[Alberta's Child]

That’s exactly why the first thing any totalitarian government usually does in tough economic times is make the mentally ill disappear.

[crazycatlady]

It’s true. Communist countries were famous for it.
Even in our country there have been abuses, not just the government, but agendized others, for example, spouses or relatives who want control of assets.

That being said, there has to be a better way of doing this than the way were doing it. Here in Snohomish Co. in Feb. we had an awful case of a 16 year old who murdered his guardian(an old girlfriend of his drug-addicted father who had been caring for him since infancy). There had been warnings and signs that the kid was dangerous.

[publius911]

That’s exactly why the first thing any totalitarian government usually does in tough economic times is make the mentally ill disappear.

No.
That is never the first.

Disarming everyone is always the first.

[rlmorel]

Problem with totalitarian governments we’ve seen is that you don’t have to be mentally ill to be “disappeared” by the government.

The government only has to say you are mentally ill. A favorite tactic of the Soviets and Chinese.