Links: Cincinnati Men's Conference; fragmenting Trumpism; airport design award

Links: Cincinnati Men's Conference; fragmenting Trumpism; airport design award 

The Men's Conference simply proves P.T. Barnum's point.

The story of Protestantism likely led Mary Douglass to call egalitarianism sectarianism too. The radical fringe on the vaccine shows P.T. Barnum also owns the Internet. And the GOP.

The passage of the ACA was about exploiting the rules. Passing the CTC reforms needs to be both bipartisan and pro-life. We need Jesus, not Rahm Immanuel. Are Biden and Harris capable of thinking that far outside the box? So far, not yet.

National Airport also connects Terminal C to Metro. Also Tyson's Corner Mall. It's all about the walkways. Thank you, Minneapolis! 

Thanks to the Internet, we can all get Connecticut cheese. It is not just for crazy Republicans.

In 2021, it became obvious the US bishops and the pope are singing from different hymnals

In 2021, it became obvious the US bishops and the pope are singing from different hymnals 

The current majority at the USCCB (which includes retirees), learned Latin as altar boys and identified Ronald Reagan, St. John Paul, anti-communism, anti-sexual revolution and devotion to Our Lady as their essential creed. They likely believed arms for hostages was OK. Their major donors reflect their views. They are faced with an ECLAM pope who might even support Liberation Theology and is open to ordaining women as deacons. What could go wrong? 

Links: Puerto Rico's energy grid; loss of Desmond Tutu; rising number of clergy quitting

Links: Puerto Rico's energy grid; loss of Desmond Tutu; rising number of clergy quitting 

What people pay depends on how well their local electric monopoly is regulated. Also, the whole grid needs to be modernized, especially (but not only) in Texas.

May Tutu rest in blessed peace (as if there is any doubt).

Elaine is wrong. The majority of the items in the bill will require reconciliation to pass. The biggest piece, the child tax credit (along with childcare and the ACA reform), need to be paid for with a more broad based tax - preferable on employers rather than employees and passed as pro-life legislation. Biden will not do either. More's the pity.

It is not up to the Post to discuss theological implications. For that, you must do your own data analyses. The article is mainly about Protestant clergy (many of whom are not technically in the clerical state). Many are quitting (or at least taking a sabbatical) from medicine as well. They will be back.

The sad thing is that the Latin Mass boosters are turning the sacred into a Creative Anachronism.

At Midnight Mass, I sang along to Adeste, Fidelis in Latin for the first verse in memory of my father. 

In 2021, Biden's decency couldn't save democracy. The real test will come in 2022.

In 2021, Biden's decency couldn't save democracy. The real test will come in 2022. 

Biden saved us from tyranny by breathing. The Freedom Caucus is likely shivering in its booth. They may still think Trump can protect them, but the Select Committee is making it clear that this will not happen. Holding the treason caucus accountable will save democracy. 

As for the economy, that will take some luck and some time. Biden is making his own luck by the rumor of a tax increase. This is causing an asset sell-off, which decreases the chances of an economic downturn. If he waits a bit, supply chain issues will right themselves and prices will decline. The GOP won back the seats that went to Democrats because of Trump. Without Trump, we went back to a 50% nation. Until one side offers a vision, we will stay there. 

On abortion, Biden can let the Supreme Court defend Roe against state government power. Moving the line from viability to assisted viability or fetal nervous system development (the ability to react to  pain) won't do much either way. What will lead to less abortion is Build Back Better as a pro-life matter. 

Biden needs to risk a backlash by women by calling out the pro-life movement for not supporting the child tax credit on a bipartisan basis. (hint, there won't be one, feminists like measures that protect family economies). If conservatives resist, he can then explain why people think the pro-life movement is about sex - and he would be right. THAT would help democracy.

Links: Evil in conservativism; unions are good for all; parody of wokeism

Links: Evil in conservativism; unions are good for all; parody of wokeism 

The election will be won by letting inflation run its course and by the natural result of the Trump criminal enterprise being held to account. All pork is local.

The Left did not start the culture wars. They are as old as 1630 and the enslavement of John Punch and later the Salem witch trial. Also the Mexican War and sodomy laws. All of these things have protecting capitalism in common by conservatives finding an enemy to hate. To be woke is to call the right wing out on their bad behavior. As for young Mr. Rittenhouse, its complicated and its wrong to make him an icon. It does not help him to identify with conservative snake oil salesmen.

Hopefully the new retirees have good portfolios that are not based on Crypto. Their are lots of exit events, both the Great Recession and the Great Sequestration of 2011 led to retirement - the latter for me. The bright spot is that many people probably went back to school this year. Let's see what the enrollment numbers say.

Unions are essential, although they need to involve to facilitate worker ownership and their decision making. This was the goal of Leo, who did not approve of the right to strike. People forget that part. Also on the topic....teachers unions and the Church.

For Biden to go beyond the old politics, he needs to focus his attention on the family support portions of Build Back Better as an abortion issue and dare the conservative bishops to oppose him. Childcare and paid leave are important too. On climate change, Americans wait for consequences before acting. Until Florida starts to disappear, don't expect much.

The vast majority of people don't care about fundraising gimmicks from the woke. Again, fighting wokeness is as offensive as anything the woke do. In the Magnificat, Mary stands with the people who object to those who are woke and with the marginalized. What she preached remains radical, even to this day. The Church's turning her into an icon of sexual purity is another attempt to marginal her message. 

US bishops should help Latin Massgoers understand purpose of Francis' new restrictions

US bishops should help Latin Massgoers understand purpose of Francis' new restrictions 

January 6th demonstrates that the spirit of the civil rights movement does not live in certain hearts. The same can be said for Vatican II, especially among "John Paul priests." It is up to the Spirit to change hearts. If we wish to help, we need to show love, not firmness. That is the lesson we all need (including from those who do not like the reforms). 

Before we try to educate the people in the pews on Vatican II, let's start with clergy, especially the bishops. They also need training in gender theory, aka, queer theory. There is much they can learn about their own asexual orientation and why it should not be imposed on others. Dignitatis Humanae and its implications for the abortion debate must be added to the curriculum. 

On the Mass, offer the current Roman Missal in its Latin form, preferably at the early morning Mass on Sundays (but with readings in English). We might even do the offertory prayer in the original Hebrew. It is not so different.   Maybe the Mass could be too - and celebrated in households in the same way.  The consecration could be added for home worship. Wouldn't that be something. 

Links: Expanding the Supreme Court; the 'Four Freedoms'; vaccine mandates

Links: Expanding the Supreme Court; the 'Four Freedoms'; vaccine mandates 

All justices respect the law, which has a capitalist bias. Most of what the Court does has nothing to do with cultural issues and most of these are unanimous. McConnell obstruction on justices, however, makes catering to Manchin a necessity - not for preserving abortion rights - which will not get another case and the current one has been heard. 

Racial issues may be harder, but that is because the law does not make good sense - and won't until random selection is the solution. Also, Thomas is old, so the balance will again shift from 4-5 to 5-4. In reality, the balance is 3-3-3 - with Gorsuch, Roberts and Alito in the center - or it could be Kavanaugh.

The Insurrectionists don't like FDR and many think Nixon was railroaded. A To Do list will not change their minds.  Some Republicans also don't believe the Insurrection happened - so getting a mention in the Register is a good thing. Democracy is not in danger. The courts will strike down election interference when asked by the government. More importantly, the career leaders in the courts, the military and the civilian government are committed to the rule in law. Trump could never have succeeded. The authors are correct that the bad guys will get caught and prosecuted - especially those in Congress.

LULAC is correct, but ignores the fact that Latinx was always meant to describe the gender fluid. Those who want to use it widely (or think it was meant to) are intellectually lazy.

People with religious objections have forgotten their ethics classes - both in terms of remoteness and the double effect. Unless the fetus was aborted specifically as a source of genetic material, it is not unethical to use that tissue for a good act. I can see medical personnel not wanting to be vaccinated because they have already been sick and know that they won't die of a breakthrough infection. The vax helps against Delta and may prevent getting sick from Omicron - but Omicron is not severe unless you take immunosuppressive drugs or you fall out of bed reaching for a tissue and hit your head on the table. The Court will be in a quandary on free exercise when it does not differentiate between Churchmen attempting to use religious power under the label of religious freedom. Until they do that, wrong answers are inevitable on such questions as not firing gay marrieds from Catholic schools.

The best comedy is subtle. I love my Lucy. 

Fox and EWTN make truth a casualty of the culture war

Fox and EWTN make truth a casualty of the culture war 

Fox News was designed to tell Republican truth. It arose because Nixon got caught. Some Fox viewers may still think Nixon was innocent. This is is all you need to know. Bearing false witness is not lying, it is accusatory. For example, if I said (based on speculation) that Fox anchors were definitely part of the conspiracy that led to and planned the Insurrection, that would be false witness. If they were, however, this explains why they were nervous when it got ugly and are distancing themselves from it (or worse, denying it) now.

Inflation has the country on edge. Democrats need to find better ways to address it

Inflation has the country on edge. Democrats need to find better ways to address it. 

As long as the Fed does not repeat the mistakes of the late 70s in fighting inflation, we should be fine. Their recent rate cuts did not benefit us, they benefited Wall Street. I am glad they are stopping such nonsense. 

For now, as another round of COVID safety measures become necessary to slow production, many are still flush with cash - or think they are because they hold inflated stock and Crypto assets, prices will go up. 

Because Omicron is not severe, we have cleared the zone where hyperstagflation is a problem. The problem is inflated asset prices - and the Build Back Better tax proposals that increase capital gains tax rates are causing a slow sell-off. We may yet avoid another financial crash. 

Oil went up because Mulvaney, as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Authority, eviscerated new rules to prevent what is happening now in the oil futures market. The best way to fix this is quietly, just as the best way to fix inflation is to let supply catch demand. The moral imperative is to keep aid flowing to the poorest of families, rather than to the upper working class (many of whom bought speculative assets).  

The Child Tax Credit provisions from the American Recovery Plan Act need to be made permanent and this must be done as anti-abortion legislation. Biden needs to dare the Catholic bishops to support him in doing so. That some GOP pro-lifers won't is all you need to know about their movement (that it is anti-sex, not pro-child). 

Biden needs to focus on helping the victims of inflation rather than fighting it head on or deny it is happening.  He has already helped unblock the ports, just in time for Christmas. It is not the message that will save his poll numbers. It is results. He has been around long enough to know that, even if his staff has not.

Links: Trumpian propaganda; global inequality; Latino voters

Links: Trumpian propaganda; global inequality; Latino voters 

The issue is not religious freedom, it is the sacred right of employers as authoritarians the Court is bound to uphold. It is the bias in law.

People do not realize that their support for Trump is support for Putin and many won't believe they could ever be Soft on Putin - even as they decry Build Back Better as socialism.

The problem with inequality starts with bad math. When everyone gets the same percentage of wage increase, actual dollar differences grow until they are unmanageable. Worse than the financial inequality is the inequality of personhood in the workplace. Wealth is leverage to the enforce obedience of others. Don't call capitalists libertarian. They are authoritarian - and some employees like it that way or believe it is the only way. On the 10% number - the 1% own 77% of what the top 10% hold. And so on, and so on, and so on. That includes ownership of assets which hold Treasury bonds. Indeed, such ownership leverages capitalism itself. It was baked into our economy by Hamilton.

People who cite Plessy as evidence that Roe can be overturned and the matter sent back to the states are ignorant of the theory of law behind Plessy - which is that states were the final say on such issues. It is beyond Kafkaesque to cite the overturn of Plessy in order to bring it back. Give the Reactionaries this victory and they will use it to go after all the other civil rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment (and with the full support of the Catholic bishops).

Hispanics are essentially multiracial, meaning they identify as White, Black and Indigenous and vote (or don't vote) accordingly. Many of the Indigenous are Adventists, which don't vote Democratic either (same for light skinned Catholic Hispanics - who vote like other Catholics). The gender divide is a more important predictor in these communities - yet Hillary still lost.

Wizards are very real. They are the celebrities of authoritarian capitalism. They have power because we let them.

Capitalists believe that when they pay benefits to their workers, they are giving them a gift. Mark has a point. This is why raising the minimum wage and channeling the child tax credit through employers as part of wages is the best way to deliver them - or through benefits for those who have no job. Even receiving benefits should be equated with pay if beneficiaries are receiving unemployment or some form of training or education. 

Baroque Advent and Christmas music makes it hard to understand that the true nature of the Divine is Humility (and not just Jesus himself). Worship should not be considered a gift to God, who needs no such thing. It is entirely for our sakes.

 

Opposition to Black icon at Catholic University ignores Christ's universality

Opposition to Black icon at Catholic University ignores Christ's universality 

YAF is for people who do not like College Republicans. They are a barometer for what privileged White kids think. So is the student body at CUA (where I stayed while an intern in Roger Jepsen's office - I had also been a CR). Sadly (or maybe gladly), they do reflect the biases of upper class Catholics, whose opinions are more cultural than Catholic. Universality in the Church is an ideal, not a practice or its history. We are good at finding Christ in ourselves. Finding the humility of Christ is hard. In the entire Godhead, much hearder, yet that is what we must do - by finding it in others.

Links: Cordileone rescheduled; Newsom's gun proposal; GOP shenanigans in Georgia

Links: Cordileone rescheduled; Newsom's gun proposal; GOP shenanigans in Georgia 

The Archbishop of Paris should have stood up against celibacy and sacred continence. The Archbishop of San Francisco is only standing up for Republican talking points. Sadly, some see no problem with that.

Meadows is refusing to testify because, if convicted of contempt, it will be a concurrent sentence. He could not stop the FBI from getting his materials. He is not alone. If the House wants to punish him, they need to remove his floor privileges for life. He won't be the only one among current and former members.

Republican primary voters love their celebrities. They hope that enough Democrats and Independents will too, despite the likelihood that 2022 will look like 1974. With 130 Republicans voting to go along with sedition after the fact, the term Soft of Putin needs to be said loud and often.

Olympic games should be spread over multiple permanent sites and spread throughout the summer and winter. Put distance running in Africa, swimming in the US, diving in China, skiing in Norway, speed skating in Denmark, etc. Give nations with dominant teams home field advantage.

Newsom has never been above the odd publicity stunt. Any gun ban should come from the government debarring any gun or ammo manufacturer that sells to the public. Standing questions will soon doom the Texas law. Plaintiffs and Defendants are needed to make this happen. The pro-life movement is as bad as Newsom in trying to look busy. We will see what happens with Dobbs v. Mississippi.

Redistricting efforts need to be challenged with lawsuits, although this is as likely to harm Democrats as Republicans in many states. Voter suppression will not stand. Even without pre-clearance, the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department will sue to get the same result.

Imbelli and Francis have moved the needle, but we have a long way to go to acknowledge the Perfect Humility of the Blessed Trinity, the Crucifixion as reaching man rather than placating God and realizing that justice is a human concept - that claims that God is all just sell God short. It is not that he won't look upon evil. Instead, She simply does not see it when She sees us.

The best Advent music is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. All else is ostentation. 

Biden's summit on democracy and how Catholic teaching can help

Biden's summit on democracy and how Catholic teaching can help

Fifty years ago, segregation and therefore autocracy, was the law - and not just in the South. Racism practiced officially is the very definition of autocracy. Sexism too. In 1948, Catholics were not strong promoters of democracy either, as they were still silencing John Courtney Murray for defending freedom of thought. A sizeable minority of the current bishop's conference is not totally on board, especially when it comes to sexism in all its forms (and not just including ordination).

Economic and social liberty both have their values and neither can exist on their own, human nature being what it is. The Church is still deficient in the latter. The right of conscience is not merely about applying morality, it is about forming it. No Catholic should speak about resisting identity politics while "Catholic Identity" is still considered a thing. Note the IRONY of the title of this essay.

The Catholic Church needs to love union so much that it lets them organize in all of their schools and universities. For it to be truly useful, it needs to draw a line in the sand about supporting the reauthorization of the Child Tax Credit in Build Back Better as must-pass scored pro-life legislation - as well as calling to make it both higher, adjusted for inflation and PERMANENT!

Defend religiously affiliated child care without igniting a culture war

Defend religiously affiliated child care without igniting a culture war 

I agree with Dolan on this one. Provisions denying funds to centers held in churches are unconstitutional and generally a bad idea. Also, location has no impact on indoctrination - and indoctrination in the tender years (before the age of reason) is not really possible anyway. Regardless, Espinoza v. Montana is now the law of the land. Let this controversy be a teaching moment so that the decision may be more widely known.

On the other hand, the Church should not use its rights to avoid its obligations to respect the rights of others, including their right to unionize, the rights of these unions to disagree with the Church's incorrect notions on abortion law and the marriage equality rights of their employees. There is a difference between religious freedom and religious power. Such a view is not toxic libertarianism, it is just truth. Moral scorn is not a right, it is bigotry.

Links: Tycoons' tax evasion, the 'smiling pope' and more Advent music

Links: Tycoons' tax evasion, the 'smiling pope' and more Advent music 

Taxing something makes it real. I don't concede the reality of speculation wealth unless sold. It is much better to tax value added at purchase, with IPO, option exercise and first sale after inheritance, gift and donation marked to market. Also, value added taxes on purchases cannot be evaded. Wealth taxes will be paid for by funds taken from everyone else. What seems fair to non-professionals may not be workable. The wealth tax is just such a thing.

Latinx is designed for non-binary people whom Latina and Latino don't work. Some in the media or politics are clueless, so they use the term. Anyone who is very much bothered with the term Latinx is likely not a potential Democratic voter.

Sainthood has become a very political thing of late, like the Meritorious Service Medal.

Maine has not yet gotten the memo that Espinoza v. Montana apply to them and that their Blaine Amendment is unconstitutional. The next hurdle is affirmative funding of accredited private schools. Let the Union in and act like their views on abortion do not matter toward its legality (they don't) and the teacher's unions will gladly go along.

Pope Francis evangelizes very differently than US conservatives

Pope Francis evangelizes very differently than US conservatives 

Francis is talking both about inspiration and education (bring out). He preaches the Good News. As a bishop, his chief role is to proclaim the Resurrection of the Lord. He speaks and acts as one of us, constantly praying and using words only when necessary. The bishops need to remember that they are to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, not the stoic ethics of St. Augustine, St. Anselm and Marcus Aurelius. 

If rationality is to be used, the proposition that the Father is perfect in Love (and the Spirit is the embodiment of Love) should be mixed with the philosophical certainty that God must be perfectly humble - not just Christ before the Father, but the entire Godhead. This is a concept that I am sure Abp Gomez would choke on.

Links: Cardinal Burke to celebrate Mass, Democrats need to talk economics, the New Right of American politics

Links: Cardinal Burke to celebrate Mass, Democrats need to talk economics, the New Right of American politics 

Quick correction. The Second Sunday of Advent was two days ago. This Sunday is Gaudete. Wearing rose colored vestments is indeed appropriate for a combined Holy Day. I wish the Cardinal well in his recovery from SARS-CoV-2. It sounds like he had a very bad case. Let him celebrate as he choses.

I look forward to seeing the Divine Miss M on the rebroadcast on PBS. Brava.

The Democrats need to quickly seize the issue of the Child Tax Credit extension as must-pass anti-abortion legislation. Senator Casey, call the USCCB!

Blame Phil Donahue for inventing the audience participation daytime talk show brand in Dayton, Ohio in the 1970s. Oprah made it her own, as did Jerry Springer. Seeing Doctor Oz trying to sell himself as a pro-lifer in a Pennsylvania Senate race is worth the price of admission.

The scary part of the cultural right (there is nothing new about them) is how quickly they combined the pro-life movement with Trump's racist and Putinist agendas. The saving grace is that Young Republicans blow with the wind. Once the term "Soft on Putinism" gains currency and the Insurrectionist planners start going to jail, the GOP will find a new flavor of the year.

Unionism pays when trained workers are scarce and taxes are about to go up. As the tax rate on capital gains approaches 28.8% (as agreed to for Build Back Better), the incentive to profit from wage theft marginally lessens. There is much yet to do in employee empowerment. Unions will have a place, but oppositionality is not a good long term look.

Luke's Gospel of John is very significant because a clear reading has John calling his cousin out as one of those among the pharisees. The traditional interpretation ignores this - and the true text makes it all the more powerful. They likely studied scripture together before taking separate paths. In this Gospel, Jesus is about to change directions, once the Christmas season ends. Jesus finding himself in the scriptures is more powerful than assuming that he miraculously had the script mapped out. The miracle is his faith.

Migrants were asked, 'Why did you leave your home?' Here's what they said.

Migrants were asked, 'Why did you leave your home?' Here's what they said. 

Poverty is not a reason to grant asylum or the world would be eligible. The problem of crime in Central America is a result of sending criminal aliens home rather than keeping them here. When they get home, they continue their behavior - which others are now fleeing from. The answer to criminality in these countries is to send the criminals back here for either incarceration or rehabilitation. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it is the best (and probably only) way to handle the crisis before us now.

Bigotry and cowardice in the GOP

Bigotry and cowardice in the GOP 

The irony is that Boebert, who is involved with the Insurrectionist caucus, may actually be is a terrorist. Taylor-Greene certainly is. The involvement of McCarthy is not yet known, but his caucus has a collective guilty conscience. The only way to heal it is to hold those responsible for the Insurrection accountable. The Select Committee is doing that and the GOP has reason to be very much afraid.

Links: Gerrymandering in Wisconsin, the Black Madonna at CUA, and Build Back Better health provisions

Links: Gerrymandering in Wisconsin, the Black Madonna at CUA, and Build Back Better health provisions 

The question in Ohio and Wisconsin is whether their state courts can be trusted. If not, things are worse than they always have been - but with a more authoritarian flavor.

If there are no cameras watching the lobby, there will be soon. I hope there are prints available. The image is as valuable as the original.

Dr. Oz thinks he is Hershel Walker. The question is whether local voters are still captivated by the cult of celebrity. If they are, it is time to fight fire with fire. Trump voters need to be faced with the fact that their hero is a Putinist, and continuing the cult makes them "soft on KGB Vlad." The prosecution of the Insurrection is accelerating. Remember the 1974 midterms.

The biggest gap in Obamacare was the middle class donut hole between the FICA cap and the ACA taxes. It needs to be filled in or replaced by a better way to tax both social insurance and asset capital gains and returns. For now, BBB is a nice backstop.

BBB will pass in some form. Someone needs to remind Manchin that his state may benefit the most from its provisions. 

The real meat would be a higher minimum wage. Back when $15 was suggested, the GOP counter-offer was $10. Schumer should have jumped at it. Red states cannot keep talent because, overall, their wage structures are too low - and kept low by the low minimum wage. While the eventual wage should be $18, reaching for $12 or $11 with a 32 hour week should be the interim goal (with built in COLAs).

On World AIDS Day, what that pandemic teaches us about COVID-19

On World AIDS Day, what that pandemic teaches us about COVID-19 

The problem today is not liberty, it is partisanship, including among certain Catholic bishops. The GOP needs a President like W. who had the moral strength to govern wisely. More wisely than his party, who trashed his immigration reforms. Clinton worked that way too, probably too much. Until the GOP nominates someone like Bush, we cannot have nice things.