Video Clips from ‘The More Dangerous State of the World and the Need for Fit Leadership’
A Glimpse of Friday’s Conference
A full, one-hour summary of the National Press Club conference, “The More Dangerous State of the World and the Need for Fit Leadership,” is coming soon! For now, a few glimpses are available below.
My opening, as president of the World Mental Health Coalition:
Prof. Richard Painter, former chief White House counsel of the George W. Bush administration:
Ray McGovern, former CIA officer and chair of National Intelligence Estimates:
Brig. Gen. Stephen Xenakis, retired Medical Corps officer and psychiatrist:
Dr. Judith Herman, senior lecturer of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School:
Dr. James Gilligan, former chair of Bill Clinton’s National Campaign against Youth Violence:
Dr. Drew Westen, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University:
Dr. Bandy X. Lee – Moderator/organizer of the conference and president of the World Mental Health Coalition
PANEL 1: National Security Experts
Atty. Ralph Nader – Lawyer, political activist, and former presidential candidate
Prof. Richard Painter – Former chief White House ethics counsel of the George W. Bush Administration
Prof. Claire Finkelstein – Director of Center for Ethics and the Rule at the University Pennsylvania Law School
Hon. Claudine Schneider – Former five-term Republican congresswoman from Rhode Island
Prof. Peter Kuznick – Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University
Dr. Joseph Romm – Former acting assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy
Adm. Michael Smith – Retired rear admiral and founder of the National Securities Leaders for America (who organized a letter with more than 700 signatures of national security experts warning against a Trump presidency)
Gen. and Dr. Stephen Xenakis – Retired brigadier general and Medical Corps officer of the U.S. Army
Ray McGovern – Former CIA officer and chair of National Intelligence Estimates
PANEL 2: Mental Health Experts
Dr. Robert Jay Lifton – Distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and author of ‘Nazi Doctors’
Dr. Judith Herman – Distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and author of ‘Trauma and Recovery’
Dr. James Gilligan – Former chair of President Clinton’s National Campaign Against Youth Violence
Dr. James Merikangas – Clinical professor of psychiatry at George Washington University School of Medicine
Dr. Stephen Soldz – Past president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility and leading anti-torture activist
Dr. Henry Friedman – Associate professor of psychiatry at Tufts and Harvard Medical Schools
Matthew Bywater – Scholar of authoritarian societies and human rights activist
Dr. Steven Hassan – Undue influence expert and author of ‘The Cult of Trump’
Dr. Drew Westen – Professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University and author of ‘The Political Brain’
What an accomplishment pulling this group together.
The conference is like a rock thrown in the center of a pool of water, with ripples echoing outward. The surface of the pool is already boiling with heat. Will these ripples be felt? Seen? The ripples are helped by the book, interviews, comments, and reviews.
As an 11 year-old I recall wandering alone through the Louvre. How much did I understand? Our country is a little like that 11 year-old. Are we old enough to understand and respond maturely to what is before us? We'll see.
Anthony Davis is a treasure discussing the conference.
When assessing the proportionality of war in Gaza and Lebanon one must also assess the atrocities inflicted on Israeli civilians of all religions. No where else in the world do we have 75 years of terrorists claiming UN refugee status. UNWRA is complicit in inciting the extermination of Israel by teaching and leading Hamas' atrocities and theft of humanitarian aid for terrorist activities.