Links for 02/28/17: In this morning
MGB: Bannon's bluster is mostly for show. He is a rabble rouser in the tradition of Lew Rockwell. If he were a real pro-worker populist, he would call for the end of right to work laws, which cause quite a few undocumented workers to come here to work in the shadows. As for the TPP, as long as it privileges companies over governments, it is dangerous. That whole regime must be shut down, from NAFTA on. The neo-liberalism of Gershon is showing.
Ignorance of the law excuses no one. Once she aged out of being a dreamer, she should have started hiding - probably until Trump is gone.
CPAC should be very much afraid of the extreme vetting for Heaven, since it is mostly on economic issues. While nothing is impossible with God as far as the rich going to Heaven, it is extremely unlikely (also, entering the Kingdom of God has to do with this life as much as the next, so CPAC is an epic fail, as is Speaker Ryan - they just don't get it).
Handel is always wonderful.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Is Francis actually backsliding on punishing abuse?
Is Francis actually backsliding on punishing abuse?: Distinctly Catholic: In the clerical culture, being defrocked is the most severe penalty. But does cutting a priest abuser loose best serve the key objective — protecting children?
MSW:_Everyone has Achilles heel, even Francis. I am more interested in his punishing the bishops who coddled the abusers, which he seems to be doing. The abusers should simply be turned over to civil authorities to be jailed and publicly shamed for the rest of their lives as sex offenders. As the Lord said, any who leads astray one of these little ones should have a millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the sea. That this line was attributable to Christ shows how far back the problem goes in the Church. That Francis is easier than Benedict on this no shock. Maybe a bit of scorn is necessary for him to see how serious the rest of us are.
MSW:_Everyone has Achilles heel, even Francis. I am more interested in his punishing the bishops who coddled the abusers, which he seems to be doing. The abusers should simply be turned over to civil authorities to be jailed and publicly shamed for the rest of their lives as sex offenders. As the Lord said, any who leads astray one of these little ones should have a millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the sea. That this line was attributable to Christ shows how far back the problem goes in the Church. That Francis is easier than Benedict on this no shock. Maybe a bit of scorn is necessary for him to see how serious the rest of us are.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Gratitude and birthdays
Gratitude and birthdays: Distinctly Catholic: Today is my 55th birthday. As a young man, I did not celebrate birthdays. Now, though, I take the day as a chance to be grateful.
MGB:_Happy Birthday and thank you for your work.
I always loved birthdays growing up because my parents got me a gift from each of my siblings and I was the oldest of five, which means age was also a measure of dominance. Nowadays, my siblings let my birthday go by unacknowledged. Of course, as a late November baby, my birhtday was sometimes mixed with Thanksgiving, so if my sister hosts, I always get a card and gift card. (I am poor and need the Starbucks cred). My child also remembers my birhtday, which makes it particularly sweet.
My favorite part of my birthday used to be calling my mother at the time of my birth and thanking her. My 50th birthday should have been a great milestone, but it wasn’t. My mother had died the prior summer, I had suffered as nervous breakdown and my meds were wrong, making me emotionally sensative. It was my worst birthday ever. They are better now.
I am also grateful for my faith, both because I know that my Savior lives, and with Him, my parents, but because it is mine as much it is Raymond Burkes. His red dress provides him with an opportunity for service, not more ownership. If only he would see that.
MGB:_Happy Birthday and thank you for your work.
I always loved birthdays growing up because my parents got me a gift from each of my siblings and I was the oldest of five, which means age was also a measure of dominance. Nowadays, my siblings let my birthday go by unacknowledged. Of course, as a late November baby, my birhtday was sometimes mixed with Thanksgiving, so if my sister hosts, I always get a card and gift card. (I am poor and need the Starbucks cred). My child also remembers my birhtday, which makes it particularly sweet.
My favorite part of my birthday used to be calling my mother at the time of my birth and thanking her. My 50th birthday should have been a great milestone, but it wasn’t. My mother had died the prior summer, I had suffered as nervous breakdown and my meds were wrong, making me emotionally sensative. It was my worst birthday ever. They are better now.
I am also grateful for my faith, both because I know that my Savior lives, and with Him, my parents, but because it is mine as much it is Raymond Burkes. His red dress provides him with an opportunity for service, not more ownership. If only he would see that.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Who gets the tax cuts?
Who gets the tax cuts?: Faith and Justice: Real tax reform would require getting rid of tax gimmicks and loopholes. But those are very popular, both on Capitol Hill and with taxpayers.
MGB:_Tax reform is often a dodge to cut tax rates on the rich. This makes it more lucrative for rich capitalists to cut wages and increase profits and CEO compensation. High tax rates on the wealthy tip the balance the other way, making it better to have a happy workforce than an exploited one.
Tax cuts for the rich often come with deficit spending, so that what is cut goes to buy government bonds (if interest rates are high enough - and they will be). Of course, if you tax the money, you don’t have to pay it back.
Trump wants most of all to end the payroll surtaxes that came with Obamacare, which only the rich pay. Unless you replace these with eliminating the income cap on Social Security, this should not be done and probably can’t be without triggering a 60 vote Budget Act point of order against increasing the debt. Rate cuts face the same fate, so unless the Democrats roll over, there is no chance, which is why the negotiations to watch are between Secretary Mnuchin and Senator Wyden.
MGB:_Tax reform is often a dodge to cut tax rates on the rich. This makes it more lucrative for rich capitalists to cut wages and increase profits and CEO compensation. High tax rates on the wealthy tip the balance the other way, making it better to have a happy workforce than an exploited one.
Tax cuts for the rich often come with deficit spending, so that what is cut goes to buy government bonds (if interest rates are high enough - and they will be). Of course, if you tax the money, you don’t have to pay it back.
Trump wants most of all to end the payroll surtaxes that came with Obamacare, which only the rich pay. Unless you replace these with eliminating the income cap on Social Security, this should not be done and probably can’t be without triggering a 60 vote Budget Act point of order against increasing the debt. Rate cuts face the same fate, so unless the Democrats roll over, there is no chance, which is why the negotiations to watch are between Secretary Mnuchin and Senator Wyden.
Links for 02/24/17
Links for 02/24/17: At the Washington Examiner, a rightwing outlet, the GOP is trying to make Sen. Elizabeth Warren the face of the Democratic Party. Reminds me of certain Democratic Party operatives who were salivating ...
MGB:_Quite a few progressives would love to see Sen. Warren as the face of the Democrats in 2020, and of America in 2021. Watching Wall Street freak would just be a bonus.
Trump is tragicomic. He knew that Nazis campaigned for him. The time to tell them to go away was not a month after inauguration, it was a month before the election (he would have won anyway). It is sad when you invite someone so right wing that CPAC won’t let him in.
Bannon is so scary because he serves the President rather than the nation. I suspect he wrote most of the promises Trump made, so he is really serving himself. Until Trump fires him, he will look like (or rather be) a sock puppet.
MGB:_Quite a few progressives would love to see Sen. Warren as the face of the Democrats in 2020, and of America in 2021. Watching Wall Street freak would just be a bonus.
Trump is tragicomic. He knew that Nazis campaigned for him. The time to tell them to go away was not a month after inauguration, it was a month before the election (he would have won anyway). It is sad when you invite someone so right wing that CPAC won’t let him in.
Bannon is so scary because he serves the President rather than the nation. I suspect he wrote most of the promises Trump made, so he is really serving himself. Until Trump fires him, he will look like (or rather be) a sock puppet.
The alt-right: Engage, but do so warily
The alt-right: Engage, but do so warily: Distinctly Catholic: What is the alt-right, and why should we view responding to it differently from other social or political movements?
MGB:_The alt-right labors under the notion that having more Neanderthal DNA than anyone else on the planet is somehow a good thing. It is simply a renaming of reactionaries with a white nationalist bent from the Tea Party, to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (how Maoist is that?), to the John Birch Society and the KKK, as well as the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic League for Decency. They traffic in moral superiority to distract the working class from their real problems of economic exploitation. Being open about ones resentments is empowering, especially as an excuse for violence or the abuse of the other and they always seem to fin an other to abuse.
MSW does not see that BLM is a response to racism in the police force as a reaction against black youth empowerment through rap music. The cops have more than their share of the alt-right.
As for the Dark Enlightenment, let’s just call it fascism and leave it at that. It is against the free thought of the real enlightenment, which tells all kinds of authorities, both police and ecclesiastic, to shove it.
The alt right’s real purpose is to justify capitalism, the domination of the bosses. Catholic social doctrine can help, but it only goes so far. Something akin to cooperative socialism, which includes democratizing both ownership and control of the enterprise is needee to stop the vulnerability of the white working class to the alt-right, although to do so it must respect the views of the religious without becoming subservient to the Church. Distributism is a quaint idea, but will not work in practice.
As for countering the alt-right leadership, ridicule may be best, although sometimes that just radicalizes their followers, so it must be really funny.
Should we help conservitives oppose the alt-right? It is up to them, although this is not a new problem, so my view is that they deserve what they get.
MGB:_The alt-right labors under the notion that having more Neanderthal DNA than anyone else on the planet is somehow a good thing. It is simply a renaming of reactionaries with a white nationalist bent from the Tea Party, to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (how Maoist is that?), to the John Birch Society and the KKK, as well as the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic League for Decency. They traffic in moral superiority to distract the working class from their real problems of economic exploitation. Being open about ones resentments is empowering, especially as an excuse for violence or the abuse of the other and they always seem to fin an other to abuse.
MSW does not see that BLM is a response to racism in the police force as a reaction against black youth empowerment through rap music. The cops have more than their share of the alt-right.
As for the Dark Enlightenment, let’s just call it fascism and leave it at that. It is against the free thought of the real enlightenment, which tells all kinds of authorities, both police and ecclesiastic, to shove it.
The alt right’s real purpose is to justify capitalism, the domination of the bosses. Catholic social doctrine can help, but it only goes so far. Something akin to cooperative socialism, which includes democratizing both ownership and control of the enterprise is needee to stop the vulnerability of the white working class to the alt-right, although to do so it must respect the views of the religious without becoming subservient to the Church. Distributism is a quaint idea, but will not work in practice.
As for countering the alt-right leadership, ridicule may be best, although sometimes that just radicalizes their followers, so it must be really funny.
Should we help conservitives oppose the alt-right? It is up to them, although this is not a new problem, so my view is that they deserve what they get.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Culture panelists: Americans' faith still tied to a 'norm of whiteness'
Culture panelists: Americans' faith still tied to a 'norm of whiteness': The specter of Donald Trump's one-month presidency hung over a Feb. 21 seminar on racism and religious faith here sponsored by Fordham University's Center on Religion and Culture.
MGB:_Africa also has a Church steeped in its colonial connections. These should be withdrawn or be put under the authority of the Pope of Alexandria, who should also send missionaries here to bring a more African flavor to African American Christianity.
MGB:_Africa also has a Church steeped in its colonial connections. These should be withdrawn or be put under the authority of the Pope of Alexandria, who should also send missionaries here to bring a more African flavor to African American Christianity.
Links for 02/23/17
Links for 02/23/17: At the South Bend Tribune, Evan Smith encourages the Democrats to look to Pope Francis for guidance about how to turn their party around. I watched the Mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigeig, in last nig...
MGB: A chair from South Bend may keep Notre Dame radicalized for the Democrats. The question is, of course, whether he is good at fundraising. Frankly, my friend Stella Adams would make the best DNC chair on that basis.
Trump provided a good reminder of what we should have been doing about immigration rights under both Bush and Obama. Whatever it takes. The problem is finding a way to get the word to the vulnerable populations, especially sex workers who have been trafficked.
The Cardinal mainly acknowledged rather than motivated the action against antisemitism. God speaks to all of us, not just our leaders.
The Church in Detroit always has a conservative bent. I suspect the Cardinal is part of the problem.
MGB: A chair from South Bend may keep Notre Dame radicalized for the Democrats. The question is, of course, whether he is good at fundraising. Frankly, my friend Stella Adams would make the best DNC chair on that basis.
Trump provided a good reminder of what we should have been doing about immigration rights under both Bush and Obama. Whatever it takes. The problem is finding a way to get the word to the vulnerable populations, especially sex workers who have been trafficked.
The Cardinal mainly acknowledged rather than motivated the action against antisemitism. God speaks to all of us, not just our leaders.
The Church in Detroit always has a conservative bent. I suspect the Cardinal is part of the problem.
Three ways to resist the Trump administration's deportation orders
Three ways to resist the Trump administration's deportation orders: Distinctly Catholic: There are three things that must be done: Tell the truth. Resist the deportation police. And, fight the fear.
MGB:_Telling the truth includes acknowledging that most of the current deportation policy is a continuation of the Bush and Obama efforts to enforce the law, mainly on criminal aliens, and an adjustment at the border (which seems like the old catch and release that did not work). This is essentially Donald Trump looking busy for the optics to his supporters, even when change is minor. I don’t think much more will happen, save for a lame attempt to find a way to reissue the order blocked by the 9th Circuit. I bet that the White House, specifically the rookie assigned to fix the order, is hoping for some action in Syria to distract everyone from the fact that there is now way to save issue.
The other thing the Church can do is build ties with the ACLU so it can issue a decent Amicus brief for any future court action. I suspect that such a prospect fills some in the USCCB with as much dread as fixing the immigration order does at the White House. With pain comes growth.
MGB:_Telling the truth includes acknowledging that most of the current deportation policy is a continuation of the Bush and Obama efforts to enforce the law, mainly on criminal aliens, and an adjustment at the border (which seems like the old catch and release that did not work). This is essentially Donald Trump looking busy for the optics to his supporters, even when change is minor. I don’t think much more will happen, save for a lame attempt to find a way to reissue the order blocked by the 9th Circuit. I bet that the White House, specifically the rookie assigned to fix the order, is hoping for some action in Syria to distract everyone from the fact that there is now way to save issue.
The other thing the Church can do is build ties with the ACLU so it can issue a decent Amicus brief for any future court action. I suspect that such a prospect fills some in the USCCB with as much dread as fixing the immigration order does at the White House. With pain comes growth.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Without doctrine, Catholic morality is untethered
Without doctrine, Catholic morality is untethered: Distinctly Catholic: Too often, we Catholics are not taught the linkages between our doctrinal claims and our moral claims, facilitating the cafeteria Catholicism on both the left and the right.
MGB: I wrote on this on Sunday on my blog and will reprint in the comments.
Leviticus was not so much revelation as natural law reasoning with authority attributed to revelation, although the quoted passages do capture the why of morality. So does the saying of Jesus that he is gentle and humble of heart, his yoke is easy and his burden light. This demands a humanistic morality, one that does not try to make us angels but more fully human - including in the economic realm.
If we remember we are brothers, we will not make each other slaves as the capitalist does. Nor will we persecute our brothers and sisters for expressing the sexuality they were born with. Indeed, we will celebrate it in a Church wedding. Instead of condemning either doctors or mothers to the criminal justice system for abortion, we will make it economically possible to not only continue the pregnancy, but see the child through to college. The Dogma of Mercy must define what is sin as well as forgiveness.
MGB: I wrote on this on Sunday on my blog and will reprint in the comments.
Leviticus was not so much revelation as natural law reasoning with authority attributed to revelation, although the quoted passages do capture the why of morality. So does the saying of Jesus that he is gentle and humble of heart, his yoke is easy and his burden light. This demands a humanistic morality, one that does not try to make us angels but more fully human - including in the economic realm.
If we remember we are brothers, we will not make each other slaves as the capitalist does. Nor will we persecute our brothers and sisters for expressing the sexuality they were born with. Indeed, we will celebrate it in a Church wedding. Instead of condemning either doctors or mothers to the criminal justice system for abortion, we will make it economically possible to not only continue the pregnancy, but see the child through to college. The Dogma of Mercy must define what is sin as well as forgiveness.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Links for 02/21/17
Links for 02/21/17: You can't always trust the veracity of what you read at LifeSiteNews, but they accurately described last Thursday's episode of "The World Over" on EWTN. During a discussion of Amoris...
MGB:_LifeSiteNews will always quote their comrades EWTN accurately, which probably does not help them. On the question, the Roman Pontiff can be heretical. Indeed, you can argue that whereever Rome disagrees with the Imperial See, the Imperial See must be considered Orthodox. In this case, however, Francis is neither heretical or heterodox (it is impossible to be so on an issue of practice like whether Eucharist can be received). EWTN and LifeSiteNews are in danger of Sedevantism, which would make them schismatic, if it has not already.
Trump is either ignorant or trying to take credit for the deportations that Obama and Bush set in motion. These actually are not a good idea, as they have sent gangsters to the south where they have been terrorizing the populace. Violent aliens should be kept here.
I would rather not meet Gorka. Hopefully he will leave when Ryan and McConnell force Trump to fire Bannon et al.
Trumps numbers are irrelevant. The new Treasury Secretary will dictate the tax reform and it won’t be what Trump said on the trail. The GOP does not have the votes for that.
Trump ascribes all foreign policy to corporate interest. No GWB talk of Democracy, which of course required Israel to let Hammas win an election. Still, Cheney brought corporate interest to the party, so Michael does not have much room to crow.
MGB:_LifeSiteNews will always quote their comrades EWTN accurately, which probably does not help them. On the question, the Roman Pontiff can be heretical. Indeed, you can argue that whereever Rome disagrees with the Imperial See, the Imperial See must be considered Orthodox. In this case, however, Francis is neither heretical or heterodox (it is impossible to be so on an issue of practice like whether Eucharist can be received). EWTN and LifeSiteNews are in danger of Sedevantism, which would make them schismatic, if it has not already.
Trump is either ignorant or trying to take credit for the deportations that Obama and Bush set in motion. These actually are not a good idea, as they have sent gangsters to the south where they have been terrorizing the populace. Violent aliens should be kept here.
I would rather not meet Gorka. Hopefully he will leave when Ryan and McConnell force Trump to fire Bannon et al.
Trumps numbers are irrelevant. The new Treasury Secretary will dictate the tax reform and it won’t be what Trump said on the trail. The GOP does not have the votes for that.
Trump ascribes all foreign policy to corporate interest. No GWB talk of Democracy, which of course required Israel to let Hammas win an election. Still, Cheney brought corporate interest to the party, so Michael does not have much room to crow.
The World Meeting of Popular Movements strikes a needed chord
The World Meeting of Popular Movements strikes a needed chord: Distinctly Catholic: The World Meeting of Popular Movements showed a Catholic church ready to engage the cause of social justice anew.
MGB: It is good to see some of the bishops embracing a bit of radicalism, both in opposition to Trumpism and the Alt Right and in the economic sphere. We need more that that, however. Going back and forth in the traditional policy ruts on immigration and social welfare keeps you in the same discussions. On markets, freedom is not the problem. Hierarchical control of the workplace and the product markets by capitalists are.
We need new discussions, which must be found outside traditional channels. The time is come to talk employee ownership, democracy and cooperative consumption to replace hierarcy, individual consumerism and public poverty programs (which are never adequately funded). While respect for life can be at the core, support for children through higher wages must be through adulthood, not merely until birth.
MGB: It is good to see some of the bishops embracing a bit of radicalism, both in opposition to Trumpism and the Alt Right and in the economic sphere. We need more that that, however. Going back and forth in the traditional policy ruts on immigration and social welfare keeps you in the same discussions. On markets, freedom is not the problem. Hierarchical control of the workplace and the product markets by capitalists are.
We need new discussions, which must be found outside traditional channels. The time is come to talk employee ownership, democracy and cooperative consumption to replace hierarcy, individual consumerism and public poverty programs (which are never adequately funded). While respect for life can be at the core, support for children through higher wages must be through adulthood, not merely until birth.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Links for 02/20/17
Links for 02/20/17: At this morning's Washington Post, Chris Cillizza has some sound advice for the press: Don't get into a cat fight with President Trump. Just do your jobs.
And, in yesterday's Outlook sect...
MGB:_Sadly, the press doing its job just gives Trump rope to hang himself with. The last thing the press needs to do is tread lightly. When he lets his freak flag fly, it’s news.
Reactionaries traffic in anger. Indeed, it’s their main tool. If they deploy it, we are doing something right.
Bishop McElroy is sounding like Berie Bro. Good for him and I love pop culture reference. He is like Pope Francis and Cardinal Cupich, animated by the spirit of Vatican II.
And, in yesterday's Outlook sect...
MGB:_Sadly, the press doing its job just gives Trump rope to hang himself with. The last thing the press needs to do is tread lightly. When he lets his freak flag fly, it’s news.
Reactionaries traffic in anger. Indeed, it’s their main tool. If they deploy it, we are doing something right.
Bishop McElroy is sounding like Berie Bro. Good for him and I love pop culture reference. He is like Pope Francis and Cardinal Cupich, animated by the spirit of Vatican II.
Happy Presidents Day
Happy Presidents Day: Distinctly Catholic: C-SPAN ranked the presidents of the United States from best to worst. It is interesting to see how the numbers have, and have not, changed over the years.
MGB: I see no one but Lincoln surpassing Washington. The Roosevelts are in the right place, but the segregationist Wilson is way too high. He should not be in the top 20. Harding should be higher for cleaning up the mess Wilson made in the free speech area. If you give Ike war credit, he deserves his spot - especially since he built the highway system. Truman began the Cold War, so a declining spot is apt. Obama should be higher. He outmaneuvered the GOP to get his fiscal policies enacted as the ATRA, setting the country on a sound fiscal course and ending the prospect of a debt limit showdown. Reagan and JFK are way overrated. Their fiscal policies, along with Clinton's, allowed Wall Street to run amok. They should be rated with Coolidge and Hoover. Grant can always be moved up, as he brought unity to DC, if not the nation, after the mess Johnson made, and for a while made progress in the south. Finally, the other Johnson, despite Viet Nam, was truly revolutionary - top 10.
MGB: I see no one but Lincoln surpassing Washington. The Roosevelts are in the right place, but the segregationist Wilson is way too high. He should not be in the top 20. Harding should be higher for cleaning up the mess Wilson made in the free speech area. If you give Ike war credit, he deserves his spot - especially since he built the highway system. Truman began the Cold War, so a declining spot is apt. Obama should be higher. He outmaneuvered the GOP to get his fiscal policies enacted as the ATRA, setting the country on a sound fiscal course and ending the prospect of a debt limit showdown. Reagan and JFK are way overrated. Their fiscal policies, along with Clinton's, allowed Wall Street to run amok. They should be rated with Coolidge and Hoover. Grant can always be moved up, as he brought unity to DC, if not the nation, after the mess Johnson made, and for a while made progress in the south. Finally, the other Johnson, despite Viet Nam, was truly revolutionary - top 10.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Kansas crowd applauds Cardinal Burke's stump speech
Kansas crowd applauds Cardinal Burke's stump speech: For a packed crowd in a packed Catholic high school gymnasium in Lenexa, Kan., on a Friday evening, Cardinal Raymond Burke's speech was filled with red meat, a reassuring message.
MGB:_If the alt-right and Trump want cache with the Pope, the last person to go to is Ray Burke. Burke seems to like the spotlight and political maneuvering. Sadly, that should not be in his job description (although that is old school for cardinals). Speaking to the choir is comfortable for both Burke and his choir, but it does nothing to move things forward - even toward conservative goals. Burke is from a bygone era. He still believes in the creation rather than creation through evolution, which is both ongoing and mutable.
MGB:_If the alt-right and Trump want cache with the Pope, the last person to go to is Ray Burke. Burke seems to like the spotlight and political maneuvering. Sadly, that should not be in his job description (although that is old school for cardinals). Speaking to the choir is comfortable for both Burke and his choir, but it does nothing to move things forward - even toward conservative goals. Burke is from a bygone era. He still believes in the creation rather than creation through evolution, which is both ongoing and mutable.
Links for 02/17/17
Links for 02/17/17: Conspiracy theories go bipartisan: In the NYTimes, Dems have begun buying into bogus conspiracy theories now also. This is not the kind of bipartisanship the country needs.
In the Washington P..
MGB:_.I have seen more bad constitutional law than conspiracy theory from the left, especially on impeachment. There have always been conspiracy theory on the left, mostly among Greens. Some of the misinformation is deliberate, like the meme that abortion rights are in danger. Of course, the right wing likes to believe than can be, even whe they are not. Of course, much of the conspiracy theory around capitalism turning to oligarchy is true. As for the article, it relies on an unpublished study and a survey provider most people have never heard of. Ironic.
This shows that Long deserved his sheepskin from UVA. Good for him!
Silk nails him for how we all know what he is thinking. Of course, the point is that it will take him time to step away from his base, like it took time for Obama to support gay marriage even though the black church hated the idea. The thought bubbles raise the question of whether he is using Banon or just thinks like him. Only time will tell.
In the Washington P..
MGB:_.I have seen more bad constitutional law than conspiracy theory from the left, especially on impeachment. There have always been conspiracy theory on the left, mostly among Greens. Some of the misinformation is deliberate, like the meme that abortion rights are in danger. Of course, the right wing likes to believe than can be, even whe they are not. Of course, much of the conspiracy theory around capitalism turning to oligarchy is true. As for the article, it relies on an unpublished study and a survey provider most people have never heard of. Ironic.
This shows that Long deserved his sheepskin from UVA. Good for him!
Silk nails him for how we all know what he is thinking. Of course, the point is that it will take him time to step away from his base, like it took time for Obama to support gay marriage even though the black church hated the idea. The thought bubbles raise the question of whether he is using Banon or just thinks like him. Only time will tell.
An audience of one
An audience of one: Distinctly Catholic: President Donald Trump's core supporters got everything they needed from yesterday's news conference, an alternative narrative to what they see on the news.
MGB:_In most admistrations, the attitude is to serve at the pleasure of the president, but most also are feeling that they work for the people at large. If Trump believes that, like Louis XIV, that he is the state, then we are going to have a bumpy ride. (and yes, the man insane). I suspect some supporters, like the right wingers in the USCCB, think he will hold firm on their issues. I don’t see that he has a history of that.
MGB:_In most admistrations, the attitude is to serve at the pleasure of the president, but most also are feeling that they work for the people at large. If Trump believes that, like Louis XIV, that he is the state, then we are going to have a bumpy ride. (and yes, the man insane). I suspect some supporters, like the right wingers in the USCCB, think he will hold firm on their issues. I don’t see that he has a history of that.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
'Crossing Parish Boundaries' sheds light on Chicago racial history
'Crossing Parish Boundaries' sheds light on Chicago racial history: Distinctly Catholic: Coming at a time when violence and racial tension again plague the city, Timothy Neary's new book is fascinating and informative. Part 1 of a two-part review.
MGB:_Segregation came with fear and there was enough fear to go around, even in the bishop’s chair. There still is, although the white police of Chicago seem to have an outsized portion of it.
MGB:_Segregation came with fear and there was enough fear to go around, even in the bishop’s chair. There still is, although the white police of Chicago seem to have an outsized portion of it.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
US bishops have much to gain from Trump presidency
US bishops have much to gain from Trump presidency: Grace on the Margins: Evidence suggests the bishops threw under the bus the needs of immigrants and refugees for the sake of an anti-abortion, anti-LGBT, right-wing religious liberty agenda.
MGB:_The bishops want religious power. They like the idea of states being the final word on equal protection under law, which is what happens if gay marriage and or abortion are overturned by the Supremes. Of course, they won’t get it as Scalia was the last and only justice that shared this view.
MGB:_The bishops want religious power. They like the idea of states being the final word on equal protection under law, which is what happens if gay marriage and or abortion are overturned by the Supremes. Of course, they won’t get it as Scalia was the last and only justice that shared this view.
Links for 02/14/17
Links for 02/14/17: At America, an important essay by James Keenan of Boston College about the particular way Americans have failed to develop our Catholic understanding of conscience. This is key: Some of the opponents ...
MGB: Conscience is about more than conforming your will to teaching - it is about listening to God and doing the right thing, even when the teachings of the Church or society are wrong. Real natural law is from within, not from the circular reasoning of the CDF or the nostalgic and simplistic moralism of Raymond Burke.
I would dearly love to hear Garry Wills response to this disastrous interview by Chaput. By the way, only western Rome fell. Constantinople went strong for almost another millennium and still holds more moral authority than the western Church. Rome showed the problem of the end of militarism and imperialism. Of course, the new President is building more weapons, if he can, while at the same time wanting to isolate. What he is trying is worse than Rome - and his only Gospel seems to be the prosperity gospel - hardly something a Catholic Cardinal can endorse.
MGB: Conscience is about more than conforming your will to teaching - it is about listening to God and doing the right thing, even when the teachings of the Church or society are wrong. Real natural law is from within, not from the circular reasoning of the CDF or the nostalgic and simplistic moralism of Raymond Burke.
I would dearly love to hear Garry Wills response to this disastrous interview by Chaput. By the way, only western Rome fell. Constantinople went strong for almost another millennium and still holds more moral authority than the western Church. Rome showed the problem of the end of militarism and imperialism. Of course, the new President is building more weapons, if he can, while at the same time wanting to isolate. What he is trying is worse than Rome - and his only Gospel seems to be the prosperity gospel - hardly something a Catholic Cardinal can endorse.
The cult of St. Pope John Paul II
The cult of St. Pope John Paul II: Distinctly Catholic: It isn
MGB: It's either St. John Paul, John Paul the Great or Pope John Paul. St. Pope is redundant. It's also St. Pio or Padre Pio but not St. Padre Pio. The cult of John Paul started with his youth and vigor, giving way as he aged to counter-revolution - a return to moral certainty in a complicated age. That is a kind of moral childishness. Pope Francis upset that certainty, hence the rebellion.
There is no such thing as Catholic Lite. What Weigel sees as Lite, most of us see as much needed progress. Following rules is easy. Depending on God to guide you through change is where real faith begins.
MGB: It's either St. John Paul, John Paul the Great or Pope John Paul. St. Pope is redundant. It's also St. Pio or Padre Pio but not St. Padre Pio. The cult of John Paul started with his youth and vigor, giving way as he aged to counter-revolution - a return to moral certainty in a complicated age. That is a kind of moral childishness. Pope Francis upset that certainty, hence the rebellion.
There is no such thing as Catholic Lite. What Weigel sees as Lite, most of us see as much needed progress. Following rules is easy. Depending on God to guide you through change is where real faith begins.
Monday, February 13, 2017
The deportations begin
The deportations begin: Distinctly Catholic: The executive order pledging an increase in the number of deportation agents was not met with the same outcry as the ban on migrants from certain Muslim countries.
MGB:_Nice anti Trump column and totally wrong. The fear matches the propoganda, but the memo by Trump on hiring more agents was essentially about the budget cycle. It had nothing to do with the latest round of arrests and deportations, which largely targeted aliens with criminal offenses who have not yet been deported, but who knew deportation was certain. This enhanced attention started under President Obama. It has been going on for a while now. Obama may have let Dreamers off the hook, but that simly allowed greater attention to those who should be deported. Of course, the question is whether enhanced deportation is targeting dangerous criminals or DUI offenders (which are dangerous, but not violent if they don’t drink and drive). There was already fear in the immigrant community because of the Obama initiative. The current cycle is simply a continuation of that.
MGB:_Nice anti Trump column and totally wrong. The fear matches the propoganda, but the memo by Trump on hiring more agents was essentially about the budget cycle. It had nothing to do with the latest round of arrests and deportations, which largely targeted aliens with criminal offenses who have not yet been deported, but who knew deportation was certain. This enhanced attention started under President Obama. It has been going on for a while now. Obama may have let Dreamers off the hook, but that simly allowed greater attention to those who should be deported. Of course, the question is whether enhanced deportation is targeting dangerous criminals or DUI offenders (which are dangerous, but not violent if they don’t drink and drive). There was already fear in the immigrant community because of the Obama initiative. The current cycle is simply a continuation of that.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Links for 02/10/17
Links for 02/10/17: At RNS, a report on a conference they held on religious liberty, at home and abroad, featuring NCR's own Fr. Tom Reese, SJ.
At Politico, the problem with "alternative facts" is that som...
MGB: The biggest religious freedom issue is the Muslim ban just stopped by the 9th Circuit. I don't suspect the bishops will ever say it that way. The Contraception flap ended when Valarie Jarrett got Obama elected for a second term. All that was left was forcing agreement by a newly radicalized wing of the Church, which the Supreme Court did. The Church needs to quit rejecting federal power in this area. Catholic Churches in Alabama still get bombed.
Flynn will only be ousted if he embarrasses the President - and then only if the President realizes that he has been had. Embarrassing the Vice President is always a good thing from the President's point of view, especially since Trump can obviously be declared disabled by Pence if the Cabinet goes along.
The Democrats should have looked more at the race of the VP candidate than the voters. Corey Booker would have put HRC over the top. Time to focus on economics with a wide left turn to Cooperative and Democratic Socialism.
At Politico, the problem with "alternative facts" is that som...
MGB: The biggest religious freedom issue is the Muslim ban just stopped by the 9th Circuit. I don't suspect the bishops will ever say it that way. The Contraception flap ended when Valarie Jarrett got Obama elected for a second term. All that was left was forcing agreement by a newly radicalized wing of the Church, which the Supreme Court did. The Church needs to quit rejecting federal power in this area. Catholic Churches in Alabama still get bombed.
Flynn will only be ousted if he embarrasses the President - and then only if the President realizes that he has been had. Embarrassing the Vice President is always a good thing from the President's point of view, especially since Trump can obviously be declared disabled by Pence if the Cabinet goes along.
The Democrats should have looked more at the race of the VP candidate than the voters. Corey Booker would have put HRC over the top. Time to focus on economics with a wide left turn to Cooperative and Democratic Socialism.
President Trump and the rule of law
President Trump and the rule of law: Distinctly Catholic: Team Trump overreached — and did so badly — with its ban on refugees and immigrants from seven majority Muslim nations.
MGB: I doubt this was a good day for Bannon. Indeed, he probably staffed this nonsense. At some point, rational Republicans will have to go to Trump and have him clean house at the White House. The fact is, only Trump voters like the ban - the rest do not. If The Donald wants to lead his white people to the promised land, he can go with this majority, but I don't think that is his intent. This period is scarier for Trump than for the country. Once he realizes what kind of job he really has, he may snap. There are systems in place to deal with him when that happens. The question is whether he can get control of himself first.
MGB: I doubt this was a good day for Bannon. Indeed, he probably staffed this nonsense. At some point, rational Republicans will have to go to Trump and have him clean house at the White House. The fact is, only Trump voters like the ban - the rest do not. If The Donald wants to lead his white people to the promised land, he can go with this majority, but I don't think that is his intent. This period is scarier for Trump than for the country. Once he realizes what kind of job he really has, he may snap. There are systems in place to deal with him when that happens. The question is whether he can get control of himself first.
Links for 02/09/17
Links for 02/09/17: At First Things, George Weigel is in a snit because the preparatory document for the next synod doesn
MGB: I can see why Weigel would get in a snit, since he believes JPII was the first pope to reach out to young people. That would actually be Jesus (let the little children come to me). Most modern young people have no memory of St. John Paul. Given what happened on his watch, that might be a good thing.
The only import contributing to the violence in Chicago are the guns bought in the suburbs who don't have a gun ban. While the drug trade is part of it, much of the drug trade has home grown product. Ban guns more places and less drugs and you will find a sharp drop in violence.
The Democrats and labor need to focus less on politics and more on the workplace, with the exception, of course, of tax policy. Only sharply higher tax rates on the very wealthy will take the incentive away from the C Suite to seek large personal fortunes by robbing the working man and woman of their honest wage. They should also focus on employee ownership (expedited by shifting some FICA taxes to that end). Unions could then focus on representing their workers at the board table rather than the bargaining table.
MGB: I can see why Weigel would get in a snit, since he believes JPII was the first pope to reach out to young people. That would actually be Jesus (let the little children come to me). Most modern young people have no memory of St. John Paul. Given what happened on his watch, that might be a good thing.
The only import contributing to the violence in Chicago are the guns bought in the suburbs who don't have a gun ban. While the drug trade is part of it, much of the drug trade has home grown product. Ban guns more places and less drugs and you will find a sharp drop in violence.
The Democrats and labor need to focus less on politics and more on the workplace, with the exception, of course, of tax policy. Only sharply higher tax rates on the very wealthy will take the incentive away from the C Suite to seek large personal fortunes by robbing the working man and woman of their honest wage. They should also focus on employee ownership (expedited by shifting some FICA taxes to that end). Unions could then focus on representing their workers at the board table rather than the bargaining table.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Debate over 'Amoris Laetitia' is over
Debate over 'Amoris Laetitia' is over: Distinctly Catholic: What made me realize that the debate on the Holy Father's apostolic exhortation was over was a post by Cardinal Donald Wuerl at his archdiocesan blog.
MGB: Questions on A.L. may be answered, but questions on divorce, remarriage and adultery have not been. It still does not set right that the victim of bad conduct in a marriage, especially when it involves physical violence, cannot escape and find love again. I am all for the abuser being barred from life from remarriage, but not the victim. Mercy cannot ignore justice.
This essay does clarify one thing - that it reflects what most priests do anyway - thus taking the power away from the ordinaries and putting it with the pastors, where it belongs. Only those jealous of their episcopal power are objecting. I suspect they will find different roles in the Church before too long.
MGB: Questions on A.L. may be answered, but questions on divorce, remarriage and adultery have not been. It still does not set right that the victim of bad conduct in a marriage, especially when it involves physical violence, cannot escape and find love again. I am all for the abuser being barred from life from remarriage, but not the victim. Mercy cannot ignore justice.
This essay does clarify one thing - that it reflects what most priests do anyway - thus taking the power away from the ordinaries and putting it with the pastors, where it belongs. Only those jealous of their episcopal power are objecting. I suspect they will find different roles in the Church before too long.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Links for 02/07/17
Links for 02/07/17: In the Washington Post, Michael Gerson questions if this really has been the "best fortnight in a decade" for conservatives. The (very frightening) money quote:
Trump does not think he...
MGB: Gerson just called Trump a fascist and MSW endorsed this. I agree. Sadly, he is not a hands on fascist and his toadies are more true believer than he is, hence the fortnight of confusion just experienced.
The Vatican Insider is correct. The popes from Piux IX to Benedict XVI mostly stressed their assumed authority over our ability to reason, which did not actually prevent error but merely ordered us to ignore it. They did not succeed. Birth Control is still not the evil they think it is, rather the need to use it shows the evil of capitalism (which Benedict at least got right). Interestingly, in condemning relativism they became relativists - operating on authority when reason went the other way. Francis seems to ignore the use of the term, which some find unnerving, some find illegitimate, some claim as implicit and some (of us) find a relief.
The former pastor of Surfer's Paradise? Right on braugh!
Trump does not think he...
MGB: Gerson just called Trump a fascist and MSW endorsed this. I agree. Sadly, he is not a hands on fascist and his toadies are more true believer than he is, hence the fortnight of confusion just experienced.
The Vatican Insider is correct. The popes from Piux IX to Benedict XVI mostly stressed their assumed authority over our ability to reason, which did not actually prevent error but merely ordered us to ignore it. They did not succeed. Birth Control is still not the evil they think it is, rather the need to use it shows the evil of capitalism (which Benedict at least got right). Interestingly, in condemning relativism they became relativists - operating on authority when reason went the other way. Francis seems to ignore the use of the term, which some find unnerving, some find illegitimate, some claim as implicit and some (of us) find a relief.
The former pastor of Surfer's Paradise? Right on braugh!
Arthur Brooks, defender of capitalism, has a lot more work to do
Arthur Brooks, defender of capitalism, has a lot more work to do: Distinctly Catholic: I make no comment on Arthur Brooks' commitment to Catholicism, but his commitment to capitalism is fair game.
MGB:_Hierarchy causes income inequality, either explicit or implicit. Certain people are ”worth more,” which to Christ is an abomination, although not necessarily to its hierarchs. That capitalism is internally hierarchical is beyond debate. There is no free market in such systetms, wages are set from the top down, with the wage setter getting the biggest share from his workers, his suppliers and his customers. That is what capitalism is and that is what it does. Saying anything else makes the speaker a capitalist fan boy, like Brooks. As for the culture of the gift, look to socialism for it, either democratic or cooperative.
MGB:_Hierarchy causes income inequality, either explicit or implicit. Certain people are ”worth more,” which to Christ is an abomination, although not necessarily to its hierarchs. That capitalism is internally hierarchical is beyond debate. There is no free market in such systetms, wages are set from the top down, with the wage setter getting the biggest share from his workers, his suppliers and his customers. That is what capitalism is and that is what it does. Saying anything else makes the speaker a capitalist fan boy, like Brooks. As for the culture of the gift, look to socialism for it, either democratic or cooperative.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Links for 02/07/17
Links for 02/07/17: Yesterday, America magazine published an essay by Arthur Brooks
MGB: Capitalism succeeds despite itself. Given its own devices, it would be an inescapable authoritarianism - and in some places it is. While it is better than feudalism, it is not as good as a more democratic cooperative socialism. It is an interim step saved only by the free market (which is not the same thing) so that some workers can move up by quitting and because a consumer surplus placates workers who would otherwise be slaves.
Tobin is a blessing for Newark and an implied curse on those bishops who would embrace Trumpism (who will never get their red hats).
The problem with the pro-life movement is not the need for justice for the unborn or the sincerity of the followers, but of the cravenness of the leaders who have launched onto a solution that will never work, keeping them in jobs.
Nebraska has many faith filled people. Their hearts are in the right place - if only they could see some percentage in an economics that were a bit more socialistic.
MGB: Capitalism succeeds despite itself. Given its own devices, it would be an inescapable authoritarianism - and in some places it is. While it is better than feudalism, it is not as good as a more democratic cooperative socialism. It is an interim step saved only by the free market (which is not the same thing) so that some workers can move up by quitting and because a consumer surplus placates workers who would otherwise be slaves.
Tobin is a blessing for Newark and an implied curse on those bishops who would embrace Trumpism (who will never get their red hats).
The problem with the pro-life movement is not the need for justice for the unborn or the sincerity of the followers, but of the cravenness of the leaders who have launched onto a solution that will never work, keeping them in jobs.
Nebraska has many faith filled people. Their hearts are in the right place - if only they could see some percentage in an economics that were a bit more socialistic.
More thoughts on the resistance to Trump
More thoughts on the resistance to Trump: Last week, I wrote about the contours of the opposition to President Donald Trump. The article provoked several conversations with friends more learned than myself, and then, as if by magic,...
MGB:_Converting the white working class is a laudable goal. It is not easy one. They are ingrained in a culture where some amount of authoritarianism is comfortable from them, especially in the workplace. The left has to demonstrate that something like Democratic or Coopertive Socialism can also deliver cash and prizes while maintaining their dignity. Those who are also deeply ingrained racists/sexists/homophobes are harder to help. Only by humanizing the Other can this be done, although there is considerable resistance (and the Church is not helping). That some of this discrimination is economic is Marxist and is also true, especially where Latino immigrants are brought here illegally to work in the shadows.
One urgent problem is not resistance to Trump’s policies but to his incompetence and that of his staff. That has to come from Republican circles and it must be done quietly. When Steve Bannon and Kellyann Conway are kicked to the curb and replaced with long time staff operatives, you know this has taken place. Making Trump want it is the key.
MGB:_Converting the white working class is a laudable goal. It is not easy one. They are ingrained in a culture where some amount of authoritarianism is comfortable from them, especially in the workplace. The left has to demonstrate that something like Democratic or Coopertive Socialism can also deliver cash and prizes while maintaining their dignity. Those who are also deeply ingrained racists/sexists/homophobes are harder to help. Only by humanizing the Other can this be done, although there is considerable resistance (and the Church is not helping). That some of this discrimination is economic is Marxist and is also true, especially where Latino immigrants are brought here illegally to work in the shadows.
One urgent problem is not resistance to Trump’s policies but to his incompetence and that of his staff. That has to come from Republican circles and it must be done quietly. When Steve Bannon and Kellyann Conway are kicked to the curb and replaced with long time staff operatives, you know this has taken place. Making Trump want it is the key.
Links for 02/06/17
Links for 02/06/17: In the Boston Globe, Cardinal Sean O'Malley on the need to act justly to immigrants and refugees. This is, for Catholics, a matter of both history and theology. A splendid essay by someone who has...
MGB:_O’Malley know how to identify a real non-negotiable value, and he backs up his words with action.
97 companies demonstrate that they won’t defend the indefensible.
Unions need to think ahead to the future where their role will shift from collective bargaining to representing the interests of employee-owners in their craft, including accepting diverting public funds to ownership.
Rules about the economy reflect rather than cause agreement on what to do next. The changes we need depend on imagination. Economic Justice and the Gift cannot be merely voluntary. They must be a right. Our imaginations need to work on how that would be and we need to listen to others with something to offer in this area, regarless of credentials or affiliations. Indeed, Francis essentially said from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
MGB:_O’Malley know how to identify a real non-negotiable value, and he backs up his words with action.
97 companies demonstrate that they won’t defend the indefensible.
Unions need to think ahead to the future where their role will shift from collective bargaining to representing the interests of employee-owners in their craft, including accepting diverting public funds to ownership.
Rules about the economy reflect rather than cause agreement on what to do next. The changes we need depend on imagination. Economic Justice and the Gift cannot be merely voluntary. They must be a right. Our imaginations need to work on how that would be and we need to listen to others with something to offer in this area, regarless of credentials or affiliations. Indeed, Francis essentially said from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Trump's 'forgotten man' turns out to be Goldman Sachs
Trump's 'forgotten man' turns out to be Goldman Sachs: Distinctly Catholic: The president has staffed his Cabinet and senior staff with no fewer than six alumni of the high-powered Wall Street investment firm.
MGB:_Trump led off by pandering to the Alt Right racist man who thought that the white race was under attack because of illegal immigration, legal immigration of smarter people and the election of a black president. His early executive orders show this in spades. That he would eventually get around to enriching those of his own class by ”enabling them to save and invest” was beyond doubt. He might even believe that enriching them helped workers rather than giving them an incentive to make deeper staff cuts, but he is wrong. That he thinks he can get rid of Dodd-Frank or its enabling legislation is quaint, since doing so will invite more lawsuits which he will lose. He is so badly staffed that no one in the White House will tell him what he cannot do. Sadly, repealing Section 1504 is something they can do, apparently with Democratic votes in the Senate. Plutocracy lives globally and takes care of its own.
MGB:_Trump led off by pandering to the Alt Right racist man who thought that the white race was under attack because of illegal immigration, legal immigration of smarter people and the election of a black president. His early executive orders show this in spades. That he would eventually get around to enriching those of his own class by ”enabling them to save and invest” was beyond doubt. He might even believe that enriching them helped workers rather than giving them an incentive to make deeper staff cuts, but he is wrong. That he thinks he can get rid of Dodd-Frank or its enabling legislation is quaint, since doing so will invite more lawsuits which he will lose. He is so badly staffed that no one in the White House will tell him what he cannot do. Sadly, repealing Section 1504 is something they can do, apparently with Democratic votes in the Senate. Plutocracy lives globally and takes care of its own.
Friday, February 3, 2017
Links for 02/03/17
Links for 02/03/17: So, the USCCB just sent out this
MGB: Trump can't change the law by executive order, so this action can only go so far - and its not very far at all. Of course, if this gives the bishops the option of declaring victory and shutting up, I am willing to go there as long as not much else changes.
Trump was his usual self at the prayer breakfast, with his usual writers doing his remarks. I guess you could call it self-justified pandering. You could also call it pathetic. I wonder if he believes his own stuff. That would be really sad.
MGB: Trump can't change the law by executive order, so this action can only go so far - and its not very far at all. Of course, if this gives the bishops the option of declaring victory and shutting up, I am willing to go there as long as not much else changes.
Trump was his usual self at the prayer breakfast, with his usual writers doing his remarks. I guess you could call it self-justified pandering. You could also call it pathetic. I wonder if he believes his own stuff. That would be really sad.
Confirm Judge Gorsuch
Confirm Judge Gorsuch: Distinctly Catholic:
MGB: What troubles me about this nomination is that the Federalist Society endorses it. Their cramped view of equal protection and privacy under the 14th Amendment is a novelty and it is wrong. What heartens me is that Gorsuch clerked for Justice Kennedy and may vote with him, Chief Roberts and Alito on privacy issues, especially abortion. It would truly make my day if he pronounced Roe as settled law and that the approach that the states should have this issue died with Scalia. If it did not, then like Scalia, Gorsuch would be alone in this opinion so it can't do too much damage.
On the end of life, state interference with suicide is generally meant to help people who suicide out of the despair of mental illness or addiction. The concern about doctors as executioners is newer (and they do it anyway by putting palliative care above life preservation). Whether legislative majorities, driven by the Catholic Church, deserve a say is not only doubtful, it is wrong.
The truth is that the nominee is an appellate court judge out of central casting. Where it counts, he will join the rest of the Court in its normal business, where it is often unanimous. The reality is that dealing with the Court docket is largely routine in matters where the solution is clear. This nominee fits easily into that role.
MGB: What troubles me about this nomination is that the Federalist Society endorses it. Their cramped view of equal protection and privacy under the 14th Amendment is a novelty and it is wrong. What heartens me is that Gorsuch clerked for Justice Kennedy and may vote with him, Chief Roberts and Alito on privacy issues, especially abortion. It would truly make my day if he pronounced Roe as settled law and that the approach that the states should have this issue died with Scalia. If it did not, then like Scalia, Gorsuch would be alone in this opinion so it can't do too much damage.
On the end of life, state interference with suicide is generally meant to help people who suicide out of the despair of mental illness or addiction. The concern about doctors as executioners is newer (and they do it anyway by putting palliative care above life preservation). Whether legislative majorities, driven by the Catholic Church, deserve a say is not only doubtful, it is wrong.
The truth is that the nominee is an appellate court judge out of central casting. Where it counts, he will join the rest of the Court in its normal business, where it is often unanimous. The reality is that dealing with the Court docket is largely routine in matters where the solution is clear. This nominee fits easily into that role.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Links for 02/02/17
Links for 02/02/17: From the good news folder and the Washington Post, workers at President Donald Trump's hotel on Pennsylvania Ave have voted to unionize! And the union they are joining is UNITEHere. If the preside...
MGB:_If Trump touches the DC hotel unionization we will laugh him out of town. His sons have to handle this.
Fr. Z has mastered the art of the back handed apology. He is only apologizing because he got caught, although the truth is that nobody cares.
If the sanctions against Russia are revoked, we will be a client state of Russia.
MGB:_If Trump touches the DC hotel unionization we will laugh him out of town. His sons have to handle this.
Fr. Z has mastered the art of the back handed apology. He is only apologizing because he got caught, although the truth is that nobody cares.
If the sanctions against Russia are revoked, we will be a client state of Russia.
An opposition in search of an alternate vision
An opposition in search of an alternate vision: Distinctly Catholic: If the political opposition is smart, which is a big if, they will emulate FDR in drawing on Catholic social doctrine's moral and intellectual framework.
MGB: Republican lawmakers will not be seen defending migrants. They fear the alt-right Trump voter the same way they feared the Tea Party when they refused to cooperate with President Obama. It is the potential primary challenger they fear more than the voter (and the libertarian donors that back them).
The Democrats are a different animal. The last time they brought in a Churchman to do Catholic Social Doctrine, FDR was President. I don't expect them to do so when out of power. The Democrats are no longer the Catholic party - especially given the Bishops' focus on doing the impossible on abortion - overturning Roe and sending it back to the states (that is more a jurisdictional position than a pro-life one). The Democrats get out the vote on this issue, so don't expect them to tell the kind of truth that makes it go away.
I would dearly love it if the Church came out with a more cooperative socialist vision reflecting doctrine, but I don't expect the Democrats to. I am trying to get Democratic Socialists to embrace it as an early step, but change is not easy. I don't do it out of doctrinal loyalty but because it will work, by the way. Practicality is the goal of economic teaching or it is useless.
MGB: Republican lawmakers will not be seen defending migrants. They fear the alt-right Trump voter the same way they feared the Tea Party when they refused to cooperate with President Obama. It is the potential primary challenger they fear more than the voter (and the libertarian donors that back them).
The Democrats are a different animal. The last time they brought in a Churchman to do Catholic Social Doctrine, FDR was President. I don't expect them to do so when out of power. The Democrats are no longer the Catholic party - especially given the Bishops' focus on doing the impossible on abortion - overturning Roe and sending it back to the states (that is more a jurisdictional position than a pro-life one). The Democrats get out the vote on this issue, so don't expect them to tell the kind of truth that makes it go away.
I would dearly love it if the Church came out with a more cooperative socialist vision reflecting doctrine, but I don't expect the Democrats to. I am trying to get Democratic Socialists to embrace it as an early step, but change is not easy. I don't do it out of doctrinal loyalty but because it will work, by the way. Practicality is the goal of economic teaching or it is useless.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Links for 02/01/17
Links for 02/01/17: At the Hill, Eric LeCompte of JubileeUSA explains why repealing section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank legislation, which required transparency by big oil and other extraction industries of their payment...
MGB: The sad thing is that transparency is an article of faith in the free market, which is why the free market and capitalism are two different things. The less transparency, the more likely people bid up prices over and above what a free market would do.
Concern for migrants goes back to Torah and before, but the last two hundred years has magnified the amount of migration and the abuse of migrants. In some cases, not allowing migration is a death sentence. It takes spirituality to get over this intolerance. Sadly, pandering to this intolerance has become a successful political strategy for the Administration, even among otherwise religious people. Of course, many of these are more authoritarian than spiritual.
MGB: The sad thing is that transparency is an article of faith in the free market, which is why the free market and capitalism are two different things. The less transparency, the more likely people bid up prices over and above what a free market would do.
Concern for migrants goes back to Torah and before, but the last two hundred years has magnified the amount of migration and the abuse of migrants. In some cases, not allowing migration is a death sentence. It takes spirituality to get over this intolerance. Sadly, pandering to this intolerance has become a successful political strategy for the Administration, even among otherwise religious people. Of course, many of these are more authoritarian than spiritual.
What does it mean to be an American?
What does it mean to be an American?: Distinctly Catholic: Countering Trump
MGB: My guess is that no one in the Trump White House has ever read Crevecour or his definition of what an American is. Whether Trump is using Steve Bannon or a fellow traveler is still up for debate, but the fact that he believes that being rich is an excuse for being coarse is proven out by his visits to Howard Stern (unless he really is simply building a brand). Traditionally, leaders mitigate against the worse angels of our American nature - forming a barrier that respects the Bill of Rights more than the people themselves do (although the pandering by otherwise urbane Southern politicians to the racism of much of the populace shows that there are limits to this). It is not the pro-choice or pro-LGBTQ that are a threat but the alt-right. Trump has no desire to hold off the masses. He and his alt-right attack dog, Bannon, delight in pouring gasoline on their burning cross. The question is whether people of faith and good conscience are willing to stop them.
MGB: My guess is that no one in the Trump White House has ever read Crevecour or his definition of what an American is. Whether Trump is using Steve Bannon or a fellow traveler is still up for debate, but the fact that he believes that being rich is an excuse for being coarse is proven out by his visits to Howard Stern (unless he really is simply building a brand). Traditionally, leaders mitigate against the worse angels of our American nature - forming a barrier that respects the Bill of Rights more than the people themselves do (although the pandering by otherwise urbane Southern politicians to the racism of much of the populace shows that there are limits to this). It is not the pro-choice or pro-LGBTQ that are a threat but the alt-right. Trump has no desire to hold off the masses. He and his alt-right attack dog, Bannon, delight in pouring gasoline on their burning cross. The question is whether people of faith and good conscience are willing to stop them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)