Links for 08/04/15 | National Catholic Reporter

Links for 08/04/15 | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Cardus should read and incorporate Douglas and Wildavsky's Risk and Culture, although if he did there would be nothing left for him to say.  Of course, I have the University of Waterloo copy of Culture and Social Theory, which was sold to me on Amazon.  Risk and Culture, which explains the egalitarian, anti-capitalist roots of the environmental movement and its sectarian tendencies is right in with this thesis.  There is likely still enough to do to justify a dissertation incorproating their work.

Statistics are suspect when we talk of the middle class.  It is better to speak of the working class and the middle class.  Back when we were all living on cheap credit, both of these groups did well.  Now, not so much.  The middle class is still mostly up - although many have fallen through the cracks or retired early.  They are the ones Francis needs to challenge, more for their politics than their consumption.  The working class is under attack - and Francis needs to focus on this big time.

Its fairly hard to out-life the GOP in a Democratic big tent if a war on women theme is at play.  Of course, the GOP does not like it if we do (especially on the economic side) because they want the movement for themselves for electoral purposes (not to actually stop abortions).