Torture is a Moral Issue

This is the slogan of the National Religious Campiagn Against Torture, an umbrella organization of religious groups dedicated to ending US-sponsored torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Proclaiming that ”torture violates the basic dignity of the human person that all religions, in their highest ideals, hold dear”, the campaign encompasses Catholics, evangelicals, other Protestants, Orthodox, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. The US Catholic church has endorsed this campaign, and the USCCB has even issued its own study guide, entitled “Torture is a Moral Issue,”. It’s an excellent read, and does not shirk the key moral questions. About time!

Torturing Christopher Hitchens and Tales from China

We’ve discussed before how incredibly awful the waterboarding torture technique truly is. As Malcolm Nance– former master instructor and chief of training at the U.S. Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School (SERE) in San Diego, California — noted: “Waterboarding is not a simulation. Unless you have been strapped down to the board, have endured the agonizing feeling of the water overpowering your gag reflex, and then feel your throat open and allow pint after pint of water to involuntarily fill your lungs, you will not know the meaning of the word.”

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who is the Worst African Dictator of Them All?

I bet you are thinking: Robert Mugabe. If so, you would be wrong. Do not consider this in any way a defense of the loathsome Mugabe regime, run by a man who cares only about personal power while the people suffer immensely. Zimbabwe is a true humanitarian tragedy. But no, the man I am talking about is Teodoro Obiang, the ruler of Equatorial Guinea.

Talk By Michael Sean Winters

Michael Sean Winters, author of “Left At the Altar: How the Democrats Lost the Catholics and How the Catholics Can Save the Democrats,” will be speaking at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington DC this Tuesday. The talk, including a book signing, will take place in the North Conference Room (enter through the garage) at 7pm on Tuesday, July 1. I know nothing about the book, but it–and the talk– promise to be fascinating. Winters blogs over at America magazine. See this entry on his book, and the related Washington Post story. If you are in the area, come on by! And say hello to me!!

Roe and Heller, They Go Together

One issue in yesterday’s post on gun control that provoked a vigorous response was my contention that Roe and Heller were decided with the same underlying philosophy that emphasizes the right to individual liberty as long as it does not impinge upon the equally valid rights of another citizen. This is a very different philosophy of from that of Aquinas, where law is deemed an ordinance of reason for the common good made by him who has care of the community.

A Shameful Supreme Court Decision

The US Supreme Court has declared the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns to be unconstitutional as it violates the so called individual “right to bear arms”. We need to unpack this. The Catholic perspective is to start with Aquinas, who viewed law as “an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community”. The Enlightenment era gave us another view of the law, predicated on the notion of individual liberty as the foundation of society. In other words, the person has to right to do as they wish in search of personal fulfilment, as long as it does not impinge upon the rights of another. Law is then all about the enforcement of social contracts.

Catholics Lean Toward the Democrats

Mark Ambinder highlights some interesting new data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown. It shows that 60 percent of American Catholics support the Democratic party, or lean toward the Democratic party, while 36 percent support or lean toward the Republican party. Stripping out Hispanics changes the numbers only marginally: 57-40. This marks a distinct change from 2004, as Republican support has fallen a full 10 percentage points.

Karl Rove, Pro-Life Champion

Peter Steinfels wrote an interesting columna few days in which he revealed that Karl Rove is set to be the featured speaker at the National Right to Life Committee’s annual convention (Hat tip: Grant Gallicho.) Steinfels asks:

“Is it politically naïve to be surprised that the nation’s leading anti-abortion organization, which describes itself as nonpartisan, would make the star of its election-year convention the embodiment of the Bush administration’s politics at their most calculating and hard-hitting?”

Codpiece Diplomacy Alive and Kicking

Everybody’s least-favorite candidate, Rudy Giuliani has popped back into public view to attack Obama on security grounds. Surprise! Here is a statement he issued through the McCain campaign:

“Throughout this campaign, I have been very concerned that the Democrats want to take a step back to the failed policies that treated terrorism solely as a law enforcement matter rather than a clear and present danger. Barack Obama appears to believe that terrorists should be treated like criminals — a belief that underscores his fundamental lack of judgment regarding our national security.”

Consequentialism on the Supreme Court

One of the National Review’s advocates of codpiece diplomacy, Peter Wehner, takes issue with the Supreme Court decision in Boumediene v. Bush, determining that non-citizens locked up in Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention. As the majority noted: “Some of these petitioners have been in custody for six years with no definitive judicial determination as to the legality of their detention.’” I’ve already discussed this case, and the dissent by four Catholic justices, here. I’ve argued that it is a moral issue.

Ireland, the Lisbon Treaty, and the Church

Two days ago, the Irish electorate delivered a decisive “no” to the Lisbon treaty by a 53-47 percent margin. Ireland is the only country required to vote on it owing to a peculiarity of the Irish constitution. There are a number of reasons behind the defeat. The major one is that people simply did not understand the treaty. That is because it is largely procedural, concerned with a more efficient functioning of the European Union comprised of 27 member countries, with further expansion in the offing. It would strengthen the power of the directly-elected European parliament (so much for it increasing the democratic deficit), streamline the complicated working methods and voting rules, and allow Europe to speak with one voice on the world stage. It also emphasizes the foundational values of the union, including a charter of fundamental rights, freedom of European citizens and solidarity.

Catholic Justices Rule Shamefully….Again

In a landmark decision, the US Supreme Court ruled that the detainees at Guantanamo Bay have the right to habeas corpus, the right to challenge their indefinite detention in federal court. Remember the context: more than half of the men imprisoned here are not accused of taking part in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners. The majority were captured by reward-seeking Pakistanis and Afghan warlords and by villagers of highly doubtful reliability.

This is a victory for human rights and human dignity. The detainees can now force the government to present evidence against them– evidence that in all likelihood is not there for many if not most. But not in the eyes of four Catholic justices– Roberts, Alito, Scalia, and Thomas. That’s right, they dissented again.

Here’s what Roberts had to say: “I believe the system the political branches constructed adequately protects any constitutional rights aliens captured abroad and detained as enemy combatants may enjoy.” Nice, chief. These “aliens” are human beings created in the image and likeness of God with the same rights as you. Rights under the natural law are not contingent on what passport you hold. Like Roe v. Wade, this is a shocking instance of a Hobbesian social contractarian approach to law, whereby “aliens” are simply excluded from the remit of the contract.

Scalia, who is already on record defending the intrinsically evil act of torture, is even worse: “America is at war with radical Islamists…[the decision] will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed.” For Scalia, its even simpler. It’s all about consequentialism– let the end justify the means so we can do what it takes to keep America safe. Even if it means locking people up in a military camp outside of the US and throwing away the key.

So the next time people talk about appointing judges to overturn Roe v. Wade.. I say be careful what you wish for.

Obama, McCain, and Tax Progressivity

The impeccable Urban Institute has undertaken a detailed analysis of the tax policy proposals puts forth by the two candidates. The bottom line is clear: McCain’s tax cuts would primarily benefit those with very high incomes, raising their after-tax income by more than twice the average of all households. In contrast, Obama’s tax cuts are geared to the lower and middle-income groups, and taxes increase on the richest. In sum, Obama’s plan is progressive in the sense that it lowers taxes at the bottom and raises at the top, while McCain’s is regressive, even compared with a system whereby the Bush tax cuts are made permanent.

Obama, McCain, and Proportionate Reasons

There’s a lot of hot air circulating on this topic. In fact, I’ve probably contributed to it! But I wanted to write a short post explaining my prudential judgment as it relates to the choice of Obama over McCain.

Standing Up to Donohue

Bill Donohue, the partisan Republican who heads the so-called Catholic League is going for a repeat of 2004, when he extolled the virtues of George Bush and the phoniness and depravity of John Kerry. See here for the gory details. Now, I have no problem with somebody making these arguments, with Catholics making these arguments. But I have major issues with a person who heads something called the Catholic League taking a partisan stance.

Pseudo-Science

We all believe that there is no conflict whatsoever between faith and reason and that truth cannot contradict truth. And yet people– especially in America, for some reason– will often place ideology above reason. We see it with fundamentalists and evolution, a widespread position (including some fringe Catholics like Bill Donohue). We see it most notably with global warming, when we see Catholics routinely downplay the issues, appealing to pop novelists, science fiction writers, and what they deemed learned rebuttals. Of course, when you scratch beneath the surface, what really bothers them is maintaining America’s material standard of living, consumerist culture and “competitive advantage”. Future generations and the world’s poor don’t matter at all.

Well, here is an interesting tidbit. A new study has discovered that 90 percent of all books published since 1972 denigrating environmental issues and mainstream science are linked to conservative think thanks (and here “conservative” is used to denote a particular American political ideology, which has little to do with the true meaning of the word). Anyway, something to think about.

If these two can come together, anything is possible!

Two Protestant ministers fight climate change!

Lisante Apologizes… But Not Really

I wrote a few days ago about Msgr. Jim Lisante, a priest who made a pro-McCain, anti-Obama speech at a Republican event and used a prayer to make a cheap partisan quip.

Well, now Lisante says he should not have done so during the invocation — but reserved the right to publicly back McCain. “I do not as a priest forfeit my right as a citizen to a point of view, even when it comes to standing by a particular candidate,” he claimed. But that is disputed. Cardinal George’e response to Pfleger suggests otherwise, and his own diocese of Rockville Centre formally reminds priests every year that they are prohibited from publicly backing candidates or parties, and that parishes cannot host meet-the-candidates nights. And yet Bishop William Murphy is refusing to comment. Why?

They Won’t Get Fooled Again….Or Will They?

This election will be a key test. We already know what the Republicans will do, for it is what they always do. Expect to hear a lot about Jeremiah Wright, and all the stuff that makes Obama sound “foreign”, elitist, and hence out of touch– his name, place of birth, the “madrassah” he attended, his supposed Muslim background. Expect to hear about flag pins and his wife’s feelings about America. Expect to hear of his association with Louis Farrakhan and some dubious 1960s-era wannabe-revolutionaries.

In short, expect to hear everything except the actual issues. This will happen. It’s already happening. This tactic destroyed John Kerry and left Al Gore mortally wounded. My hope is that it won’t work this time, though, precisely because the Obama groundswell represents a repudiation of this kind of politics. Because the result of focusing on phony issues and ignoring policy leads to….well, it leads to George W. Bush.

It’s Finally Over!

Although Clinton has not yet conceded, it now appears that Obama is the Democratic nominee. We can all breathe a sigh relief. Of course, back before it all began, last December, some great and wise sage (hee hee) wrote the following:

“Anyway, for what it’s worth, I think it will be Obama vs. McCain, and Obama will win narrowly.”

Now let’s see if the second prediction comes true. I stand by it!

From the Mouth of a Pro-Life President…

George Bush in 2004, as witnessed by Ricardo Sanchez, ex-commander of U.S. troops in Iraq:

“Kick ass! If somebody tries to stop the march to democracy, we will seek them out and kill them! We must be tougher than hell! This Vietnam stuff, this is not even close. It is a mind-set. We can’t send that message. It’s an excuse to prepare us for withdrawal. There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!”

I guess this is what erring on the side of life means. Would Msgr. Lisante regard this too as “magnificent”? Only seven more months…

Fr. Pfleger, Meet Msgr. Lisante

There are two issues with the criticism of Fr. Pfeger.

First, should priests be political in the first place? There, I believe they cannot avoid it — after all, all Catholic social teaching is, in some basic sense, political — but should steer clear of partisanship, which — in the US context at least — means endorsing certain candidates. The problem with this approach is that the priest in question will find himself embracing the whole unsavory ideology. This post presents an example.

This brings me to the second issue: why is this criticism focused almost uniquely on those priests who support Democrats in general, and Obama in particular? I’ve already talked about the hypocritical approach between the treatment of Wright and Pfleger on the one hand, and Hagee and Parsley on the other (not forgetting the original exponents of “God punished America with 9/11″, Robertson and Falwell). Of course, some in the media caught on somewhat belatedly to this disconnect– but you read it here first!

Cluster Bombs Banned, US Dissents

A momentous agreement was reached in Dublin. Over 100 governments agreed on a treaty banning the use of cluster bombs, bombs that break up in the air and scatter hundreds of smaller bombs over a large area. The success owes much to a push from Gordon Brown, who agreed to take the UK’s cluster bombs out of commission. Who did not take part in these talks? Why, a sundry group of renegade countries including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel— and the United States. Yes, the Bush administration still defends the use of these weapons and even tries to browbeat its NATO allies into opposing the ban.

Bertone Drops Hints on New Encyclical

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone claims it will be called Caritas in Veritate, and that it intends not to repeat the obvious truths of Catholic social teaching, but instead focus on some contemporary issues– “I am thinking of globalization and other problems, like the food crisis and climate change.” Of course, this will not make some American Catholics happy. Those like Rick Santorum who not only opposes efforts to combat combat global warming, but actually argues that opposition to such measures is itself a moral issue. What incredible topsy-turvy logic, and how offensive.

Mis-Using Subsidiarity

It happens all the time: Catholics will invoke the principle of subsidiarity to back up what is really an ideological attraction to free market principles and to “small government” (whatever that means). But subsidiarity has little to do with the liberty of the individual from state power; rather, it emphasizes the key role of mediating institutions that stand between the individual and the state. In short, subsidiarity means there must be respect for civil society, and that these institutions should not cede their functions to higher and more distant authorities. Fundamentally, it is about community, and how the common good is exercised. It is about personal relationships, how human bonds can be formed without sacrificing human dignity.

It’s Not Always About Abortion

A few weeks ago, Katerina ran an interesting little informal poll, posing the question: if abortion was off the table, who would you vote for? I must admit, cynical as I am, that I was somewhat surprised by the results, which showed an almost 2-1 bias in favor of McCain. Basically, all those who claimed to pick McCain over Obama because of the abortion issue also picked McCain over Obama in the hpothetical situation where abortion was not an issue. Now, while I am not even remotely trying to lecture Catholics on who they should vote for, I still find this somewhat disturbing, as it leads me to question the centrality of abortion in this moral calculus, raising questions of whether it is really the defining issue that many claim it to be. To put it bluntly, I fear abortion is being used as a political tool.

Whose Chief Political Advisor?

We all know that Jermiah Wright is the chief political adviser of the Obama campaign. After all, what else can account for the obsession with this man’s words in the media?OK, let’s get back to reality: Wright is not part of Obama’s campaign. But John McCain’s political adviser is a man named Charlie Black, a man who made money lobbying for some of the world’s nastiest thugs and dictators. Consider Jonas Savimbi, the Angolan rebel who plunged his country into perpetual civil war, fostered the blood diamond trade, engaged in widespread torture, personally beat to death an opponent’s wife and children, shelled civilians, sowed countless land mines, and then bombed a Red Cross-run factory making artificial legs for the victims. And he did all this with the funding from the US, in no small part due to Charlie Black, the man who is now chief political adviser to John McCain. Will there be outrage? Hardly. After all, lobbying is a respectable business while preaching a prophetic message in a black church about the sins of the US (in which Charlie Black has a hand) clearly is not.

Torture Supporter Lectures Nuns

Kathryn Jean Lopez:

“CNN is highlighting a story of a Catholic nun in South Bend who were turned away from their polling place today for insufficient ids. My takeaway question: What were any Catholic sisters doing voting for either Clinton or Obama?”

Now, this is highly ironic, especially since Ms. Lopez is on record as defending an intrinsically evil act (waterboarding). Indeed, if we interpret the infamous 2004 “Ratzinger letter” as many partisans would like to interpret it, then Ms. Lopez should be barred from communion for manifest public support for torture. And yet here she is, telling nuns who to vote for. Incredible.

Pictures of Hiroshima

In 1945, an American solider, Robert Kapp, found ten undeveloped photographs in a cave outside Hiroshima. Mr. Kapp donated them to the Hoover Institution in 1998, with the proviso that they not be released until 2008. And now they are released, and they portray the most unspeakable barbarity associated with the American nuclear attack. 

Bill Donohue is Back, Showing His True Colors

I used to keep a close eye on Bill Donohue’s buffoonish tactics at the Catholic League, but grew tired of it. Now I read, courtesy of David Gibson, that Donohue is attacking Catholics who support Obama, calling them “dissidents” (in right-wing Catholic circles, this usually means “disagrees with me” rather than deviate for core Church teaching, as the cafeteria often wide open for these people). For here is Donohue’s chief concern:

“there is not one who agrees with the Catholic Church on all three major public policy issues: abortion, embryonic stem cell research and school vouchers.”

What the American Right Cares About

From Andrew Sullivan:

Perusing the National Review’s “Corner”– a fair representation of the views of the mainstream American pseudo-conservative movement– reveals the following:

- The number of times the words “health care” is mentioned: 7
- The number of times the word “Iraq” is mentioned: 15
- The number of times Rev. Wright is mentioned: 230

It’s clear why they are focusing on this. But, to be fair, I doubt the number for the mainstream media are much better. It really shows the utter shallowness and depravity of the current political debate.

John McCain’s Really Bad Health Care Plan

Not much new here. See here and here for good analyses. Basically, McCain takes Bush’s discredited plan and warms it up a little. The idea is to sever the link between employment and health insurance, by giving individuals a $2,500 tax credit and families a $5,000 tax credit to shop around for the best deal they can find on the private insurance market. This will do absolutely nothing to help the uninsured, the underinsured, or both rationed by cost from getting health care– for it is based on the fallacious premise that the problem is over-consumption of heath care, and that if only people felt some price pressures, they would cut back on some spending and bring costs down. And of course, making health care less affordable will increase rationing by cost, and may lower health care spending. But is that the way to go?

Deal Hudson and Deacon Sambi

In relation to my previous post, it goes without saying that Deal Hudson is at the front of the line in terms of demanding that pro-abortion politicians be denied communion. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Bush’s outreach man, the original Republicath. He is now fixated on whether nuncio Sambi gave communion to Kerry, Dodd, and Pelosi at the papal Mass in Washington DC– because Bob Novak said so. Well, Deal has the pictures (can you believe these characters sent people to the Mass to get these shots?) He shows Kerry receiving communion from a priest who is clearly not Sambi. But Dodd? Well, Deal is not so sure. Here is the picture:

And here is Deal’s commentary: “The gray-haired priest giving communion to Sen. Dodd could be Sambi, but it’s hard to tell”. Hard to tell? Sorry, Deal, but this man is clearly a deacon!!! I guess when you focus all your energy on using the Church to bash your opponents, you can miss a few minor details.

Communion Wars, Again

I guess this should have been predictable. While those of us lucky enough to attend a papal Mass will always treasure that wonderful and unique experience, a small embittered group immediately starting jumping up and down and waving their fists– first about how they didn’t like the liturgy (yes, it’s about them, isn’t it) and second, how certain abortion-supporting politicians had the gall to receive communion. Actually, that really encapsulates the priority of this loud group of fringe Catholics: traditional liturgical piety and banning politicians they don’t like from the Eucharist. These are the two topics that generate the most heat, but little light, the most venom, but little charity. MZ has already ably picked apart the flawed logic of Robert Novak.

Vox Nova At the Movies: Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay

I admit it, I have a weakness inane comedies, including ones that can be a tad crude. My all-time favorites, of course, hail from the other side of the “big blue wobbly thing”– Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Ali G, and Father Ted (the latter should be compulsory viewing for Catholics). On the American side of things, I’ve always loved Mike Myers and something about Will Ferrell just cracks me up. I also loved the first Harold and Kumar movie– Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. I made the mistake of telling woman who would become my wife that it was one of the funniest movies of all time — leading her to raise serious questions and my judgment!!

There is no “war on terror”

In reading Blackadder’s post on torture, I noticed that “The War on Terror is not only a battle of bombs and bullets, it is a battle of ideas”. It must be serious– it is capitalized! But the premise of this whole argument is fallacious– for phrase “war on terror” is utterly devoid of meaning. Indeed, it is one of the most cynical, most vacuous, most Orwellian phrases dreamed up by the Bush administration.

What does it mean? How can you declare war on a concept, on an activity, lacking all specificity? It would be the like saying we need a war on divorce, a war on illicit sex, a war on lying, a war on abortion, a war on unjust war itself! The point is pellucid: buying into this phrase means buying into a violent language, a notion that we need to use force, to glory in the use of force even, to combat a particular evil act. And that, of course, flies in the face of what the Church teaches in terms of dealing with the root causes of terrorism. Of course, it is perfectly compatible with a Calvinist foreign policy, which is why it has been embraced by so many Americans (and viewed with a mixture of bewilderment and horror by many in the rest of the world). Ironically, the phrase “war on terror” is akin to how some Muslims use the term “jihad”, in the sense that it hints at violence, and does not rule out violence, but also offers sufficient linguistic space for plausible deniability

Health Care Around the World

It’s been a while since I wrote about my favorite topic. But now, Jonathan Cohn discusses an interesting PBS documentary on comparative health care systems across the world. Unlike Sicko, the tone is sober, and it doesn’t include Cuba in its list of comparators! It also does not avoid the problems that these countries face with their health care systems. Still, the bottom line is clear: “Every system the film portrays has its problems, but overall each one seems to deliver a better total package than the one in the U.S.”

Mindless Menace of Violence, 40 Years On

The 1960s were a strange time, and the political battles joined in that era are still being fought today (this is one of the reasons I think Obama is a superior candidate, by the way). One the one hand, you had great accomplishments in civil rights, as Martin Luther King unleashed the power of the gospel against the racist establishment. On the other hand, there was a marked shift away from notions of the common good, toward a greater emphasis on the supremacy of individual satisfaction– the sexual revolution, abortion, the “greed is good” philosophy of the Reagan years (anybody who cannot see how these are all related is not looking hard enough). And yet, looking back on this confused period and generational flux, signs of hope still speak to us in the present day, especially in an era of spin, money politics, division, and “truthiness”.

The legacy of King is clear. So is the legacy of Bobby Kennedy, one of the most inspiring American public figures in history, a man deeply influenced by his Catholicism, a man who went through a number of personal conversions to become a forthright advocate for peace. And of all Kennedy’s words, the speech he delivered on violence over 40 years ago — just weeks before his own assassination– stands out for its eloquence, its prescience, and its hope.

God Bless Jimmy Carter

Back in the 1980s in Northern Ireland, it emerged that John Hume was in secret discussions with Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein, at a time when the latter was supporting a vicious and brutal campaign of terror and intimidation. What Hume did was beyond the pale, and he took a lot of heat for it, including from the Irish and British governments (it was even illegal to broadcast the voice of Adams on TV or radio at that time– a sign of how radioactive he was in the political sphere). Backed against a wall, Hume claimed that he would do anything, talk to anybody, for peace. His pluckiness paid off, as the Hume-Adams dialogue paved the way for the Good Friday agreement and a peaceful settlement to a situation that was once deemed intractable.

Who Wants to See President Kennedy’s Funeral?

This Friday, April 25, at 7pm, the Faith Formation Committee of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington DC will show the DVD of John F. Kennedy’s funeral, which took place in the very same cathedral. DC-area folks reading this are most welcome to attend — it’s in the East Conference Room, lower level. I’ve already glossed over it, and it’s fascinating, not least for a perfect example of the Tridentine Mass as it was celebrated at the time. And then there is Cardinal Cushing’s Latin, enunciated in a flat Boston accent! If you do come, make sure to say hi!