George C. Scott, playing Gen. George Patton in the 1970 biopic, slaps a soldier who was suffering from what is now termed post-traumatic stress syndrome, but what Patton considered cowardice. The American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, has channeled Patton by claiming that many of today’s soldiers are faking their battle stress syndromes.
The American Enterprise Institute suspects that U.S. soldiers are fabricating instances of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Blogger Respectful of Otters dismantles the claims.
Gen. George Patton famously made the same charge during WWII. He was made to apologize and almost lost his command. Wonder if the AEI will suffer an analogous fate?
Respectful of Otters:
... This is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder in which a person who has experienced or come into close contact with serious trauma later experiences crippling levels of anxiety, combined with vivid re-experiencing of the traumatic event and an intense desire to avoid anything that might bring the trauma to mind or trigger anxiety symptoms. PTSD is known to have a strong biological component; severe stress causes lasting alterations in brain neurochemistry. Trauma appears to damage specific receptors responsible for regulating catecholamines, which are hormones essential to the stress response. In people with PTSD, these stress hormones are elevated, leaving them constantly on the verge of a neurochemically-induced panic. “It’s not fashionable,” according to Canadian conservative columnist Margaret Wente, to be derisive of people going through that experience. But she courageously does her best all the same.
Wente’s got a column up in The Globe and Mail, a Canadian national newspaper, that’s been attracting favorable commentary even from bloggers who are ordinarily thoughtful and intelligent. (The column is behind a subscribers-only link, but you can currently access it through Google here). In the column, she suggests that PTSD in soldiers and veterans (and especially in the Canadian forces) is exaggerated and overdiagnosed, and insinuates that servicemembers diagnosed with PTSD are either whiners (“War is hell. But life can be pretty rough, too. You don’t need battle trauma to cope badly with it.”) or goldbrickers out for an easy life on disability benefits (“some people will abuse the system if it is financially attractive”). Her claims demonstrate little acquaintance with the scientific literature on PTSD; instead, they are heavily based on arguments by an American psychiatrist named Sally Satel, who is affiliated with and funded by the ultra-conservative American Enterprise Institute. Satel’s - and, by extension, Wente’s - claims about PTSD are baseless. Let’s look at them one at a time.
If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.
By Spin Boldak, July 10, 2007 at 6:27 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Why should anyone be surprised? The American Enterprise Institute is the closet thing to the
National Socialists existing in the America of 2007.
By D.E.Ford, July 11, 2006 at 6:10 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
We, at ePluribus Media, took on the soldier- bashing politics of the current administration with a special focus on the agenda of the poisonous, soldier hating Ms. Satel. Satel is the Ann Coulter of psychiatry and uses bogus statistics supplied by a flawed study by fellow American Enterprise Institute psychiatrist Chris Freuh as seen here in Blaming the Veteran:The Politics of PTSD. She is also known for her distaste for medical ethics and feels that psychopathology is a disease that comes from therapists. The agenda? That soldiers are disposable-Kleenex soldiers-use once and throw away. Most veterans know this at heart and it contributes to their deep cynicism and distrust of government. Read the three part article here:http://www.epluribusmedia.org/features/20060206PTSD_intro.html
By tom nekia, July 11, 2006 at 6:01 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Craig Struthers hits it right on the head. All of the bloodthirsty neocons who cry for war all avoided one themselves. Personally, I think the whole crew develop PTSD. Then we’d see some squirming.
PS: Can anyone imagine George W. Bush actually fighting a war? Bet’cha money he’d be the guy waving the white flag—like crazy.
By Craig Struthers, July 10, 2006 at 8:41 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The obvious queston that I don’t see being asked is has Sally Satel or any member of the American Enterprise Institute ever been in a war? I would imagine their answer would be “No, but I saw a war film at the holiday inn last night.” Chicken hawk whiners are the worst of all whiners.
By Rivka, July 10, 2006 at 7:10 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Thanks for linking to the article! I think it’s important to point out, however, that the piece is actually a collaboration between me and Canadian blogger <a >Idealistic Pragmatist.</a>
By Spin Boldak, July 10, 2007 at 6:27 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Why should anyone be surprised? The American Enterprise Institute is the closet thing to the
Report thisNational Socialists existing in the America of 2007.
By jorge, July 11, 2006 at 2:18 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The gutless chickenshit chickenhawks are undermining democracy. What are their motivies?
Report thisBy D.E.Ford, July 11, 2006 at 6:10 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
We, at ePluribus Media, took on the soldier- bashing politics of the current administration with a special focus on the agenda of the poisonous, soldier hating Ms. Satel. Satel is the Ann Coulter of psychiatry and uses bogus statistics supplied by a flawed study by fellow American Enterprise Institute psychiatrist Chris Freuh as seen here in Blaming the Veteran:The Politics of PTSD. She is also known for her distaste for medical ethics and feels that psychopathology is a disease that comes from therapists. The agenda? That soldiers are disposable-Kleenex soldiers-use once and throw away. Most veterans know this at heart and it contributes to their deep cynicism and distrust of government. Read the three part article here:http://www.epluribusmedia.org/features/20060206PTSD_intro.html
Report thisBy tom nekia, July 11, 2006 at 6:01 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Craig Struthers hits it right on the head. All of the bloodthirsty neocons who cry for war all avoided one themselves. Personally, I think the whole crew develop PTSD. Then we’d see some squirming.
PS: Can anyone imagine George W. Bush actually fighting a war? Bet’cha money he’d be the guy waving the white flag—like crazy.
Report thisBy sulphurdunn, July 11, 2006 at 5:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Are these the same people who suggest that veterans benefits are overly generous?
Report thisBy Craig Struthers, July 10, 2006 at 8:41 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The obvious queston that I don’t see being asked is has Sally Satel or any member of the American Enterprise Institute ever been in a war? I would imagine their answer would be “No, but I saw a war film at the holiday inn last night.” Chicken hawk whiners are the worst of all whiners.
Report thisBy Rivka, July 10, 2006 at 7:10 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Thanks for linking to the article! I think it’s important to point out, however, that the piece is actually a collaboration between me and Canadian blogger <a >Idealistic Pragmatist.</a>
Report this