‘Politics’ at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life, Page 13

Most or all of us have experienced the feelings of success that come with completing some difficult project or task we’ve set ourselves. What if that project were the planning and execution of a terrorist attack on London that left at least dozens dead and hundreds wounded? Is there a ‘psychology of terrorism’?

Governor Jeb Bush is aggressively defending a new law which will force Medicaid patients to try mental health drugs from an approved list of medications for which the State of Florida has secured special pricing, even if those patients are already stable on more expensive drugs.

Teenagers in the United States are being neglected, both medically and emotionally, according to the lead author of a new book assessing research on teen mental health problems. The book finds that while 20 percent of adolescents suffer from a mental health disorder, treatment does not feature as a priority on the US public health agenda.

Websites in China have long been required to be officially registered, but state authorities are now determined to bring blogs — plus forums, chat rooms, and other community type sites — under their direct control. Having just passed the annniversary of Tiananmen Square, this move acts as a stark reminder of the freedoms that remain unavailable in the world’s most populous country.

In his recent address to students graduating in English at the University of California Berkeley, author Mark Danner reflects on morality, critical thinking, and the psychology of reality creation in the current US political environment.