Harvard Law: Is Libertarianism a Sign of Mental Illness?

[J’raxis 270145]

Is Libertarianism a Sign of Mental Illness?
Posted by Daniel J. Mitchell

I don’t know whether this belongs in the comic-relief category or the future-threats category, but the Harvard Law School is having a conference to analyze the “free market mindset.” The basic premise of the conference seems to be that people who believe in limited government are psychologically troubled.

The conference schedule features presentations such as “How Thinking Like an Economist Undermines Community” and “Addicted to Incentives: How the Ideology of Self Interest Can Be Self-Fulfilling.” The most absurd presentation, though, may be the one entitled, “Colossal Failure: The Output Bias of Market Economies.” According to the description, the author argues that the market “delivers excessive levels of consumption.” Damn those entrepreneurs for creating so much wealth!

The conference is on 2009-03-07 at Harvard Law School. This event is free and open to the public. Here is the registration form. The talks have Q&A periods, according to the schedule. Sounds like an interesting party to crash… ;D

/I knew there was a reason I quit my job at Harvard…

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

There's no way this can be for real...

[Kevin Freeheart]

There's no way this can be for real...

Harvard Law School... Yes, it can very much be real. It would be really contrary to their monopolistic industry to advocate that the sane, rational and ethical ones are the ones wanting to eliminate their careers.

Another interesting point... It's a Law School presentation... about psychology.

I can think of a few other groups of lawyers who think they're qualified to deal with fields they know nothing about... The Senate.... The House...

[Laetitia]

There's no way this can be for real...

That's what I thought when I read about it last week. Not in a state of actual disbelief, but in a "that's ridiculous" kind of way.

Considering that "you don't care about people" is one of the biggest clubs used by the touchy feely folks to beat down those who are against socialism, it's not really much of a stretch to see this proposal.

Of course, since this being true would mean I'm mentally ill, you probably shouldn't pay any attention to that last sentence.

Everything will be fine, as soon as we're all properly labeled & medicated, I'm sure.

[bad_cab]

historical origins, psychological antecedents, and policy consequences of the free market ideology that has dominated legal discourse and lawmaking the last few decades

That is what is says, the last few decades were free market. 

[lspooner]

Mental Illness does not exist, in a medical/biological sense.  In this particular case, instead of opponents of the free market having an intellectual discussion, they resort to dismissing those they disagree with as "sick".  This is all done under the mantle of "science" to make it appear value-free.

[John Shaw]

Jesus fucking Christ.

[Ecolitan]

I saw it coming. 

This is why the mental illness thread shouldn't have got so much hostile treatment from you people.  Perhaps the OP in that thread was off in some places but he was right in that you bet your ass the government would love to declare each of us mentally incompetent and our opinions evidence of insanity, then take away our votes.

[blackie]

Sounds like an interesting party to crash… ;D

Are you trying to give them proof?

[Kevin Freeheart]

That is what is says, the last few decades were free market.

Try again?

It's not discussing "the market" it's discussing "the free market ideology".

[Harry Tuttle]

I saw it coming. 

This is why the mental illness thread shouldn't have got so much hostile treatment from you people.  Perhaps the OP in that thread was off in some places but he was right in that you bet your ass the government would love to declare each of us mentally incompetent and our opinions evidence of insanity, then take away our votes.

Oh noes! But if they take away my vote then it will be like I am not represented at all by my government. It will be as if the gobbernment can do anything they want without regard to my opinion.

[fatcat]

I saw it coming. 

This is why the mental illness thread shouldn't have got so much hostile treatment from you people.  Perhaps the OP in that thread was off in some places but he was right in that you bet your ass the government would love to declare each of us mentally incompetent and our opinions evidence of insanity, then take away our votes.

No one in that thread to my knowledge ever downplayed the threat of government involvement in mental health.

However, thats a different story from lspooner trying to quantify all mental illnesses as either attention seeking or brain parasites, simply because the existence of the concept of mental illness is troublesome from a liberty perspective.

Governments will use any excuse to gain more power, gun crime, drug use, prostitution, mental illness, health and safety, how you raise your kids, you name it, this however does not automatically make it invalid to talk about these concepts in separation from the intentions government may have for them.

Just as its not necessary to deny the existence of drug harm, or perils of work hazards to be against government involvement in those areas, the same goes for mental illness, and lpsooner completely flies off the handle when it comes to mental illness, going so far as to claim anyone who has hallucinations is either making it up, or just indulging themselves, and that it isn't possible to have negative thought processes or sensory disorders that are out of your control, or if there is, its just a disease, it cannot be a malfunction of the brain itself.

Its an LOA style borderline lack of grasp on reality out a sincere willingness to believe something isn't so with no regard for whether or not it actually is or not.

In short, yes denying reality and making outlandish claims you can't back up completely destroys your credibility and damages the rest of the otherwise good message that government shouldn't be involved in mental health.

If he wanted to start a thread about the dangers of government involvement in mental health, i'd be happy to agree with him, but he didn't, he started some batshit insane thread trying to deny the existence of quite easily provable mental illnesses because they cause problems for his philosophy, and he'd rather just pretend non of it exists.

[lspooner]

I apologize.  I understand your point.  Even if one believes in mental illness, the government shouldn't be involved in health anyway.  And therefore it should be irrelevant.  My underlying point stands, though.  Calling someone mentally ill is a strategy, not a medical diagnosis.  I am not making outlandish claims.  There are no tests for mental illness like there are for cancer.  People who are called mentally ill can be liars.  For example, when they claim to be the Queen of England and aren't.  They can be speaking metaphorically.  For example, saying they are Jesus when they mean they think they are like Jesus.  Or they might be doing nothing at all other than annoying or making another person uncomfortable  by the way they're are behaving.

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-addiction.htm

Comupter ADDICTION!

[atomiccat]

If you think your smart enough to take control of your own life you are dumb and you have a mental illness,

If you know you're dumb and want someone to control your life then you are smart,

then I guess we Anarchists must be blathering idiots that cant even wipe our own asses.

The slaves who wanted to be free were dumb, and it was good that they were slaves because they had someone else making decisions for them , so if you're smart you will want to be a slave and if your a Fucking retard then you will want to be free... well you can just call me dumb with a capital D then,  Duhhhhhh....