PLOTS POLITICS & PSYCHIATRY

The 17^th May brings out little bit of political history.

Chief architect of plots
Thomas Cromwell

On looking into events of the month of May, it appears to have been a very bad fortnight for the Boleyn family. The various plots were hatched during the last weeks of April 1536 and brought to conclusions with extreme prejudice in May. On the 17^th May 1536, George Boleyn, Anne’s brother, and four others accused of treason were executed.

There is also something in this date for the Liberal Democrats to note. It has been 97 years since Britain had an all-Liberal government. Whatever pretentions the Liberal Democrats may have in being influential in government affairs have been overshadowed by this history. They have lost any sense of purpose after nearly a century of struggle to gain a seat in the cabinet. Having at last sat down, they have no idea of what they are there for. They have simply forgot why they wanted the seat in the first place. When serious decisions have to be made, they back off and leave it all to the conservatives. That is what split the party in 1915 and nothing seems to have changed. Perhaps I exaggerate but the history is there.

Asquith

When World War I broke out in August 1914, the war struck at the heart of everything British Liberals believed in. The party became divided over the distinctly illiberal policies that were introduced under her auspices, including conscription and the Defence of the Realm Act. Several Cabinet ministers resigned, and Asquith, the master of domestic politics, proved a poor war leader. Lloyd George and Churchill, however, were zealous supporters of the war, and gradually forced the old pacifist Liberals out. The poor British performance in the early months of the war forced Asquith to invite the Conservatives into a coalition (on 17^th May 1915). This marked the end of the last all-Liberal government. This coalition fell apart at the end of 1916, when the Conservatives withdrew their support from Asquith and gave it to Lloyd George instead, who became Prime Minister at the head of a coalition government largely made up of Conservatives. Asquith and his followers moved to the opposition benches in Parliament and the Liberal Party was split once again.

So far as gender politics is concerned, on the 17^th May 1990 The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) finally eliminated homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases. On the 17^th May 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. State to legalize same-sex marriage.