The scope of President Obama’s public-policy offensive commands respect. When he spoke admiringly four years ago of Ronald Reagan as “a transformative president,” he must have been sincere, though he clearly disagreed with much of the transformation. And Mr. Obama certainly deserves the same courtesy from those of us who are appalled at what he is trying to do to the country.
I commented here several weeks ago on the State of the Union address, which was largely on the cusp between mendacity and delusion, as it flippantly passed over the deficit and claimed that those who doubted that American prestige was rising in the world didn’t “know what they are talking about.”
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Last week, the attempted imposition on Roman Catholic institutions of the cost of insuring employees for the provision of birth control, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs was an unavoidable subject for this column. I do not whitewash the problems the Roman Catholic Church has brought upon itself by cleaving to a counsel of perfection on birth control that its own bishops have assured coreligionists is not an issue that separates them from their Church. The Holy See was asking for trouble and has not failed to attract it.
But the administration was spoiling for a fight and provoked one, using its proxies in the feminist movement and in organized labor to bait and enervate the Catholic episcopate before the main event began. Planned Parenthood, the billion-dollar-a-year, equal-opportunity, no-fault, anti-choice abortion facilitator, and the Service Employees International Union are elements of the Coalition to Protect Women’s Health Care, which, like picadors in a bullfight, are harrying and distracting the Roman Catholic leadership. “We will mobilize our base and we will outnumber the other side,” the president of the ultra-feminist organization EMILY’s List, Stephanie Schriock, eagerly told the New York Times on February 16. The Roman Catholic bishops were clearly judged by the rampaging Boadiceas around Obama to be a spavined, dimming, superannuated bull that would blunderingly deliver its head and lungs to the sword of the matador-president.
Whether they outnumber the other side will depend on how well the counterargument is made. Birth control is not a health issue at all; pregnancy is not a disease or an illness and termination of it is not a cure to a medical problem. Couching it in these terms is an assault on all those who believe in any notion of spirituality, the sanctity of life even as a conditional concept and not an inflexible rule, or in any position for ecclesiastical moral leadership. It is, to boot, an assault on the constitutional rights guaranteed to religious practice in the First Amendment. And there must be a fighting chance that this Supreme Court would defend the First Amendment more vigorously than it has the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth, whose virtual demise it has magisterially overlooked.
There is no question that the great majority of Americans favor accessible contraception (probably, so do most of the Catholic clergy). And early polls show that a slight majority of Catholics favor obligatory insurance of contraception to employees even of Catholic institutions. But the consequences of such a step in respect of abortion and sterilization and the constitutional implications of it have not sunk in.
The Pearl Harbor nature of the move and the unholy alliance between the government and the most abrasive groups in the abortion coalition could cause the administration problems. And even if the majority sticks with the administration, since these are groups that were in its pocket anyway, any slippage in moderate opinion could be decisive.
The abortion tigresses have still not recovered from the collapse of their immense preponderance of public-opinion support in the abortion debate thanks to the eloquent witness of John Paul II, and also to the rise of ultrasound technology that brought people face to face with the human beings in the womb, including as they tried desperately to avoid the abortionist’s vacuum. The bishops always seem a bit stolid, but the Jarretts and Wasserman Schultzes could grate on the country’s nerves quite severely and very soon. They are always overconfident, and get in the face of the undecided.
Those who sign up for a suicide pact are normally aware of what they are about to do. Jesus asked his father to forgive those who ignorant of the significance of their actions. In November there may not be a request for dispensation. The temporal powers of POTUS on this earth are term limited until Obamacare finds a torturous line of reasoning to cancel the two term limit. In amy case Gods Grace is not term limited James Madison made it clear that the "necessary and proper" clause was only intended to enforce if necessary those powers already delineated in the Constitution, not to be used as an excuse to create new powers. During World War Two the Berliners used to say " The Fuerher commands. We bear what follows". As to the Constitution as Supreme law Book em Dano Murder One. The eminence Grise's in this case is the Honorable Justice Ginsburg followed by the Ghost of Bella Abzug. Don't need to round up the usual suspects. They are members of the Occupy White House team. The Children of Hell No I Won't Go. First It was the Eastern orthodox schism of 1054, The Great Three Pope schism of 1377, Then the Hussite Rebellion, Then the 95 thesis tacked on the door of the Wittenburg Church, Then the French revolution and now Obamacare. There are two Leviathians: Behemoths distaff side in Hebrew legend and Hobbes Defense of the Divine RIght of Kings in a book of the same title. The justaposition of the disparagate pair is absolutely delicious.
RE: "If the country buys it in November, it will be a disaster that will be repealed in four years." Want to bet? I'll be that if re-elected the Obama regime will spend the next four years trying to make itself permanent, by hook or crook.
For some reason, my phone won't let me get to page two?
That the government is hostile to the Catholic Church should be no surprise to anyone, and the Church needs to realize that, though we Catholics may have an inalienable DESIRE to practice our Faith - we have only been granted the RIGHT to practice it for as long as the American people choose to bestow that right upon us.
The Church has enjoyed comparative peace in the United States, but that has always been the exception. The Church has been persecuted since her beginning, and the penalties we have historically faced for practicing our Faith - have been much more severe than a threatened monetary fine.
Interestingly, this crisis has developed just as the Church is entering the Lenten Season. By the Grace of God, may Catholics everywhere (but here in the US in particular) be guided in our reflection and growth; that through this time of testing, we may be strengthened in our Faith and not be found wanting.
However, this really isn't a religious issue, as the Church shall persevere through this trial just as we have in all trials through ages past. This IS a serious political issue though. We Americans are, right now, deciding if we shall retain the protections allotted under the Constitution. If enough Americans fail to pierce the veil of obfuscation surrounding this insurance edict and allow this historic, Constitutional protection to come crashing down - it will be just the first in a succession of dominoes to fall, and I fear foreshadows a much different governance of our Nation than the one which we the people of the United States have, for so long, taken for granted.
As Lord Black says, Obama has hidden abortion behind contraception in the latest HHS mandate. The next step may well be mandated abortion (according to government-defined criteria, of course). If that happens, American Catholics who don't want to defend their current freedoms now will have a lot of catching up to do... and it may be too late at that point.
Thank you, Mr. Black. What a wild political swing from President Reagan to the current White House occupant.
Let's take heart, though. We don't need a superstar to overcome this president. He has a lot of baggage coming into the November 2012 election. He has a dismal record. So many out of work and gas prices rising because this administration refuses to use all of our natural resources. Furthermore, the Catholic church is joined by many of the rest of us who recognize freedom being trampled when we see it.
Excellent article, Mr. Black. Our hope lies in the truth. The Church needs to stand firm this time and accept no half baked "compromises" with one so disingenuous as Barrack Obama has proven himself to be so many different times, this being just the latest (think, Keystone pipeline, Gulf drilling moratorium, "recess" appointments, Obamacare as a money-saving program, Solyndra as the wave of the future, our increased standing in the world, and on and on). Obama and his modern day Know Nothings when they take on the Catholic Church in such a frontal assault are on ground with which they are not just unfamiliar but wholly ignorant. In the battle of ideas they have two thousand years of catching up to do just to have a chance.
Mr Black,
Excellent article. I wondered aloud about the small business owners who aren't Catholic, but have a desire to practice similar faith. Some of us oppose contraception too, and others are against the post-conception selective birth options (abortion) that are practiced in places like China & India. We'd like to not offer these in our health plans.
Question is, do we have any right to practice our beliefs outside of the Sunday service? It seems apparent we'll all have to deal with a new protected class against discrimination for homo, bi (and eventually pedo) sexuals soon enough. Where does it end?
Personally, I'd just as soon see the Republic fall than lose my religious liberty. Is it too late, and if not, when shall we all begin the chant; "Viva la Revolution"?
Of course we have the right to exercise our religious beliefs outside Sunday service (or Friday or Saturday services). Our rights are inalienable and were given from the Creator not the federal government. That is the whole gist of Congress may pass no law....
No wonder Michelle went to Spain. He was consulting with the then Spanish Government. Hopefully we don’t have to be brought that low to realize the folly of submitting ourselves to such rule.
One only has to read the Old Testament to see that we've been here before. We haven't been here in the US... it will be new for us - but this has all happened before.
We have three possible defenses against Obamacare - the insurance mandate itself, the HHS contraception/sterilization/abortion inducing drugs, and finally - one that isn't talked about often is the religious discrimination. How can a law that excludes the Amish (a religion) and - quite possibly - Muslims - (apparently this remains to be seen) not be seen as discriminating against Christians by requiring some religions to comply and others to be entirely exempt?
Paranoia by the pailful...viewed from, apparently, another planet. If Mr. Black really believes all he writes, then I can only hope that he seeks help soon. But as someone who grew up in the 1930s, and by the late 1930s understanding a bit as to what I was reading, this is simply a rehash of conservative boilerplate that never seems to go out of style--unless, of course, it is a Republican in office, like Reagan, who increases the national debt nearly three times, or George W. Bush, who quadrupled it. At those times the arguments are shelved, waiting till the next Democrat is elected. Prayer for the evening: Help us, O Lord, to gain wisdom, to forsake false witness against our brothers, to recall that the second great commandment was to love others as you would love yourself. Amen.
Congratulations to Philat for his near pitch-perfect recitation of the left wing apologia for Mr Obama. I don't think you missed a single note, and in fact, were apparently so proud of your performance, you took two encores.
The irrelevant trip off into the neverland of birther fun, painting all opposition to Mr Obama as some sort of lunacy. Comments about how Reagan increased the debt by a bigger per centage than Obama. References to the 1930s. Complaints of how bad George W Bush is.
There may be a reason why Conrad Black touches on some "familiar" themes - and it may, just may, be because Mr Obama is repeating familiar mistakes. In Philat's world, pointing out that one needs to bring an umbrella when it is raining is "boilerplate."
I call it common sense.
You do not respond to a single of Mr Black's points, which is telling.
Here is a handful of topics to consider.
1) George W Bush is not running for re-election in 2012, no matter how much the Democrats wish he were.
2) The argument that President Reagan increased the debt by x% compared to Obama increasing it by y% fails on at least two points. First, Reagan was president for 8 years, not three. And the second, the AMOUNT of debt matters. A person who increases his debt from $1 to $3 trebles his debt, whereas a person who increases it from $1,000 to $1,100 is only pushing it up by 10%. Which is the more troublesome challenge?
President Obama has had budgets that represent greater than a TRILLION dollars in each of the past couple of years, and in all likelihood, will do so again next year. That represents a historical first.
Even adjusting for inflation, the largest deficit Reagan submitted (in 1983 dollars) was $283 million. That figure is HALF of President Obama's BEST budget in inflation-adjusted spending.
3) President Obama's "fairness" platform is plainly naked demagoguery. He can't run on his record, so he reaches for an argument simple (simplistic?) enough that even my six year old can understand it.
His "plan" to raise taxes on fake millionaires (the overwhelming majority of his target - families making more than $250,000 per annum are not millionaires. Not even close) will not affect the deficits in a serious way. Try working through the mathematics. There are many calculators on line for your convenience.
If you are paying 5% annually to service a debt of $1, it comes to hmm 5 cents. For $1000 it comes to $50. Factor in inflation, population growth, scope of the economy, size of the military etc. and you will realize that they taught you how to calculate percentages in school for a reason. Now you know why you ought to use them. You are welcome!
Yes, GW is not running for reelection, at least he was charming enough to get people to vote him in despite the agenda. You can sell snake oil, but you ought to get a slick salesman. You almost had one until Rick forgot his lines. Maybe you need a show "America's got a Republican" to find someone who can do a better job.
Prayer for the morning: Help us, Lord, to attain humility, to abandon our idolatrous trust in governmental expansion as the cure for all ills visited upon us by our human nature, to recall that the first great commandment is to love you and your righteousness with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength. Amen.
Paranoia by the pailful. The same old, same old conservative boilerplate, misrepresentations, out-of-context, and plain misinformation for the gullible. As one old enough to remember what was being said, and written, in the late 1930s, being brought up in a conservative Republican household, Mr. Black's screed hits all the familiar notes. I'm surprised that there was no mention of the president's secret Muslim beliefs and agenda, nor of his plans, secret of course, to round-up a select group of Republican candidates and opinion writers and have them institutionalized so as to do some stem-cell research on what makes them tick.
Let's reason with one another like adults, Philat. Government can take the rights it grants away. Therefore, politics provides the only guarantee of government granted rights. So now imagine that the GOP has taken away your most cherished government granted right. How would you respond? I bet you'd be chucking paranoia by the bucket-full at the issue (e.g. you may claim that the GOP wants to push grandma off of a cliff in her wheelchair).
What are our politics going to be like when all of our rights are government granted and the government is dead broke? Answer: A state of nature, of course; a four year political combat to the death, with the spoils going to the victor. Forget comity, consensus, decency or fair play. Forget unity extending beyond any given faction or coalition of factions. Think Iraq.
This is where Obama is taking us, and we on the right don't want to go there. Neither should you lefties.
Conrad Black is not a credible voice in the arena of public debate: this is a man who was convicted of criminal fraud and served 3 1/2 years (of a 78 month sentence) in a Florida prison. His Wikipedia entry is a fascinating read.
