tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40290927770535372024-02-20T05:10:17.074-05:00The Catholic LibertarianRhetorical Flourishes!Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.comBlogger462125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-75111984236575483122009-08-09T00:44:00.004-04:002009-08-09T00:49:52.884-04:00By way of explanationNo, I am not dead, or even ill. However, I am in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">the</span> process of moving so I have not done anything on this blog for a while.<br /><br />As for my move, it is with the same employer, but to a new country -- following a long dream of mine, I am moving to Europe for a 2-3 year <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rotation</span>.<br /><br />So I will continue my hiatus for a while longer or maybe I will occasionally pop in with comments.<br /><br />But in parting, I will ask one question -- are you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">birthers</span> serious? He was born in Hawaii, deal with it.<br /><br />Good bye for now and God bless.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-19178992104546332632009-04-19T23:17:00.003-04:002009-04-19T23:33:44.273-04:00Some more HymnsIn my lonely quest to get better hymns in Catholic Churches, my thoughts on some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lenten</span> and Easter hymns:<br /><br />1. Where You There?<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fmBqIlXUo2A&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fmBqIlXUo2A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Probably my favorite Lenten Hymn<br /><br />2. Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones. This hymn has been stuck in my head since Easter.<br /><br />3. Ye Songs and Daughters. This is an easy hymn to sing and probably one of the oldest in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">the</span> Catholic hymnals.<br /><br />4. Alleluia, alleluia, Let the Holy Anthem Rise.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-43752321568669696152009-04-19T22:49:00.003-04:002009-04-19T23:17:21.426-04:00Tea PartiesThere were more tea parties last week and they are now getting some push back from the left. <br /><br />So what do I think about them? The parties themselves have been focusing on taxes and of course the left is focusing on that. And even when spending is raised, the left counters by asking where "we" were when the Bush administration was spending. Granted, I would argue that many of us were complaining about Bush's spending. <a href="http://porkbusters.org/">Porkbusters </a>for one flashed across the sky like a meteor, even getting under <a href="http://tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com/2006/04/lott-says-hes-damn-tired-of.html">Trent Lott's skin</a>. But while I see occasional references here and there, the whole Porkbusters "movement" just died out.<br /><br />But further on spending, while Bush was spending too much (and the GOP in the early 2000s was using pork to solidify its position), the "stimulus" act has exploded the deficit. No one read the bill before passage. President Obama reneged on his promise for a public review period for all bills, so no one really read the thing before signing. And while much in the act is probably defensible and good, most of these items should have gone through the regular appropriations process.<br /><br />This may sound strange, but the whole thing leaves me a little depressed (and generally, I do not believe in getting depressed on matters political). For one thing, as a conservative, I really don't DO the whole protest thing. Other than the tea party a few months ago and the occasional political rally, I have not been to a protest since I don't know when.<br /><br />But my main concern is more philosophical. My complaint is not really with the taxes but the spending. And not really the spending but about the feeling that the relationship between the people and the state was perhaps irrevocably changing. It has been moving that way for a while, but it seems now to be accelerating.<br /><br />I am not sure what if anything will come out of the tea parties. But the GOP needs to be kept out. The GOP's hunger for political power through earmarks and pork have helped get us to this point. The GOP needs to prove it can be trusted again on fiscal matters and they are for from proving to me (I am not longer a registered Republican, my disgust raised so high). Some argue the tea parties can turn into a third party, but I doubt it.<br /><br />If anything, the parties can at least slow down the drift to a managerial state.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-59884799041735181862009-04-12T22:52:00.000-04:002009-04-13T23:07:43.704-04:00Easter SundayYe watchers and ye holy ones,<br />Bright seraphs, cherubim and thrones,<br />Raise the glad strain, Alleluia!<br />Cry out, dominions, princedoms, powers,<br />Virtues, archangels, angels’ choirs:<br />Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-9291546425613783762009-04-12T00:42:00.005-04:002009-04-12T00:48:21.812-04:00An Italian Holy Saturday (and some final thoughts on Lent)So yes, again this Holy Saturday I ate the traditional Italian foods such as meat pie and macaroni pie, filled with eggs, cheese, meat etc. <br /><br />I read something interesting recently regarding the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lenten</span> fast. I always knew that in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">the</span> old days, Catholics would refrain from meat, cheese and eggs for much of Lent, hence <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">the</span> reason Holy Saturday foods in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Italian</span> tradition were so filled with them. But why Lent itself? Obviously, some self sacrifice is good for you. But there may be practical reasons as well. <br /><br />In <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pre</span>-modern northern Europe, by February, food was starting to get scarce. No new foods would be harvested until <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">spring</span> of course, so the food from last fall needed to last longer. So Lent gave some religious meaning to the hungry season. And by spreading the burdens of the hunger, so that prince and peasant, priest and burger, felt the pangs together, it helped social cohesion. <br /><br />It makes sense, but then again, I always find <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Catholicism</span> eminently reasonable and practical.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-44644963423514286632009-04-12T00:16:00.003-04:002009-04-12T00:42:14.097-04:00Some Late Thoughts on Holy Week (Part 2)On Monday, the Diocese of Brooklyn declared "A Day of Reconciliation." All churches stayed open late so Catholics could partake in the sacrament of Penance.<br /><br />I called my wife as I left work to say I would be late, as I was "going to confession." Her first response was an accusatory "what did you do?" <br /><br />Part of the problem is that we have made confession so difficult these days. Many churches offer it now only on limited days. Partly this is due to the change in Catholic society the past 4o years. As a child, my mother would take me to confession at least once a month. I admit now I do not go as often as I would like. <br /><br />When I lived in Chicago, I would go more. Near my office was <a href="http://www.stpetersloop.org/">Saint Peter's in the Loop</a>, a Franciscan church where one of the Friars was always available to hear confessions. One additional benefit was that the Franciscans were very easy on penance -- so long as you were kind to animals that is. <br /><br />So why Confession? I get comments from non-Catholics at times not understanding the whole thing. They see it as some sort of institutionalized guilt trip. Partly this is due to Catholics ourselves not understanding it.<br /><br />It is not about guilt but about forgiveness. God is Father after all. A stern but extremely loving father at that. He wants us to do right, but even if we do wrong, loves us so long as we are truly sorry. After all, when Jesus refused to order the adulterous woman stoned ("Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"), He not only said "I do not condemn you" but also said "sin no more."<br /><br />So we leave the confessional, saying an Act of Contrition promising to sin no more. But we do. For most of us those sins are minor. We say a few white lies here and there. We lose our temper with our spouses or children. We get too caught up in the ways of this world. But it is OK. Maybe it is the struggle that is important.<br /><br />In the end it is all about redemption and forgiveness. So I tell this story I read once in Lord Norwich's history of the Byzantine Empire.<br /><br />There once was a Byzantine Emperor named <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Romanus</span> the First. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Romanus</span> was one of Byzantium's greatest emperors. He worked hard to protect his people. Leading a nation beset by enemies, he protected the empire's borders from attacked by the Arab, Turkish and Persian countries to his south, and Slavic nations to his north. He worked hard to protect the lands and property of the common workingmen from grasping aristocrats. He worked hard to expand commerce and trade. In short, he gave the Empire peace and prosperity.<br /><br />But <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Romanus</span> was troubled, for in reality he was a usurper. He elevated himself to co-emperor, married his children into the royal family, but ushered the rightful emperor off into obscurity. He mourned the many soldiers who died or were wounded fighting his wars. And Byzantium was not a democracy, so although he was fairly benevolent, he had, as Emperor, sent men to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">dungeons</span> to protect his throne.<br /><br />His sons, realizing this and fearing for their future power, sent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Romanus</span>, to his relief, off to a monastic exile.<br /><br />There, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Romanus</span> stripped his garments, knelt before the altar, and while his brother monks chants hymns of contrition, confessed his sins while another monk wrote each into a book. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Romanus</span> sent the book to another <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">monastery</span>, one know for its piety and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">asceticism</span> and asked the monks to pray for him. <br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Romanus</span> received a message back -- the pages of the book were empty.<br /><br />Whether or not yo believe the monk was speaking literally (that a miracle had <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">occurred</span>) or metaphorically (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">which</span> is how I read the story), I find this as the essence of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sacrament</span>. It is about forgiveness, not guilt.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-75288170636053431712009-04-12T00:01:00.003-04:002009-04-12T00:16:11.534-04:00Some late thoughts on Holy Week (Part 1)I have been meaning to write a few thoughts about Holy Week, but have not gotten around to it until now. So here goes.<br /><br />Palm Sunday -- Last year I<a href="http://thecatholiclibertarian.blogspot.com/2008/03/thoughts-on-palm-sunday.html"> gave some thoughts</a> about the big issues of Palm Sunday. This year, as I sat there I thought about something else. Namely, my Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. A donkey is, after all, a somewhat ridiculous creature. But in that way, it was the perfect animal to transport the Lord into the city. <br /><br />A donkey is not much like a horse. A horse is an animal of war and money and power. Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a horse would have been confirmation to many that he was about to restore Israel by force. <br /><br />A donkey though is the animal of the hard working farmer or peaceful merchant. Armies may use donkeys as draft animals, but the ca;vary rides war horses.<br /><br />In short, the horse is the animal of war, but the donkey is the animal of peace.<br /><br />So it was fitting that Jesus entered the city as he did.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-28293354852840180742009-03-22T21:51:00.004-04:002009-03-25T07:11:02.165-04:00WWMD (What Would Mencken Do?)<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">HL</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mencken</span> was probably one of the most disagreeable yet entertaining public critics in American history. The man was incorrigible, reactionary, misanthropic, a class snob, and opposed to just about everything that Americans then and now hold dear and sacred. Yet, he was a walking paradox. His public statements were often racist and anti-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Semitic</span>, but he spoke out against lynchings, was married to a Jewish women (and apparently conversant in Yiddish) and counted WEB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">DuBois</span> as a friend.<br /><br />And if Milton Friedman is the father of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">American</span> libertarianism, and Isabel Paterson, Rose Wilder Lane, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hayek</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Mises</span> the founding grandparents, Mencken is one of the founding great grandparents.<br /><br />So <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">WWMD</span>? It is dangerous to try and impose modern questions on someone who live two or three generations ago. But this 1932 quote from the American Mercury (reprinted by the <a href="http://www.mencken.org/">Mencken Society</a>) is quite interesting and relevant :<br /><br /><blockquote><p>The psychic effect of the depression, it seems to me, is generally a good one. It has made multitudes distrust such charlatans as Hoover and [Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W.] <a href="http://www.ustreas.gov/education/history/secretaries/awmellon.shtml">Mellon</a> who were quite willing, three years ago, to credit them with the magic of saints and archangels. It has busted a long line of popular wizards, running from Henry Ford to [head of Bethlehem Steel] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_M._Schwab">Charlie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Schwab</span></a>, and from [economist] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Fisher">Irving Fisher</a> to [newspaper editor] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Brisbane">Arthur Brisbane</a>, all of them as hollow as jugs. It has taught people the difference between speculative values and real values. It has hastened the death of sick industries, and proved the vigor of sound ones. It has blown up the old delusion that the amount of money in the world is unlimited, and that every American is entitled to a police captain’s share of it.<br /><br />Best of all, it has taught millions that there is really no earthly reason why there should be two cars in every garage, and a chicken in the pot every day. A few years back we were all leaping along after the pacemakers, and making shining fools of ourselves. Life in America had become an almost unanimous effort to keep up with the Joneses, and what the Joneses had to offer by way of example was chiefly no more than a puerile ostentation. So many luxuries became necessities that the line separating the one from the other almost vanished. People forgot altogether how to live well, and devoted themselves frantically to living gaudily.<br /><br />It seems to me that the depression will be well worth its cost if it brings Americans back to their senses. Once they rediscover the massive fact that hard thrift and not gambler’s luck is the only true basis of national wealth, they will discover simultaneously that a perfectly civilized and contented life is possible without the old fuss and display.<br /></p><p></p><p></p></blockquote>Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-54546957753382442602009-03-07T10:21:00.002-05:002009-03-07T10:32:22.637-05:00The Vatican and EvolutionI have been very dismissive of creationist and "intelligent design" advocacy. Personally, I think that both try to turn God from Supreme Creator into a hum-drum engineer. By requiring God to review the plans for the earthworm, I believe we reduce God.<br /><br />The Vatican has gotten involved, though as usual the press tends to misunderstand it. About a 15 years ago, Pope John Paul II made some statements in support of evolution and the press acted as though this was a major change in Vatican policy. I noted to an evangelical friend that it is not really a change. The officially commentary on the Scripture had recognized evolution at least since the 1950s, and in fact the church had been OK with evolution before that. <br /><br />Of course, there were some controversies, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_point">Omega Point </a>theory of Father <a title="Pierre Teilhard de Chardin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin">Pierre <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Teilhard</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">de</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Chardin</span></a>, which argued that evolution was leading to man converging with God. But the controversy was with the endpoint so to speak, not the theory of evolution. <br /><br />I saw this item on <a href="http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32987_Discovery_Institute_Raises_Stink_About_Vatican_Evolution_Conference">Little Green Footballs</a> that the Vatican is having a conference on evolution and the intelligent design folks were kept out. Pope Benedict a few years ago got himself enmeshed in the intelligent design controversy, mostly because he probably did not understand how that term had become so loaded in the United States. Hopefully, this conference signals an end to the Vatican getting mixed up with intelligent design.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-11855953060875592452009-03-01T18:11:00.002-05:002009-03-01T18:17:24.706-05:00I probably should have waited to read the bookI just finished the new history of the Great Depression "The Forgotten Man." Probably not the best time to read this book.<br /><br />Wait until (if?) the recovery <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">comes to</span> read ANYTHING about the DepressionAnthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-37188828820583057702009-03-01T17:53:00.002-05:002009-03-01T18:02:39.345-05:00A Swiss Ski Slope as a Metaphor for ConservatismAs I was skiing, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dodging</span> snowboarders, I was reminded of something that first crossed my mind in 1996. On January 1, 1996, I was hit in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">the</span> head by a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">snowboarder</span>. And it hit me -- a ski slope is the perfect metaphor for the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">conservative</span> movement.<br /><br />Stay with me here a minute.<br /><br />The skiers are like the traditional <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">conservatives</span>. You ski basically the same way you did in 1900, though the equipment is updated and better. Change tends to come slowly and in an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">evolutionary</span> manner. And the skiers are used to being <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">the</span> ones for a long time to be skiing around.<br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">snowboarders</span> represent the libertarians. Brash, not really into the old rules but like to make them up as they go along. <br /><br />The problem is that both groups have to share <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">the</span> same ski slope. And they both are looking to get to the same place. But they have a tendency to get on each other's nerves and each o<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ther's</span> way.<br /><br />Granted, this breaks down a bit. I cannot fit the social <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">conservatives</span> into the mix. As for the neoconservatives, I figure they are the guys on the anti-avalanche patrol shooting off cannons every now and them to move snow.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-59181128357723327762009-03-01T16:10:00.002-05:002009-03-01T18:05:13.504-05:00A Quote for Lent“A church that doesn’t provoke any crisis, a gospel that doesn’t unsettle, a Word of God that doesn’t get under anyone’s skin, what kind of gospel is that? Preachers who avoid every thorny matter so as not to be harassed do not light up the world!” -- Oscar Romero, bishop and martyr. HT -- <a href="http://theanchoressonline.com/2009/02/25/ash-wednesday-2009/">The Anchoress</a>)Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-82637333449080230342009-03-01T14:01:00.004-05:002009-03-01T15:12:48.851-05:00Let's Have a Tea Party!I went to the NYC Tea Party yesterday. The tea parties have been held around the country to protest the stimulus bill. The parties seem somewhat small right now, and amateurish. The one I attended in New York had a bunch of people in City Hall Park listening to a series of folks speaking through a megaphone.<br /><br />The crowd was maybe about 150-200, though to be sure, I am poor at judging these sorts of things. It did not seem angry and in fact was more light hearted. I did see quite a few Ayn Rand acolytes and Ron Paul supporters. The only angry guy I saw was an anti-immigration type wondering about. <br /><br />Many of the signs were based on the principle of the stimulus bill leading to socialism. My favorite sign was "Pork -- the other red meat."<br /><br />OK -- it is a beginning. Conservative/libertarian protests rarely come close to the protests the left is able to put together. Mostly I think it is cultural. The American right tends to be more individualistic and somewhat distrustful of protests. Protests too uncomfortably look like mobs.<br /><br />Further, as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">PJ</span> O'Rourke used to say "conservatives have jobs" and generally have better things to do other than stand around listening to people complain. They would rather sit at home and watch basketball or spend time with family.<br /><br />Also, conservatives do not have groups that exist to organize action. The Left has ACORN and an array of activist groups. They call a meeting and within a day have <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">professionally</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">printed</span> signs and rhyming chants. Conservative groups tend to be more like think tanks, and unfortunately, lobbying groups. Not as much street action oriented.<br /><br />And yes, I would argue that much of that cultural difference is good. We do not think everything revolves around politics. Which is probably why the only major "right" protests tend to be ones that the churches are involved in -- most importantly abortion. But the churches have their own agendas and cannot really be considered part of the Right (though the more churchgoing you are the more likely you are on the right). The Catholic Church for example helps get the annual March for Life protests going, yet it also was the force behind the immigration marches (at least initially).<br /><br />The rally was mostly positive and lighthearted. There was a Minuteman type running around. But the crowd seemed a mix of conservatives and libertarians, with Ron Paul supporters and Ayn Rand disciples sticking out.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-37225202303734619432009-03-01T08:10:00.003-05:002009-03-01T08:12:19.414-05:00The Iraq PlanThe plan has come down, 100,000 troops and combat operations to cease by 2011. 35,000-50,000 to stay in "support" roles.<br /><br />I would imagine that many people on both sides feel some disappointment. But here is the deal as I see it. Basically, the war is pretty much over. Al <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Qaeda</span> in Iraq seems to be defeated, the people of Iraq do not seem to want to become an Iranian style <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Shia</span> theocracy and just want to get on with their lives. On most nights, it seems to be safer to be a US soldier in Baghdad than walking around certain parts of Chicago (and listening to my former mayor, there seem to be fewer "assault weapons" in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Tikrit</span> than there are on the South Side).<br /><br />So those who supported the invasion (which I did), look -- it was never supposed to be about conquering the country, or so I thought. The Iraqis have to be given the opportunity to run their own affairs. If they really do not want a return to brutal military strong men or to go down the road of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Shia</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Wahhabist</span> theocracy, they won't. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq is a more modern, educated country -- having climbed out of the abyss, I doubt they will want to go back there. And if they do, well, at this point it is their problem.<br /><br />And in any event, what President Obama is proposing is pretty much what George Bush was heading for and what John McCain said he wanted -- basically, the combat would end and US troops, if they remained, would be in bases like US troops in Germany or Japan. (That was the real meaning of McCain's "100 year" remark -- that if there were no US troops dying, few Americans would care about keeping US bases there. We have had troops "occupying" parts of the UK since 1942, Italy since 1943, Germany and Japan since 1945, South Korea since 1950 -- no one really thinks much about it because no US troops are dying there).<br /><br />As for those who feel disappointed by the fact that it will take longer than promised or that substantial US forces will remain for a period, two things. First, what was said (or what you THOUGHT was said) by a dark horse candidate two years ago has to be adjusted by the realities of office and power TODAY. Second, frankly, what the President is doing now is pretty much what he said he was going to do. I have no desire to look for the news articles, but President Obama always suggested a US military role in Iraq after combat troops were pulled out. At one point, I think, he referred to an "over the horizon" presence whereby we would pull out but stay in the neighborhood, and move in as necessary. That probably (hopefully) is not needed now. I assume the remaining troops will be there for training and support of the Iraqi Army (and not combat itself).<br /><br />One thing I find interesting is the 35-50,000 number. In 2005, the last year I can find figures for, there were about 66,000 US forces in Germany (defending Germany from the threat of Serbia I guess). So basically, using the upper number, President Obama foresees a US presence similar to that of the US presence in Germany. Not sure what I make of it.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-80418896608492192222009-02-25T06:02:00.003-05:002009-02-25T06:04:44.106-05:00Ash WednesdayIn a civilization that has seemingly banished death, it is good to remind ourselves of our own mortality every now and then.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-53842493048364059852009-02-16T09:31:00.001-05:002009-02-16T10:19:13.458-05:00Europe is a foreign countryI am on vacation in Switzerland and trying my hand at Blackberry blogging. So I am sorry for an mistakes.<br /><br />Things are different here. <br /><br />People smoke everywhere (though less than in the old days). <br /><br />The butter is much better. <br /><br />I get severe train envy. <br /><br />And here in Switzerland, mountains are everywhere and so is the cheese.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-6676835688643749752009-02-10T23:13:00.003-05:002009-02-11T13:21:15.289-05:00Stimulus!Can someone clearly tell me how big the stimulus bill is? I read the papers, look at the blogs, watch the news, and everyone seems to be reporting a different amount.<br /><br />And following <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">the</span> anger regarding the original House version, the Senate tried hard to cut it a bit to make it acceptable to a few GOP moderates.<br /><br />ABC says the House bill was $<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/President44/story?id=6748037&page=1">819 billion</a>. After all that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cutting</span> and compromising, the Senate version was cut to $<a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/02/senate-passes-s.html">838 billion</a>.<br /><br />Only in Washington do negotiations to reduce <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">spending</span> increase it.<br /><br />I am reminded of something I read regarding Winston Churchill's time as First Lord of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">the</span> Admiralty during <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">the</span> naval arms race before World War I. The Treasury wanted to appropriate four <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">dreadnoughts</span> one year. The Admiralty wanted six. So they compromised on eight.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-42029144249529230202009-02-07T00:05:00.005-05:002009-02-08T08:46:57.813-05:00ExilesNot long ago I asked -- <a href="http://thecatholiclibertarian.blogspot.com/2009/01/where-are-catholic-novelists.html">where are the Catholic novelists</a>? My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cyber</span> friend Bill [oops I meant Rodak] suggested that I check out Ron Hansen. His latest novel Exiles is about Gerard Manley Hopkins, the great Victorian Catholic poet. So I checked it out.<br /><br />The novel really follows two stories. One is the fate of five German nuns, exiled during the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kulturkampf</span>, who died when their ship taking them to American ran aground off England. The second story is of Hopkins struggles within the Jesuit order, a struggle mirrored by his attempt to write a poem about the maritime disaster . The resulting poem, "The Wreck of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Deutschland</span>" is considered one of Hopkins best, but he paid a price. Like some many heroic and holy people, he suffered from the "Dark Night."<br /><br />The novel is a Catholic one in that it examines the motivations of people for vocations. But it is not a theological novel in the spirit of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Brideshead</span> Revisited.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-84179784420120593602009-02-06T23:06:00.002-05:002009-02-07T00:05:01.767-05:00What Would My Plan Be?OK -- so I am against this stimulus plan. It seems to me not to be an immediate injection of money into the economy but an appropriations bill, a wish list of projects. To me, it seems this plan will simply be a repeat of the Japanese attempts to overcome their economic downturn of the early 1990s -- with the same lack of results.<br /><br />But everyone is afraid of doing nothing following the myth of the Great Depression. It seems to me that what caused the Depression is the opposite of what ii happening now. Following the Crash, the Federal Reserve followed a tight money policy, contracting the money supply and letting banks fail. The exact opposite is going on now. The Fed is dropping money from airplanes and doing everything possible to keep banks from failing. <br /><br />The real problem now seems to be debt -- we have too much of it. And the answer is not more debt. We need to work on getting out of debt. <br /><br />So what do I propose doing? There needs to be a short term and a long term view.<br /><br />Short term, things should be focused on helping those who have lost their jobs. So first concentrate on money for medical and unemployment. <br /><br />Second, we need to do something about debt. Change the bankruptcy laws to allow residential mortgages to be reduced to fair market value in bankruptcy (such a proposal has been made by <a href="http://www.anotherfp.com/newsite/story.php?id=758">Senator <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Durbin</span></a>). To the extent needed, change laws to ease renegotiation of properties underlying mortgage backed securities.<br /><br />Third, to the extent needed to get some direct government projects into the mix, pick a number of immediately available infrastructure repair projects. Things already planned but for which money has not yet been appropriated. Limit it to power grid and transportation repairs. The crisis began with the construction industry, so do something on that industry now. <br /><br />Anyway, those are my ideas. We will instead get a huge appropriations bill.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-78196089351341168702009-02-06T00:54:00.003-05:002009-02-06T13:08:44.185-05:00A Poem in Honor of the Stimulus Bill<div align="center"><strong>SPENDULUS<br />(With apologies to the immortal memory of Percy Shelley) </strong></div><strong><div align="left"><br /></strong>I met a banker from a far off land</div><div align="left">Who said: Two unfinished and doorless buildings of steel </div><div align="left">Stand on K Street. Near them, on the Mall,</div><div align="left">Half amended, a shatter'd bill lies, whose prose</div><div align="left">And earmarks and grants to ACORN </div><div align="left">Tell that its Peolsi drafter well the pork barrel knew</div><div align="left">Which yet survive, stamp'd on this drunken government,</div><div align="left">The talk radio that mock'd them and bloggers that fed.</div><div align="left">And in section 1 this clause appears:</div><div align="left">"My name is Spendulus, stimulus of stimuli:</div><div align="left">Look on my appropriations, ye taxpayers, and despair!"</div><div align="left">Nothing but lawsuits remain: round the Capitol</div><div align="left">Of that colossal bill, penniless and bare,</div><div align="left">The lone and stupendous deficit stretches far away (to China) </div>Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-15850805073550711732009-01-30T23:59:00.002-05:002009-01-31T00:00:41.346-05:00A Bit of LatinGiven the uproar over Williamson, let's leave this night with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">piece</span> of the Spy Wednesday Latin Liturgy from St. John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Cantius</span> in Chicago.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tlF64AkGxEE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tlF64AkGxEE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-52870880254103246232009-01-30T23:42:00.003-05:002009-01-30T23:48:40.345-05:00Pope Benedict and the Lefebvrist PuzzleA minor uproar has arisen due to the <a href="http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=31776&wf=rsscol">lifting of excommunication</a> of some of the leaders (bishops) of the Society of St. Pius X (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SSPX</span>). The press has been presenting this as a “reinstatement” of the bishops – even though it was merely a cancellation of the excommunications. The persons in question technically are not permitted to act as a bishop (or priest) and have no pastoral role. Whether or not they accept that or continue to hold themselves out as a bishop is another issue. And the remarks of one of the bishops, Richard Williamson, have turned a minor matter of church governance into an international incident.<br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">SSPX</span> is schismatic. The press usually frames it as with respect to the Latin Mass (and ad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">orientum</span>) but it is deeper than that. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">SSPX</span> has its origins in the discontent by some on the French Catholic right with the secularization of the French Republic. The impetus was opposition to Vatican II reforms to be sure, but the real genesis was a desire to return to the "throne and altar" Catholicism of the Old Regime. So the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">SSPX</span> is as much a political organization as it is a religious one.<br /><br />The excommunications took place in 1988 and were automatic as the result of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Lefebvre</span> consecrating four bishops (one of whom was Williamson). An Archbishop has the power to consecrate another bishop, but the consecration must be approved by the Vatican (which had told <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Lefebvre</span> NOT to consecrate the four). So while the consecrations are valid in some respects, the Vatican does not permit the four to act as bishops. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Lefebvre</span> did it to ensure the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">SSPX</span> would continue after his death. The Vatican bent over backward to keep <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">SSPX</span> inside the church. Pope John Paul II offered <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lefebvre</span> one new bishop of his choosing. In addition, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">SSPX</span> would have become a personal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">prelature</span> of the church in a similar situation as Opus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Dei</span>. The organization would therefore have been permitted to continue its work but under the direct authority of the Pope. Considering the then strong and continuing opposition of many bishops to traditionalist Catholicism, it would have allowed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">SSPX</span> to operate in dioceses were the hierarchy was hostile or indifferent.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Lefebvre</span> refused and consecrated the bishops. By doing so, he engaged in a schismatic act for which the penalty was excommunication to him and all participants. This in turn led to the effective casting out of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">SSPX</span> from the Church.<br /><br />Since the act, some other things have happened. One is that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">SSPX</span> in turn has fell into schism. Second, the Church has taken steps to help traditionalist Catholics stay within the church. These include:<br /><br /><ul><li>The founding of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter by a group of former <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">SSPX</span> priests<br /></li><li>The issuance of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Ecclesia</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Dei</span> in 1988 (issued in reaction to the consecrations) which directed bishops to allow the traditional Mass.<br /></li><li>The issuance of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Summorum</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Pontificum</span> in 2007, which essentially took the decision out of the hands of the bishops and into the hands of the parishes.<br /></li></ul><p>I was and remain quite happy that the Latin Mass is making something of a comeback, even though it will never replace the vernacular. But even this has not been enough for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">SSPX</span>. For one thing, they still complain about the Missal – traditionalist Catholics in communion with the Church use the official 1962 Roman Missal. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">SSPX</span> demands use of the 1950 Missal (and offshoot of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">SSPX</span> uses an even older Missal). To a large extent the problem is political – the Catholic Church has moved away from a throne and altar philosophy while <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">SSPX</span> wants to go back there.</p><p>One good thing has been the fact that the church has been able to get ordinary traditionalist Catholics back into the church. Most of those who attended <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">SSPX</span> masses were not there because they had an interest in the philosophy of Joseph <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">de</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Maistre</span> but rather because they liked the devotions of the “old” Church. They now have a place to go. The hard core of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">SSPX</span> though will never be happy. The church continues to bend over backward to keep the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">SSPX</span> in communion and all we get for it is biting. If you ever get into a conversation with a true believing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">SSPX</span> member, every sentence contains the words “Satan”, “Jews”, or “Freemasons”. Despite the action, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">SSPX</span> still remains outside the Church. </p><p>Which brings us to Williamson. The guy is a loon. It is not just the Holocaust; he is also a 9/11 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Truther</span>, JFK <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">conspiracist</span> and God knows what else he really believes. But he has not been "reinstated" as bishop, he cannot celebrate Mass in a Catholic church, he has only had his excommunication revoked. While I understand the concerns raised by some in and outside the church, his loony beliefs have nothing to do with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">cancelation</span> of his excommunication. One irony is that the father of Archbishop <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Lefebvre</span> died in a Nazi concentration camp during World War Two. </p>George <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Weigel</span> in a Newsweek article <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/181721">discusses the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Lefebvrist</span> puzzle here. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/181721"></a>Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-11810310987762634732009-01-30T23:20:00.000-05:002009-01-30T23:50:20.054-05:00Twice in one weekSo the GOP proves that maybe it is not stuck on stupid. First, the House GOP unanimously voted NO on the misnamed "Stimulus Bill." Then the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">RNC</span> elected Michael Steele as chair. <br /><br />Maybe there is some life in the old party after all.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-15962097795480784232009-01-23T23:02:00.002-05:002009-01-23T23:43:23.492-05:00Things blow up"Something", well, two things, blew up in Pakistan today and it seems like it was a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">UAV</span> launched missile attack. President Obama seems to be going after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">al</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Qeada</span> on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. I would say he is going after bin Laden, but you can't kill someone who is already dead. <br /><br />I think bin Laden has left us for the hereafter. With most <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">al</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Qeada</span> tapes, you get fairly new video footage and speeches. With bin Laden, you get recycled footage of him walking around some rocks while someone claiming to be him does a voice over. And in some cases, the voice over is just speaking in generalities, they rarely mention Obama by name or talk about specific current events.<br /><br />Bin Laden is either dead (my guess) or in really bad shape. I think he died in such a way that no one will ever be sure (for example he died in a cave collapse thanks to a bunker buster). He is just a few wisps of DNA under 100,000 tons of rock.<br /><br />It was never really about him, and it was a mistake to make it about him. <br /><br />Anyway, I have looked around at some of the left side blogs to see how this is playing. For the most part, it has been seen positively. <br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Huffington</span> Post for a while had this as their main news item with the headline:<br /><br />COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF<br />FIRST MISSILE STRIKES LAUNCHED SINCE OBAMA TOOK OATH<br /><br />The site had a split picture, President Obama on one side wagging his finger and looking all stern and serious and Islamic Rage Boy's idiot Pakistani cousin on the other side acting all, well, full of rage (other than soccer balls and rage, does Pakistan actually produce anything?). I tried wadding through the comments to see how this was playing to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">HP's</span> fans, but it is useless. I think 3/4s of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">commenters</span> there are trolls (of both left and right).<br /><br />In any event, I understand why it is being done. When Bush was president I was uneasy about these attacks in Pakistan. That country is barely a country and I worry that these attacks might take down the government and lead to anarchy. By the same token, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Waziristan</span> is where the bad guys are, and the Pakistani government <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">barley</span> has any authority there.<br /><br />I also believe that these attacks take place with a wink and a nod from the Pakistani government. They get to act all enraged to placate domestic audiences while getting rid of bad guys.<br /><br />On Taylor Marsh's site one of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">commenters</span> wonders if President Obama knew about this before hand, or if this was simply a carryover of Bush's ROE. I can understand why some on the left would feel angry at these attacks continuing (though, from my quick view, it is positive, including from Marsh herself). <br /><br />It is hard to believe now, but back in 2000, Bush promised a "more humble" foreign policy and I remember being annoyed that a day or so after his inauguration, the Air Force bombed some site in Iraq. I remember thinking that it must have been simply a continuation of Clinton's ROE and that Bush knew nothing of it beforehand (ah, those innocent days!) and that he would change the ROE.*<br /><br />By the same token, this is the policy that President Obama said he would <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">pursue</span>.<br /><br />Now you see why I <a href="http://thecatholiclibertarian.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-pray-for-president.html" target="_blank">pray</a> for the president? Who would want this job?<br /><br /><br />* Yes -- to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">preempt</span> the comments, I supported the invasion of Iraq, I supported the surge and I hope that our troops can now leave Iraq, and that Iraq will be mostly stable and most democratic. If you asked me at 8:58 a.m. on September 11, 2001 what my thoughts on Iraq were, I would have said end US enforcement of the no fly zone and come up with a sanction regime that allowed Iraq to buy and sell everything except weapon programs. 9/11 temporarily stopped the drift toward non-interventionism that I started around 1992.Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029092777053537.post-33697849448608566542009-01-23T22:57:00.000-05:002009-01-23T22:58:41.651-05:00I Want Some TARP!<p><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yGfQk9XXm24&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yGfQk9XXm24&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></p><p><br /> </p>Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06638332009159486046noreply@blogger.com0