Hard truth, bitter lesson: Governments around the world often fail people with mental illness. Many grand plans for reform or noble visions of liberation crash to earth. Why? On this podcast,

I show the connection of mental illness to problems in democracy and the great world crisis today
I share my reflections on government failure in mental health during my 33 years as a government official, including the failure of the Victorian Royal Commission on Mental Health, and
I share fragments of the Burning Archive from Roger Scruton and Vaclav Havel that urge kinder, gentler, more modest aims to "reform" mental health.

Let me know what you think. Mental health matters for us all, and more grounded, compassionate and understanding policies by governments could lead to better care for many of us.

You can also participate in my listener competition to set the agenda for The Burning Archive.

Tell me by 30 June 2023,

what is your favourite episode from the backlist of the Burning Archive, and why?
what fragment of the Burning Archive, what treasure from the heritage of the multipolar world, would you like me to do a podcast on?

Leave your comments on my jeffrich.substack.com, my YouTube channel community page, on Twitter or as a voice message on Spotify.

101. Mental Illness. Government Failure. Human Imperfection.