while that's a scary...and really rather sad video bit, declaring such a thing is for his *doctor*, not some person who's watched his debates. Declaring it as a stated fact, as you do in your subject, seems unbearably biased. There are actually a number of other diagnosis paths for things like this - I've suffered similar effects over the last 5 years, since developing seizures, and it is morally wrong to start tossing things like this around as 'evidence of pre-senile dementia'.
The video would stand up well as a tool for decision making on its own *without* even the facile declaration by a doctor who has not examined him, or the spin added to the end.
It's a nice publicity piece, but it's not research. An easier and better explanation is that he's playing the part of dummy because it plays better in the news, and that speaking sloppily as he does is a difficult skill, so he sometimes fumbles at it.
Regrettably, I think he *is* a dummy, with just enough brains to occasionally get away from his handlers long enough to make an ass of himself. And I think his handlers are actively evil people who want to destroy the country as we know it, but you and I have been there before.
That's kinda frightening. The only question I have is, is presenile dementia the only possible diagnosis? I've found at least one other website citing a doctor saying it ain't true.
Too bad we can't force him to undergo unbiased testing at Walter Reed or something. Not that a diagnosis in favour of him would get me to VOTE for him, but a provable diagnosis in favour of dementia would be a powerful weapon to get him out of office. I'm ethically torn: on the one hand, anything that will help get him out of office is a Good Thing; on the other, my own terror of going senile myself makes me not want it to be true for anyone. :(
I agree. A variety of inoccuous things ranging from inadequate preparation to a dietary imbalance can cause a person to demonstrate "cognitive deficits".
One thing my little experiment in MFT training taught me is that it's far too easy for the careless practioner to seriously impact an individual's life with an inaccurate diagnosis, and I definitely don't feel it's appropriate to throw casual diagnoses like this around with any sort of seriousness. I'd be more charitable if this was clearly a humorous piece, but that doesn't really seem to be its intent.
Of course, this is also a world where Ann Coulter feels free to randomly claim people have advanced syphilis, so this little piece is hardly the worst medical speculation out there.
Call it what you will, the fact that GW is doing the same thing as Reagan makes me want him out of office that much more. Reagan in his encroaching senility joked about the missiles being on the way, but GW would just launch, and nobody needs that.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-10-10 03:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-10 03:23 pm (UTC)The video would stand up well as a tool for decision making on its own *without* even the facile declaration by a doctor who has not examined him, or the spin added to the end.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-10 04:00 pm (UTC)Regrettably, I think he *is* a dummy, with just enough brains to occasionally get away from his handlers long enough to make an ass of himself. And I think his handlers are actively evil people who want to destroy the country as we know it, but you and I have been there before.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-10 04:01 pm (UTC)Too bad we can't force him to undergo unbiased testing at Walter Reed or something. Not that a diagnosis in favour of him would get me to VOTE for him, but a provable diagnosis in favour of dementia would be a powerful weapon to get him out of office. I'm ethically torn: on the one hand, anything that will help get him out of office is a Good Thing; on the other, my own terror of going senile myself makes me not want it to be true for anyone. :(
no subject
Date: 2004-10-10 08:23 pm (UTC)One thing my little experiment in MFT training taught me is that it's far too easy for the careless practioner to seriously impact an individual's life with an inaccurate diagnosis, and I definitely don't feel it's appropriate to throw casual diagnoses like this around with any sort of seriousness. I'd be more charitable if this was clearly a humorous piece, but that doesn't really seem to be its intent.
Of course, this is also a world where Ann Coulter feels free to randomly claim people have advanced syphilis, so this little piece is hardly the worst medical speculation out there.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-10 08:54 pm (UTC)