Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Fun

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    How is it that outside people or organizations should dictate to them how they are to conduct their Church, as long as they are with in the law.

    Oh, so it's "dictating" to point out the hypocrisy of Archbishop Naumann to pull this crap on Kathleen Sebelius because she doesn't toe his line on abortion as an elected official... but won't do the same to any Catholic who expresses public support for President Bush, whose line on torture and the War on Iraq isn't exactly in line with Catholic teaching either.

    And anyone who thinks Kmiec is any kind of "abortion advocate" (let alone a staunch one) simply because he endorses Obama, is stupid or a liar.

    But I keep forgetting, when faith is reduced to no more than politics by other means hypocrisy and rank dishonesty is no sin at all.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • James Bremner,

    Deborah,
    What a load of bollocks. Being screwed around on is more than grounds for divorce. If people can work it out and stay together, then good for them. But staying in a marriage when you are continuing to be screwed around on is not a good thing at all, emotionally or physically. I would have thought feminism would have been about women getting out of that kind of situation, rather than staying in it.

    NOLA • Since Nov 2006 • 353 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    looks like she's all over, at least according to the Huffington Post headlines

    Yes. It's funny how people on the campaign are calling it a "victory party" though.

    Surely they're not going to pull that "popular vote" bullshit -- the line where she wins if you only count some of the states and ignore differences in state-by-state rules that make a nonsense of a popular vote count ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • James Bremner,

    Craig,
    If my memory serves me correctly, Seblius has vetoed several bills restricting late term abortion, which is more then enough reason to be denied communion. I find it difficult to comprehend how it is that in 2008, late term abortions are carried out in a civilized society. It is just grotesque.

    A better question might be why she hasn't been excommunicated yet. Still, this is the Catholic Church which protected pedophile priests for decades, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

    NOLA • Since Nov 2006 • 353 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    If my memory serves me correctly, Seblius has vetoed several bills restricting late term abortion, which is more then enough reason to be denied communion.

    James: I'd really appreciate it if you didn't pull canon law out your arse. The funny thing is that Kathleen Sebelius did not veto that bill because she's a 'staunch abortion advocate' (which she isn't) but because it was so badly drafted it might was well have had DEAR STATE SUPREME COURT -- I'M UNCONSTITUTIONAL PLEASE STRIKE ME DOWN watermarked on every page.

    In short, she made a call on the basis of prudential public policy and I'd love to see you cite any authority in canon law, that it is within the competence of the Magisterium to use a church
    sanction to punish anyone a priest has a political disagreement with.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • James Bremner,

    James, firstly your definition of the WaPo as the 'liberal media' when one considers how hard they banged the drum for the Iraq war is just plain odd.

    Simon,
    In 2002 the NYT printed a number of articles about Saddam's WMDs. Does that make the NYT a card carrying member of the vast right wing conspiracy? What is odd is any contention that the WaPo is anything other than liberal leaning.

    And no, I am not having an unpleasant gloat fest. Yes, absolutely, add any qualification you want to, Iraq and Afghanistan have a long way to go, lots of problems; things are far from perfect on the ground now etc. etc. But the fact is that Iraq in particular has had a pretty remarkable change of direction, from going downward to making progress and heading toward a positive future. So I guess now they question for all the virulent war opponents is does your sense of humanity outweigh your ideology and hatred of the US and Bush? If it does, you will be pleased to see the progress and hopeful for the future of Iraq and Iraqis. If not, then they will still be full of piss and vinegar and clinging to any negative information in the hope of screeching “I told you so!!”

    That was a pretty amazing set of articles I linked to previously. Iraq going well, the Taliban getting whipped and Al Qaeda on the ropes. That is all just amazing, and amazingly good, no other words for it. The inescapable conclusion is that a lot of the right things have been being done for sometime. It is sad if you can’t be positive about all this news too.

    NOLA • Since Nov 2006 • 353 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    BTW, James, please keep going.

    Seventy million American Catholics aren't only 'whack jobs', but are A-OK with child abuse. And the goodly proportion who are Democrats should be excommunicated, stat...

    I'm beginning to see why winning heavily Catholic areas like California, New England and Illinois tends to be a bit of a reach of the theo-con incarnation of the GOP. You folks really can't help yourselves...

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    I would have thought feminism would have been about women getting out of that kind of situation, rather than staying in it.

    James, I would have thought feminism was about empowering women to make their own decisions on personal matters, then staying the hell out of it when they do.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • dubmugga,

    surely you guys know the catholic church is the BEAST, the second incarnation of the antichrist followed by the third member of the unholy trinity, the FALSE PROPHET widely accepted as america/fake democracy...

    ...stands to reason they'd be in bed together

    the back of your mind • Since Nov 2006 • 257 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    That was a pretty amazing set of articles I linked to previously. Iraq going well, the Taliban getting whipped and Al Qaeda on the ropes. That is all just amazing, and amazingly good, no other words for it.

    James, I do appreciate you bringing an alternative viewpoint here, and your even temper in doing so, but there's generational damage been done on all sides here.

    There are millions of Iraqis still displaced, many with no homes to go to now that their homes have been seized in ethnic cleansing. 500 of them died in violence last month, a "good" month. The government's attempt to take on Sadr was a debacle, and for all the US fulminating, Iran is the dominant foreign power in Iraq. There are mass protests this week against plans for permanent US bases in Iraq, and the related security accord has been denounced by members of Maliki's own goverment. They're selling more oil, but it seems likely they'll do so in the long term as a friend of Iran.

    For the US, there's a trillion-dollar bill, an international loss of credibility, an over-committed military and the highest army suicide rates since records began.

    Iz not so grate.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    In 2002 the NYT printed a number of articles about Saddam's WMDs. Does that make the NYT a card carrying member of the vast right wing conspiracy?

    Two words...Judith Miller.

    By global standards I'd argue fairly strongly that the NYT is not regarded as any great liberal beacon. Whether you see it as such really depends on how far to the right you sit I guess.

    So I guess now they question for all the virulent war opponents is does your sense of humanity outweigh your ideology and hatred of the US and Bush?

    Them's strong words James, it's just a shame they are hollow..about as hollow as the way you seem to disappear whenever anyone challenges your talking points here.

    It was a sense of humanity that caused so many worldwide to react so strongly to the invasion that you championed so strongly. It was a sense of humanity that led so many to object to a dishonest rush to a war that has, as so many correctly predicted, led to a human disaster.

    It's worth noting that your sense of humanity didn't extend to those in Abu Ghraib, and as noted before seems not to extend to the 51,000 odd in US custody held without charge for up to five years.

    Oh, but I forget, this is all about a hatred of the US and Bush, eh? I'm guessing that, looking at polling in recent years in the USA, it's you that may be be out of step with the US and much of what many Americans think it stands for.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Well put Simon!

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Jackie Clark,

    I may be preaching to the converted, but I think everyone needs to listen to this man give his testimony.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report

  • Rich Lock,

    I would have thought feminism would have been about women getting out of that kind of situation, rather than staying in it.

    James, I'm not an expert, being a man and all, but last time I checked, none of the first, second, third or fourth waves of feminism came with a code of conduct which all 'members' were required to sign, with clauses and sub-clauses that dictated the conduct of women in all situations.

    My impression, as Emma has pointed out, is that it was about giving women a rather broader spectrum of choices than they otherwise would have had - the freedom to make their own choices, decisions, and mistakes, without these being dictated to them.

    Oh, and doesn't your home country have some sort of rules about the separation of church and state?

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report

  • Bob Munro,

    I wonder how long this headline will stay up at the New York Times?

    Obama Looks to Recruit Clinton’s Top Fun-Raisers

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report

  • Bob Munro,

    Too late already. Yippies burst back on the scene but brutally squashed within minutes.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Obama Looks to Recruit Clinton’s Top Fun-Raisers

    I liked the typo better. :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Oh, and doesn't your home country have some sort of rules about the separation of church and state?

    Sure, and I found it unfortunate that James needed to raise the straw man of "outsiders" trying to "dictate" the internal processes of the Catholic Church. My point -- and one James tactfully avoided, because, I suspect he can't answer it -- is that there's no basis in the canon law of that church for any priest to impose a very serious church sanction (and denying someone access to the central sacrament of the Catholic faith is definitely the nuclear option) over a political disagreement. Sorry, but you just have to be delusional or a stone-cold liar to describe Sebelius or Kemic as 'abortion advocates" (let alone 'staunch' ones); and last time I looked being a Democrat, or a Republican who endorses Obama, is not a moral sin.

    I know the theo-con right in the US have totally debased faith into an instrument of politics, but I'd like to think there are one or two things that truly are sacred. I'd also like to respectfully suggest to James that if churches are suffering a crisis of moral and spiritual authority, allowing them to turned into creatures of temporal electoral politics quite so blatantly isn't any help.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    The flood has begun.

    The supers are declaring and Obama is 10 delegates away from the magic number and counting.

    I couldn't even begin to guess what the Clinton camp will do next.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    "This is the greatest political upset maybe in the history of American politics."


    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    "This is the greatest political upset maybe in the history of American politics."

    Well, if you'd swallowed the 'inevitability' Kool-Aid I guess it is a terrible upset. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, didn't anyone in the Clinton campaign stand up and say "Hey, we might just need some kind of coherent strategy in place beyond Super Size Me Tuesday"? I can't see the evidence of that.

    I couldn't even begin to guess what the Clinton camp will do next.

    Neither do I, but the junior senator from New York might not be snaring the plumb committee assignments she'd like if folks like majority leader Harry Read (who is still undeclared AFAIK) break for Obama and get the 'Kumbaya Lady' treatment.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Well, if you'd swallowed the 'inevitability' Kool-Aid I guess it is a terrible upset.

    As Jed points out, last September, Clinton was polling 53% and Obama 20%. It did look inevitable ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    As Jed points out, last September, Clinton was polling 53% and Obama 20%. It did look inevitable ..

    Fair enough, but my point was (and I should have made it better) is that I wish the American media hadn't been quite so quick to coronate Hillary Clinton. Seriously, at its thickest you had to wonder whether some of the more excitable cheerleaders in the media wouldn't have done away with all this primary/general election hoo-hah altogether if it was up to them.

    I know this is a little too old school for some, but how about restoring the separation of news and commentary in newsrooms? I little respect for tiresome democratic niceties like elections wouldn't go amiss either. (Domestically, I'd be lying if I said the last round of political polls didn't leave me totally joyless. But they're not the poll that really counts. That's the general election.)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Bob Munro,

    The Bag has evidence of Obama clearing the final bar.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    The Bag has evidence of Obama clearing the final bar.

    I thought, that's an amazing photograph. Then I read down and people were reading all kinds of 'Strange Fruit' stuff into it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

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