Bob Somerby the psychiatrist

One of my biggest problems with modern punditry is the way that commentators repeatedly accuse their opponents of being mentally ill. I've been writing about it since this piece on Spinsanity back in 2001. The worst offender is Charles Krauthammer, an actual psychiatrist who repeatedly accuses his opponents of mental illness, but there are many other examples.

That's why I'm so annoyed when Bob Somerby, the author of The Daily Howler, constantly makes cavalier accusations of mental illness even as he admits that he shouldn't:

Mental illness causes great suffering. Ideally, it shouldn’t be joked about. It shouldn’t be flippantly “diagnosed” as part of our public discourse.

But when the Times leaves Maureen Dowd in print, it’s hard to avoid such talk.

Somerby goes on to write that he thought of "mental disorder" and "mental illness" when reading her latest column. But back in 2003, Somerby complained about Krauthammer's on-camera diagnoses.

I'll repeat his words: Mental illness causes great suffering. It shouldn’t be joked about or flippantly "diagnosed" as part of our public discourse.

Comments

[David]

I agree that pundits should not "diagnose" mental illness. Dr. Krauthammer especially should never do so, because people are apt to take his diagnoses seriously.

However, I have no problem with clearcut jokes, as Somerby's comment was. Note that Somerby's comment doesn't even identify who is supposedly mentally ill. Pinch Sulzberger? The op-ed page editor? The entire NYT management?

Somerby's comment is a humorous way to slam Maureen Dowd, who fully deserves the criticism IMHO.