Mad Max Before Thunderdome

Mel Gibson first rocketed to fame for his role as "Mad" Max Rockatansky in the Australian film "Mad Max". Set in the near future, this showed a world on the brink of nuclear war and how the roads had become the new battlegrounds as roving gangs of motorcyclists and such fought with ordinary, decent folks for the roads. In the subsequent sequels, the war continued after mankind was reduced to tatters following another world war. It was bleak to be sure but sometimes it seems we are heading in that direction. With gas prices on the rise, many people are starting to take their anger out on the gas station attendants or similar folks who have little control over these things.

The latest evidence that we're slowly headed for a Mad Max scenario? Psychologists have now declared that road rage is a medical condition that exists in many people and that it should be treated as a medical disorder. Now I don't know about you, but I don't have a degree in psychology; I haven't spent years doing research; but I can tell you this with the utmost confidence. I didn't need a doctor to tell me that road rage is a disease because then that would suggest it's treatable with medicine and therapy.

Why am I against this 'discovery' and declaration? Because it's nothing new. People have been suffering from rage all through history and road rage is the newest trend. It's not due to some chemical imbalance in the brain or any other physical ailment. It's due to the fact that we as a species don't like being cut off, we don't like being slowed down and we absolutely hate being pestered by anyone who remotely resembles an idiot. These in and of themselves are abstract concepts and given time, I'm sure psychiatrists could come up with so many reasons behind why this is but I still wouldn't give it stock.

Sure you get ticked when you're stuck behind someone cruising below the speed limit in the fast lane but you don't need drugs to deal with it do you? Some of us have bad teachers, bad bosses, bad whatevers; we would eventually start to feel some sort of emotion that could be termed as an imbalance. Does that mean we have to take drugs to deal with the frustration or rage brought on by the dynamics of a relationship? My girlfriend called my comic book collection childish, I feel.... rage... like the Incredible Hulk in issue #344. I think I'll take some mood mellowing drugs. That's the ticket. Don't feel happy? Take some mood mellowers.

What's next? Revelations that Monday Morning Blues are also a psychological condition?