So, after careful consideration, the Defense Department has decided not to award the Purple Heart to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Because:

“PTSD can be serious, but there is absolutely no way to prove that someone truly is suffering from it or faking it.”

The full story is here.

Which is an extremely shabby way to treat brave men and women who have been through hell on our behalf.

But here Wonks Anonymous must note that this is part and parcel of our backward attitude to mental health. Mental illness is regarded either as a fraud perpetrated for gain or the result of some moral failing. Employers feel no qualms whatever about refusing to cover mental illness or addiction treatment if they can find some way to evade regulations that require coverage. There are ways.

Of course there are "economic" arguments for this barbarity. We are asked to believe that, if we do not pay for treatment and support, mental illness will simply vanish when, in reality, it will get worse until it precipitates some illness or causes physical injuries.

We will spend the money that we saved on addiction treatment patching up accident victims and trying to save people with advanced liver disease. Depression will go untreated while we spend thousands of dollars on comatose suicide attempts.