December 3, 2013

Christ the logician.

Yes, i am familiar with these lines of propaganda. I don't need to know who is Moseley, they are legion. Such pseudo-Christians, or neo-Pharisees search to find a phrase they can wrench out of context, and graft onto their agenda.

One typical fundamental argument this sort uses, says Jesus speaks only to the individual (this is a basis of protestantism). No, Jesus speaks to all men. All men are brothers, and this was presented early in Genesis. Cain said to God, "And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?". -- Genesis iv. 9. Cain was wrong. This message is re-inforced in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which is in the Gospel of Luke x. 30-7. We are responsible for each other, a good neighbour (and by extension--a Christian) is one that helps those in need. We are a community. Christianity is a communal religion, it is not an individual pursuit.

Christ was a logician. As Christ logically taught we have only one master: it is God or Mammon. This principle is even taught in some business schools, in that, they acknowledge one can not concentrate on two demands at once. One will be primary.

Capitalism (which was generated in the area where Calvinistic protestantism met the industrial revolution) is a form of mammon worship. Capitalism wants to maximise profit. Capital is stored and accumulated labor. Without this cache of labor--there is no capital. Profit is receipts minus expenses. In every capitalistic business exchange the goal is to increase this vigorish. To accelerate and expand the principle: to get the most, while giving the least. To reduce to the ultimate simplicity: everything for nothing. THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIS WAY. He gave all, and demanded no material in return. A capitalist is a materialist (some of this definition).

Christian economic theories were: the early, simple communism of the early church, the theory of just prices of Augustine, the distributivism of Chesterton. In capitalism, as we know it to-day, there is given great power to the owner, or the chief economic officer, or simply management. In his business he demands to be as powerful as faro of old, an absolute despot. The dissenter is to be crushed, his prescribed role is to be silent and obedient. This is rather standard US business management theory. In regards to the Church of Christ, Peter’s Barque, it is anathema.

The greed of capitalism is complete. Community and justice are not to be considered. The desire is maximisation of profit. How is that done? Reducing cost of production, and increasing the price. When this is done fully, the product which is the goods and the labor would be reduced to zero, and the price would be all. Which is an absurdity. A nothing that costs all. A complete concentration of wealth, with no distribution. To receive everything, to give nothing.

The petty viciousness of the Republicans (or "Conservatives&quot , and their teabaggers contingent has no limit. Any action of government that would help the non-rich they would not permit. Their arguments reduce to the principle and cry "the rich are too poor, and the poor too rich; we must rectify this by all means". They worship Mammon, and hate the poor.

December 2, 2013

concerning our brother

Hell-o Lachrymosa,

Concerning our brother in Christ, Timothy Dolan:

The entire Catholic world noticed this grandstanding buffoon in Rome. It is general custom, and proper prudence to be reticent before and during a conclave to select the leader of the Universal Church. Our brother Timothy courted the press, and attempted to influence the press, and therefore the public. Besides being gauche, it was unprecedented (i think). One does not publicly (at least) campaign for the papacy. And it was ridiculous, it may play to an ignorant, and jingoistic US public, but it was impossible. The rest of the world would not accept a candidate from the US. Just as when Joe Pepitone was playing for the New York Yankees — weak bench, and the Yankees are not much popular outside of home.

Recently, it was announced that Dolan is initiating a second round of parish extinctions in New York City, see: click. Now, i have had experience with this. Parishes have been closed to gather the economic value of their patrimony. US bishops act too, too often as corporate executives with vulture capitalist tendencies. But the viler reason is the destruction of ethnic/nationality parishes, in order to create a homogenous, and bland American church. This violates the will of Jesus, Himself, "For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them". This is the basis of a parish. A parish is created to be perpetual.

Dolan enjoys being glib before the camera. He has too much in common with common Republican party apparatchiki, and too little with Francis. Please, do not consider this an open invitation for debate; i just answered (and somewhat reluctantly) your query. There is much to question about Timothy Dolan.

December 2, 2013

and Massachusetts had three senators

Tom Lehrer used to write and perform his political folk song parodies, and on occasion he pointed out Massachusetts' superiority, the only state with three US senators. Bobby Kennedy represented New York state at the time.

Yes, i remember now, and years ago, at work how some people absolutely reveled in their revile for anything Kennedy. Some were Republicans, but i worked labor, most were anti-Catholic bigots of some kind, and of course some had the unhappy co-incidence of being both; and after Reagan, i have encountered many Catholics that hate the Kennedys, of course they are all Republicans.

When i grew up, many of the people like myself, would make the point, "the Democrats care about the poor, and the Democrats care about labor". The response i often got, was "Republicans care about all Americans", or something similar. Now, we so often hear disparaging remarks against the very existence of Massachusetts, and California especially. Of course, there are Democrats who make similar remarks against groups, creeds, or locations of people; but the candidates do not run on the point.

December 2, 2013

The Day Bobby Died

from an old post of mine:

Tuesday, October 9, 2007
The Day Bobby Died


The day Bobby died, 6 June 1968, was an extremely tragic moment for America and, therefore, the world. Thomas Carlyle had a theory of history, that, history was shaped by the great men and their actions. No more momentous turning point of change, has there been in my lifetime, than, that which, occurred in the last generation, that of the death of Robert Francis Kennedy.

For one of many things, Bobby would have defeated Nixon. Life without Nixon, would have brought the Vietnam war to an end, years and lives earlier. The US would have enjoyed a better place in the eyes of the world and a better economy. The social problems that eat away at this country would have been lessened by great degrees. The Republican hegemony would not have happened. Bobby would have been president for eight years.

No Nixon, would have meant that G.H.W. Bush would have been sent to obscurity and his progeny would not have beleaguered the world. The current war would not be! Kennedy as president would have made Latin America a more peaceful and successful place. Oscar Romero would have lived and there would have been no Iran-contragate, for there would have been less need of revolt and bloodshed and the criminality and the extra-constitutionality of Watergate would not have been precedents for further erosion of law and justice.

One doubts that Ronald Reagan would have been able to mount a successful campaign in 1976. The Republican desire for the revenge for the failed Nixon would not have existed. The Iran situation would have been different and could not have been exploited by Casey for Reagan, as it was in 1980, and, that alone, gave him victory.

The greed of the Reagan-Bush minions would have been kept in check. Communism would have fell in 1989 anyhow, for Reagan and the role of the US were peripheral and minor and just economically costly.

The cause of the working man and the minorities would have advanced and without the ugly resistance caused by the Republicans, their corporate sponsors and ignorant followers. In such an environment NAFTA would not have come, Walmart would not have been able to get away with its tricks. Disparities in income would reflect western Europe and not the third world.

What sort of Republicans would there have been? So much of their apparatus would have been quashed. Would they have been a respectable and moderate party instead of the fascists, that, they are?

With the death of Bobby, the Catholic moment of US history and culture failed to come. The social and religious emphasis of Cesar Chavez, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and the martyred religious of Latin America [in fact the US aided their assassins and trained some of them] did not advance here, neither has the views of the last or current pontiff. The Sermon on the Mount has a very small audience since that black, black day.

Don McLean sang of the day the music died in '59* in the aeroplane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly and his companions. It was more than bad news on the doorstep, the day democracy died, when the bullets took the life of Bobby.

"Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence." -- spoken 6 June 1966 Capetown

"Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it." -- from his last speech
______________________
*date corrected

December 1, 2013

Competence is always refering to a comparision.

We have had in the last few years a twice legally elected president by two majorities of the electorate. We did not have that immediately previous to him. Now, in the persons of Barack Obama and georgebushjr, the entire world outside of the Republican party in the United States will say, "Yes, Obama is the competent one". Now, the Republican partisans pretty much acknowledge that too; but they are loathe to say so, and they are mendacious to begin with. One trouble with professional Democrats is their public courage is lacking.

"Competence?, competence!, you thrust george junior on the world for eight years; you care nothing at all about competence. You care only for control". Their noses need to be shoved into bushjr constantly? What, did those eight years of the busheviks disappear from history. The despicable Dick Cheney will not shut up, and when was he correct on anything?