Links: Great obituary for a great priest

Links: Great obituary for a great priest 

First Things is best ignored, except as a barometer of how wrong the bishops who have sold their offices to the Republican Party are.

Gohmert is a barometer of crazy in the GOP. He also does not know that Pence certifies only Vice Presidential Elector votes. Corruptly calling himself the winner is more then even Pence would do.

May Fr. Foster's memory be a blessing.

After this year, we need a good laugh. It is wonderful graffiti.

Trump loyalists, when compelled to testify, will face the decision to fall on their swords by not testifying, lying or telling the truth. Two out of three are after pardon crimes. Regardless, punishing Trump criminally is not as much fun as his creditors picking over the bones of Trumpworld, with the SDNY taking the rest. Nothing is ignored as surely as financial failure.

If all of high Church Christianity gets one selection, the Cathedral tops the list. I used to live across from the Cathedral and would sit on my stoup and watch it catch the evening light. It holds Mass every week and Ecumenical Patriarch Melios recognizes Canterbury as having valid orders, regardless of the objections of the Western Patriarch. Wanting an explicitly Catholic site is simply identity politics. The Catholic site I would add to the list is the Mission Church with the miracle spiral staircase. It exists with no external support. No one ever caught the name of the carpenter who built it, but it is reputed to be someone named Joseph.

Sadly for the heroes of 1991, Russia has descended into an autocracy led by a KGB colonel. Trump wants to be him. I suspect that Vlad will lose patience with the Donald because the sanctions are still in place and cannot be lifted unilaterally.

Looking back at 2020 in the life of the church in the US

Looking back at 2020 in the life of the church in the US  

The Catholic News Agency, which is fringe, is not to be confused with the Catholic News Service, which is the official propaganda arm of the USCCB. That they sew confusion deliberately with a similar name is all one needs to know about them. The Knights have also become Republican Fringe. God bless Cardinal Wilton Gregory for rebuking their allegiance to Trump's authoritarianism. 

Bishops who spoke out against Biden on abortion are either partisan or ignorant of American constitutional law. They feel they have nothing to lose and are retired in grade unless they can hold out longer than the Holy Father. It is now up to Biden to speak for all Catholic Democrats by educating, and if necessary, rebuking them on this issue. 

Cardinal Advisor Sean O'Malley should have words with them as well for their partisanship, which Francis has mourned. The Pope's answer to the renegades is not to utter condemnations, it is subtly ending the very concept of the Magisterium. This is in keeping with a true natural law approach - one that does not commit the fallacy of appeal to authority.No wonder the Stoics, who seek certainty, are perturbed. 

Links: Governors response to coronavirus, Trump's last-minute deals, cancel culture

Links: Governors response to coronavirus, Trump's last-minute deals, cancel culture 

Larry Hogan is not your stereotypical Republican Governor. There are plenty of bad apples in his party with an affinity for libertarian money.

The Saudi deal is the carrot for joining the movement to screw over Palestinians.

The Puritans prospered less in Plymouth than in the Netherlands. Their religious concern was the trend toward Catholic worship styles in the Anglican Church. Once you start equating your opponents with the devil, all kinds of strange things happen. 

The Cancel Culture is alive and well on the right, both among neo-conservative zionists and the pro-life/states rights movement.

Praise God that neither Chaput nor Vigano' were not named Catholic newsmaker of the year, but not for lack of trying.

American political triangulates between ethnic voters, the white working class and the upper-middle class and the wealthy. Two out of three wins elections. Unless Biden can do something about wealth distribution among Whites, they will ignore any attempt at social democracy, however lame.

The Nativity story sets the stage for Mary's role in our Lord's passion and death. It also shows how the Church has never met a holiday it has not tried to coopt, although the commercial class has done its part too. Better stuff keeps revolutionaries (like me) at bay.

A look back at 2020 in politics

A look back at 2020 in politics 

The tragedy of 2020 is that it was about Trump. Had Schumer & Company really wanted Trump out, they would have followed the money straight from Putin through the Trump Super PAC to Senate campaign committees. Trump would have been pushed to resign, not tried by the Senate. Instead, it was hoped that embarrassing Trump would cause a Blue Wave. It did not. The Lincoln Project got Trump, but not the GOP as a whole. 

A White House staff that was interested in governing rather than pleasing Trump and focussing on the CDC message may have looked more critically at the medical issues. The CDC ignored cold or "allergy" symptoms and now it is too late to stop the spread. Anyone vulnerable has been exposed and many more will die. As for shutdowns, Trump has no authority in that area. States with no virus were encouraged to shutdown. This was also a huge mistake that any other White House would have caught.

Defunding the police is a bad slogan to do anything but unite the Left, which had been racially balkanized. There no Black Bernie Bros. Only time will tell if unity is durable. As a policy matter, until we face the need to force people into longer term mental health and addiction care, with automatic rehospitalization for treatment non-compliance, the police are not going anywhere.

Biden won the nomination based on his relationships, not money, organization or strategy. Iowa and New Hampshire are too into the new and different. Their events have outlived their usefulness. Just ask President Huckabee. It took Joe being VP to master this lesson. Let us see if Kamala does.

The only thing that will separate Trump from his supporters is his upcoming financial failure. Then we will have Trump amnesia in the GOP. Let us hope that Trump's failures cure the nation of its fascination with business success. Unless Biden can radicalize the White working class to reject capitalism, it won't happen. It is not his style.

Pope Francis' great Christmas gift to us all

Pope Francis' great Christmas gift to us all 

Christmas is all about fellowship. It is why we sing carols at Mass on Christmas Eve and during the Octave. It is also about standing with each other, and Christ, against the darkness of Midwinter. Just because the Church co-opted Yule the need for merriment has not ended with an hour or two of Liturgy. Francis gives us that, as well as the social message of the Magnificat. I may need to add a few copies for self, friends and family. His words harken back to St. Paul VI, if you want peace - work for justice. That is what is needed for all sides in our current broken-hearted polity. Francis reminds us that if we want justice, we must seek peace. They are two sides of the same coin.

Links: Homelessness, Georgia runoff elections, vaccines and zealots

Links: Homelessness, Georgia runoff elections, vaccines and zealots 

The bill has been passed. The problem for some families is that they thought a moratorium was forgiveness, not a debt to be paid later. That said, the bill passed because landlords were feeling the heat, especially Mnuchin.

In person voting in the Atlanta area needs to match the decline in mail-in voting. Hopefully this means that the pandemic is less of a problem in Georgia. People are likely focusing on either Christmas or the pandemic right now. Elections will wait until after Christmas.

In secret ballot on energy policy, lobbyists get a vote. They don't vote for AOC.

That eastern German police officers spout NAZI garbage is not news. ANTIFA sounds not so fringe anymore.

Fetal tissue is often donated post-miscarriage, not just post-abortion. The scruples of the pro-life movement are for consistency, as in some of these bishops are consistently GOP.

Too bad, when they come back to work, that cinema employees cannot unionize. AMC is very top heavy on payroll. We need to get more high school students into the union movement. McDonalds too.

May I suggest Chartreuse as a marinade and basting solution for roast Christmas lamb? Oh God, most good, most great!

COVID-19 and Christmas: Have a pro-life Christmas

COVID-19 and Christmas: Have a pro-life Christmas 

The Cardinal was correct in asserting his right to open Churches. He did not abuse that right. Mass is available by reservation only in my parish. It will be interesting to see people who don't pay attention to Catholic media show up and find they cannot get in. Expect arguments. Mass without music is familiar to those who are accustomed to alter boys and weekend restaurant workers. Welcome to our world. 

Believing in science is code for believing in scientists. Sadly, when government scientists are wrong, they are loathe to implement new research in fashioning recommendations and modern health systems always follow CDC guidance. This is grating on people who resist arbitrary government action. They have a point. Those of us who have had the virus should be allowed to not get a vaccine for society to reopen. We have immunity.

Whether someone has had COVID is indicated by extreme fatigue symptoms. Many who have had bronchitis may not notice them. If they were proceeded by a week of no symptoms following a week of seasonal allergies, then MSW had the virus and need not fear it or waste a dose of vaccine that could go to others. Not wanting to believe one has had COVID is a matter of psychology, not biology. Having COVID is seen as being stricken by God. Attributing early nasal symptoms to seasonal allergies is part of that reaction. The CDC did not want to minimize the virus by calling it a cold.  It is why hundreds of thousands of people are dying nationwide (not because they did not wear masks.

Christmas is celebrated at Yule to Catholicize the bacchanalia associated with the natural reaction to the dark. Midnight Mass often includes more than a few drinks afterwards. This year, people will be drinking alone. Online AA marathons are there for those who wish to avoid this. Newcomers are always welcome, even after a few drinks. AA is in the phone book and online at aa.org, with links to both online meetings and local groups.

Will Republicans work with Biden? Probably not.

Will Republicans work with Biden? Probably not. 

Republicans love to grandstand. All Senators do, especially Chuck Schumer. For Biden to succeed in passing his program, he needs leaders in both parties who want to use the Senate for something other than seeking electoral advantage. The House can be taken for granted because there is no benefit from Pelosi and the White House agreeing on issue. 

The action will be between the White House and the Republican leader. The next House would be the Greek Chorus in our national drama. Expect transition in leadership in the next few years.

Will McConnell have the moral courage to do deals with Biden or continue to obstruct. Why did he obstruct Obama? Was it partisanship or personal animus (or both)? Will he be able to deliver his own caucus to any deal with Biden? We will know soon, although it may be better to have Senator Thune become the voice of the Republican Senators. They need a new look.

Links: 'Deep state' heroes, Trump still whining, identity politics

Links: 'Deep state' heroes, Trump still whining, identity politics 

Government is where science meets order. Of course, the person who developed the model for that vaccine was considered an outcast, not a member of the team. She is profiled on CNN today. Government science missed the whole "seasonal allergies" vehicle for spread. Solidarity as an organizational form is different, not better or worse,depending on people unwilling to go with the flow.

Trump believes in solidarity, as long as it is around him. He is correct about the fact that he has become the movement. Thanks to the Never-Trumpers, he will soon be out of our hair.

Black identity and Catholic identity are a matter of perspective, although Catholic identity does not really exist anymore. There is no distinctly Catholic vote. Our success in assimilation ends our group cohesion. White working class identification is as strong as any other - all it takes is a sense of grievance. Until the grievance is aimed at Capital, it will win. Being rich is an identity all its own.

It used to be that the Bishops were the masters of Catholic identity. Gratefully, those days are over. Especially for Burke and Chaput.

Sometimes Gov. Granholm be a bit too partisan. It will be interesting to see how she fits in her new role.

The GOP is not broken, only bruised. It will heal when it becomes clear that what is reported about him is not "Fake News." The line will then be "Donald, who?"  for all but the crazy few.

Burke is one of the crazy few. I wonder what he really thinks of Pope Emeritus Benedict's economics? It is not so different that what Bernie Sanders advocates. Both are essentially social democrats. Materialism gets a bad rap. It simply means that faith is a community thing, not an object of science. The Church, on the other hand, is correctly examined using the tools of social theory.

The evangelical-Catholic alliance becomes a conspiracy theory carnival

The evangelical-Catholic alliance becomes a conspiracy theory carnival 

This was the last hurrah for Donald Trump and his supporters and the organizing moment of the opposition to our new President. This movement will be as strong as its donors, who fear higher taxes more than God. That the fight to keep the presidency will most likely fund Trump's lifestyle will not go unnoticed. Much of it will likely go to pay Trump's fines and asset seizures. I wonder what the marchers will think of that?

Links: Democracy in the church, race and politics, Beethoven's 250th birthday

Links: Democracy in the church, race and politics, Beethoven's 250th birthday 

There is laity and there is laity. Married Deacons with vows of obedience to their parish, of either gender and any gender identity and no promise of continence or celibacy could, along with pastors, elect bishops, who would elect Metropolitans, who elect Patriarchs, who elect the Ecumenical Patriarch at Washington would replicate the democracy of the early Church. Until then, I trust our Cardinal Advisor more than the Nuncio.

There has been much criticism of the recent spate of executions. Whether this is because of the upcoming transition or a policy process at DOJ will be known when the history of this administration is written. There are political theory reasons to execute the dangerous. Theology has no business in this area.

Two districts that did not go as expected is normal variance for 435 districts. Race does have to do with gerrymandering. It will also have an effect on boundaries drawn by non-partisan commissions which respect political boundaries. Class is as important as race - and racial divisions damage class identity among workers.

I would add judges to the list. Most are technocrats, not ideologues. There is also more comity behind the scenes in Congress than the public sees, although they do put on a good show (or a bad one). Schumer, Nadler and Schiff took a dive on impeachment. There was plenty of evidence of a financial trail from Moscow to the Trump Super PAC. It was deliberately left out - mostly because having Pence as President was not seen as an improvement. For all we know, he may have been pulling the strings the entire presidency. This is also something we will not know until the history books are written.

The real lesson history teaches about authoritarianism is that it cannot last, especially when a middle class is created. It will eventually start to grow tired of Communist rule in China. Russia too.

Trump acolytes are desperate enough to want a billionaire to save them. They are also very partisan. A bit of "cultural conservatism" also lurks below the surface. The white working class does not seek government help, at least not the men. The alternative for them is more cooperation rather than more government. Better cash and prizes work where radicalization will not,

We have had working second ladies before. Marilyn Quayle was a high powered lawyer. She likely still is. Hopefully the new team will get the same treatment.

Rediscovering expectancy this Advent

Rediscovering expectancy this Advent 

The Jews were expecting an end to tyranny, while their leaders were cooperating with it. All I wanted for Christmas was the same thing. It is fitting that today, the electoral college votes and the votes are counted on Epiphany. Consumption is the antidote for capitalism. The workers spend some of their money making up for the tyranny of the workplace. 

Unless Congress steps in, many won't even have that this Christmas. Those of us who already had the virus have something to be grateful for this year. The vaccine provides hope for those who have not. Francis is a gift as well. When he talks about we and our, he is speaking to and with us - not of himself. 

Many who have recovered from addiction will have dark days this year, because we are under quarantine and many in-person recovery meetings have moved to Zoom. Whether remote recovery helps or hurts newcomers is yet to be seen. The darkness affects all. We all need a bit of merriment this time of year to overcome it. 

Christ is the light for believers, but mainly because we celebrate together. That will be harder when Mass requires advance registration and we cannot zoom in. Finding Christ will be an individual adventure this year. Until then, we must keep the Yule fires burning and be that light for each other. That should be the plan anyway.

It's time to end the Electoral College

It's time to end the Electoral College 

No, it's not. It's time to end the Curia and papal appointment of bishops. Ending the Electoral College means ending the Senate and the Presidency, letting the Speaker become head of state and government. Keeping the presidency without the Senate is like the French system. 

Dispensing with the presidency means being Britain.  Pelosi would be our current leader. We would have just ended the Paul Ryan administration. Before that, Boehner. Hastert shut down all minority rights to create a coalition of the minority and a portion of the majority outside leadership. The word you are looking for is tyranny,

This nation had government by Speaker in the late nineteenth century. What started as the Republicans turned into government by Wall Street. The Senate existed as an industrial house, because industries would essential buy Senators by contributing to state legislative campaigns.

Our real problem is that the nation is too big to govern. The White House staff, when functioning other than a collection of court jesters, has an out sized influence on anything the President is not working. Our incompetent President with a collection of jesters, including the Vice President, is an aberration. When I was an undergraduate taking Civil Liberties, I learned the standard phrase. Hard cases make bad law. This is one of those cases.

Regional government is a better answer than ending the EC and Senate. To avoid large state domination, a Senate and Electoral College selecting regional vice presidents would be an essential feature. Regions would run all domestic large government functions like highways, water quality, domestic military bases (but not the missile sites), retirement security, etc. Civil and workers rights, aviation safety, environmental enforcement, printing money, economic analysis, space exploration, diplomacy and strategic and overseas military affairs would remain national. 

If regions want more government, they could pay higher taxes. If they want less, they pay lower taxes. The bread basket would be its own region - from Washington to Wisconsin in the north to Kansas and Missouri in the south. There is more detail and a map if you are interested in a model. Nothing less would cure what ails us. 

The only constitutional amendments required would be allowing a regional value added tax and having regions elect their own RVP. Ultimately, the RVPs and each regional house and senate would each have a vote to elect the President and Vice President. We would need an amendment for that too. Donald Trump would have never have been elected. The main Trump dysfunction, however, was that Vice President Pence has no moral courage. 

Trumpism, however, will not last. Once his creditors make it clear that his wealth was a mirage, his voters will flee and forget they ever knew him. In the end, his administration will be a footnote in American history. It will hardly merit a page, maybe two. Look in current books about the Harding Administration. History does not say much about failures, which is a pity. It is why we relive it every so often. Even today, the Texas case does not get top billing on SCOTUS Blog. 

Links 2: The Crisis of American Democracy

This essay continues today's link to Fr. Drew Christiansen's essay, The Crisis of American Democracy.

The biggest missing in Christian's essay is not saying the word "capitalism." It includes the progressive and radical roots of the Grand Old Party. His essay merits an independent review. 

Any examination of Catholic education must also address both the Catholic ghetto, the golden years of Catholic supremacy in culture and the reaction of women to a Church that would not change to include them. The review also glosses over the fact that the goal of public education was to not educate non-whites so that they can remain a servant class. Welfare reform seems to have the same goal. 

I cannot argue with condemning reality TV. It was a reprise of the sexual revolution. We are now back in the world of the variety show.Trump is a Reagan redux, without the intelligence of Reagan, but with all the flawed economics. Purging the myth that speculation is investment is job one in defeating the neo-liberalism which infects both parties. The GND is just a social democratic band-aid. 

Voter suppression goes back to reconstruction Until White and Brown people find common ground, capitalism will use differences - especially those on sexuality and race - to forestall reform. This trend goes back to Edmund Burke. Oddly, voter suppression measures allow Congress to target states outside of the South for a new list of states requiring prior review of all procedural changes. Citizens United is a powerful tool in the hands of capitalists - it will also be one in the hands of cooperatives to defeat capitalism. Let us not be hasty in abandoning a useful tool against authority and patriarchy.

The current constitutional problem is the ineptitude of McConnell. The job of Majority Leader is to find compromise, not stop action. One of the great debates in the political science profession is whether this brake is a feature or a flaw. The Senate is a must to have a President, otherwise the Speaker could be head of state and government. The problem is the size of the nation. Regional governance demands bicameralism, lest California, Texas and New York dominate their regions,

The elections were a mixed bag. Schumer overplayed his hand. He would probably be as bad as Reid and McConnell in avoiding compromise. The big takeaway is that the Never-Trumpers won. I'll take it. Mitch is his own worst enemy. Three members could pull a Specter if he does not behave. Also, God may have something to do with it. There are two older Senators who have Democratic Governors and one is from Kentucky.

Once Trump is broke - and the writing is on the wall, the GOP will drop the Trump family like they dropped the Bushes. The saddest reality for them is that Mitt chose 2012 to run, rather than 2016. The prosperity gospel GOP would pick him over Trump any day and twice on Sunday.

Surveys show that American voters have a rather dim view of the basic rights of their fellows. Some of these are priests and bishops. We still have the federal courts. Most of the judges are professional, not partisan. Legislators go both ways. Fear of the Koch brothers (one of whom is gone) dominated the GOP. Their influence has waned in the age of Trump.

Links: Going big on climate change, going bonkers on Trump

Links: Going big on climate change, going bonkers on Trump 

The crisis is showing the cracks in the economy. There are lessons to be learned, but first people need to pay their rent (and not blow their rent money on other things because there is a moratorium. There is massive inequality and the pandemic rubbed our faces in it. Will we remember? Good question. Will we even listen to new solutions? Better question and less likely. A carbon tax will not fix everything. Reform must be bigger than that. Green-washing capitalism does not remove its stink.

Of late, I have seen conservatives on Twitter including their Parler IDs. Mostly, they are parlor pinks.

Trump's attempts to overturn the election never had hope, but they are a tremendous opportunity to grift. White Evangelicals falling for grifters is a centuries old phenomenon in the United States. Advent and revelation, however, are two sides of the same story - that the world will change in the Lord, but to make all things new, we must become the new creation. Simply purple-washing at Advent is not the same thing.

Universities harbor fringe on both sides. I lived at CUA and used the library, but I was never a student there. For every Dennis Coyle you have to deal with a George Weigel. Dennis can explain why the cultural biases on why some resist the administrative state - as well as how culture has impacted the response to the pandemic (from both sides). 

Solidarity is not enough to overcome a flawed model of how the disease progresses and is spread and calls for solidarity always trigger the libertarian gag reflex. A balanced society, and to be healthy there must be balance, requires the existence of both of these cultures. Until we can merge community with liberty - hierarchy and CEO despotism will win.

The GOP's Trump problem is borne of the desperation of the White working class and their inability to find common ground with people who do not look or love like them. Trump was their savior. They wanted to be like him. It will take a lot for them to realize that the Trumps are two bit grifters whose brand is not based in reality. Once Trump's creditors, the SDNY, NYS and NYC get done picking over the bones of the Trump organization, most Republicans will say "Donald who?" 

The essence of our new advent must be to bring about a future for the woke and the unwoke - one that both sides can own rather than depend on. We need cooperation. Solidarity and liberty must exist in equal measure.

The biggest missing in Christian's essay is not saying the word "capitalism." It includes the progressive and radical roots of the Grand Old Party. His essay merits an independent review. See part 2 of today's column.

American Viganò: Archbishop Chaput divides episcopacy even in retirement

 American Viganò: Archbishop Chaput divides episcopacy even in retirement

If Joe Biden were an avid pro-lifer and sought to ban abortion, he could do no more than Trump did. This is not a question for politicians. Abortion will never be considered infanticide, because to do so, the government must investigate and punish it in the same way. Selective enforcement would violate the due process rights of doctors and women. Empowering the police to investigate is a bridge the pro-life movement will not cross - which means they are pro-choice as well. 

The Court cannot "kick the matter back to the states" because doing so would kick all such matters back to the states - resulting in tyranny of the majority. The Court will not do that. 

Give up the nightmare of police power against women. 

Police power against women would be the same thing as using it against both slaves and freemen, as well as opponents of slavery and segregation.Indeed, before Roe, those who believed in legal abortion were persecuted for their beliefs. This is also tyranny. It was also the 1950s heyday of Church power. This was not a golden age. It was conformity, not faith.

The hierarchy cannot complain. Dignitatis Humanae implies that civil government, in either Catholic or non-Catholic nations, cannot force doctrine on the polity. As appointees of the Vatican, bishops using Communion to impose unconstitutional doctrine on Catholic politicians amounts to sedition. It is not a crime under law, but it is still reality. Biden owes it to us all to note that fact to the Nuncio. It is not Biden who must conform his conduct to canon law. It is the bishops who must.

I am not sure which is worse, the bishops offering a constitutional theory that is simply wrong due to ignorance or due to partisanship. The latter is calumny against all Democratic politicians. Holding a correct view of constitutional law cannot be a sin. Period. What is a sin is prostituting the Church to the Republican Party. As for Chaput and Vigano', they are best ignored. Their views are only important if reported on. Don't give them the satisfaction.

Links: Happy feast, Scrooge, inviting them in

Links: Happy feast, Scrooge, inviting them in 

McConnell is about to bow to the inevitable. Too much of his caucus has gotten on board behind the moderates. Now the challenge is to fashion a majority that can override a Trump veto. Sooner is better than later, because a pocket veto could be an issue if they wait too long.

It is a good idea to stop calling people out of instances of impurity from the past. This type of thing undid Al Franken. It is counter-productive. I wrote a column last January about focusing on White privilege as counter-productive in bringing out a rejection of the excesses of capitalism, rather than using Trumpists as useful idiots to keep economic privilege in place. Of course, talking about white privilege at Smith would lead to blank stares, so the irony is thick.

The election showed that suburban Republicans have rejected Trumpism, but not Republican ideology as a whole. This is why the GOP did well down-ballot. Usually when polls go wrong, it is because they underestimate the effect of income distribution and beliefs. This was especially true this year. 

On astrology v. astronomy - astrology is about human relationships, not cosmology. Paganism uses human archetypes to create the gods. It did not go the other way. The myth that the shifting the Latino vote will protect the Democrats from their neo-liberalism is akin the corrupting paganism by adding fidelity to the Emperor.

Tataryn is attacking right-wing populism. It is an easy position to take, especially from the cheap seats in the Great White North. Trump is a caricature and COVID is not out of control because reality is being denied by the masses. Rather, it is because the medical model of how the virus spreads is flawed. It spreads like a cold, not like Ebola.

I could not care less about Florentine soccer stadiums. I am more concerned in how clubs are owned by plutocrats. Giving cities a piece of the action on every team would solve the issue.

MSW should re-read Chapp's column. Quoting a column which begins with Medieval fairy tales while poo-pooing astrology is strange indeed. That Chapp cites the Register should be dead give-away that things were going to do down from the there. He contends that abuse was caused by Vatican II and gay clergy. The reality is that the rot in the Church started with its acceptance of the asexual ideal in the fourth century. Ordaining women would solve this. I don't think Chapp would agree. 

Act V of the Trump presidency is not pretty

Act V of the Trump presidency is not pretty 

Mike Pence is still the sin eater for President Trump, as are those pro-life Catholics who followed Trump down into the rabbit hole - and the bishops who goaded them to do it. Tragedy sullies all.

Ideologues on the court threaten the nation's health

Ideologues on the court threaten the nation's health 

This is a decision on who gets to decide about the Church opening it's doors wider. It is in line with the principles of Hosana-Tabor. In for a penny, in for a pound. 

Had the decision been about whether the doors were open and Mass attendance were mandated, I would go the other way. This decision allows the diocese and the faithful to decide the issue for themselves. Civil authorities were treating Churches as more dangerous than other gathering. There was no rational basis for doing so. 

COVID fear should not give government power over institutions where spread is unlikely. It does not mandate allowing someone with symptoms to go to Mass, no matter what. That would be taking liberty too far. 

Asymptomatic spread, in reality, happens after someone has already been sick with nasal symptoms. No one is going to die because of this ruling. They are dying because the CDC got the spread model wrong. That would not be in the competence of the Court to decide. Individuals should still be able to. Mandating fear over science is also a bridge too far.

How this case affects a future Title VII case is unclear. The Civil Rights Act has language about religious accommodations. Expanding those to allow the Church to continue firing teachers is a grant of religious power. That would be unacceptable, as would a decision to allow the Church to dismiss an employee from using contraception. 

In the long-term, President Biden will likely be replacing Justice Thomas in this term. Ideological balance forever is not an issue. 

Links: Profiles in courage, pornography floods Parler

Links: Profiles in courage, pornography floods Parler 

The Occam's Razor answer is right in front of us on McConnell. He actually believes in what Trump stands for. Remember, he obstructed Obama, probably for the same reason.

Porn at Parlor? I needed a good laugh this morning.

Obama playing to the Center? Who would have guessed? No one has said the obvious about defund the police. To make it work, mandatory long-term treatment for mental illness and addiction needs to come back. The police would not mind losing mental health from their mission. Right now, they have no choice. Adequate mental health facilities cost more than jail.

Melania may have had a moment of impatience. She does more on policy than has been widely reported. It is in bad taste for Stephanie to report her words.

MAD has not been policy since the bishops convinced Reagan not to target civilians with nuclear weapons. Star Wars budget requirement brought down the Soviets. The ABM Treaty has been dead for a while.

Kids who go to Ivy League schools often have connects anyway. The ability to make them is a much needed skill. It is why extracurricular activities are important in any college experience. Connections only get you so far. Of course, I went to a ranked graduate school in my field, so I cannot say it did not help at first - but what mattered was what I learned, not my internship.

The ultimate connection is reputation. It is how we get on TV and radio.

Pope Francis challenges the Catholic left

Pope Francis challenges the Catholic left 

and the Catholic left challenges Francis. The spirit of prophesy is not found in community. It is an encounter of the individual with the Spirit. A voice crying out in the wilderness. The Pope's remarks were directed at all forms of partisanship, including the EWTN and Opus Dei wings of the Church. The essence of a Catholic Church is universality of belief, meaning it agrees on what it believes when all it has is belief. Divergence from common belief is non-Catholic. It does not claim to be common belief. It is an individual expression of the faith of the writer. Whether it catches on is a question for the Spirit. 

Dissent from those things that can be known, such as sexuality, is not a loss of common faith but is an objection to the Church's visible and vincible errors, such as sacred continence and worries about sexual pleasure. The left does not want just tolerance of gay marriage, we want the whole of the Church to celebrate such unions. Hiding behind tradition to practice intolerance is not the way of Christ. Tolerating heterosexual civil marriage and not gay marriage in personnel decisions must be denounced as bigotry, not as protecting tradition.

The belief that law enforcement can protect the unborn comes from either misunderstanding of law at best and fraud in the name of partisanship at worst. The belief that economic justice will do what police power cannot is an expression of both faith and religion. No one in the Catholic left opposes it. Zero population growth is a secular belief, not a Catholic one.

Social science (which includes theology) is about understanding. Faith is a response to the Spirit. Loyalty to religion is a human thing. Marxist analysis looks at how power is manifested through money, often corruptly. Gender theory is about power in sexual relations. They are no more or less about sentimentality than using "saving the babies" or opposing  the transgendered as a populist issue. The noise on both of these issues comes from the right-wing, it did not start on the left.

No one on the left wants management on a capitalist model. God forbid! We want a return to the democracy of the early church, where Bishop really meant Pastor (not local lordling), and even these were elected. Lest we forget, we still elect popes and there is no reason for them to be seen as monarchs. 

The tone of Fratelli Tutti is the most radical thing about it. Gone are the absolutes of Vatican I and Veritatis Splendor. It is entirely pastoral. A homily for the faithful from the world's parish priest, not an infallible teaching from the throne (which is the height of papal relativism - putting authority before truth).

Francis' talk was a warning to those he consecrates and creates not to be as partisan as their predecessors. He wants to be a pastor, not a movement.

The litany of issues cited in the article are the usual statement of MSW's pet peeves with those he sees as the left. They have little to do with what Francis wrote.  If he has a particular leftist in mind, he should name names, not stand on euphemism. The reality of the Catholic left is that there is no one form of it. There are Maryknolls, Catholic Workers and Franciscans, as well as liberal bloggers and theologians. We are not all one thing. Do we have our share of nutty people? Definitely. Life would be no fun without them. They are fools for Christ.

Links: Trump and Latinos, religious liberty and conservatives, Jesuit liturgists

Links: Trump and Latinos, religious liberty and conservatives, Jesuit liturgists 

The title is almost the whole post Indeed, on the NCR Facebook page, it is enough to draw comments without reading, much less reading the links.

Last minute memos from the desk of Donald Trump are not policy changes (but don't tell him that). Miller may not even know. I suspect he has not had an invitation to Shabbat dinner for quite some time. This is a harsher penalty than excommunication.

Funding formulae can change. They need not be linked to appropriations. To change apportionment would require a constitutional amendment.  Trump is incoherent. He would cut the legislative power of states with migrants, especially the Red States in the South. National proportional representation in the House would kill the influence of small states. In the Senate? We would not need a Senate. Larger states could enact proportional representation now. It is entirely up to them. Of course, doing so has everyone vote. This may or may not be good for the left. The White working class are not frequent voters.

The current debate is not about religious liberty, it is about religious power. It always has been. The bishops want to assert power over the faithful. No honest definition of liberty allows such bad behavior.

In 2018, a vote for Democrats was a vote against Trump. In 2020, Republicans could vote party while voting against Trump directly. Ethnicity has nothing to do with it.

We can have Eucharist without having a priest caste. It can be a part of Shabbat dinner, especially if we focus on the real body of Christ - us. There is no holy priesthood without idolatry.  Nor can Communion be used as a public weapon. If MSW likes candles and incense, every decent grocery has both scented candles and matzos.  I don't expect the priests to negotiate the point, which makes ignoring them all the more legitimate.

The inescapable politics of being Washington's cardinal

The inescapable politics of being Washington's cardinal 

That Washington was subject to Baltimore showed Rome's fear of American democracy - and more importantly - the concept of natural rights outside of the rubric of natural law. That our political elite was dominated by Freemasons, and had been from the start, put us in the same boat as those who opposed papal rule of Italy. At the end of the 19th Century, the American hierarchy had to deny that the American atmosphere of rights over authority was not a danger to the Church. 

The 20th Century saw Catholic social teaching play out in America on union rights and racial justice. It also saw Rome persecuting John Courtney Murray. The rise of America as a superpower shifted the Church itself. In an about face, the heresy of Americanism became the Dogma of Vatican II. The Curia fought back with Humanae Vitae and the counter-revolutionary St. John Paul as pope. Benedict XV was with Kuhn and Murray at the Council but carried water for John Paul and insisted that the Council was not a rupture. Of course it was.

Installing the Archbishop Gregory of Atlanta, the most prominent African American Churchman, as Cardinal Archbishop of Washington is a sign that the promise of civil rights had been realized. He is the Catholic response to Trumpism.  Time will tell whether he or Cardinal Cupich will take over for Cardinal Sean on the Council of Cardinal Advisors. My bet is on Wilton. Jerusalem was the See of the family of Jesus, Rome was the Apostolic See, Constantinople the Imperial See. Washington is the Superpower See. It is why the elevation of Gregory was a sure thing and it is a sign of things to come. The Eternal City is not as eternal as it claims to be. Just ask St. Malachy and Sister Lucy.

Links: Thanksgiving set to music

Links: Thanksgiving set to music 

Many thanks to Michael Sean for giving us a selection of music for the holiday. The choice of Now Thank We All Our God is ironic on a Catholic site, given its origins as Luther's anti-papist anthem. It gives me a chuckle every time it is sung at Mass. My father's Ashkenazi family was converted to Christianity at the point of a Lutheran bayonet and to Catholicism as a consequence of the Peace of Augsberg. My mother's family left England for America because the Anglican Church had become too Catholic. Three centuries later, my father's family came to America. The power of our music and liturgy had my mother convert to Catholicism, which is why I am here. My taste of thanksgiving music, however, tends more toward Arlo Guthrie. Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving: Grace is everywhere

Thanksgiving: Grace is everywhere 

Weiss was right about "thy will be done" being the essential part of every prayer. He is also correct about there being no escape for philisophers (and I would add atheists) from the questions if religion, although I would have said spirituality instead. What unites atheists, believers and those in recovery (spiritual but not necessarily religious) is the primacy of love (who is God, whether we call Her by name or not - Google Shekinah).

True humility and true love can only be reached by gratitude, which is the response to and request for grace. The God of the cross is infinitely humble. God needed nothing from Jesus. We needed God to identify with our brokenness. We do not seek virtue to please God. We depend on God to help us find virtue, not by self-obsession over are vices but to see ourselves and others the way God does, with loving humility. Only that surrender to God's true will brings it about in our lives and the lives we touch.

Links: moral consistency, spiritual bromides, the 'Latino vote'

Links: moral consistency, spiritual bromides, the 'Latino vote' 

Opposing Warnock is about race, period. Not just his race, but the race of his base. His view on abortion is partisan orthodoxy, but has no impact on whether abortion is legal or not. Period.

Coping with the Hells we walk through is an individual encounter with God. Outsiders should share their pain, not religious platitudes. Hugs are good too.

CCUSA member agencies are known for moving mountains. Donors will gladly open their wallets for this (and shame in those who don't)

The lack of moral courage starts with Trump enabling Pence, who was also the person Senators called to deal with Trump. I hope someone kept good notes and can explain what really happened and why.

Rule one in dealing with Asians is not to call Chinese people Asians. That is like calling Portuguese and Spaniards Iberians or calling Poles Slavic. This is what is meant by political correctness. Let people self-name and respect it. Calling all Republicans Trumpists is the same error.  The best way to deal with ethnicity and voting is to not do so at all. Working class resentment in any race can show up Republican. 

Workers of the world never unite. Socialism needs better cash and prizes to take hold. After people get better money, they will worry about having a voice in management and government. That is why the GOP breaks unions and cut welfare.

Analyzing Tejano voters is an issue for elections in Texas, and to do so, you need crosstabs on the other demographics and then determine if they change based on Tejano self-reporting. If they don't, quit asking about ethnicity when doing targeting polls. If a campaign cannot afford to run a targeting ring poll it cannot afford consultants. It needs to build support block by block.

Chester County voting shows that the Lincoln Project had a huge impact on the race for President. Being a Republican for Trump means voting GOP down-ballot. Trumpism is an aberration and the union of wedge voters and the upper-class is still intact. 

The way out is to attack wedge voting, particularly on abortion, head on as a police power and poverty issue. Only then can the war on women be mentioned. It turns out that sexism really is part of the equation. Burke supported traditional roles, especially for women.

The GOP's future? Ditch Trump and read Edmund Burke

The GOP's future? Ditch Trump and read Edmund Burke 

Burke reacted rather than proposing, which is the essence of conservatism. According to Corey Robin, without a vigorous liberal agenda, conservatism flounders. The kids at Millennial should review his book, The Reactionary Mind.  

Trumpism was an ugly rejection of Obama, largely because of his color. That was what motivated Trump and he gave permission to let 1000 crosses burn (figuratively). The future of the Democrats in Kamala Harris. I can almost smell the ugly sweat developing in GOP ranks. Her agenda is the most Catholic. She and Biden will do a lot for the working class, especially parents. Hard core conservatives view such an agenda as subsidizing sexuality and advancing socialism, regardless of Catholic social teaching.

Trumpism, in contrast, showed how poor workers need a savior. They thought a member of the upper class was going to help them, rather than exploit them. If a real billionaire had run GOP, they would have embraced him. The lesson of Trump is that CEOs are in the game for themselves, not their workers or society. It is not in the nature of the conservative working class to embrace that lesson and reject capitalism. It would violate their core belief in economic liberty. They will reject Trump, however. He is about to lose his shirt and his children are as dumb as he is. We will not hear from them again. 

The Church is in more danger than the Republican Party. Until it accepts a synthesis of Aquinas and Rousseau, giving humanism a try, it will be locked in an asexual misogyny that has no place in Christianity. The promise of Christ is not that the world will adapt to the Church, but that the Church will survive by adapting to the world. Dignitatis Humanae was about accepting religious diversity, which Francis has embraced. The John Paul American bishops mistake religious power for religious liberty. Their day will soon be done.

Trump's putative putsch and its collaborators

Trump's putative putsch and its collaborators

I am not at all shocked. Trump's insanity is not a new thing, nor are his sin eaters enabling him. Trump is a walking constitutional crisis. The government has had to ignore him for the last four years or violate the law by following his orders.Putin is getting his money's worth. It is not just the Trump voters that the GOP fears, it is disclosure of who gave Trump the money for the Super PAC which they benefited from (the Russians). Trump is calling in the debt. He has something on them. The question of Rudi keeping to the Trump line is easy to explain. Rudi is Trump's handler, not his client. This craziness can only be explained with a Moscow connection and the implicit threat that goes with it. Putin does not like failure or loose ends. Sadly, some bishops are in on the deal. Only a Russian hack on the Clinton briefing book explains how Trump had the knowledge to mention partial birth and why these bishops were ready to pounce.

Links for 11/19/20

Links for 11/19/20 

Barron knows what Cardinal Sean does on child protection. He also knows he must please his audience by saying the appropriate things. He is not wrong, although he will never say what is truly needed (real democracy in the Church). Neither will MSW.

The same asexual ideal that bedevils the Church also bedevils the Scouts. No surprises here. Also, the Church has more efficient lawyers

The exit polls found the gender gap in minority communities. It probably undersampled Lincoln Project Republicans. Bitecofer (who did their analysis) likely has the best analysis. Expect it in her next paper. They also have the best answer on down ballot races. Never-Trumpers are real. They did not leave the GOP after all.

I am glad Larry Summers is not going to the party. Joe is more progressive then people thought. Thank Jared Bernstein for the picks.

People in the Heartland are desperate.. Trump was their prophet of the Prosperity Gospel. These voters are unlikely to believe that the CEO class is out for itself, and only itself.

The Trump camp got the normal assist from culture warrior bishops (who want gay marriage junked with Roe).

Biden needs to show the bishops and other Catholics that legal abortion and gay rights are not going anywhere. Limiting the power of the state is not evil.

Trump and his children may not go to jail. Trump is too crazy and the kids are to stupid to have committed most of Trump's crimes. They will likely lose their property and not their freedom. Their acolytes will drop him like a hot rock once he is poor. Biden should give him a blanket pardon, just to get him off the national stage. Trump will hate that.

Gomez's lack of leadership is on full display with statement on Biden

Gomez's lack of leadership is on full display with statement on Biden 

The current list of horribles listed by Gomez are not something Biden has any control over. This is more sour grapes by sour old men. The current Conference leadership is as irrelevant as LifeSiteNews and EWTN. Abp. Gomez is another creature of the Conference, where they go along to get along. I expected nothing and was not disappointed. 

GOP activists on USCCB staff probably had their drivel waiting for whomever was elected. Their statement, it is simply wrong. This is why Biden needs to teach the bishops about the reality of their views, rather than the other way around.

Biden is correct on Hyde, not that it matters, because no one vetoes or signs appropriations based on its exclusion or inclusion. It is simply below his pay grade. Biden's point is that, unless you ban all subsidized insurance coverage of abortion services (as covered by the health insurance exclusion on taxes), it is unjust to do so for only the poor. Good luck in getting America to adopt Hyde for the exclusion.

Roe has not been overturned, except as far as Casey ended the trimester system and switched to the amorphous "substantial burden" test. The right to abortion is not a matter for the political branches. Biden's position is irrelevant, as is the position of the bishops, or USCCB staff, or MSW or me.

The Obamacare language on contraception is also below Biden's pay grade and, regardless, is settled law as far as the extant case, where the Little Sisters need to fire their lawyers and quit interfering with the religious freedom of their employees. The bishops are seeking to maximize religious power, although no one has said that in a brief. The second it is, they lose.

The unequal treatment of Catholic schools, last I checked, was a matter that the Supreme Court has already taken care of in Espinoza v. Montana. The Court declared the Blaine Amendments unconstitutional. It is up to the Church to seek the funding. Firing gay teachers who marry in civil ceremonies is another attempt at religious power. I hope the Court strikes it down as a bridge too far. This is where Title VII will meet Hosanna-Tabor. 

The Equality Act is not going anywhere. It is a red herring and, in light of the Title VII cases, it is no longer necessary. Every protection based on gender now also protects sexual identity. Period. The question was about the definition of sex in the Civil Rights Act, even though the extant case was only about employment.

Please press 'mute' to the US bishops

Please press 'mute' to the US bishops 

Let us remember that Cardinal Sean is in charge of dealing with the abuse situation. It allows them to have no position, which they do well. Bishop Pop Rocks is a minor character in the drama, not worth commenting on. So is the Nuncio. 

I did not expect any condemnation of Trump, or the bishops who supported him. That would violate the spirit of the conference. Going along to get along. Like Trump last Saturday, let the old bulls make their last stand. Retirements will not be kind to their caucus. Now that he has secured election, it is not the Church's place to correct Biden. It is Biden's place to correct them.

As I wrote this morning, until the people seize the Church from the hierarchs, they are also minor characters. 

Bishops' conference elections: why they matter and what they portend

Bishops' conference elections: why they matter and what they portend

The topic of the day will be dealing with COVID. Some will grandstand on that. Anyone who does should be shut down or have "technical difficulties." (I can dream, can't I?)

Nothing the USCCB can say on Uncle Ted will helpThe important voice on this and other issues is the member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers. Showing that they know this will benefit them greatly. 

Magisterial Catholicism is dead and gone. They are one of its artifacts. If they want to really be current again, they can discuss how badly supporting Donald Trump in 2016 made them look. There is literally nothing they could do, aside from supporting Biden's tax provisions, that would advance the cause of Life. I am not holding my breath. 

The bishops must listen to the people in the pews, rather than telling them what do do on abortion (or other issues). This won't happen without a demand. Most dissidents simply just leave rather than fighting. Until such a demand is made, the USCCB will be considered THE Church. This is not what the Master intended. As the Curia is reformed, the Conference must be reformed along the same lines. This especially includes the committees and staff.

US bishops need to recalibrate their stance toward the culture

US bishops need to recalibrate their stance toward the culture 

MSW, give up on abortion. If you recognize all of the unborn at some point in gestation, killing them after that point is infanticide, with all that involves. Equal protection cuts both ways. Unless you want to register and investigate every pregnancy, even if it is a paper review, and jail anyone involved in the act, you are pro-choice. What the bishops need to atone for is not their culture warrior approach, it is being a whore to the Republican Party. This is easy to fix. Close the Office of Pro-Life Activities and cancel the March for Life. It has always been compromised. 

Telling the truth is never grievously wrong. If Biden were a cultural warrior, there is nothing he could do to reverse legal abortion. Biden or a surrogate must educate bishops and theologians about why Roe cannot be overturned nor the unborn granted legal protection, at least in the United States. He owes that to every Catholic politician and supporter. We got the Church to the the First Amendment at Vatican II. Now it is time to educate them on the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. Also Nineteen and Twenty-Eight (pending ratification by one more state and acceptance of that act by Congress).

To stop poverty, the bishops need to push the right-to-life GOP to pass Biden's Child Tax Credit reform, and not for the year proposed. Until then, it should pay employees as if the law is already passed, with an addition to pay for every child. It should also excommunicate any Catholic employer or shareholder who does not do likewise.

I agree on the money. The bishops should not touch it at all. Give control to the laity. Absolute control. Assets too. It is time to abandon feudalism, at least for the purposes of ownership. An elected board of lay directors are more competent to hold money in trust for parishes and diocesan agencies than clergy. No money should go to Rome. Ever. National boards can move money around without the Curia getting their hands on it.

Rome also needs to get out of the bishop business. In the early Church, pastors were elected. The word for bishop is overseer, which is also pastor. Let the pastors elect the metropolitans, who elect the patriarchs (and matriarchs). We have nothing to lose but our prejudices. 

Uncle Ted, now Brother Ted, shows what unintegrated asexuality can do. When eye met him, he was dead in his eyes. It is time for the bishops, and the clergy, to come out to themselves and the rest of us. Truth will set them free. They are the A in LGBTQIA  There is a flag for them in white, black and silver. It is actually rather attractive. 

There are plenty of Gs as well. Q's too (for queer, not questioning - they need to do that rather than fear being caught). Ordain married men and women. Abandon sacred continence. At heart, this particular Charism is holier than art thou misogyny. Eve was not the mother of sin. There was no Eve.

We also need Ls in the priesthood. There are plenty in the convent, as well as As. Start by promoting the leaders among Nuns and Sisters to the episcopacy. Start at the top and then ordain priests and permanent deacons.

All of this will violate some people's belief's. Belief, however, is an aesthetic matter. It resists reason. The Church has become quite ugly to many of us. It is time for a makeover. 

Links for 11/12/20

Links for 11/12/20 

A main feature of hierarchy is loyalty to the boss or his memory, which aptly explains Weigel and lifesitenews, as well as the loyalty shown to Uncle Ted (and is why he could get away with his abuse). Brother Ted is a pitiful character, a child in an adult's body who could not cope with his unintegrated asexuality - so that he could not control any sexual urges. Gay guys don't abuse children or seminarians (unless they are sure the seminarian is also in "the life" and then the sex is consensual).

The Trump Super PAC is now stealing from donors because its supply of Oligarch money has been cut off. Grifters gotta grift. Anyone who sends the Trump's money deserves to pay for their lesson in their true nature.

Links for 11/10/20

Links for 11/10/20 

Regarding Pennsylvania and the polls, years ago, Rachel Bitecofer got it right: that the Blue Wall would come back and that turnout on both sides would increase - just as they did in 2018. She was also the pollster for the Lincoln Project. Apparently, being a Never-Trumper was really a thing. Anyone in Northern Virginia could have told you a much. This is why political scientists are better than journalists at doing and interpreting polls.

Democrats need to see that economic desperation is what is behind Trumpism, not merely racism. The exit polls also have interesting results about the gender gap within racial groupings. Among Black voters, age matters, with a smaller gender gap among Hispanics. Blacks between 30 and 44 much more likely to be Trump voters. People who did not like Black Live Matter mostly voted for Trump, which speaks volumes about racism in the U.S. Supreme Court appointments were not a factor (so much for NARAL and the USCCB). Thoughts on abortion were predictable, but irrelevant. Attitudes on the economy were a huge predictor, as well as preference for a strong leader. Trump voters bought the hype. Nones voted 2 to 1 for Biden. Union membership was irrelevant. As expected, White men without degrees are Trumpers. Again, economic desperation. 

There was no underselling the Biden victories in the streets on Saturday. As I write this, Trump is making personnel moves in the Pentagon. He misunderstands how profound the constitutional oath really is. The sad question I have is whether his supporters share his views. GOP officeholders mimicking the Trump line on the election are likely 2024 Republican candidates. They have not yet fled the sinking ship.

At the moment, Biden is dancing with the girl that he brought to the dance, which includes Never Trumpers. How tax policy shakes out (which is what we are really talking about when we talk economics issues) is not his call. The relationships between Chairmen Neal and Wyden or Neal and Crapo (depending on Georgia) as well as whether Sanders is Budget Committee Chair will make more of an impact.

Again, whether Trump tries a coup against the election, either a soft one or a hard one, will show the true nature of GOP leadership. The issue is not ethics, it's sanity.

Defunding the police - and how members communicate with their voters comes down to the O'Neill rule. All politics is local. While there are a few fringe marchers who really believe in firing all cops, the same group also predicts that Trump will try to steal the election. They may not be so fringe after all is said and done. Community organizations will not get more money, but mental health care doing more (and getting more of a share) than policing is absolutely essential. Indeed, it is the only sane course - provided that treatment and intervention are less optional than they are now. No more catch and release, or the the jails will remain the largest providers of mental health care.

The pandemic getting worse has nothing to do with Biden or the amount of relief provided. When it gets worse, McConnell will react - depending, of course, on whether the White House keeps up its current insanity and whether Mitch enables it. If Pence has the moral courage to sideline an obviously insane Trump, he and Pelosi will quickly make a deal to keep people paying their rent until the economy reopens. It will be closed fairly soon. 100,000 deaths in a month's time tends to lead to drastic measures.

What the McCarrick report tells us about the culture of the hierarchy

What the McCarrick report tells us about the culture of the hierarchy 

The report shows problems with all hierarchies, not just the Church. Pope Pius XII wrote that hierarchy is the natural state of man. He also believed in Eden. The two beliefs are not inconsistent with each other. The worst feature is the rule that the boss is always right. The question is not evil in the Church, but why it continues to govern itself in this manner, rather than adapting to the times. In the end, it is not the clergy who is at fault It is all of us.

Biden needs to push for far-reaching progressive economic policies

Biden needs to push for far-reaching progressive economic policies 

Biden's work starts with staffing the government and working on the Georgia run-offs. If we wins that, he works with Schumer and Pelosi instead of McConnell. He will then work on COVID. In my best world, he will talk to people who had the virus and recovered and then shake up the approach to fighting the virus. Bad masking is not how it spread. People with "seasonal allergies" sneezed on each other. They need to stop.  Repairing the State Department and working with the world on COVID is part of job one.

He needs Schumer and Pelosi to quit being cute in enacting legislation to embarrass Republicans. Much of the House agenda was for show. Most of those bills need to be scrapped. Their focus has been on electoral politics for too long. Schumer needs to give up on a liberal caucus and pick off a few Senators to get a majority. The only way to get appointees confirmed is to get rid of Mitch or make some deals. Pardoning Trump may be the price, but it will get Trump out of the headlines.

Domestic priority number one is already announced: undoing Trump. Luckily, Trump's "reforms" did not really happen. He was incompetent in appointing people to actually get his agenda done, so there are many things that do not need to be reversed. The economy will bounce back once people stop getting sick. Much of the labor agenda involves staffing the NLRB. 

Transportation infrastructure needs a gas tax increase and enough pork barrel spending to make it possible. You cannot get one without the other. Members coordinating with the people back home is what gets projects rolling and is how government is supposed to work. Environmental issues need to be addressed at the same time, including a carbon tax (or the threat of one in order to get a gas tax passed). The alternative should be capping flood insurance payouts on the shore. Do that and people will change their minds about warming.

Immigration reform needs to pass this year and it cannot be punitive. Everyone should get the legal status they qualify for, with no requirement of current status. The states should help with processing, with a fee charged to cover their costs. Boards of Election need something to do when there is no election pending. The DMV is another option.

Tax reform is whatever Richie Neal and Chuck Grassley agree to. The Office of Tax Policy will both negotiate administration priorities and provide analysis. It is a job for professionals, not theologians or columnists. I have a few ideas on this, which the revenue committees are well aware of.  Capital income from gains, profits, dividends, pass throughs, interest and rent need to have a consistent rate between 21 (current) and 28%. 26% is a good number. Self-reporting needs to be replaced by taxes paid at distribution or sale. Wealth taxes are a non-starter. It is better to have an asset value added tax on capital gains, zero rated for ESOP sales and marked to market at option exercise and the first sale after gift, donation or inheritance. No more estate tax. . A higher child tax credit is promised, but should be for more than one year, as proposed. 

An employer-paid value added tax should fund the public option, with partial credit for providing insurance to employees. Funding over private insurance will pay for a public option. Trade it for pre-existing condition reform repeal, with those denied automatically enrolled in a subsidized plan that is more generous than Obamacare deductibles and premiums (which function as a poor tax). ACA taxes on the wealthy need to be repealed as part of the deal. Give the GOP what its donors want. The end result of letting insurance companies being greedy is an every-growing public option and an end to private insurance. Single payer is inevitable.

If the bishops start talking about how abortion is covered - they need to be told to put a lid on it. Obama gave a pass to the bishops on these issues. Joe should not. He needs to explain to the bishops and his fellow Catholics why, if private coverage of abortion is allowed, public coverage must be as well. More importantly, he needs to publicly explain why Roe cannot be overturned, both by the Court and the Congress. No one really wants to make abortion equivalent to infanticide. It simply cannot be done without registering all pregnancies, reporting all losses and punishing mothers (as they would be punished for killing or paying for killing their infants). 

Can we turn to our 'better angels' after this election?

Can we turn to our 'better angels' after this election? 

Lincoln was speaking for history, not to the South. He was dealing with a hopeless situation. Trump voters are in two groups - die hard Republicans and economically disadvantaged men. Trump is the personification of the Prosperity Gospel. His followers want to believe in Trump and themselves. They don't want help from the government, which they think is something that only welfare mothers get. If you want to believe something, evidence to the contrary is disregarded. 

People who read the New York Times know that Trump is a two-bit hustler, but the Times is not a credible source for Trump voters. Older Trump voters believe Nixon got a raw deal and the younger ones do not even know who Nixon was. 

For whatever reason, Schumer and Schiff thought that election interference (which did not happen this year) was impeachable. Trump voters did not think so. If they had made a case on where Trump was getting his money (Russia), they might have had a shot. They are reaping what they sewed.

Trump's prosecution by Vance may convince some of Trump voters, but only the seizing of Trump assets by his creditors will convince them that Trump was no billionaire - he was simply an heir with billions, all of which went down the crapper.

Losing faith in Trump will not bind the wounds of the nation. Protectionism has now been discredited by Trump - it turns out the neo-liberals were right about free trade. Arguments about global warming will not help bring Trump voters back in. They need to see bold action, not marginal change. Old men like Biden and McConnell, whether they agree or put on the normal show, are not really capable of such things. The usual suspects have nothing to say. Time to look elsewhere.

Considering hard realities on a grim post-election morning

Considering hard realities on a grim post-election morning 

This was not a cultural election. People voted for Trump on the economy. Biden's problem to shut down the nation over the virus hurt him in places where the virus has not yet become fatal in large numbers. Some states are in for a rude awakening, as is Trump. Trump is expecting the Supreme Court to love him enough to give him the election. 

They don't even love him enough to quash the subpoena for his financial records. Republicans placated Trump by having mail in ballots counted last. This is called winning the battle and losing the war. SDNY may even release an indictment against Trump (they were not allowed to do such things before the election). 

It may not be a good week for Citizen Trump. Will this cause Red States to rebel? Nope. Michael Moore did a film that showed politics is not as important as the commentariat expects. Life really will go on either way, even in the age of COVID. Lighten up, Michael Sean.

Links for 11/3/20

Links for 11/3/20 

Once early voting results are released, which will happen once the polls close in many states, the mathematical lead held by Biden will lead to an early night. All of the polls that say the election is close include conservative push polls. Trump might win Wyoming. The more realistic number is north of 400, probably over 450.

Vigano' is a footnote on an old page.

Many in the SEIU are linked to the Greens or in the Sanders Camp., although the majority are for Joe. I doubt any Cubans are SEIU members.

In updating my book on the National Debt, I noted how little financial power working class Whites and retirees hold. There is reason enough for Trump to radicalize them.

Democrats for Life are outsiders in both the party and the movement. If they admit to wanting criminal punishment in order to secure the rights of the unborn, they cannot be Dems. If they don't, they are considered pro-choice. Of course, no one is really pro-life in terms of wanting every abortion to be treated as infanticide, including punishing the mother and registering all pregnancies and investigation their loss.

Biden owes the Black vote the nomination, much more so than the Catholic vote. If you live in glass houses, don't throw stones. Black Evangelicals of a conservative bent have no economic reason to leave the Democratic Party. Obama did not endorse gay marriage right away out of respect for them, but they came along anyway, especially the young. 

Texas Democrats will face many challenges in court over redistricting. They should, as they are not that different on creating safe seats. This war may be waged block by block.

Bloomberg was a Democrat in Name Only. The Billionaires Club could have upset Trump by running in the Republican Party. That none did shows how abhorrent the GOP brand has become in the upper class among all but the most ardent capitalists. That is why Biden could afford to dominate the airwaves.

Trump's problems are just beginning and he knows it. The Supreme Court will rule very soon on the Mazar's subpoena and it can only go one way. They likely kept quiet until the election was over. Tomorrow it will be over. Vance and SDNY almost certainly have all the financial information they need from Trump's CEO, Weiselberg. You don't get immunity without documents. Once the official documents are delivered, the Trump protective detail will revert to their role as law enforcement officers. If Barr was honest with Trump on his fate, it explains why he is on the outs. Grab the popcorn.

On Election Eve, remember the limits of politics

On Election Eve, remember the limits of politics

Trump's damage has been muted by his staff of rebels and the permanent government. It turns out that having a consequential presidency takes skill and effort. Neither words can describe Trump. The Church needs to make itself ready to step in to help the needy with a more official presence, which means it needs to be less officious and more democratic in its management. It turns out that serving tables is more important than preaching, This is especially true in providing services to addicts, alcoholics and criminals than the police and corrections system. Defund the police.

We need a social justice agenda. The Church should provide the example of a real family size sensitive wage. It should be high enough so that it demands help from the state so that all employers may do the same. 

What empowered Trump is the fact that a segment of the population endorsed his message of hate. This is why we have courts. It turns out that Americans lack a certain respect for the rights of their neighbors. Sadly, this can also be said about the Church in how it treats its employees - and especially to women. The people in the pews need to be more active in keeping their clergy in line. 

Recall that Augustine was elected by his Church - and his role was more like a Pastor than a Metropolitan. He also had a decent respect for the power of the people in his City of God. Except for the peculiar sexuality he advocated, he was quite the liberal.

What the election is telling us about the church in this country

What the election is telling us about the church in this country 

This column shows that the Church (and Michael Sean) are divorced from reality. If natural law is based on reason, rather than teaching or authority, everything is negotiable. To say authority can trump reason is a logical fallacy. The bishops who are speaking out about abortion make no appeal to reason. Reason must be based in  reality - and the reality in America is that due process provisions of the constitution make legal status for the unborn impossible. It is not a legal issue, it is election rhetoric. 

Biden, like many Catholics, accepts the legal realities.  Reality cares little for the opinions of the hierarchy. After the election, it is incumbent on  Biden to explain reality to the Bishops. Catholic voters have had enough of their bluster. 

The bishops who rely on authority have a problem with Francis and are sure that the next pope will come soon and be more a John Paul than a Francis. They ignore the import of the Council of Cardinals, who essentially function as national patriarchs Francis considers himself one of them, rather than above them. Their idea of an infallible Magisterium is history. Francis never refers to it in his letters. He merely preaches the Gospel. He is elevating bishops who do the same. 

Any bishop who thinks he can outlast these changes is whistling past the graveyard. Abortion to them is a dog whistle, not about Trump, but about Francis. Cardinal Sean is getting old, but Cardinals Blaise and Wilton stand ready to replace him. None of those who speak out for Trump are on the list.

Links for 10/29/20

Links for 10/29/20 

The Democrats will have the advantage. Let's see if they use it to capitalize on redistricting or create new ways to do it. They may do both, but reform will wait to the last possible minute. People vote in PR, but they have many parties to pick from. It is the system that causes people not to vote. It is not a matter of individual virtue. Proportional representation would solve the problem of both non-voting and redistricting, It also makes government more complicated because when everyone is represented, compromise is more difficult.

Warnock should win, because Biden will win Georgia (don't include GOP push polls in the average). Abrams should be DNC Chair. Has she been a National Committee Member? That is usually a job requirement.

Nuts and granola Catholics will vote Biden. Others may or may not follow what the bishop says. It matters more to them than an editorial in the daily paper. People are locked in. The question in the Midwest is "who will be too sick to vote next week?" This is true in Nebraska and Ohio, although moderate Ohio Republicans will follow Kasich to the polls.

Jones-Day knows to cover both sides of the street. They also know that Trump is doomed, even if he were to win.

The way to stop trafficking is to offer opportunity to those who would sell their daughters. Spending any time watching African TV shows how pervasive the desire to go to America is - at all costs. This is where the message is needed.

Ratzinger read the tea leaves when he said being gay is disordered. Not saying so has only one logical conclusion: marriage equality. The same is true about ordaining women to the deaconate.

Color me shocked that Evangelic pop musicians release pro-Trump songs,

Election anxiety takes hold

Election anxiety takes hold 

That Trump is a blithering and irascible idiot is the reason for his political demise. They are not voting for Biden (or against him because of pelvic issues  unless they would never vote for any Democrat). 

The pandemic has been politicized, but only his bluster is his fault. No more or less people died because of anything Trump said. The CDC messed this up on their own. Solidarity does not stop people from sneezing on each other and writing it off to "allergies." Schools opening normally would have spread immunity. MSW has fallen for a trope. Shame on Biden and his people for highlighting it,

Most people in the know realize that Trump cares nothing about any issue other than presidential immunity to prosecution - and he is wrong on that one. Expect an indictment one week from today, Even if he wins, SDNY will indict Rudi. If he loses, it will be sooner than later. Once the Court denies his last appeal, Vance will also indict. A deal is likely being negotiated, which makes Trump's stump speech all the more cynical. He knows the walls are closing in. If he looks calm, he is scared to death. Ever the liar, right to the end.

Links for 10/27/20

Links for 10/27/20 

There is a 50-50 chance Comey-Barrett is a Gorsuch, not a Scalia. There is a 100% chance that Biden will get 2 pics, one being Thomas.

Weigel being wrong on anything is not news.

Wilton needed to be here to get the hat, which is why he was moved here. Six of one...

The minimum wage going up raises all boats below the middle management level. Trump voters are the ones we need to convince, not future middle managers. The same is true with education on economic liberty (and social liberty). Many are not for both. Especially middle management.  Also on warming. 

The question on retraining workers dovetails on whether families want to move (or management wants to move there). Heavy equipment operators need no retraining, but will have to move.

There will be a lot of COVID  hospitalization in the next week. Not Trump's fault, but that does not stop blame. Trump may not even win Wyoming. His voters may be too sick to vote.

Wisdom out of the mouths of babes....and they are not wrong. Of course, there will be plenty of nastiness from the other side when Harris is POTUS.

There is little heart disease in France, but lots more pancreatic cancer.

EWTN, National Catholic Register shill for Trump by twisting Catholic teaching

EWTN, National Catholic Register shill for Trump by twisting Catholic teaching 

When you know you are selling garbage, you have no excuse for smelling like garbage. Oddly, the positions they take probably harm Trump more than Trump harms them, especially when everyone knows he is only pretending to be pro-life. The issue is just not important enough to Trump not to join the lie. Nothing is funnier than people who believe a Council of the Church is a liberal heresy supporting a libertine. The only thing that unites them is profound commitment to wealth inequality - the notion that the poor not only deserve to be poor, but that they are a valuable resource to be exploited by their betters. This causes more abortions than it prevents. That the USCCB is in on this farce is beyond disgusting. 

Not a knockout, but Biden (and the moderator) won the final debate

Not a knockout, but Biden (and the moderator) won the final debate 

Sometimes the mute button shows the true character of the person, especially when they are not speaking. Trump looks every inch the fascist with the sound down. Almost half of likely voters will have had their votes counted before the polls closed and the vast majority will be for Joe, gaffes and all.  People who loathe Trump could not stand watching him in the debate. That would be most people.

Election day will be even worse for Trump. His base is about to be very sick. Not his fault, because masks are not a factor in how the virus is spread - indoor sneezes from "seasonal allergies" by people you know. Trump is only responsible for his affect, which is really what people are voting against. 

Trump is not a nice guy nor an honest broker. Especially on Russia. I am no fan of anyone having to release their tax returns, from Donald Trump to Michael Sean Winters. On Trump, prosecutors already have them. Juries will soon. 

Trump is not totally wrong on migrants. Talk to any immigration lawyer. Most asylees really want a better life and family reunification. Few, if any, are fleeing anything. 

Trump is right, the Democrats really do want to kill private insurance. A well-designed public option (which includes anyone who is denied coverage) will do so as certainly as single-payer. I have no problem with that at all.  

Trump believes he is better on race because he freed non-violent drug offenders from prison. This is because he thinks all Black men are criminals.

The wealthy need skin in the game on warming. Cap damages on flood insurance and they will get really interested, really fast. They like having an expensive beach getaway. If Joe can get this done, he will have saved the planet, 

Biden needs to talk about fracking in terms of Oklahoma being an earthquake zone. Until it starts collapsing, no one will care, not even in Oklahoma. Natural gas is a clean fuel and the best option, short of everyone having an induction cook top. People never react until after a crisis. We evolved that way. 

We also evolved to like strongmen, but Trump is more parlor pink than strongman. We know how to deal with those too. The bidding is closed in this game. We bid No Trump.

Links for 10/22/20

Links for 10/22/20 

Trump supporter foolishness is not news. Neither is Bob Barr at a prayer breakfast. The whole prayer breakfast concept was started by the protestant fundamentalists. Google "C Street."

The seamless garment approach is a way to co-opt the issue from the Republicans. It is a response, not an initiative, the to GOP pro-life scam. Standing for life is not enough. The Church needs to be an example to other employers by paying a just wage (add a child, pay goes up $12,000 a year) and make a tax credit for doing it item one on their legislative agenda. 

It also needs to close the office of pro-life activities, which is a Republican front group. The bishops are either misinformed are part of the fraud that banning abortion is constitutionally possible in the United States. There is no scenario to treat abortion as infanticide that does not involve recording all pregnancies and investigating their loss - or punishing anyone involved in the infanticide, including the mother.

The sovereign is responsible for the safety of the realm under social contract theory. The people are now the sovereign and inherit that duty. A person who cannot be reformed needs to be euthanized. Indeed, most of the guilty would prefer that to being locked in a room for 23.5 hours a day until they die. Restorative justice is good for the victim's family, but does not relieve society of the responsibility of preventing danger. That is also why some abortions are justified, especially in later trimesters.

Biden's lack of Obama-level support may have changed since putting Harris on the ticket. The concern many have is his age. South Texas Republicans are still grateful to Reagan for amnesty. They respect Bush for trying for it, regardless of the overt racism of James Sensenbrenner in stopping it. Had W succeeded, he would have put Latinos in the GOP column forever.

There is nothing meritocratic in putting rich kids in college who should not be there.

The War of 1812 was all about trying to absorb Canada into the United States. People remember things like that, as well as Catholic opposition to democracy in general and rights to conscience in the face of religious power in particular. The latter is still an issue regarding contraception and gay marriage by Catholic employees (although Francis is moving in the right direction).

Debate prediction: a flailing Trump

Debate prediction: a flailing Trump 

Trump does not have the words to tell herd immunity from everyone being exposed already and getting sick or not (which is not herd immunity, it is a virus burning out). SARS-CoV-1 burnt out just before the vaccine was ready. This one likely will too, but 200,000 more Americans will die before it does. This is not because of Trump, but because no one is telling people with "seasonal allergies" to stay home. A competent White House would have. 

Trump cannot win by playing to his base, but he knows no other game and is incapable of learning a new one. Trump attacked Fauci on a red meet call, not where it matters. He does not realize that his base has leaks. Even if he did, he has no ability to keep his cards closer to his vest. 

Nothing Trump will do in this debate is noteworthy (unless he behaves like an adult). His ticket was doomed the moment the fly landed on Pence's head.  His fate is already sealed. Once early voting results are announced, it will be mathematically impossible for Trump to win There will be no drawn out drama. The only thing Biden needs to do in the first 100 days is not be Donald Trump. 

Links for 10/20/20

Links for 10/20/20 

It saddens me that the Church of Spokane has fallen on such touch times. He is also shouting at the wind. Washington State is deep blue. If he is making a play for Archbishop, I am not sure how this helps. 

Last Spring, which seems like forever ago, I did a few pieces on the cultural theory of COVID-19 (including libertarianism). Other essays are  Pandemics as a religious experience    The moral hazard of wearing and not wearing masks  Science or (and of) fear. There is more to libertarianism than crony capitalism. Without it, society is simply unleavened bread.

There is a tradition of not locking up leaders of the opposing party, criminalizing foreign policy or sending people to jail for insurance fraud. The question on Trump is whether he will be pardoned before he takes a deal. The entertaining piece will be what happens to his stuff. He is lucky he has a pension, or else he would have to flea to Russia to eat. As for Rudi, he may face serious prison time for espionage - although he will likely only be prosecuted for being an unregistered foreign agent. He should plead out to a felony and stay out of politics for the rest of his life.

Gerrymandering has a long history in U.S. politics. Good luck fixing it. If the GOP is lucky, there will be a rise in non-partisan commissions, although they may not survive regardless. Non-partisanship will be how social libertarian and economic libertarian democratic parties divide up the bones of the GOP.

The Sumter County results will be buried. Lots of counties are in the same boat. It will be hard for the networks to not call the race before the polls close in California. In Florida, the Cuban and Puerto Rican votes are predictable. It is the Mexican-American vote that is doubtful. 1986 still inspires loyalty to the GOP. We will see if it still does. I am thinking no. 

As for abortion among Latino voters, it is no more an issue than it ever was or was not. The reality is, while their are strong feelings about it, there is absolutely no correlation between voting pro-life or pro-choice on the legality of abortion, There never will be. Too bad no one really covers that part of the issue.

Trump actually tried the radical protectionist approach, although he did it with all the finesse of a used care salesman on a Friday afternoon before happy hour. The rising COVID hospitalization rate in Trump country, which is not Trump's fault.  The CDC never wanted to say that it spreads as a cold. By election day, everyone will know someone who got sick and many will know someone who died.

Clinton was a lousy candidate. Defending partial birth abortion, assuming men and youth who voted for Obama would come out for her and selecting a white man from Virginia are why she lost. Biden is last call for the Trump-Clinton generation. Luckily, Biden chose well for Vice President.

Pope needs transparency, zero tolerance to end Vatican's financial corruption

 Pope needs transparency, zero tolerance to end Vatican's financial corruption

I don't believe in zero tolerance on anything. Rules need to not be substituted for at least some amount of rationality. That said, the clergy should not handle the money in the Church, from the Parish to the Vatican. It is not their money, it is ours and we should elect our own stewards, either directly or indirectly. The comment about things getting worse because of the disclosures proves that the concern of the clergy is not rectitude, it is discovery. The laity would have the same problem, but it would not be the same kind of betrayal. "Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops." (Luke 12:3)

Shea explains how politics, culture distort our understanding of Catholicism

Shea explains how politics, culture distort our understanding of Catholicism 

Any cursory reading of the responses on Facebook to suggestions that economic justice is the solution to abortion shows that Shea is spot on. Conservatives in the pro-life movement really do believe that taxation is theft and that charity cannot be mandatory, especially on NCR and America Magazines pages. Anti-abortion callers to my online radio show also confirm this. They believe that the solution to abortion is not money, but behavior. They refuse to pay for the results of other people's sexuality. At heart, they really do want to control women's bodies. At heart, the abortion debate, for them, really is about sex and the position of women in society. Feminists are correct in their response to their arguments. MSW needs to read the comments on his feed.

Catholic Social teaching is a response to Marx, but it is also a misunderstanding of Marx. Marx also accepted the social democracy which is the essence of Catholic teaching to him. Marxism is not revolution or bust, but social democracy is neither revolution or a realistic assessment of the human relations typified by Capitalism. Modern welfare economics mirrors what he says in its description of monopsony in the labor market. At heart, even monopsonist competition is exploitation of the worker. Solutions can be both/and, but the truth cannot be.

Being a pro-life Republican is to fall for the argument that abortion can be treated like infanticide without punishing the mother or the state having to investigate each pregnancy loss (which is not constitutionally correct). They consider anyone who does not share their belief to be pro-choice. They are correct in their assessment, although because they want to not investigate all pregnancy loss or punish mothers, they are essentially pro-choice too. 

Society cannot punish abortion like infanticide and only sanction Planned Parenthood. No one says that their movement is well thought out. The seamless garment of life is not on their agenda - and being pro-life is their agenda item. Being a Democrat for Life is pro-choice lite. They are not wrong. You are either with them or against them.

As to how God is seen or not seen as a means to an end, this comes from the argument that God ought to be worshiped for Their own selves, rather than as a fulfillment of our natures. This argument ignores the humility of God. He does not need our worship. Our best outcome is to cooperate with Their will, for our sake's, not for God's.