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?

November 30, 2013

the quality of the bishops

“The Holy Father wants bishops in tune with their people,” Vigano said, noting that he visited the pope in June. “He made a special point of saying that he wants pastoral bishops, not bishops who profess or follow a particular ideology.”


Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano is the papal nuncio [the ambassador] to the United States. This statement he makes is wonderful news. Jorge Mario Bergoglio is our Francis. As the eastern Church says frequently, "May God grant him many blessed years". Bergoglio was second in voting in the previous conclave. We can only imagine how things would be different, if he had more votes then.

I am not John Allen, nor David Gibson, nor a professional journalist; but as a national delegation, the United States may very well have the worst bishops on earth. Timothy Dolan, currently in New York City, is an attention seeking windbag. Robert Finn of Kansas City was convicted of failing to report suspected child abuse. Finn was extreme in using his office to inveigh for the Republican Party, and he is not the only one. Cardinal Raymond Burke, formerly of St. Louis, now in Rome was extreme in his support of the Republican Party, and he dresses in the highest, and most expensive of regalia. Not only have we ideological bishops, they have been anti-pastoral. They were the bad shepherds that Ezekiel and Jeremiah prophesied.

Now, in Cleveland Ohio, there is the protégé of Boston's disgraced Bernard Law. After the people of Boston suffered Richard Lennon, he has came to Ohio to wreak havoc. I wonder why such a man has become a priest. I have used so many metaphors describing him. He is a tyrant, he is like Hobbes' Leviathan, or the pharoa of old. He has the focus of purpose of Captain Ahab, as Gregory Peck said in the movie, "I don't give reasons. I give orders!"...

Rome knows he is a disaster. He has been privately asked by three envoys from Rome to retire. Rome has over ruled eleven of his parish evictions, in language that is quite blunt for the polite political language the church uses. A special apostolic visitation came to investigate him.

I have written numerous essays on what he has done to the People of God in Cleveland, Lorain, Akron and the rest of his domain. Type in the name, Lennon, in the search this blog box of a voice from the rustbelt and read some of the entries.

A change in bishop selection is most necessary. It is great news, that Francis has removed the Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, known to the press as the "Bishop of Bling". If the pope removes one such character, he gives notice to all the others.

November 30, 2013

Congressman Grayson is right.

Our national economy has changed. We are not in the days of the founding of the CIO. John L. Lewis, and the GM sit-down strike in Flint Michigan benefited millions of industrial workers, bringing them into a well paid working class. The reactionary counterstrike following Reaganism has taken much away. When, the president of the PATCO air traffic controllers was bound in chains before federal court, it was a turning point. Perhaps, it is now the workers (or servants) of the monolithic service trade of Walmart, McDonalds, and the like that will have to lead a counter on these multi-billionaires.

Photographs of a protestor against Walmart in Ontario California was partly the impetus for me to write this essay: Black Friday.

November 29, 2013

what Francis is saying

Hell-o Friends,

I have, or several years bookmarked Democratic Underground as a daily read. It has been a source of information and graphics. I have been wary in joining most things. I have Luddite tendencies, but oddly post internet journals, the chief being a voice from the rustbelt. I put one up on our Pope's newly released document, the Apostolic Exhortation, click.

I was home watching television when Jorge Mario Bergoglio, cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires was presented to the world as Pope Francis. I was happy, and teared up, for i knew immediately. In Catholic Christianity there is a symbolism, and usually the choice of a papal name is bland in comparison to the possibility of fullness that it might contain. For from the crucifix at San Damiano, Jesus said, (depending on translation) "Francis, seest thou not that my house is in ruins; go and restore it for me." Anyone with sense knew he meant the man from Assisi, yet idiot commentators were unsure.

Catholicism is a broad faith and church. As James Joyce described the Catholic Church, in Finnegan's Wake, "Here comes everybody". We have always had the best and the worst, the loving apostles of Jesus and pharisaic hypocrites. Francis by gesture after gesture is showing himself saint.

In regards to the current document, which was released immediately before US Thanksgiving, and the shopping season that floods the local television newscasts, Paragraph 54 damns everything from Reaganomics, which was only a return to pre-1933 prevailing US economics, and which is Republican party dogma. Paragraph 56 damns every economic point by Ayn Rand, the Tea Party, the Koch brothers, Fox cable, etc.

The "success" of economic Reaganism has largely been unchallenged in the US. Things have become economically increasingly unjust, and increasingly so. I don't like the terms much of "left" and "right" (or liberal and conservative), but Reaganism eliminated the "left" or progressive wing of the Democratic party; and the "right" wing of the Republican party just became more and more extreme. Pope Francis, economically and therefore politically, is more "liberal" than over 95% or even 99% of the elected Democratic party. As radical (or extreme) as the disciples of Reagan have become, Francis is radical in the opposite fashion. Reagan was selling arms to Iran, in order to give money to people in Latin America to kill people who were saying things as Francis is saying here. That sounds quite harsh, but it was so. Any US Republican who is supposedly a Catholic shares nothing with the Francis in these regards. Further, the bishops have become a part of the republican party apparatus. Now, they have to choose either to follow the golden calf, that Francis mentions in paragraph 55, or the "Joy of the Gospel" which is the name of the letter "Evangelii Gaudium". Or as Jesus said choose your master—"God or Mammon".