Links for 02/07/17: Yesterday, America magazine published an essay by Arthur Brooks
MGB: Capitalism succeeds despite itself. Given its own devices, it would be an inescapable authoritarianism - and in some places it is. While it is better than feudalism, it is not as good as a more democratic cooperative socialism. It is an interim step saved only by the free market (which is not the same thing) so that some workers can move up by quitting and because a consumer surplus placates workers who would otherwise be slaves.
Tobin is a blessing for Newark and an implied curse on those bishops who would embrace Trumpism (who will never get their red hats).
The problem with the pro-life movement is not the need for justice for the unborn or the sincerity of the followers, but of the cravenness of the leaders who have launched onto a solution that will never work, keeping them in jobs.
Nebraska has many faith filled people. Their hearts are in the right place - if only they could see some percentage in an economics that were a bit more socialistic.
The awe of pro-lifers must face the requirements of public policy or else it is simply maudline emotionalism. Sadly, a male wrote the article. Typical.
ReplyDeletePre-gastrulation, a blastocyst is a clump of undifferetiated cells. The actions begins when differentiation occurs and the pro-life movement would be strengthened by admitting it. Indeed, the term embryo does not apply until AFTER gastrulation.
Supporting wombs is not enough. Entire families must be supported (fathers too), yet much of the pro-life movement favors cutting public entitlements and opposes raising the minimum wage. Overturning Roe on jurisdictional federalist grounds is a non-starter (except with the bishops) because doing so upends LGBT rights, contraception and religious minorities (Catholics in Alabama whose Churches are burned). Doing so in Congress gives you, at best, the status quo as giving personhood to embryos requires personhood for miscarriages, which won’t happen. Only the economic option is viable. It is the glory of coming to the aid of others as a society rather than as atomized individual donors.