Sunday, November 22, 2009

Kennedy was killed in Dealey Plaza. Dallas has been blamed for the assassination but the name of the plaza derives from George Bannerman Dealey, publisher of the Dallas Morning News from 1885 - 1940. A statue of him is there and would have been among the last things JFK saw. The newspaper was and still is very much a part of the establishment of Dallas. Nobody identifying with the establishment of Dallas would have killed him there. A citizen of Dallas killed Kennedy but it was not 'you and me' as the Stones' song 'Sympathy for the Devil' had it.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

In psychiatry or at least as taught from psychoanalysis, a 'therapeutic alliance' between patient and doctor is important. The historically eminent Ralph Greenson mentioned in his book on psychoanalysis that 'it was probably for the best that a communist left treatment with him' in circumstances due to WWII. In my hearing of cases in which people acted on a 'duty to warn others' from something said in treatment or wanted to inform others of a crime it has been more a notice that the therapist is having trouble maintaining an alliance than any danger or other value to be achieved. This would seem to be an aspect of the Hasan case.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Ilya Somin, a native of Leningrad, has some interesting posts on communism. This is in the Volokh Conspiracy. The latest is on the evils of communism and the usefulness of review. It was very interesting that the current I guess prime minister there, Medyadev, has announced an effort to vie some institutional recognition to the victims in the former USSR. Earlier Somin had a post of the evils of Trotsky that I was late to comment on.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009