Links for 1/15/19

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/links-11519
I have written about what Peter wrote. Most of these cases are both long settled and reviewed and bishops have been responding to current pressure by releasing the names of abusers publicly. It is about time. Of course, most of these priests are retired or about to be. The horse is dead. Quit beating it.

I commented on America on the Faggioli article. Direct election of bishops would be unwise. Direct election of lay (non-celibate) deacon(ness)es with a vow of obedience to the parish is the level that direct democracy needed. Whether they should select their pastors (which can be translated as bishop) is within the bounds of tradition, although they should be ordained. All clergy and lay deacons should elect their bishop (although bishops could select the Archbishop and Patriarch).

The unborn are not legal persons, as per the Constitution and the Supreme Court, unless the are viable. Assisted viability is an issue Congress (and not the states) should address. First trimester abortions can only be investigated if miscarriages are as well, which means not at all. The intrinsic worth of a post-gastrulation embryo should be protected by a guaranteed family income sensitive to family size, as the Magisterium of Pope Pius XI dictates (although he also thought abortion should be illegal, which is not any Pontiff's call). The left must make insist on the adequacy of the child tax credit, which is way too small currently The idea that families should be self sufficient is anathema to the Kingdom of God, which demands faith in God. That faith must include an adequate income for the poor through government. Criticizing the pro-life movement is better than entering the argument on the intrinsic worth of the child. The GOP has made it clear that it owns the movement (or at least the Susan B. Anthony fund has). Even Democrats for Life know this is true and they should speak accordingly.

Unless Trump is lying, he did not want to go to the border. Of course, I am not sure Trump knows whether he was or not.

Uku benefited from a prior amnesty. There were no hurdles to jump through then and their should not be now. Indeed, with open borders and closed shops, immigration will be limited to what our economy can support and will protect the economic and human rights of these migrants.

Miranda is a good son of Puerto Rico, which needs more champions, especially as many don't think it is part of America or populated with Americans. Would that we gave the same liberties to the American Nationals in our Pacific colonies. No one reports that Samoan football players are not allowed to vote under our current laws (unless the individual state allows it).

Krugman is correct on the economics of Ocasio-Cortez. I wish both would stress that high rates are not about collecting money but about limiting the income of the CEO/donor class by taking away their incentive to limit employee wages and benefits and take a cut of that savings in salary. It presumes that taxing such income away will prevent it from such economic rent.

FDR was able to push back on the rich because a they perceived a threat from a strong socialist movement. Such a movement is rising again, as the election of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez indicates, which is an outgrowth of the Sanders candidacy. You're welcome.

I would be amazed if Carlson, and indeed most Democrats, have any idea what is wrong with Capitalism, which is that it is both economically and socially exploitive of workers who are considered machines or slaves at work. Authoritarianism at work needs to be ended, which is the primary goal of those scary socialists like Rep. Ocasion-Cortez and others like her (and me)..