IS NIH LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR OPERATION ABACUS?

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IS NIH LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR OPERATION ABACUS?

An article from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry making the rounds on the Internet is raising concerns among American rightwingers, born-again Christians and free-speech advocates.

Many are wondering if the appearance of the article, entitled "A Clinical Analysis of Anti-Government Phobia," is laying the groundwork for the implementation of Operation Abacus, a contingency plan for the roundup of evangelical Christians, rightwingers and anti-New World Order types that first became public knowledge in the months before Y2K back in 1999.

The article, reportedly written by Ivor E. Tower M.D. for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), appeared in volume 11, series 3 of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (page 415) and stated, "This study conclusively demonstrates that unfounded fear of government is a recognizable mental illness closely related to paranoid schizophrenia. Anti-Government Phobia (AGP) differs from most mental illnesses, however, in that it is highly infectious and has an acute onset. Symptoms include extreme suspiciousness, conspiracy-mongering, delusional thought patterns, staunch ´us against them´ mentality, withdrawal from reality and often religious fanaticism."

"Anti-Government Phobia has a worldwide distribution but has a particularly high incidence here in the United States. Infection rates are estimated by mental health officials to be about 5 percent of the general population and the rate is growing at an alarming rate. Rates are highest, but not limited to, those who are disaffected in some fashion, especially those who have a strong personal grudge toward the federal government for one reason or another."

"Clinical Manifestation and Diagnosis: Anti- Government Phobia is showed by extreme suspiciousness toward government. Onset is acute."

"Symptoms start almost immediately after a run-in with some agency or institution of the government or when the patient is introduced to anti-government propaganda by a self-styled ´patriot.´"

"Common ways in which the hateful, anti-government propaganda is spread include books, pamphlets, newspapers, videotapes, short-wave and conventional radio programs, computer bulletin boards and various Internet sites."

"Upon exposure to ´patriotic´ propaganda, the patient mysteriously begins to imagine links between unrelated current events, weaving these gross distortions of reality into a complex delusional web, a labyrinth of conspiracy theories with all of the imagined clues leading straight to the federal government. With further exposure, the patient becomes increasingly paranoid and slowly withdraws from reality. However, mental deterioration is usually so gradual that the patient is often unaware of it."

"At this stage, the patient also inexplicitly experiences increased delusional thinking. For instance, he may start fallaciously believing that the Federal Reserve (System) is not in fact part of the federal government but is instead controlled by wealthy Zionists. Other far-flung delusions may involve the United Nations, ´black helicopters,´ concentration camps or the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Delusions involving ´takeovers´ by foreign military troops or jack-booted government storm troopers dressed all in black, are also commonly depicted."

"Anti-Government Phobia is often associated with religious fanaticism. An excellent example of this is the infamous Branch Davidian case" in Waco, Texas from February to April 1993 "in which most cult members preferred a fiery suicide over peaceful surrender to the forces of what they considered to be ´Mystery Babylon.´"

(Editor´s Comment: Aside from their personal loyalty to David Koresh--birth name: Vernon E. Howell--the religious views of the Branch Davidians were indistinguishable from the USA´s 12 million Seventh-Day Adventists. This just shows that one man´s religion is another man´s "cult.")

"There have been other cases in which ´patriots´ become involved with terrorist activity, fallaciously believing that they are somehow doing ´the will of God.´"

"A strong analogy can be drawn between ´patriotic´ indoctrination and religious conversion. In both cases, ultra-motivated individuals believe that it is their solemn duty to gain proselytes for their particular faith. This is usually done on a person-to-person basis with a friend or an acquaintance."

"To keep new converts from going astray or ´backsliding,´ they are eagerly provided with a steady stream of propaganda. In each case, the devotee recognizes that there is an evil, sinister force which must be opposed at all costs. But in the case of various religions, the faithful are supposed to be awarded in the afterlife for ´sparring with the Devil.´"

(Editor´s Comment: Am I imagining things, or is the author´s target focus shifting away from ´patriots´ and onto born-again Christians?)

"In the case of the ´patriot,´ the so-called ´New World Order´ is needed as the demonic bogeyman, with the reward for opposing it being an increased amount of ´personal freedom.´ In these ´patriotic´ and religious circles, there is an entire counter-culture centering around some authors and holy books, constantly being promoted by prophets, preachers and paranoid propagandists of all creeds, colors and" ethnicities.

"Well, it seems to me that Dr. Tower--if he is the author--has raised the concept of ´junk science´ to a new level," UFO Roundup editor Joseph Trainor commented, "He claims that AGP is an ´infectious´ mental illness but yet fails to identify the cause of the infection. Nor does he explain how the entire population may be exposed to such ´propaganda´ but only selected people would become ´proselytized.´ Even worse, the article makes no distinction between political opinion and religious belief and gradually both are demonized, transformed into ´mental illness´ by the caveat of the author."

"Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior? Have you told somebody about it? Do you know who Adam Weishaupt is? How about Albert Pike? If you answered ´yes´ to two or more of these questions, you may be suffering from AGP. But don´t despair. There is a cure. Just go out and buy the DVD of Season Six of The Simpsons and watch it every night non-stop for a month. At the end of such intense brainwashing, you will no longer be a threat to the New World Order but will instead by a lovable, beer-drinking doofus like Homer...and with an I.Q. on a rough parity with Jessica and Ashlee."

"But seriously, readers, I can see why some people are concerned. This is a plan for religious persecution masquerading as a benevolent mental health program. That it may have been adopted by the National Institutes of Health is even more disturbing. Let´s see what develops." (Many thanks to Linda Robb for the Journal article.)