Public Power
Public Water
Public TV Broadcasting
Public Weather Service
Public Food System
Public Roads
Public Fuel
Public Financial System
And then libertarians tell me I’m crazy or leftist to want local food, rain barrels, solar power, and a local currency! Where is the disconnect?
We have been trying to remember humanity; to re-member humanity in the rigorous liturgical sense–to exercise anamnesis, the heart of the Eucharistic command and privilege: When you do this, remember me. Which is to say, Stay with history, Make something of it, by falling within its main line of action, the breaking of bread, the sharing of wine. Make a community whose life will also be available to history.
Daniel Berrigan, America Is Hard to Find
Who does this sound like?:
“Our country is filled with a socialistic, I.W.W., communistic, radical, lawless, anti-American, anti-church, anti-God, anti-marriage gang, and they are laying the eggs of rebellion and unrest in labor and capital and home; and we have some of them in the universities. I can take you through the universities and pick out a lot of black-hearted, communistic fellows who are teaching that to the boys and sending them out to undermine America. If this radical element could have their way, my friends, the laws of nature would be repealed, or they would reverse them; oil and water would mix; the turtledove would marry the turkey buzzard; the sun would rise in the west and set in the east; chickens would give milk and cows would lay eggs; the pigs would crow and roosters would squeal; cats would bark and dogs would mew; the least would be the greatest; a part would be greater than the whole; yesterday would be day after tomorrow, if that crowd were in control.”
In his sermon “Christian Charity,” Jonathan Edwards argues that Christian virtue should animate both private (voluntary) giving as well as legally-imposed public welfare. The two sources of poor relief need not be set at odds with each other (as some of his contemporaries were apparently suggesting). Further, the historical circumstances do not fundamentally alter this relationship; both 1st century Christians under unregenerate rule and 18th century New England Puritans have incentive to support both private and public poor relief. While the two sources may have different aims and modes of relief, they are not inherently rivals, even as private charity is preferred:
Nor do I suppose it was ever the design of the law, requiring the various towns to support their own poor, to cut off all occasion for Christian charity: nor is it fit there should be such a law. It is fit that the law should make provision for those that have no estates of their own; it is not fit that persons who are reduced to that extremity should be left to so precarious a source of supply as a voluntary charity. They are in extreme necessity of relief, and therefore it is fit that there should be something sure for them to depend on. But a voluntary charity in this corrupt world is an uncertain thing. Therefore the wisdom of the legislature did not think fit to leave those who are so reduced, upon such a precarious foundation for subsistence.
In recent radio show, that was broadcast on more than 400 affiliates, [Glenn Beck] told his listeners to leave any church that uses the phrases “social justice†or “economic justice.” “I beg you, look for the words ’social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church Web site,†he said.
“If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!†He went on to say, “If you have a priest pushing social justice go find another parish. Go alert your bishop and tell them. [Ask them] are you down with this whole social justice thing?†(from the National Post)
I know that none of us really care what Glenn Beck thinks (or FOX News, for that matter), but I couldn’t help but post this quote. Later in the article, it’s noted that Beck credits “communists and Nazis” for the invention of “social justice.”
That’s right: watch out for those bad ideas. They’ll turn you into sadistic goosesteppers in no time, and just like zombies, there’s nothing you can do about it. Except be afraid, of course. Everybody be afraid and beware of your neighbours. You never know what they’ll do to you.
Artificial refrigeration was perfected throughout the 1800s, but wasn’t available to consumers in the US until the early 1900s. There was some health concern at the time about “articifial ice” as opposed to the natural stuff cut out of rivers and lakes.
That’s it, we’re done with media temple hosting. This site is ridiculously slow. Look for changes in the next few days.
How anybody can deny the excellence of this idea is beyond me.
Everyone should take the “post something” challenge. I challenge y’all to post something.
Pastor Wilson dislikes the rhetoric of Michael Pollan, the “food-like substances” bit. The Velveeta he’s given thanks for in childhood is food, indeed. But it’s hard to deny the rhetoric when manufacturers themselves use it. No real ingredients = food product:
