culture of death
“The Interests of a Few”
The theories of the social contract…were elaborated at the end of the 17th century (cf. Hobbes): that which would bring harmony among men was a law recognized by reason and commanding respect by an enlightened prince who incarnates the general will. Here, too, when the common…
From Under the Rubble…How Many Holocausts?
On January 22nd, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators will take part in the forty first annual March for Life in Washington. They will be dutifully ignored by Big Media (well, the Post might send an intern), but it’s clear that the City of Man wishes they would go away. They won’t. And while their very…
From Under the Rubble…”Incredibly Small”
During his speech to the nation regarding Syria on September 10, Obama spoke of “humanity” four times. Three of them reflected the sense of the term made famous by Turgot (+1781), the Enlightenment progressive for whom “the total mass of mankind (l’humanité) marches… slowly but steadily toward ever greater perfection.” In his prodigious studies of…
From Under the Rubble…The Charitable Burden of Truth
“The best way of treating people with dignity is to tell them the truth.” Now there’s a revolutionary idea. In fact, it’s a Catholic idea, and these days, in a world where reality has been turned upside down, the Catholic devotion to truth – to the Way, the Truth, and the Life – might well be revolutionary….
Quo vadis, Cardinal Dolan?
Of the prelates of the Church that I think I might most enjoy having a drink with, His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan would be the one. His affability and Irish charm would no doubt be the life of the party. We would probably laugh uproariously over some jokes, enjoy some good conversation, and he would…
From Under the Rubble…Saint Benedict XVI?
A Jesuit friend remarked recently that, while several modern popes have been canonized, the last cardinal to be so honored – Saint Robert Bellarmine, S.J. – died almost 400 years ago. That observation suggests a rule of thumb for the upcoming conclave: it’s quite probable that some of the cardinals voting in the Sistine Chapel…
From Under the Rubble…Disasters, Defiance, and Definitions
Pop Quiz: When is a Neocon Not A Neocon? Answer. When he’s wrong. Which is most of the time. And that irks Charles Krauthammer. Dr. Krauthammer is an interesting character. For some thirty years he’s been a Washington fixture. Trained as a psychiatrist, he became a speechwriter for Vice President Walter Mondale. He then began…
From Under the Rubble…The Clintons: Cause and Effect
During his years in the White House, Bill Clinton’s “boiler room” brought damage control to a new level. His serial scandals — their number is legion – elicited a constant symphony of denial — kind of like Ravel’s Bolero. James Carville and Paul Begala – Clinton’s Bolero Brothers — reacted to every allegation with feigned…
The Smoke of Satan
Yet another hit on serious Catholics and Christians. On January 22, President Obama reaffirmed his support for Roe v. Wade saying the government should not intrude in this most private decision. Coupled with the HHS directive requiring health insurers to cover contraception and abortion taking effect this month, and the Inaugural Address support of homosexual…
From Under the Rubble…Hoaxes and Hokum
The sad specter of deception that is haunting my alma mater, Notre Dame, these days brings to mind another hoax, more disastrous by far than a college football hero’s “imaginary girlfriend.” The nation is about to celebrate (or not) the tenth anniversary of Colin Powell’s infamous testimony before the United Nations Security Council, delivered on…
