Links for 2/7/19

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/links-2719
While some historians and economists are Marxian, most are neo-liberal supporters of the status quo narrative. Political Scientists seem to have their finger on the pulse, but their academic work has shifted from theory to mathematics. Some are simply right-wingers, like Gingrich. No on in the academic world takes him seriously. He is regarded in the same way as students of Marx. He offers a skewed vision of  Executive time. Trump is hard ad work, but he is mostly obstructing justice while doing so. Again, he should be arrested. THAT will make it into the history books. The best modern history providing context is The Reactionary Mind by Corey Robin. He puts conservative thinking in perspective from Burke to Trump and Scalia. Note to MSW, review Robin's book. It is a fantastic read.

All Popes seem to be Social Democrats. This makes them all an essential part of the Catholic Left on economics, however they do not cast a critical eye on the Church (until Francis) or on a more humanistic view of natural law. That would take courage and sideline them as happened to Hans Kuhn. While they also resist adopting modern democratic structures, the have not quite made the jump to protecting individual rights separate from natural law. If they were to explore it, they would see how Dignitatis Humanae relates to the decision by Catholic Democrats to not impose the Church's views on abortion on non-Catholic states. They might even understand the constitutional theory behind Roe v. Wade, or at least be open to a reasonable explanation. Not  doing so makes them vulnerable to alliances with right-wing parties who will do nothing to enact Catholic Social Teaching, especially with regard to guaranteed income.

Politics creates such strange bedfellows. Otherwise reasonable Catholics politicians (both to the left and the right), allow their principles to be bent to please constituents. It is why a Muslim would run in an Anti-Muslim party. Popes have this problem in reverse. As heads of state, they must deal with nations who would otherwise martyr them if they were just a priest saying Mass in those nations. Sometimes workers who would otherwise vote their pocketbooks vote instead based on racial animus. Sadly, one is never sure whether such politicians really follow such beliefs or simply believe they have to in order to be part of the herd. Most politicians are not known for moral courage, even though history is full of such people. Of course, many are assassinated.