Will any more people die as a result of Obama's lifting of the ban on federal funding of abortion-providers abroad than would have died as result of John McCain's Bush-like poverty inducement (poverty being far and away the largest cause of death before as well as after birth - hopelessly poor women have abortions) and never-ending war (with, among so much else, all the abortions that follow all the rapes and prostitution)?
Obama, McCain and Bush are all as anti-life as each other, just in different ways. Well, mostly different, anyway. McCain is in favour of scientifically worthless embryonic stem-cell "research". Like all Republicans, Bush delivered absolutely no change whatever to the abortion law (consider that in "godless" Europe, the usual upper time limit is 12 weeks, several countries outlaw abortion entirely, and by far the most liberal laws are in Americanised Britain and those lands to the east still caught up in the cult of Ronald Reagan).
If such a change ever did come to pass, then the white Catholics (who have decided every Presidential Election since 1976) and the white Evangelicals would simply declare "Mission Accomplished" and go home to the Democratic Party. Last year, the white Catholics, at least, simply did so anyway. The white Evangelicals will be next.
Meanwhile, much bitching about Douglas Kmiec - the conservative law school professor, strong traditional Catholic, associate of the Evangelical-related Pepperdine University, and Obama supporter - and his possible appointment as Ambassador to the Holy See. The price of his support? Why ever ever not? Whom would you want instead as Ambassador to the Holy See, and why? The Democratic Party has no shortage of Catholics decidedly lacking in traditionalist credentials or Evangelical connections.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Not Great, But Could Have Been A Whole Lot Worse
From Right Democrat:
New York Governor David Paterson has named U.S. Representative Kirsten Gillibrand to the United States Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton. Gillibrand isn't viewed as your typical New York Democratic politician according to a recent Newsday profile:
When Kirsten Gillibrand ran against GOP Rep. John Sweeney in 2006, he tried to paint her as an urban liberal, a potentially lethal label in their rural upstate district.
But during her victorious House campaign and two years in office, Gillibrand (D-Hudson) has positioned herself as a centrist, with an "A" grade from the National Rifle Association as evidence of her willingness to break from Democratic orthodoxy. She also voted against the Wall Street bailout and was the only New York Democrat to vote to extend funding for the Iraq war in 2007. [No one's pefect.]
"She had to shake the perception that she was a city liberal," said David Wasserman, of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "Her voting record has indicated that she is different from a Charlie Rangel or a Carolyn Maloney or even a Nita Lowey."
In Congress, Gillibrand has been a proponent of immigration control co-sponsoring the SAVE Act introduced by Congressman Heath Shuler D-NC. The SAVE Act would create eight thousand additional Customs and Border Patrol positions and require all employers to verify legal status through the Social Security Administration. See here (PDF).
Gillibrand is a strong supporter of labor and advocate for worker's rights. Stuart Applebaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union noted that Representative Gillibrand has a near perfect voting record on pro-worker legislation and is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act. Applebaum stated: "As Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand will be a strong and vocal advocate for issues that are important to working families and the RWDSU looks forward to continuing our work with her."
Now, on to Delaware, and probably to Massachusetts and West Virginia as well.
Meanwhile, is it now time to take advantage of the electoral laws in New York and create a People's Party of New York State for ballot line, fusion purposes? It could be the pro-life, pro-family, pro-worker and anti-war party of economically populist (i.e., economically patriotic), morally and socially conservative foreign policy realists.
No Republican has attained statewide office in New York since 1974 without the endorsement of the Conservative Party. No one from either main party could expect it without the endorsement of the People's Party once it was up and running (the black and Catholic churches await, for a start).
And if neither provided anyone suitable, then the Conservative Party put Jim Buckley in the Senate under such circumstances. So it can be done.
New York Governor David Paterson has named U.S. Representative Kirsten Gillibrand to the United States Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton. Gillibrand isn't viewed as your typical New York Democratic politician according to a recent Newsday profile:
When Kirsten Gillibrand ran against GOP Rep. John Sweeney in 2006, he tried to paint her as an urban liberal, a potentially lethal label in their rural upstate district.
But during her victorious House campaign and two years in office, Gillibrand (D-Hudson) has positioned herself as a centrist, with an "A" grade from the National Rifle Association as evidence of her willingness to break from Democratic orthodoxy. She also voted against the Wall Street bailout and was the only New York Democrat to vote to extend funding for the Iraq war in 2007. [No one's pefect.]
"She had to shake the perception that she was a city liberal," said David Wasserman, of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "Her voting record has indicated that she is different from a Charlie Rangel or a Carolyn Maloney or even a Nita Lowey."
In Congress, Gillibrand has been a proponent of immigration control co-sponsoring the SAVE Act introduced by Congressman Heath Shuler D-NC. The SAVE Act would create eight thousand additional Customs and Border Patrol positions and require all employers to verify legal status through the Social Security Administration. See here (PDF).
Gillibrand is a strong supporter of labor and advocate for worker's rights. Stuart Applebaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union noted that Representative Gillibrand has a near perfect voting record on pro-worker legislation and is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act. Applebaum stated: "As Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand will be a strong and vocal advocate for issues that are important to working families and the RWDSU looks forward to continuing our work with her."
Now, on to Delaware, and probably to Massachusetts and West Virginia as well.
Meanwhile, is it now time to take advantage of the electoral laws in New York and create a People's Party of New York State for ballot line, fusion purposes? It could be the pro-life, pro-family, pro-worker and anti-war party of economically populist (i.e., economically patriotic), morally and socially conservative foreign policy realists.
No Republican has attained statewide office in New York since 1974 without the endorsement of the Conservative Party. No one from either main party could expect it without the endorsement of the People's Party once it was up and running (the black and Catholic churches await, for a start).
And if neither provided anyone suitable, then the Conservative Party put Jim Buckley in the Senate under such circumstances. So it can be done.
No More NATO
The NATO Secretary-General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, will step down at NATO’s sixtieth anniversary summit in early April. This is an excellent opportunity to abolish NATO, which hasn’t done anything worthwhile since 1991, and which only still exists to annoy the Russians gratuitously.
Friday, 23 January 2009
"The Christian Answer To Islam"?
As the Maronites used to be known.
With Richard Holbrooke on the case, expect the Taliban to be given the whole of Afghanistan (Pashtun or not) and the Pashtun parts of Pakistan, and anyone who opposes or has ever opposed their rule of those areas to be hauled before the International Criminal Court for a show-trial ending in a judicial or extrajudicial execution.
But George Mitchell is another story. He may be a part-Irish Maronite, but he is a Maronite all the same.
So, he could deliver an Ulster-style carve-up between Hamas and the most recalcitrant West Bank settlers, with everyone else as permanent junior partners in a coalition of which no one was therefore asking any questions.
But he is far more likely to deliver whatever is best for the Maronites, and with them the (in Palestine, far more numerous) Melkites and Latin Catholics, as well as the Syrian Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenians, the Anglicans and the Lutherans.
That involves neither Hamas (never mind Hizbollah, whom the Maronites know very well indeed), nor anything really recognisable as Zionism, whatever terminology or trappings might have to be retained.
With Richard Holbrooke on the case, expect the Taliban to be given the whole of Afghanistan (Pashtun or not) and the Pashtun parts of Pakistan, and anyone who opposes or has ever opposed their rule of those areas to be hauled before the International Criminal Court for a show-trial ending in a judicial or extrajudicial execution.
But George Mitchell is another story. He may be a part-Irish Maronite, but he is a Maronite all the same.
So, he could deliver an Ulster-style carve-up between Hamas and the most recalcitrant West Bank settlers, with everyone else as permanent junior partners in a coalition of which no one was therefore asking any questions.
But he is far more likely to deliver whatever is best for the Maronites, and with them the (in Palestine, far more numerous) Melkites and Latin Catholics, as well as the Syrian Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenians, the Anglicans and the Lutherans.
That involves neither Hamas (never mind Hizbollah, whom the Maronites know very well indeed), nor anything really recognisable as Zionism, whatever terminology or trappings might have to be retained.
The Cleared Highlands
Next week's Question Time comes from Fort William. But even the Lib Dems are putting up Jo Swinson, who sits for East Dumbartonshire. The Holyrood seat of the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon is in Glasgow.
I do not know who the Labour panellist will be, but I bet that it will not be Brian Wilson, nor even any list MSP from the Highlands and Islands. And the Tories really are excelling themselves, providing Michael Gove, an Aberdonian who has lived his entire adult life in either Oxford, or London, or his constituency of Surrey Heath.
Clearly, no Highlander, born or adopted, is deemed capable of discussing politics.
And if it is going to stand for this sort of thing, then why does the BBC bother moving Question Time around the country at all?
Oh, and the week after next, one of the panellists is to be Will Young.
I do not know who the Labour panellist will be, but I bet that it will not be Brian Wilson, nor even any list MSP from the Highlands and Islands. And the Tories really are excelling themselves, providing Michael Gove, an Aberdonian who has lived his entire adult life in either Oxford, or London, or his constituency of Surrey Heath.
Clearly, no Highlander, born or adopted, is deemed capable of discussing politics.
And if it is going to stand for this sort of thing, then why does the BBC bother moving Question Time around the country at all?
Oh, and the week after next, one of the panellists is to be Will Young.
Slumdog Millionaire
On the return of Jonthan Ross, I cannot do better than the words of Charles Moore:
In a Liverpool case last week, the court heard that a teenager had been paid £50 to brandish guns on a BBC Panorama programme. He was not paid directly, but had been procured by a middle-man, referred to as ‘Male C’. After the 17-year-old had waved his guns about for the cameras — to illustrate Merseyside gang culture — Male C said ‘Nice one’ and gave him the money.
I felt a twinge of envy. At much the same time, I was being interviewed by Panorama for a programme, due next week, about swearing, Jonathan Ross and all that. At one point in the hour and a half of which, I would guess, a maximum of 15 seconds will be used, I mentioned payment for my services and was met with a gale of laughter. But then I had no Male C to fight for me, and I was unarmed.
Ross, though 48 years old, in some ways resembles the Liverpudlian teenager. He has understood that there is money in bad behaviour. His equivalent of Male C is a figure known as his ‘agent’, who has managed to extract £6 million a year from the BBC in return for the use of four-letter words and making indecent suggestions about public figures.
While I was doing my interview, I was told to sign the customary ‘release’ form assigning copyright to the Corporation. I noticed that it contained a clause saying ‘You agree that your contributions will not bring the BBC into disrepute or be defamatory.’ It occurred to me that if I removed the word ‘not’ from that sentence, I might be on the way to £6 million a year.
In a Liverpool case last week, the court heard that a teenager had been paid £50 to brandish guns on a BBC Panorama programme. He was not paid directly, but had been procured by a middle-man, referred to as ‘Male C’. After the 17-year-old had waved his guns about for the cameras — to illustrate Merseyside gang culture — Male C said ‘Nice one’ and gave him the money.
I felt a twinge of envy. At much the same time, I was being interviewed by Panorama for a programme, due next week, about swearing, Jonathan Ross and all that. At one point in the hour and a half of which, I would guess, a maximum of 15 seconds will be used, I mentioned payment for my services and was met with a gale of laughter. But then I had no Male C to fight for me, and I was unarmed.
Ross, though 48 years old, in some ways resembles the Liverpudlian teenager. He has understood that there is money in bad behaviour. His equivalent of Male C is a figure known as his ‘agent’, who has managed to extract £6 million a year from the BBC in return for the use of four-letter words and making indecent suggestions about public figures.
While I was doing my interview, I was told to sign the customary ‘release’ form assigning copyright to the Corporation. I noticed that it contained a clause saying ‘You agree that your contributions will not bring the BBC into disrepute or be defamatory.’ It occurred to me that if I removed the word ‘not’ from that sentence, I might be on the way to £6 million a year.
Taking Time
Now, I know that EastEnders is not exactly realistic. And I know that the idea of a boy of about 14 or 15 buying the time of a (not much older) prostitute so that she can enjoy some fast food and a chick-flick on DVD with him rather than plying her trade is particularly far removed from cinéma vérité in any sense of the term. But it still set me thinking.
Father Michael Pfleger may have more than a touch of Tim Westwood or Ali G (but not for a laugh) about him. And his flock is certainly entitled to orthodox Catholic catechesis, including, as Latin Catholics, the Roman Rite recognisable as such.
But we orthodox Catholics need to look at Saint Sabina’s, Chicago. Where are our employment resource centres? Where are our social service units? Where are our homes for the elderly? Where are protests against our own equivalents of Jerry Springer (Jeremy Kyle) and Howard Stern (Jonathan Ross)? Where are our battles against drugs? And where are our purchases of prostitutes’ time in order to send them to counselling and job-training schemes? For that matter, where are our counselling and job-training schemes?
If we fail to provide these things, then we leave the way open, at best for Catholic priests who fail to ensure orthodox Catholic catechesis (including, for Latin Catholics, the Roman Rite recognisable as such), but more probably for persons even worse than that.
Father Michael Pfleger may have more than a touch of Tim Westwood or Ali G (but not for a laugh) about him. And his flock is certainly entitled to orthodox Catholic catechesis, including, as Latin Catholics, the Roman Rite recognisable as such.
But we orthodox Catholics need to look at Saint Sabina’s, Chicago. Where are our employment resource centres? Where are our social service units? Where are our homes for the elderly? Where are protests against our own equivalents of Jerry Springer (Jeremy Kyle) and Howard Stern (Jonathan Ross)? Where are our battles against drugs? And where are our purchases of prostitutes’ time in order to send them to counselling and job-training schemes? For that matter, where are our counselling and job-training schemes?
If we fail to provide these things, then we leave the way open, at best for Catholic priests who fail to ensure orthodox Catholic catechesis (including, for Latin Catholics, the Roman Rite recognisable as such), but more probably for persons even worse than that.
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