Mother Goose
“History doesn't repeat itself, but It often rhymes” – Mark Twain.
Generally speaking, this indicates the "Walker" rhymes with "Flynn," although the two remind me of repeating cycles of one another. Members of my generation remember, and younger history buffs may understand. But it might be of interest to explain this dynamic, for both General Edwin Walker and General Michael Flynn have posed similar threats to democracy.
Both were in the army. Walker was a general, and Flynn a lieutenant general. Both were involved in wars: Walker in World War 1 and the Korean War, while Flynn was involved in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both were white supremacists. And both had unhappy ends to their military careers.
Important for our consideration is that both were highly paranoid men, at least at the end of their military careers. A degree of paranoia was essential in the process of evolution, in order for humans to survive. It's beneficial to recognize that a slightly higher than average degree of paranoia can, and often does, play a meaninful role in the careers of military members and police investigators. But this pair of generals had a much higher amount of paranoid thinking.
It appears that whatever amount Walker had before the Korean War, that experience brought it into full bloom. It may be similar in Flynn's case. Either way, both came to exhibit almost all of the symptoms that are associated with Cluster A's paranoid personality disorder (PPD). They see conspiracies, especially aimed against them. They question the motivations of others, including presidents. As a John Birch Society member, Walker was convinced that Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower were communists; Flynn, who is in the Trump cult, identified people from President Obama to Secretary of State Clinton as enemies of the state.
After leaving the military, both became active in extreme right-wing political activities. Walker had begun while still serving, and violated the Hatch Act by attempting to indocrinate troops with Birch Society materials, and instructing them how to vote. He quit the military when being disaplined for this, claiming it was an international conspiracy against him. In early 1962, he hoped to become the governor of Texas, but lost in the Democratic primary. He was arrested in October for promoting the riots at the University of Mississippi, because James Meredith had enrolled. Sound familiar? Kind of rhymes with "Flynn," I think.
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy then took action to have Walker put in a psychiatric ward for 90 days, to be avaluated. The ACLU and and Syracuse University's psychiatrist Thomas Szasz were able to get Walker released after five days. Dr. Szasz argued that psychiatric information should never be used in political rivalries. Yet, RFK and others knew that there was something cery wrong with Walker, and that he posed a threat to society. His paranoid nature led him to identify many, many "enemies," and he posed a real threat to them.
There was little public understanding of those suffering from PPD when RFK hoped to find out was horribly wrong with Walker. Although the grand jury dailed to indict him after the October arrest, his star had fallen. People with PPD lack insight on the role they play in creating most if not all of their problems. Add qualities like racism, and they tend not to benefit from the preferred treatment, which is psychotherapy. Thus, it is unlikely that General Flynn is capable of changing from his anti-social behaviors.
Flynn does not belong in a psychiatric hospital. The only successful treatment option with him is life in prison. I think it is a matter of months until the Department of Justice indicts him. That is an essential step towards beginning to heal our country.
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