Some might take as evidence what seems to be a slide toward authoritarian rule. The president and his party have control of Congress and the Executive Branch. They are about to gain control of the courts through the power to appoint the next Supreme Court Justice

Also cited is what seems to be a lack of mental stability in our newly elected president. Significant questions have been raised about President Trump’s psychological ability to lead the country. Many suggest he at times is unable to distinguish between what is real and what he wishes were real. An example of this is his repeated insistence that the crowds at his inauguration were larger than had ever assembled in the past when in fact they were smaller than those that assembled for previous presidential inaugurations. His many exaggerations of successes during his first month in office for many raise further concerns about his ability to assess reality.

A slide toward authoritarian rule along with alleged mental instability create conditions many believe will result in irrational behavior by the U.S. government.

Copyright: Stuart L. Kaplan, M.D., 2017.

Stuart L. Kaplan, M.D., is the author of Your Child Does Not Have Bipolar Disorder: How Bad Science and Good Public Relations Created the Diagnosis. Available at Amazon.com.