Links for 1/8/19

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/links-1819
The Holy Sisters bought into unholy capitalism, not just corporatism. They need to impose their culture, not bow to capitalist norms. It is time to make a stand against celebrity CEOs and this is the perfect place to start. Of course, CEOs want more because we pay doctors more than nurses and some of the doctors are well paid. Perhaps we should start with them in controlling pay - which means more pay and educational benefits at the low end with all med students becoming nurses first. Capitalism relies on Self-reliance, which is absolutely at odds with the Kingdom of God.

Just to clarify for readers, the podcast (and presumably the talk) is about the State of the Church. My guess is that it covers the same ground as recent posts.

Trump was the Manchurian candidate and is now the Manchurian president. Sadly, Pence is not doing his duty and removing him for just that reason.

The problem for Hillary was that she carried Bill with her and many felt betrayed by welfare reform, capital gains tax cuts, her not putting an African American on the ticket and her failure in dealing with partial birth abortion. The other problem is the grudging report by some media (who now blame other other Never Trumpers) and a prejudice by some against ever voting for a women.

Trump won his presidency by dragging the country into the gutter and governing from there. A little vulgarity is appropriate. Of course, for some of us, it is simply good German (as in, not pardon my French). This word is objectionable precisely because of anti-German sentiment due to both immigration and WWI. Get over it.

The Church needs to abandon Hellenism, both in dealing with sexual ethics, the ordination of women and the preservation of Sacred continence and in adopting the Gentile structures that elevate leaders. The martyrs from Jesus Maccabees to the victims of Diocletian died resisting it and we have been spitting on their graves ever since. There is more than enough evidence for this proposition, although because of the fact that we renew all things with every generation, it should not take too long to reverse this Abomination. Gradualism simply repeats the sin. It is the same sin as Capitalism.

The Democrats still accept the belief that some level of tax cutting for the rich leads to growth and investment. This is utterly wrong. Growth comes from government purchases, consumption by employees beneficiaries nd contractors and subsequent consumption by the private sector.  and finally business investment. Tax cuts on the rich only lead to asset inflation. So far, deficit spending and bond sales have crowded out such inflation. Until the tax cuts are revoked, deficit spending is absolutely essential. The Democrats seem to have drunken the capitalist Kool-Aid as well when they go along with spending cuts.

Holding people responsible for mistakes rather than malice is all part of the fetish the world (and capitalism) has for self-reliance. There is no place for that in the Church. It is alien to the Kingdom of God, which teaches radical forgiveness as the way to be forgiven. This does not excuse bad behavior, but it is the only way to get beyond it.