Boobie Hatch

We used to have insane asylums. It was where we put mentally disturbed folks. Some cases of abuse existed, yes, but they did good too. They were expensive and paid for by the State. Then they went away starting in the 60s and just about all gone by the 80s.

 But it seems they are gone EVERYWHERE. US. Europe. Western nations. Non-Western nations. All at once... with a few exceptions, deinstitutionalization happened.  Just Japan has added beds.  We in the us have 1/20th the number of beds.

The idea is to push the patients out of a big federal system to smaller community based programs.  The opposite of what government likes to do, usually.  Instead of giving themselves more and more power they divest the power back and make it not their problem.  This is partly practicable because of somewhat recent pharmacological advances so local communities aren't overwhelmed.  And while we are squeamish about putting innocent crazy people in prison we have no problem waiting for a mentally deranged person to commit crime and THEN putting him away.

Now I know treating the insane is not a happy topic.  Like running a prison.  And not too much money in it or chance for graft or donations, but their is SOME money in it.  Tax money.  In the US they have no problem getting more and more money for prisons.  In furren lands they have no problem running a single payer great big socialized-medicine state.

I really don't know how we, the whole wide world, got to where we are now with regard psychiatric institutions.  I think about this because at least some of the spree killers of late would have been safely locked away.  That theater guy in Colorado, the guy that shot Gabby Giffords, that school shooting bastard.  Some of the killers overseas.  Maybe that Norway summer camp guy, maybe not.  Maybe that Aussie lady that killed 8 kids the other week.