It seems that Kevin O’Brien and I have taken radically different positions with regard to the article by Father Rutler. That’s one of things I like about this site: the engagement of like-minded Catholics about the issues of the day. We do not always have to agree. All that is needed is Chestertonian charity in the midst of rigorous debate. As Chesterton said of his relationship with his brother, they were always arguing but never quarrelled. Let’s not let a quarrel get in the way of a good argument!
Never Letting a Quarrel Get in the Way of a Good Argument
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About the Author: Joseph Pearce
Joseph Pearce is a Catholic author and biographer who has written about subjects as various as GK Chesterton, economics, and Shakespeare.
In the interest of not taking sides and remaining neutral in the argument, I have to say that I agree with you! (And if that reads as a noncommittal comment on the “argument,” it’s read wrongly.)
Seriously, don’t you think we could take a less impassioned view it all? Obama seems to me to be something of what I’m going to call a “historical caricature.” Nearly everything he’s said and done seems to reveal–to me, at least–someone who is not a cause but rather an effect.
I made the comment on another post, in which you mentioned Benson’s Lord of the World as “scary”, that I’d read the novel just after the last election when the whole country seemed to be drunk. Actually, the whole world was drunk. Germany, France, the UK, were all drunk on Obama. And Sweden even destroyed the integrity of the Nobel Prize by giving it to Obama for doing utterly *nothing*. Think about that for a moment. Obama himself is not dangerous–I often listen to what he says and watch what he does with the conviction that the man is not actually very bright.
But neither was Hitler, you know. Charisma is toxic. Some commentator said that Romney’s fatal flaw was his inability to generate passion. I see that as his strongest suit.
The thing about a drunk is that it passes, it’s a temporary thing, but the other thing about it is that it’s followed by a hangover (You could ask Germany about that.) You can’t prevent someone from indulgence in it, you can only hope that not too much damage is done before inevitable sobriety returns.
And, not less important, maybe, you shouldn’t get just as drunk as the drunk; i.e., the antidote is not more passion, but less.
I know this may sound wishy-washy, but I think you’re both right. While it may be an exaggeration to say the outcome of this election will determine religious liberty, the outcome of this election will either nip this tyranny in the bud before it comes to fruition or it will signal a struggle of massive proportion that will be in our future, of which the outcome is uncertain.
The stakes are high. We need to win now.
@Dena
Some of the outgrowths of the Obama presidency will not be so easily over turned. Sure we can eventually pay down the deficit and relax the environmental regulations. But if Obamacare takes root after this election, some form of it will stay. And I dare say that given the general population moving away from religion, especially established religion, anti religious policies will stay in place. They will be codified. Plus, if he is successful in getting re-elected, he will provide a roadmap for future left wing radicals in how to be successful. He needs to be made a one termer to establish that this country will not tolerate such policies and is antithetical to its core principles. This really is a direction establishing election. I would not take Nov lightly.
I don’t disagree with you at all, Manny, about the pivotal nature of the coming election–except that I think it actually applies to the *last* one. As I said, people were too drunk to care about what they should have cared about. And if he’s re-elected, it will be because people don’t want to admit they were drunk., it will be because that great bulk of middle voters who put him in office don’t want to acknowledge the hangover…. . So they’ll just do it all again to prove they were sober. They’d prefer to take a hair of the dog… It’s too hard to be honest with yourself, especially about yourself.
In any case, short of an insurrection, there’s nothing we can do but — vote –preferably sober.
@Dena
You’re right, it did apply to the last one. I suspect there will be significant changes to our country because of Obama’s election in 2008. But at this point we really have to clip it short to prevent further damage.