A Mental Disorder?

Today, on some old dude's pickup, I saw a bumper sticker that read:


Liberalism is a Mental Disorder

He also had a POW/MIA sticker, which seemed to me to be a greater indicator of mental disorder, to think that there would still be American soldiers being held prisoner in Vietnam some 40 years after the end of the war. . .  but that's not the point. The point is Liberalism? A mental disorder? Really? In what way?

Is it a mental disorder to think that the US government, a singularly powerful entity, might be able to be a force for some good in people's lives? Is that crazy?

Or maybe it's a sign of mental disorder to believe that people should not have different rights depending on whether or not they acknowledge the awesomeness of boobies. Is it sane to think that I should have more rights than my friends who don't think that boobies are any big deal?

Or maybe you have to be mentally ill to care about the air we breathe and the water we drink?

Do you have to be a bit nutty to think that providing all of our young folks with a decent education is a good idea?

Do you have to be a little disturbed to think that the type of healthcare system that works just fine in Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Sweden, The Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, Norway and England might work well here?

I wouldn't think so. Those all seem like fairly reasonable positions, ones on which some folks might disagree, but we ought to be able to discuss reasonably. But we will never be able to have a reasonable discussion as long as a large segment of society believes that holding the opposing viewpoint is a "Mental Disorder." And there is an entire industry dedicated to convincing these folks of just that.

We're screwed.