Books in the wrong hands are dangerous

The priestly caste of the fourteenth century was profoundly worried that if the Scriptures fell into the hands of the man on the street, they would be grossly misinterpreted. What “grossly misinterpreted” turned out to mean, of course, was “interpreted in a manner inconsistent with the agenda of the Church.” Today, we are faced with a similar problem. The priestly caste of psychiatrists is very worried that if the textbooks of psychopharmacology fall into the hands of the man on the street, they will be grossly misinterpreted. What “grossly misinterpreted” means, of course, is “interpreted in a manner inconsistent with the agenda of the capitalist ruling class.”