Psychiatrists-- the men behind Hitler: The architects of horror Hardcover – 1995

_Psychiatrists - the Men Behind Hitler_ is a strange book which examines the dark side of the psychiatric establishment. The authors contend that Hitlerian and Nazi philosophy have their roots not only in such individuals as Malthus, Darwin, Gobineau, and Nietzsche, but also in Nazi medicine, euthanasia, and the psychiatric establishment. Psychiatry has a difficult history and often it has sought to merge with both the eugenics movements and the criminal justice system of the day. This book details some of the dark goings on of the business of psychiatric enslavement, forced druggings, behavioral modification therapies, electroshock and insulin therapies, psychosurgeries such as lobotomy, and even castration and finally euthanasia. Those deemed "mentally ill" are all too often deprived of their rights and denied the ability to function in the world at large. The authors show how psychiatry has made its way into psychology through individuals such as Wilhelm Wundt and later the behaviorists and into mainstream education through John Dewey and American society. One particularly problematic area is that of drug use. Originally drugs were given to soldiers subsequent to the world wars. However, when these soldiers became addicted, a "War on Drugs" was declared. Also, the CIA has been notorious in administering drugs to certain locations, funding undercover drug operations etc., as well as having a near fanatical obsession with the "psychotogen" LSD. Whatever the real purpose behind LSD research is, it certainly is not a wholesome one and remains entirely mysterious. Also, the treatment of those who had fallen in battle, or who developed a case of "shell shock" as a result of the war remains appalling. Often the goal of the psychiatrist was simply to "snap" the individual back into a state suitable to go out and fight again (after the initial "snapping" had occurred rendering the individual in a state of shock). Within education, traditional values have been de-emphasized and the school systems entirely re-modified. For those who act out against this attack upon their belief systems, they are labelled as "prone to violence" or "overly paranoid". A human genome project has been instantiated which will allow physician/technocrats to tamper with the genetic code, as well as eliminating "undesirable" genotypes. All of this is being made possible and will consistute the Brave New World, dreamed of and heralded by prophets for many generations. Thus, we have the negative side of the psychiatric enterprise. In addition, psychiatry continues an assault on religion and religious belief, arguing often that religion is mere neurosis that needs to be stamped out, and that religious belief or belief in the traditional family is somehow unnecessary and needs to be "sloughed off". On the other hand, much that psychiatry has done has improved the lives of many through designer pharmaceuticals. Thus, in this sense, certain individuals can achieve a level of functioning they could not before by enhancing their brain chemistry. So, it is perhaps naïve to entirely buy into the argument of this book at face value. In addition, the authors of the book are associated with the Church of Scientology - basically little more than a firm of lawyers who go about suing those who refuse to foot the bill for L. Ron Hubbard's insane operation. In this sense it is probably not to be fully trusted. Also, no mention is made of the attrocities of psychiatry within Stalin's Russia. For example, all too frequently those deemed "unfit for work" were herded off to labor camps as part of a psychiatric state based apparatus in the former Soviet Union. I still give this book five stars however because of the disturbing nature of its contents, all too often denied and misunderstood by the mainstream presses of today. ...

Scientology sponsored this research. Partial truth can be a propaganda tool. Hitler's rise to power was enabled by many powerful people. By no means all mentioned here. John McCloy was a colleague of Dulles and other Americans as High Commissioner for post war Germany. Paperclip was his doing. Not mentioned.
CD Jackson and J Edgar Hoover played important roles in all of this. Also not mentioned.
Gen. Frank McCarthy was instrumental. Not mentioned.
This book is important, just not as comprehensive as it claims.

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Psychiatrists - The Men Behind Hitler

Dr. Thomas Röder has a scientific background for his criticisms of psychiatry. Volker Kubillus has written articles and reports on psychiatric abuses. Anthony Burwell is a writer who wants to end psychiatric violations of human rights. This book claims psychiatry is the cause for increased crime, illiteracy, and drug abuse. Part One lists those whose errors created bad effects on society. Malthus created his theories from his imagination to support the British aristocracy against the lower classes. Darwin argued for the elimination of the lower races. [I wonder how many people foolishly admire Darwin?] Nietzsche recommended "the most absurd, antisocial ideas" (p.17). [He suffered from a brain disease.] Gobineau advanced ideas to support the aristocracy against the masses (p.18). Houston Stewart Chamberlain "asserted the superiority of the Aryan race" (p.19).

Psychiatry (doctor of the soul) originated as a way to treat mental illness (Chapter 3). It later came to glorify war (pp.24-26). [Who was really sick?] ECT ("electroshock therapy") damages a person (p.27). Psychiatry diagnosed its opponents as "insane" (p.28). Psychiatrists advocated mass murder as cost-effective (p.30). Chapter 4 tells how "racial hygiene" was adopted by psychiatry as an outgrowth of Malthus (p.35). Advocates for killing people ("euthanasia") predated the Nazis (p.41). "Racial Hygiene" led to forced sterilization, then Concentration Camps (Chapter 6). Psychiatrists provided scientific reasons (p.49). Euthanasia was illegal, but authorized by Hitler (p.53). "The German public knew nothing" (p.56). Psychiatrists were paid to write death sentences (p.59). Workers at death factories were also rewarded. Psychiatry was a major force behind the genocide (p.71).

Part Two discusses suppressed history. Many of the war criminals were not prosecuted (Chapter 1). Denazification programs did not succeed in colleges and universities (p.83). Psychiatrists advocated sterilization and euthanasia (p.100). Some did not (p.103). One psychiatrist claimed "battle fatigue" victims were fakers who were cured with money (p.113). [Or maybe wealth prevents or cures mental illnesses?] Mood-altering chemicals were considered a remedy (p.119). Was a patient killed by drugs in 1982 (p.121)? German child psychiatry had a "radical racist and state-oriented point of view" (Chapter 3). Child and adolescent psychiatrists has a Nazi background (p.126). Giving drugs such as Ritalin to children is experimenting without informed consent (p.144). Is the brain the sole source of all mental illness (p.151)? Psychiatry is incapable of self-criticism and self-policing (p.177).

Wealthy financiers funded psychiatric research (Chapter 6). The history of psychiatry is well camouflaged as to its social and political manipulation (p.180). Nazi ideas are found today in the geneticists - see page 195. Could prenatal testing be the starting point for new exterminations (p.198)? An age limit for certain health care has started (p.199). There is still danger from Social Darwinists or eugenics (p.201). It would be self-destructive to allow psychiatry to rule society (p.202). Chapter 8 traces psychiatric treatments today to what was pioneered by the Nazi doctors. Electroshock therapy damages the brain (p.208). Hemingway was given electroshock in 1961 then killed himself (p.211)! Psychiatric drugs are given to the elderly (p.216). Ritalin is used on children (p.217). Psychiatric drugs can lead to violent acts, murder and suicide (p.218). Sedatives correlate to increased aggression.

Part Three discusses how psychiatry influences life in the United States (Chapter 1). Psychology began to study observable phenomena related to human behavior, all from chemical reactions in the brain (p.225). Yet doctors knew that physical illnesses created psychological problems (p.227). Wundt's "experimental psychology" was copied by many students in Europe and America. "Eugenics" was invented to justify oppression of races and ethnic groups (p.231). Crank philosophy led to the "Whole Language" technique that damaged the education of children (p.233). The compulsory sterilization laws in America were later copied by Hitler (p.251). [A violation of the Bill of Rights.] The "IQ" test was copied to prove what they wanted to prove. "Schizophrenia" is undefined and used as a catch-all diagnosis (p.256). [See the example in "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest".] The electroshock therapy machine originated as a killing machine in slaughterhouses (p.257). Since psychiatrists can't cure mental illness they came up with an idea of blaming "genes" (p.258). "Mental Health" became an argument for psychiatrists to control society (p.261). WW I generated "shell shock" victims for which there was no cure (if you assumed war was natural).

The CIA pioneered the use of LSD in this country (p.282). Psychiatry lacks adequate statistics and follo-ups because they do not check on their methods and results (p.310). Teaching "humanistic psychology" to religious orders caused their destruction (p.317). Coulson admitted his "corruption" later; this led to sexual misconduct (p.318). "Death education" was blamed for an escalating suicide rate (p.319)! The "mental hygiene" movement labels religious believe as a "psychiatric illness" that needs treatment (p.320). There is no scientific or workable definition of schizophrenia (p.324). If schizophrenia is not a disease can they find a cure (p.328)? The use of methadone provided big profits for psychiatrists and drug companies (p.330)! It doesn't cure drug addiction (p.331). Wealthy backers like the Carnegie and Rockefeller Foundations pushed psychiatry through favorable legislation (p.325). The creation of NIMH was followed by increased rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, insanity, and suicide (p.338).

Chapter 5 notes the difficulties that followed psychiatric influences on society (p.341). Was the "Siberia Bill" an attempt to build a million-acre concentration camp (p.342)? Yes (p.343). Are psychiatrists self-anointed experts on society (p.346)? Federal law created more "learning disabled" (p.347). Genetic theories have never been proven (p.355). Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia is linked to psychiatry (p.359). Page 365 lists the harm done by "Outcome Based Education": an increase in violent crime, drug use, divorce rates, illegitimate births, and suicide rates. [Do these correlate to an increase in television viewing?] TV shows propagate a point of view desired by the corporate media and its advertisers. True science leads to a more healthy people in a better society (p.365). Psychiatry is a technology of torture (p.366). The best way to cure psychiatry is to deny it government support. There are others (p.367). [There is no mention of the effects of the economy on all this.] Chapter 6 asks why the story about psychiatry has been so badly publicized. Psychiatry has an influential lobby with power over minor and incapacitated patients (p.369). It came from diseased ideological sources (p.370). The Dutch have legalized killing by physicians! Psychiatry is trying to include as many people as possible (p.371). People everywhere must urge their government to regulate psychiatry.

Everyone should read about psychiatry, a pseudo-science that makes promises it can't keep about curing "mental illness". It could be that "shell shock" was the normal reaction to the horrors of war and not a pathology. We know that "stress" affects people, just as too much work can kill a horse. If money cured "battle fatigue" (p.113) it could be that rest and a vacation is the proper treatment. Wasn't rotation of troops a cure for "battle fatigue"? Could stress and poverty be the real cause for most mental illnesses? Could wrong conditioning in life cause mental illness?