Are humans schizophrenic? This is a serious question. In general terms, a schizophrenic is defined as someone who engages in abnormal social behavior and fails to understand reality. You could argue that those two criteria are more or less the same, or at least that one leads to the other. If you fail to grasp reality, you can't have normal social interactions, and if your interactions with others are faulty, there's something you're missing when it comes to understanding the reality around you.

But 'failure to understand reality', now that one really describes the average human being (and in particular some of the above average ones). Granted, there are degrees of such faulty comprehension, and true schizophrenics are obviously on the extreme end of the spectrum, but it's all the same condition. So it's not surprising that a more rational and objective analysis of schizophrenia defines it as social illness rather than strictly genetic or physical, i.e. it is the result of the toxic influence of our wonderful, modern social mores and 'norms' on a person's mind, body and soul. Schizophrenics may be extreme cases, but we're all affected.

Is there any essential difference between a schizophrenic who believes something because voices told them to, and an entire nation of people believing that the US invaded Iraq to bring freedom and democracy because their government told them to? In both cases, the person/people are being manipulated by a bogus, manipulative authority. The only important distinction I can think of is that in the first case a single person's life is negatively affected, in the second, millions of lives are not only negatively affected, but destroyed.

So I'd argue that everyone is 'schizophrenic' to one degree or another, and anyone who disagrees should go see a shrink. But a specific example of people's maladaptation to truth or reality was brought to my attention when reading a story on RT.com about a wonderful recent event at Kruger national park: a lion ate a buffalo. Not impressed? Well the 'highlight' of this event for observers (and half the internet) is the fact that the lion tore open the (female) buffalo's stomach and pulled out its unborn fetus and carried it off to a few other lions who all ate it.

As it burrows its head in the bloody cavities of the dead animal it can be seen pulling out a fleshy object.

'What is it?' the man watching wonders, 'It looks like a bit of stomach.'

Then suddenly, as the big cat makes off with its find, the woman gasps in shock, 'It's a baby!' she cries.

'That was pregnant, it got the baby out,' she says in disgust, 'Oh my goodness, gross.'

The Internet exploded this week over Congressman X, a new book due out in about two weeks detailing the rantings of a supposed current or former congressmen identified only as a Democrat. But though this anonymous congressmen (or congresswoman, considering we have no knowledge of the politician's identity, whatsoever) waxes damningly about colleagues, the legislative process, and the American public alike, his keen criticisms prove one indisputable truth — voting perpetuates the problem.

"My main job is to keep my job, to get reelected," Congressman X asserts in the book. "It takes precedence over everything."

Though the more cynical among us know this to be the case, the revelation could be shocking to people who believe the legislative process still functions coherently. Oh, and about those people:

The Environmental Protection Agency released a very troubling preliminary risk assessment that the routine use of the chemical atrazine is likely harming animals and our ecosystems.

Atrazine is manufactured and distributed by Syngenta, a foreign global chemical company, that markets the product in the US to limit plants that may compete with commodity crops or would be considered weeds on golf courses.

The EPA memo that was released was hand-signed by six scientists in the US government's Environmental Risk Branch of the Environmental Fate and Effects Division. The 500+ page study was co-authored by Dr. Frank T. Farrugia, Colleen M. Rossmeisl, Dr. James A. Hetrick, and Melanie Biscoe, and was subject to peer review by twelve other scientists.

Russian athletes and sporting officials have blasted an uncorroborated report by the New York Times, in which the country's Olympic champions were accused of doping during the Sochi 2014 Games by the sacked head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory.

In the article, former laboratory chief Grigory Rodchenkov claimed that at least 15 Russian Olympic medal winners were part of the country's supposed wide-scale doping program.

The scandalous article described how Rodchenkov had allegedly been switching the athletes' samples as he dumped "tainted" urine into a nearby toilet, washed out the bottles, dried and filled them with "clean" samples.

Russia had no influence on doping control in Sochi

It was simply impossible for the Russian side to have organized a "doping program" to dominate the home games, like Rodchenkov claimed, due to the significant number of international experts present at all stages of doping-control procedures, says Russia's Deputy Sports Minister, Yury Nagornykh.

The embarrassing incident sparked a diplomatic row between the US and Iran after a sailor apologized to the Iranian people in a video clip that nearly decapitated the US-Iran nuclear deal.

On Thursday, the Navy dismissed the commander of ten American sailors who were captured and detained for 15 hours by Iran after unlawfully sailing into Iranian territorial waters in January. The incident created a diplomatic row between the two countries, nearly extinguishing the US-Iran nuclear deal at the final moment.

A Navy official speaking on condition of anonymity said the military branch lost confidence in Commander Eric Rasch, the executive officer of the squadron at the time of the incident. Rasch oversaw the training and readiness of the 400-plus sailors in the unit.

A press release by the Navy's communication department confirmed the statement saying "Captain Gary Leigh, commander, CRG-1, made this determination following his review of a preliminary investigation into the incident near Farsi Island in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 12-13, involving 10 CRS-3 sailors."

Rasch has been relieved of his command duties and reassigned for failing to meet the standards expected by the US Navy and for a breakdown in oversight of the unit.

The corrective action was the first in what sources expect will be a series of disciplinary measures for what was a uniquely high-profile embarrassment for the US Navy. Not only were the 10 sailors captured when they drifted into Iranian waters, but also one of the US sailors apologized while being videotaped, a clip that became a propaganda boon for the Ayatollah's regime.

Navy officials continue to claim that the crew drifted into Iranian waters inadvertently, citing a navigational error while others suggest that the crew may have taken an unauthorized shortcut through Iranian waters to meet up with a US Coast Guard vessel for refueling.

The reassignment of Rasch signals a setback to a once promising military career. Rasch joined the Navy in 1989 as an intelligence specialist and became an enlisted officer after graduating from the University of San Diego in 2003. The investigation into the incident has been under review for months, with lawmakers pressuring the Navy to hold somebody responsible for the embarrassment.

Israeli Prime Minister asked the international community for assistance in restarting direct talks with Palestine on conflict settlement. Speaking before foreign diplomats, Netanyahu reiterated that he was ready to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas anywhere. "You cannot make peace with anyone who refuses to sit down with you [...] It's about time," Netanyahu said Thursday as quoted by The Jerusalem Post newspaper.

Last month, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced that ministers of 20 countries would take part in a meeting in Paris on May 30 aiming to relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian officials will be attending the event. Netanyahu rejected the initiative, claiming it would only distance the sides.

In late January, Ayrault's predecessor, Laurent Fabius, outlined plans to arrange an international conference in the coming months to help resume the stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks, stressing that France would be prepared to recognize Palestinian statehood if the talks yielded no results amid the new wave of violence in the region in late 2015.

Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been building settlements on the occupied territories, despite objection from the United Nations.

Fearing a possible coup in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro has extended a state of emergency in the country for another 60 days, citing an "onslaught of the oligarchy" in collusion with the US.

"Washington is activating measures at the request of Venezuela's fascist right, who are emboldened by the coup in Brazil," Maduro said during a Friday night broadcast on state television.

Maduro said he fears possible intervention by foreign armies and explained that the new emergency decree includes the ability to face these external threats.

An economic state of emergency has been in force in the oil-rich country since January, including rationing of food and other goods. The country is facing economic ruin largely because of the crash in oil prices. To reverse the downturn, Maduro said he had issued some 21 decrees within the framework of the Constitution, since the measures were introduced "to protect the people and socio-economic stability of the country."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned Thursday impeachment proceedings against Brazilian leader Dilma Rousseff, describing them as an attack on Latin America's left.

"Today, the first phase of a coup to end the era of popular leaders has begun," Maduro said during a televised speech.

Just hours earlier, Rousseff was suspended from office, after Brazilian legislators voted to put her on trial for budgetary discrepancies. Rousseff has denied any wrongdoing, and described her removal as a "farce" and "coup".

"The most brutal of things that can happen to a human being is to be condemned for a crime you didn't commit," she told reporters in Brazil.

Pointing the finger at "Powerful oligarchic, media and imperialist forces," Maduro claimed Rousseff's suspension was "Made in the USA".

"The coup in Brazil is a grave and dangerous sign for the future stability and peace of all the continent. I know they're coming for Venezuela now," he said.

Riyadh is making every effort to prevent Iran from increasing its oil market share at a time when Tehran is wooing old and new customers to return to pre-sanctions export levels, Amir Handjani, a member of the Board of Directors of the Dubai-based RAK Petroleum, told RT. This will generate further tensions between the two countries.

"Saudi Arabia wants to keep Iran in the penalty box," the analyst noted. Now that the oil kingdom has removed its longtime minister of petroleum and mineral resources, Ali al-Naimi, the rivalry between the Saudis and the Iranians will only get worse, he added.

Al-Naimi was removed after an agreement to freeze oil production between major oil producers fell through in Qatar. In a last-minute U-turn, Riyadh demanded that Iran (not present at the meeting) agree to the terms of the deal. Tehran refused.

The German government will need to spend over 90 billion euros on refugees before 2020, Spiegel Online reported citing a Finance Ministry estimate up for discussion with regional administrations.

The 93.6 billion bill will cover accommodation, food, childcare, schools, training courses and administration.

Germany plans to spend 16 billion euros this year and annual outlays are expected to reach 20.4 billion before 2020, Spiegel Online wrote citing Finance Ministry sources in Berlin.

The German federal states, for their part, have budgeted 21 billion euros this year as part of their refugee-support programs, and expect to bring their annual outlays to 30 billion before 2020.