What is it about political leaders and secret mental illnesses?
I don't mean, why do they keep them secret. That's fairly obvious from a self-preservation point of view. But how come so many political leaders have them, and why aren't we the people informed?
People have made a big deal about John McCain's health in the US Presidential race. His ticker may not be the best, or some such.
Frankly, I'd be much more interested to know if he's secretly nuts or not. I think his state of mental health is way more important.
Let's look at the latest politico to out themselves as a loon: John Prescott, formerly number two in the UK, has now owned up to being a bulimic.
That's got to be one of the strangest admissions yet. He has my sympathy for his condition, but equally, I'm a bit annoyed as to why he didn't mention this BEFORE seeking to run the country for a decade.
He's not the first nutter to conceal their mentalism until after they'd left office either. It's now patently obvious that both parties to the famous Eighties 'special relationship' between Britain and the US were actually suffering from dementia.
Both Maggie Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were subsequently diagnosed with degenerative dementia symptoms - Alzheimers in Ronnie's case, general demented mentalism in Maggie's.
These symptoms are progressively degenerative - that's medicalese for saying they don't happen overnight. They develop over a long time. In other words, both Maggie and Ronnie were nuts while in power. Explain a lot in retrospect, doesn't it?
I'm beginning to get concerned over who will be the next to reveal a psychiatric condition.
Will Bertie Ahern admit to compulsive kleptomania?
Will Ian Paisley own up to listening to scary voices in his head?
Will Mary Harney explain her constant hallucination that she is part of a national political party?
It's not good enough, and the public deserve better than a hand-wringing revelation long after the politico has left power.
I think all people elected to public office should have to undergo a full medical, including a psychological assessment, reviewed annually.
They're running the country, for goodness' sake. We have a right to know if they're secret loonies or not.
