Most people know by now. The Washington Post has a slide show which displays the suffering. We need to help Haiti recover from this crisis and then continue the permanent international effort to reconstruct Haiti. I cannot imagine the Spirit of God inviting us to any other course of action.
As for Pat Robertson's comments that Haiti made a pact with the devil and thus the whole nation is being punished, I have to say that quite definitively, from my experience God does not punish people. We punish ourselves by refusing his grace and his grace is constantly being offered. His grace moves us to live in the present moment, to find him in our authentic desires to help the vulnerable, and to forgive and ignore the misguided statements of others.
Pat Robertson's statements need to be examined simply because the man has so much power. Quite simply, there is no merit to what the man is saying. I cannot imagine that the Spirit of God would have motivated a statement like that, in any way. Do other believers accept what the Reverend Robertson is saying?
The Washington Post continues the coverage.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Thoughtful Editorial About Ohio In The Akron Beacon Journal
The Beacon points out that Ohio's population is shrinking. As a Buckeye, I hope we can turn it around. I really appreciate the Beacon's emphasis on technological innovation. I would also like to point out that Ohio should advertise itself on the two coasts as a very nice place to raise a family--good neighbors, slower pace of life, short commutes, great parks and good schools (that are dealing with recessionary spending cuts). I can also add that the city of Akron has a great library system. In this era of telecommuting, I think that several people in New York, Philly, and Washington would like a more family friendly place to raise a family. We also are the home of the best athlete on the planet--LeBron James.
Moreover, I hope that we will be the site of the 2020 Olympics--the Lake Erie region's chance to really show itself to the world.
As for the local economy, I am convinced that Ford, Chrysler, and GM will turn around and remain strong.
Moreover, I hope that we will be the site of the 2020 Olympics--the Lake Erie region's chance to really show itself to the world.
As for the local economy, I am convinced that Ford, Chrysler, and GM will turn around and remain strong.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Brother Can You Spare a Dime? Toward A Veteran Job Corps
Reading about a homeless Iraq War Vet sleeping under a bridge in Warren, Ohio (Washington Post, December 17), I immediately felt a sense of compassion and outrage. How could we allow this? Our vets, who increasingly hail from working class and poor families, have put their lives on the line for our country. The least we can do is help ease their way back into the civilian economy. It is true that vets have lower poverty rates than non-vets and tend to have similar unemployment rates as non-vets, but given their sacrifice for all of us, the period of readjustment to civilian life, and the possibility of post traumatic stress disorder, we need to provide them with some kind of job security.
In the 1930s, FDR, the last truly great president (Reagan was good, but given the conservative understanding of government, a conservative president really can’t do enough to be great), was wise enough, compassionate enough and creative enough to develop the Civilian Conservation Corps. Roosevelt did so to employ the unemployed as well as to provide a crucial service to the country—the salvation of American land use policy. While we are not faced with 25% unemployment as FDR was, we are coping with the worst recession since the 1930s and economists tell us that the national unemployment rate will hover around 10% for a year or so. Others warn of the possibility of a double dip recession. For this reason, I propose that we develop a Veteran Job Corps (VJC) which would focus on the following projects:
First, our vets could be used to increase the manpower inspecting the hulls of ships entering our waters and the cargo of airplanes landing in our airports for potential terrorist threats. According to a 2009 GAO report, US Customs and Border Control has not been able to scan more than five percent of US-bound cargo containers coming from larger ports. Some of these VJC members would be working in American ports in conjunction with the US Coast Guard and some could be deployed overseas to ensure compliance in foreign ports. At the very least, we would have more people to intercept and scan more ships as they approach American harbors, given the low rate of scanning in large foreign ports. Security analyst Stephen Flynn has been warning about the danger of al Qaeda sealing a biological device in a shipping container since 2000. He argues that the chaos that would result from al Qaeda’s successfully detonating the device would cripple our economy because it would cause us to suspend the shipping of goods into our country.
Second, VJC vets could put the US at the forefront of green energy by aiding in the construction of green energy facilities throughout the United States. Surely our veterans have had so much experience reconstructing the infrastructure of Iraq and Afghanistan that learning a few more technical skills so that they might help put together wind turbines, solar facilities and other green sources will be easy. Moreover, once they have mastered these skills, they could easily transition into working for private sector green energy firms after their term with the VJC had ended.
Third, given the law enforcement duties many of them had to accept in Iraq, our vets would make excellent border patrol agents, using their skills in compassionate ways to handle the problem of illegal immigration.
Fourth, our vets could work throughout the country to aid our recycling efforts.
Fifth, the VJC could construct high speed rail between important destinations (e.g. New York to Cleveland to Chicago).
VJC vets would be provided with some kind of housing, perhaps taking advantage of some of the vacant housing left over from the housing bubble. They would be paid 5-10% more than they were paid in the military. They would also receive the same benefits they received in the military. The pay and the benefits would be an incentive to join the military in the first place, providing a boost to recruiting efforts.
Our military personnel are some of the finest people in our country. Many come from poor families. All risk excruciating injuries, disfigurement and death. None should have to risk unemployment during their transition back to civilian life. The Veteran Job Corps will eliminate that risk, guaranteeing that our nation’s mission to treat our vets with respect and justice is accomplished.
In the 1930s, FDR, the last truly great president (Reagan was good, but given the conservative understanding of government, a conservative president really can’t do enough to be great), was wise enough, compassionate enough and creative enough to develop the Civilian Conservation Corps. Roosevelt did so to employ the unemployed as well as to provide a crucial service to the country—the salvation of American land use policy. While we are not faced with 25% unemployment as FDR was, we are coping with the worst recession since the 1930s and economists tell us that the national unemployment rate will hover around 10% for a year or so. Others warn of the possibility of a double dip recession. For this reason, I propose that we develop a Veteran Job Corps (VJC) which would focus on the following projects:
First, our vets could be used to increase the manpower inspecting the hulls of ships entering our waters and the cargo of airplanes landing in our airports for potential terrorist threats. According to a 2009 GAO report, US Customs and Border Control has not been able to scan more than five percent of US-bound cargo containers coming from larger ports. Some of these VJC members would be working in American ports in conjunction with the US Coast Guard and some could be deployed overseas to ensure compliance in foreign ports. At the very least, we would have more people to intercept and scan more ships as they approach American harbors, given the low rate of scanning in large foreign ports. Security analyst Stephen Flynn has been warning about the danger of al Qaeda sealing a biological device in a shipping container since 2000. He argues that the chaos that would result from al Qaeda’s successfully detonating the device would cripple our economy because it would cause us to suspend the shipping of goods into our country.
Second, VJC vets could put the US at the forefront of green energy by aiding in the construction of green energy facilities throughout the United States. Surely our veterans have had so much experience reconstructing the infrastructure of Iraq and Afghanistan that learning a few more technical skills so that they might help put together wind turbines, solar facilities and other green sources will be easy. Moreover, once they have mastered these skills, they could easily transition into working for private sector green energy firms after their term with the VJC had ended.
Third, given the law enforcement duties many of them had to accept in Iraq, our vets would make excellent border patrol agents, using their skills in compassionate ways to handle the problem of illegal immigration.
Fourth, our vets could work throughout the country to aid our recycling efforts.
Fifth, the VJC could construct high speed rail between important destinations (e.g. New York to Cleveland to Chicago).
VJC vets would be provided with some kind of housing, perhaps taking advantage of some of the vacant housing left over from the housing bubble. They would be paid 5-10% more than they were paid in the military. They would also receive the same benefits they received in the military. The pay and the benefits would be an incentive to join the military in the first place, providing a boost to recruiting efforts.
Our military personnel are some of the finest people in our country. Many come from poor families. All risk excruciating injuries, disfigurement and death. None should have to risk unemployment during their transition back to civilian life. The Veteran Job Corps will eliminate that risk, guaranteeing that our nation’s mission to treat our vets with respect and justice is accomplished.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Women's Progress
Thoughtful essay in The Economist.
Note the recommendations for paid maternity leave and better child care in the US. I support both.
Note the recommendations for paid maternity leave and better child care in the US. I support both.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Understanding Progress
The Economist has an excellent essay about the nature of progress. It examines progress from a variety of perspectives and then concludes that progress is real, but not inevitable and that technological progress must be governed by moral progress. I completely agree. The piece is also written very well. I would add that the moral sensibility (analyzed by an American philosopher named Susan Neiman) that the essay refers to must be informed by a spiritual sensibility. That is, people will not sacrifice without an orientation toward the ultimate mystery of life. This mystery Buddhists call emptiness. Christians, Muslims and Jews call the mystery God. If we take the time to let ourselves let go of the rivalries and anxieties that the world seems to force upon us and sit in silence then we will experience that we--individually--are loved and accepted completely. When we then share this experience with others through liturgy and communal practice, we experience that we are accepted in peace by and with others.
It is this experience of wishing humanity well and of knowing our shared dignity that best motivates each of us to take risks, to question communal injustices, to challenge powerful scientific, political and economic interests with the desire to help the world see the truth and to oppose injustice. It is this spiritual experience, described so beautifully by each of the world's great religions, that frees us to forgive, reconcile and fertilize our renewed institutions with human creativity.
It is this spiritual experience that motivated Gandhi, King and Buber. It is this spiritual experience that motivated other lesser known prophets like the prophetic Jan Karski--who voluntarily underwent the torment of a Nazi death camp to attempt to end the Holocaust. It is spiritual experience that motivates Nobel Prize winners like the Dalai Lama and Barack Obama. It is spiritual experience that motivates prophets to critique distortion in spiritual institutions.
Special thanks to the Economist for this insightful piece.
It is this experience of wishing humanity well and of knowing our shared dignity that best motivates each of us to take risks, to question communal injustices, to challenge powerful scientific, political and economic interests with the desire to help the world see the truth and to oppose injustice. It is this spiritual experience, described so beautifully by each of the world's great religions, that frees us to forgive, reconcile and fertilize our renewed institutions with human creativity.
It is this spiritual experience that motivated Gandhi, King and Buber. It is this spiritual experience that motivated other lesser known prophets like the prophetic Jan Karski--who voluntarily underwent the torment of a Nazi death camp to attempt to end the Holocaust. It is spiritual experience that motivates Nobel Prize winners like the Dalai Lama and Barack Obama. It is spiritual experience that motivates prophets to critique distortion in spiritual institutions.
Special thanks to the Economist for this insightful piece.
The Crisis of College Costs
The Washington Post today reports that median household income has increased 17.6% since 1980 while the tuition, room and board at American universities has increased 120.7%. Moreover, the financial maneuvers that families had counted on to deal with universal university inflation have evaporated: students had counted on inexpensive student loans, but after the financial crisis, these have become more expensive and harder to come by. Parents had been using home equity loans, but since housing values have collapsed, home equity has disappeared. In the meantime, declining tax revenues and Wall Street bound endowments have prompted universities to cut back on grants and other financial aid.
Education experts are now worrying that universities will start sacrificing quality. Here are a few brief inter-holiday thoughts to get policy makers thinking about ways to turn this situation around:
1. Maintain the Democratic Congress that values education. If we start thinking we can allow our financial mess to pressure us into sacrificing quality at universities, we are sorely mistaken. In an era of booming trade deficits, our higher education system is still one product (if you want to call it a product) that the world prefers. In this increasingly culturally flat world, we want to ensure that foreign students will want to continue to come to the US to learn and then stay on as risk-taking innovators.
2. Invest in Pell Grants and change the requirements so that some of the middle class can qualify for them. Right now, many middle class families do not qualify for grants and are afraid of racking up tens of thousands of dollars (or even hundreds of thousands of dollars) of debt.
3. Expand Americorps and its student loan forgiveness program. Create more service opportunities so that more college grads have the chance to teach and engage in other forms of service while reducing student loan debt. Expand student loan forgiveness for other post-graduate service programs. More students will take risks and attend college if they know that they have somewhere to go after graduation.
4. As I have written before, expand the Peace Corps and turn it into the Green Corps, spreading carbon free energy throughout the world. If incomes stay flat, consider working student loan forgiveness into Green Corps service. For every month of Green Corps service, the federal government will forgive 5% of the loan. Allow Green Corps volunteers to serve more than one two year term.
5. Universities need to continue to examine needless spending. It is obvious that the increase in university costs have not translated into better economic opportunities for all Americans. If these expenditures did make a difference in the economic well-being of the American people, then median family income would have increased at a faster rate. Truth be told, if you look at the graph in the Post article, median income declined or remained flat from 2000 to 2009 while the cost of universities exploded from 74% to 120.7% (in comparison to 1980). In some cases, universities are spending money trying to create the most chic student housing. In other cases, administrators are being paid ridiculous amounts of money. Perhaps we need a governmental commission to make recommendations and then some kind of government action to enforce them (ie, certain states and universities do not get federal funding if they do not abide by the recommendations).
It is true that some of these proposals will cost money, but it will be money we will invest in our future, money that will increase future economic activity and thus reduce future debt. As for cutting unnecessary costs, all universities have some sense about how to do that.
Education experts are now worrying that universities will start sacrificing quality. Here are a few brief inter-holiday thoughts to get policy makers thinking about ways to turn this situation around:
1. Maintain the Democratic Congress that values education. If we start thinking we can allow our financial mess to pressure us into sacrificing quality at universities, we are sorely mistaken. In an era of booming trade deficits, our higher education system is still one product (if you want to call it a product) that the world prefers. In this increasingly culturally flat world, we want to ensure that foreign students will want to continue to come to the US to learn and then stay on as risk-taking innovators.
2. Invest in Pell Grants and change the requirements so that some of the middle class can qualify for them. Right now, many middle class families do not qualify for grants and are afraid of racking up tens of thousands of dollars (or even hundreds of thousands of dollars) of debt.
3. Expand Americorps and its student loan forgiveness program. Create more service opportunities so that more college grads have the chance to teach and engage in other forms of service while reducing student loan debt. Expand student loan forgiveness for other post-graduate service programs. More students will take risks and attend college if they know that they have somewhere to go after graduation.
4. As I have written before, expand the Peace Corps and turn it into the Green Corps, spreading carbon free energy throughout the world. If incomes stay flat, consider working student loan forgiveness into Green Corps service. For every month of Green Corps service, the federal government will forgive 5% of the loan. Allow Green Corps volunteers to serve more than one two year term.
5. Universities need to continue to examine needless spending. It is obvious that the increase in university costs have not translated into better economic opportunities for all Americans. If these expenditures did make a difference in the economic well-being of the American people, then median family income would have increased at a faster rate. Truth be told, if you look at the graph in the Post article, median income declined or remained flat from 2000 to 2009 while the cost of universities exploded from 74% to 120.7% (in comparison to 1980). In some cases, universities are spending money trying to create the most chic student housing. In other cases, administrators are being paid ridiculous amounts of money. Perhaps we need a governmental commission to make recommendations and then some kind of government action to enforce them (ie, certain states and universities do not get federal funding if they do not abide by the recommendations).
It is true that some of these proposals will cost money, but it will be money we will invest in our future, money that will increase future economic activity and thus reduce future debt. As for cutting unnecessary costs, all universities have some sense about how to do that.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
A Guiding Principle For Christians Considering Health Care Reform
The principle is now accepted by many different churches, but originated with Catholic Biblical reflection in Latin America. The principle is called "Preferential Option for the poor." Because the poor are so vulnerable (as in the case of the 12 year old who died of a tooth ache), and because they are affected by government policy more than the middle and upper classes, we must opt for the poor. That is, we need to choose the health care policy that most benefits the poor. As we look at the two basic options--the Democratic option that, although it seems to have lost the public option, will cover 90-95% of the uninsured (working poor) or the Republican option that will cover 5% of the uninsured (working poor)--the choice is clear: support that Democratic option. We have these statistics from the Congressional Budget Office, the most reliable source.
Recall Matthew 25:40 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
And Acts 2:45 All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need.
I am not advocating socialism. The principle allows for income differences, but when faced with two options--one helping the poor and the other indifferent to the poor--you choose the option that most helps the poor.
I have never heard an effective conservative response to this argument.
Moreover, you could argue that the policy that most helps the poor is also the most reasonable. Following the analysis of John Rawls in his Theory of Justice, the most rational choice is to choose the policy that most helps the poor because it is possible that someday you could be poor and would need the government subsidy for health care.
As the Catholic Church has taught me for years, faith and reason are always in harmony for God is the author of both faith and reason.
Recall Matthew 25:40 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
And Acts 2:45 All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need.
I am not advocating socialism. The principle allows for income differences, but when faced with two options--one helping the poor and the other indifferent to the poor--you choose the option that most helps the poor.
I have never heard an effective conservative response to this argument.
Moreover, you could argue that the policy that most helps the poor is also the most reasonable. Following the analysis of John Rawls in his Theory of Justice, the most rational choice is to choose the policy that most helps the poor because it is possible that someday you could be poor and would need the government subsidy for health care.
As the Catholic Church has taught me for years, faith and reason are always in harmony for God is the author of both faith and reason.
Prayers of Gratitude For Democracy
Given some of the rancor in the Senate, it seems to me that we should be praying for the well-being of each other, not that a 91 year old sage should be too infirm to make it to the Senate Chamber. It is the Holiday season. I pray for the well-being of all Americans, liberal and conservative. I pray in gratitude that I live in a democracy when so many do not. I pray that the USA might renew its commitment to freedom and the open and charitable exchange of ideas. I pray in gratitude that, as we move to a Senate vote on the Health bill, we might very well improve the lives of the poor.
Perhaps it would help to actually read passages of the Bible:
Matthew 25:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
32
and all the nations 15 will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34
Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
36
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'
37
Then the righteous 16 will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
40
And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41
17 Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43
a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
44
18 Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'
45
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'
46
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Micah 6
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8
You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
9
Perhaps it would help to actually read passages of the Bible:
Matthew 25:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
32
and all the nations 15 will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34
Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
36
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'
37
Then the righteous 16 will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
40
And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41
17 Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43
a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
44
18 Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'
45
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'
46
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Micah 6
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8
You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
9
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Here's Another Reminder: Twelve Year Old Deamonte Driver died because he did not have insurance
The Washington Post article
Senator Cardin just reminded us of the event on C-SPAN. Could just one Republican respond to this example? I want to read the rationalization. No disrespect intended. The Democrats have a few blind spots too. I just want to hear someone respond to this.
How can you claim that we already have the best health care in the world when this happened? A twelve year old. Can we give the working, and the word is working, poor the Christmas gift of ensuring that their children will not die of toothaches?
Let's let the Spirit of Justice lead us on this one.
Senator Cardin just reminded us of the event on C-SPAN. Could just one Republican respond to this example? I want to read the rationalization. No disrespect intended. The Democrats have a few blind spots too. I just want to hear someone respond to this.
How can you claim that we already have the best health care in the world when this happened? A twelve year old. Can we give the working, and the word is working, poor the Christmas gift of ensuring that their children will not die of toothaches?
Let's let the Spirit of Justice lead us on this one.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Congratulations to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton
Congratulations in successfully accomplishing what has evaded American leaders for twenty years: leading (and the word is leading) the industrial world into a preliminary agreement that will lead to monitoring and reducing green house gases. From more than one account, President Obama played a crucial role in preventing China, India, Brazil and South Africa from cutting a secret deal without the US. The President continually challenged other leaders to make commitments and the US led the effort to provide $100 billion to poor nations to help them deal with their own carbon problems. Secretary of State Clinton also challenged China to allow for international inspections, something the Chinese were not willing to do.
The issue is simple: we are the world's leading democracy. We set the example in transparency and accountability for the world. Recall the world's amazement with the way we resolved the 2000 election. We can do this again--this time with carbon, and it will provide an economic boon for us. The world's citizenry is concerned about carbon. We are Americans. We can surpass the other nations in carbon free production. We can prove it, advertise it, and thus lead. We lead the world in almost every other form of technology. Let's provide leadership in green cars, green energy, green production. The world will buy more American than Chinese because the world knows that, unlike the Chinese (whom I respect), we are not afraid of letting international observers prove that our products are ecologically sustainable.
Once again, thanks to the Obama administration for leading the world!
The issue is simple: we are the world's leading democracy. We set the example in transparency and accountability for the world. Recall the world's amazement with the way we resolved the 2000 election. We can do this again--this time with carbon, and it will provide an economic boon for us. The world's citizenry is concerned about carbon. We are Americans. We can surpass the other nations in carbon free production. We can prove it, advertise it, and thus lead. We lead the world in almost every other form of technology. Let's provide leadership in green cars, green energy, green production. The world will buy more American than Chinese because the world knows that, unlike the Chinese (whom I respect), we are not afraid of letting international observers prove that our products are ecologically sustainable.
Once again, thanks to the Obama administration for leading the world!
This Generation's Crucial Vote: Health Care Now!
This is it. If the Senate does not pass this bill, we will not have Health Care Reform for another 15 to 20 years. 30 million uninsured will continue to be uninsured, another 5 to 15 million will lose insurance, and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal debt will increase by trillions. Vice President Biden makes the case in The New York Times.
The Vice President is absolutely correct. This bill represents progress! There will be opportunities to build upon it in the future, but if we fail to pass it, we fail millions and hasten the dissolution of the Democratic majority in Congress.
From a Catholic perspective, the bill is fantastic. It provides health insurance for the working poor in a manner that progressives since Teddy Roosevelt have been attempting to secure for 100 years. For those religious people who argue that the bill is somehow excessive government decadence, please review the Torah's legal requirements to provide for the poor. The requirements to leave part of your field unharvested so the poor could glean food from them, to provide for widows and orphans, to provide for the foreigner, all of these were legal requirements for a nation. It is not a coincidence that Israel has had universal, government guaranteed health insurance for years. It is also not a coincidence that the Catholic Bishops, guided by the Holy Spirit, have very vigorously, and at times, ferociously demanded universal health insurance for all Americans for 100 years.
Here in Ohio and all around the Lake Erie region, where unemployment is in double digits, this reform is most welcome!
Cheers to the Senate for getting to this point and prayers that the Senate will finally get the job done and that the House-Senate conference will reconcile the different bills in the most progressive manner.
The Vice President is absolutely correct. This bill represents progress! There will be opportunities to build upon it in the future, but if we fail to pass it, we fail millions and hasten the dissolution of the Democratic majority in Congress.
From a Catholic perspective, the bill is fantastic. It provides health insurance for the working poor in a manner that progressives since Teddy Roosevelt have been attempting to secure for 100 years. For those religious people who argue that the bill is somehow excessive government decadence, please review the Torah's legal requirements to provide for the poor. The requirements to leave part of your field unharvested so the poor could glean food from them, to provide for widows and orphans, to provide for the foreigner, all of these were legal requirements for a nation. It is not a coincidence that Israel has had universal, government guaranteed health insurance for years. It is also not a coincidence that the Catholic Bishops, guided by the Holy Spirit, have very vigorously, and at times, ferociously demanded universal health insurance for all Americans for 100 years.
Here in Ohio and all around the Lake Erie region, where unemployment is in double digits, this reform is most welcome!
Cheers to the Senate for getting to this point and prayers that the Senate will finally get the job done and that the House-Senate conference will reconcile the different bills in the most progressive manner.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Cheers to Mr. Charles Krauthammer
Congratulations to Mr. Charles Krauthammer, conservative extraordinaire. Mr. Krauthammer is celebrating twenty years as a columnist. In my opinion, political discourse has benefitted from his column.
No one with any intellectual or rhetorical integrity can deny that his columns about Western self-hatred and liberal equivocation have encouraged liberals to move beyond our weaker moments.
Here's to another twenty years of combative clarification!!
No one with any intellectual or rhetorical integrity can deny that his columns about Western self-hatred and liberal equivocation have encouraged liberals to move beyond our weaker moments.
Here's to another twenty years of combative clarification!!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Important Warning From EJ Dionne
Regarding Democratic Governance. Dionne is one of the clearest thinkers in the US and a committed liberal.
The Link
It would be a disaster to lose the midterm elections.
The Link
It would be a disaster to lose the midterm elections.
Proposal: Host A Future UN Climate Conference in the US Rust Belt
Bring the intellectuals to the places where the rubber hits the road, where ecological thinking has to meet economic reality.
Great Article About Economic Hardship in Ohio
I have to say that the title "Beyond Repair" is a little off. I happen to think that Ohio is going to turn around.
Please note the absolute need to pass Health Care Reform (and I would add the need to have some kind of public option). Also note that NE Ohio would be the perfect place to locate Green Manufacturing!!
Here is the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/12/16/ST2009121604368.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Please note the absolute need to pass Health Care Reform (and I would add the need to have some kind of public option). Also note that NE Ohio would be the perfect place to locate Green Manufacturing!!
Here is the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/12/16/ST2009121604368.html?hpid=moreheadlines
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