The Great Depression from an Integralist/Distributist Perspective

 

In assessing the financial background of the causes of the Great Depression, it is important to understand that underlying political and social factors were intertwined with the economic factors which produced this phenomenon.  In dealing with this, I am taking this from the point of two traditionalist Catholic positions, Integralism and Distributism, and will analyze based on many writers from those positions what created the Depression, and in many aspects how World War II aided in recovery.  However, some of the writers referenced were published before the Great Depression, but their insights are what many later researchers based their conclusions upon.

In reading Ben S. Bernanke’s analysis of this, he points to two factors which were underlying components in the Great Depression happening[1]:

1.      Failure of Financial Institutions

2.      Widespread Insolvency of Debtors

By the first, Bernanke is talking about the failure of small local banks to handle financial complexities of a national economy, something the position of this article will differ with radically.  On the contrary, the tendency of larger banks to swallow up smaller institutions, as was the case of “crony capitalism,” may have been more of a contributing factor in this.  This causes, as Crean and Fimister note, a situation where the sale of the use of money (excessive interest) is in essence a form of legalized fraud in that the use of such money is distinct from its alienation and thus makes the acquisition of capital more important to the larger institution rather than its circulation into the economy[2].  As Catholic philosopher/theologian Romano Guardini notes, the problem here is one fundamentally in the exercise of power.  He writes[3]:

“A more immediate danger threatens when power is at the disposal of a will that is either morally misguided or morally uncommitted.  Or there may be no appealable will at all, no person answerable for power, only an anonymous organization, each department of which transfers its authority to the next, thus leaving each – seemingly – exempt from responsibility.”

Brazilian Catholic philosopher and economic commentator Plinio Correa de Oliviera notes something similar when he writes in his seminal text Revolution and Counter-Revolution the following[4]:

“Private enterprise is more and more limited. Inheritance taxes are so onerous that in certain cases the federal treasury is the principal heir.  Government interference in such things as exchange, import, and export makes industry, commerce, and banking dependent on the state.”

The danger of this type of situation was noticed by Hilaire Belloc, who wrote in his seminal text The Servile State that this type of corporate capitalism (he called it “perfect capitalism”) would not be feasible in that no one outside a cabal of economic elitists the average person would be deprived of basic essentials such as food, and those who were among these economic elitists would overproduce, glut the markets, and thus initiate economic depression[5].  In view of these writers, Bernanke’s thesis about the cause being the failure of smaller banks is at variance with the views of these earlier writers, in that the larger institutions tended to grab resources for themselves, thus altering the markets and causing both consumer demand and market supply to become unbalanced, and thus causing the Depression.   Many of these same thinkers would not view in a positive light the idea of “corporate capitalism” therefore, in favor of the small business instead.  The lack of focus on investment in small businesses, according to these schools of thought (called Integralism and Distributism) caused many small businesses to falter, and thus adversely affected the local economy.  Bankrupting the grassroots market, then, would have been the ultimate cause of the 1929 Crash that brought on the Great Depression when seen from this perspective.

Looking at it from that perspective, it could actually be easily concluded that a fundamental change in the political order also may have aided in the evolution of factors that led to the Great Depression, as well as the civil and political unrest seen for many decades of the previous century.  Until 1914, there was a stable Monarchist political order – Hapsburg Austria, czarist Russia, etc.  When war and revolution destabilized many of those monarchies and caused a shift in the social order, it caused some upheaval in Europe in particular.  So, what does that have to do with the United States, which was never Monarchist and also where the 1929 Crash originated?  Although the US is a republican government, in values and civilization it was still tied to classical Europe, and according to many Catholic thinkers in particular – Monarchists, Distributists, Integralists, etc. – the collapse of the “old order” in Europe had a catastrophic domino effect that was felt worldwide.  Many scholars would even argue actually that World Wars I and II were in reality on 31-year conflict, and the Depression was located at the central chronological apex of this.  If that be the case, it would mean that socio-political, as well as economic, factors are what made the Great Depression happen. 

As can be seen, there is a variance in theories between Bernanke and the classic Catholic writers on economics and social theories, and that variance places the causation of the Depression on two different things – Bernanke and others like him would say that the small banks and small business was the cause, while Belloc and others would note that bigger corporate interests, allowed to grow unchecked in the new “corporatist” system, were the cause.  Personally, the second view seems to have more credence, as it does appear that larger interests such as mega-banks and large corporations sought to monopolize certain sectors and accumulate their fortunes at the expense of the local businesses that built the individual local economies, that in turn made a stronger national economic stability possible.  As the bigger corporations made it so they had international reach, they then could even dictate the economies of nations. It also would impact significantly local communities (case in point, the city of Gary, Indiana – the major industries who at one time provided an economic base in Gary eventually abandoned their endeavors there in order to pursue markets that were more favorable to them) even beyond the timeframe of the Great Depression. Although it sounds conspiratory, evidence suggests that a similar role is being played today by mega-corporations, especially the new “Silicon Valley” group that exercise almost a monolithic control over cybercommunications.  If this is the case, it begs the question as to whether or not a second Great Depression could happen, and that is something that surely should be paid closer attention.

---

[1] Ben S. Bernanke, “Nonmonetary Effects of the Financial Crisis in the Propagation of the Great Depression,” American Economic Review 73, no. 3 (1983): 258-261.

[2] Thomas Crean and Alan Fimister, Integralism: A Manual of Political Philosophy (Havertown, PA: Casemate Publishers, 2020): 191.

[3] Romano Guardini, The End of the Modern World (Wilmington, DE: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1998): 124.

[4] Plinio Correa de Oliviera, Revolution and Counter-Revolution (Spring Grove, PA: American TFP, 1993): 111-112.

[5] Hilaire Belloc, The Servile State (London: T.N. Foulis, 1912): 55-56.

There's Always One!

 For those of you who know me over the years, I am an alumnus of Franciscan University of Steubenville, as well as a convert to the Catholic Church from the Pentecostal tradition.  While at Steubenville, I had the privilege of being under the tutelage of a brilliant professor by the name of Scott Hahn.  Dr. Hahn, like me, is a convert to the Church, and his story is very well-known.  He also has published many phenomenal books - some in collaboration with equally-brilliant scholars such as Benjamin Wiker, John Bergsma, and Brant Pitre.  He is a stellar human being as well as being a capable Biblical scholar and theologian, and his insights over the years have been a major benefit to me as well as many others.  Yet, no one is loved by everyone, and of course it was only a matter of time before Dr. Hahn's detractors would come out of the woodwork, like barnacles off an old rusty ship.  Some have disagreed with him before, including a former classmate of his and fellow convert (who is now a sedevacantist Catholic) but the name of Gerry Matatics, but for the most part even they have refrained from attacking his scholarship and resorting to ad hominem BS.  But, there is always one of course who will stoop to that level, and recently he revealed who he was.  

Sean Swain Martin, self-identified "doctoral student" who is obsessed with Scott Hahn

Sean Swain Martin is, by his own designation, a "doctoral student" now at the University of Dayton, and he wrote a book recently called American Pope: Scott Hahn and the Rise of Catholic Fundamentalism.  I haven't read it, and to be honest the title of the thing tells me all I need to know.  However, Eric Sammons, the editor of Crisis Magazine, did review the book, and it was worse than I would have thought it to be.  Martin is, just by his attitude, more than likely a theological liberal - he doesn't like evangelization, and anything that shows the average Catholic in the pew getting enthusiastic about their faith is for him a form of "fundamentalism."  This elitist snobbery (which bears a theological term for those who possess it - pompous ass) is something I have seen before.  About ten years ago, a similar attitude was expressed by Lee Roy Martin, who at the time was the President of the Society for Pentecostal Socialists - oops, I mean "Studies!" - made a comment in regard to a renegade theologically liberal Assemblies of God professor who used to be Paul Alexander (he has since declared himself "transgender" and is going by the name April these days - mental illness masquerading as scholarship is ridiculous but seems to be accepted for some reason) that really raised my hackles then.  When confronted with his controversial stand, Martin said this: "In fact, I would insist in the strongest terms that our scholars are more devoted to the Pentecostal faith than are Pentecostal laity and ministers in general" (Mark Tooley, "Society for Pentecostal Studies President Reacts to Paul Alexander Controversy," Juicy Ecumenism: The Institute on Religion and Democracy's Blog. April 10, 2013, at https://juicyecumenism.com/2013/04/10/society-for-pentecostal-studies-president-reacts-to-paul-alexander-controversy/ - Accessed November 13, 2021).  I see a similar attitude with Sean Swain Martin in his comments in the book about Catholic laity studying Scripture.  And, that leads me to a couple of observations.

First, what in blazes is the deal with these guys with the surname Martin??  This guy, Lee Roy Martin, "Father" James Martin  - seriously!  All of them are liberal, pompous, and they are giving that surname a bad reputation.  I mean, in collecting vintage big band recordings, I am a big fan of the late Freddy Martin's orchestra, but I doubt if Freddy, if he were alive, would have much in common with those sharing the surname.  And, I don't think it should be an indictment against others with that surname either - there are probably a lot of good people with the last name Martin who would actually be a little shocked at the attitudes of these jerks.  That has about as much to do with the subject as the price of tea in Taiwan, but it is odd that all of the culprits of the craft of pompous assery have the same surname.  Are they related?  That would bear more investigation, but that goes beyond the scope of this discussion. 

Sean Martin, like his distant cousin Lee Roy (if they are related) seems to have a similar disdain for Catholics who want to study Scripture, and he is really upset that Dr. Hahn has been encouraging them to do so - oh the horror!  I mean, think about it - Biblically-literate lay Catholics who become more appreciative of their faith.  After all, it might be a revelation to those messing with Pachamama idols or something, God forbid.  Sean, do us all a favor, bro - get a real hobby and stop trying to play theologian.  In his own words, here is what esteemed scholar Sean Martin thinks of you if you read your Bible daily as a lay Catholic, as Eric Sammons quotes him - "It would be difficult to expect each individual Catholic to be prepared to offer such a careful investigation of the different literary forms employed, cultural influences manifest, etc., in the Scriptures so as to easily move from familiarity to 'eminent knowability." (Eric Sammons, "Is Scott Hahn a Fundamentalist?" Crisis Magazine Website, https://www.crisismagazine.com/2021/is-scott-hahn-a-fundamentalist?fbclid=IwAR0kQYvUIHbNjI87KZOmgrUKEIIvq0vamZUViuy7nR_334jY0T1D6rP41Yw, November 11, 2021 - Accessed November 13, 2021).  Oh really, Doctor Sean??  I don't think that the average lay Catholic is seeking to be a textual scholar - they read Scripture for spiritual growth, not to be a Greek scholar.  And, if it does motivate some of them to study further, what in hell does it have to do with you, Sean??  Methinks Sean, like so many others, feels threatened - academics don't appreciate when people read for themselves and do as II Timothy 2:15 admonishes, "studying to show themselves approved."  However, Dr. Hahn is not your typical academic - he is also an inspiration as a faithful lay Catholic himself who happens to have theological credentials and he doesn't feel threatened by people learning things; if he did, he would not be an educator to begin with, would he?  Dr. Hahn is a phenomenal scholar, but he is not pompous or an elitist academic - he is a man who lives his faith, and has a passion for sharing it, and the way he does so is by discipling others to grow in theirs by knowing what Scripture says for themselves.  Sean, though, is not that devout in his faith I would bet - my guess, just by reading some of his material on his blog, is that he doesn't believe the Bible is even true, so he feels threatened by others who take it seriously.  Sean would be better off as an Episcopalian maybe, as a church of rich White snobs might suit him better than the culturally-diverse atmosphere of an orthodox Catholic parish.  And, it is possible that Sean is being bankrolled by rich White snobs who think like he does, so he has to know how to pucker up to their posteriors.  His scholarship, though, is lacking - he derides Dr. Hahn for appealing to the laity, yet his own writing style is pretentious, verbose, and also focusing on irrelevant crap that brings nothing to the discussion.  Also, Dr. Hahn is a doctor - Sean is merely a doctoral student, as I am myself - perhaps he needs to wait until he can prefix his name with the letters "Dr." before he claims to know more than someone who actually has earned those credentials. 

Despite how I just shredded Sean, I feel sorry for him - he is so limited (I believe Sammons used the word "small-minded") that he cannot even see what he clearly needs to.  And, it has made him a professional theologian who has no real faith except academic elitism and the idolatry of status he engages in.  If he doesn't have an encounter with the real Jesus of the Eucharist and doesn't get the desire to deepen his faith, he may regret it one day when the torments of hell wrack his soul.  I only pray he finds out sooner than later.  

The Wizard Clip Phenomenon - A Part of Local Catholic West Virginia History

 (Note - for regular readers of my blog page, this is part of a class assignment in my doctoral program, but it is available to all regular readers to enjoy as well)

Introduction

        When one thinks of the state of West Virginia, often an association with Catholic faith is furthest from their mind.   Religious expression in West Virginia - indeed in the greater Appalachian region - is often confined to stereotypes of eccentric revivalists handling rattlesnakes while being exhorted by emotional preachers shouting hellfire-and-brimstone sermons at them.  In reality though, there has been a Catholic presence in the state since colonial times, and it is a subject that has not been explored as much but perhaps should be.  

        Although for the most part the Catholic presence in West Virginia is primarily focused on the northern half of the state and has greatly increased since the late 19th century due to an influx of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.  However, the earliest Catholic parishes in the state date back to at least the late 1700s. Many of them were established under the oversight of the Archbishop of Baltimore, and to this day the current Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia is still under the provincial jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  

        The Catholic history of West Virginia does have occasional vignettes of certain events and legends that also are endemic to the folklore of the state, and one of those happened in the 1790's at a farm just southwest of Shepherdstown in a location known simultaneously over the years as Smithfield or Middleway.  The incident is known popularly as the "Wizard Clip Legend," and this is what I want to focus on in this article.

Relationship to the Archdiocese of Baltimore

        Before getting into the specifics of the "Wizard Clip" story, there are two important Catholic hierarchs of the time who had at least indirect involvement in the whole matter.  The first was Archbishop John Carroll (1735-1815), who was the first diocesan bishop in the United States.  Carroll was part of a very prestigious Catholic family that included among others the only Catholic signatory of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Carroll, who was his cousin.  As part of his jurisdiction, many Catholic parishes on the "frontier" (including what is now eastern West Virginia) were under his leadership.  Archbishop Carroll was also the founder of Georgetown University in Washington, DC. 

        The second individual of note was a hierarch in the Church who was closer to the frontier and had a more direct involvement in parish affairs in the region, Bishop Demetri Gallitzin (1770-1840).  Known as "the Apostle to the Alleghenies," Gallitzin was of noble birth, being related to both the Romanovs of Russia and to Prussian von Schmettau family.  While still relatively young at the time of the "Wizard Clip" occurrences, Gallitzin would have some involvement with the situation later.  

        These two hierarchs are important due to the importance of the episcopacy to Roman Catholic parish life, and it is integral to the story as they are the ones who facilitated a Catholic presence in the area. 

Wizard Clip

        The "Wizard Clip" legend centers around the personage of a farmer by the name of Adam Livingston, who was initially a Lutheran from York County, PA.  A series of misfortunes led to his leaving Pennsylvania and settling in the Virginia Colony in the "frontier" (present-day Jefferson County, WV) region, where land was abundant and available. Despite the move, he still continued to have unexplained incidents that were inexplicable, and it led to many of his livestock suddenly dying off and other odd phenomena.  It led to a lot of casual talk among locals about the "Wizard Clip," and local clergy - Anglican and others - had made visits there to exorcised what they believed to be a demonic manifestation but to no avail.  In having a dream that he took as a vision entailing a vivid picture of a Catholic priest, Livingston then sought out the counsel of a priest at the local Catholic parish in nearby Shepherdstown, and that particular priest was the one he had seen in the dream.  This led to Livingston and his family converting to the Catholic faith, and soon after he was instructed to partake of the sacrament of Confession and to fast for 40 days.  The priest, as was later revealed, was Fr. Dennis Cahill who was the vicar of St. Mary Church in Hagerstown, MD.  With the help of a local family named McSherry, the Livingstons were able to get Fr. Cahill (who was initially skeptical of the experience) to perform an exorcism on the farm house, and after a second visit where a Mass was celebrated, the phenomena that had plagued the farm and its family immediately ceased. At this point is where Bishop Gallitzin enters the picture.

        Gallitzin at this point was still a relatively young priest, and he was sent in 1797 to investigate the "Wizard Clip" phenomenon by his superiors.  Bishop Carroll had ordained Gallitzin to the priesthood two years earlier, and when he arrived he interviewed the McSherry family, with whom he remained close for many years.  Gallitzin was somewhat more receptive to what had happened than had Fr. Cahill initially been, and he would be one of the major commentators on the whole event for years to come. 

        The exploration of the name "Wizard Clip" has been a bit elusive in research, and no explanation has been offered as to where this designation came from.  However, in local symbolism, it is often designated with the symbols of a half-moon and a pair of scissors.  

Conclusion

        It is important to remember that although at times folklore and legend may not bear much on a "serious" study of history, the local legends of a given area are integral in reality to their history, and thus are valuable for historical documentation.  This is particularly true in regard to a little-researched subject such as the antebellum history of the Catholic Church in what is now West Virginia.  Also, the "Wizard Clip" mystery, from a religious perspective, is testimonial in nature and thus of significant importance to a richer understanding of Catholic life and how it relates to spirituality as well as history.  

References:

Brown, Raphael.  The Mystery of Wizard Clip.  Fitzwilliam, NH:  Loreto Publications, 2010.

Campbell, Emma Mellon.  "The Apostle to the Alleghenies." Pennsylvania History 12, no. 4 (October                 1945): 323-325.

Devitt, E.I. "Miscellaneous Letters to Bishop John Carroll 1784-1815 (Originals in Baltimore                             Archdiocesan Archives)." Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of                                     Philadelphia 19, no. 4 (December 1908): 385-415.

Finotti, Joseph M.  The Mystery of the Wizard Clip: A Monograph.  Baltimore:  Kelly, Piet, and Co.,                 1879. 

Salt - A Lesson

 You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing anymore but to be cast out and to be trodden on by men.  (Matthew 5:13)

Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? (Mark 9:50)

Let your conversation be seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6)

I am a regular listener to Dr. Taylor Marshall, a former Episcopal priest who converted to the Catholic Church and is now an unwavering voice for traditionalist Catholic faith.  At the end of his broadcasts, he references the first of the above verses and admonishes his listeners to "go out and be salty!"  He says this to emphasize that we have a mission of evangelization as Catholics, and it's actually sound advice.  However, his mentioning that as well as hearing a similar sermon from late Presbyterian minister, Dr. D. James Kennedy, on the same subject got me thinking about what this allegory of "salt" in Scripture is really about?  In order to explain it better, let me first delve into a fundamental chemistry lesson about salt to give some perspective.

What we call "salt" is a chemical compound called sodium chloride, and if you look it up on a periodic chart, it is designated by the symbol NaCl.  However, sodium chloride is not the only salt, as the chemical definition of a "salt" is chemical compound of cations (positive ions) and anions (negative ions) which produce a electrically neutral substance.  This also makes it a type of non-conducive (meaning that it cannot be a conduit for an electrical charge) mineral.  Salts can be alkaline (as is sodium chloride) or acidic.  Other types of common salts are MSG, the notorious additive in some Chinese takeout food, and ammonia.  In the case of sodium chloride, it is composed of a cation (positive) called sodium, and an anion called chlorine, which is a gas.  Both of these substances are highly toxic, as sodium is highly corrosive, and chlorine gas will cause respiratory distress that can lead to death.  All of these factors lead to the study at hand now. 

So, you have two toxic substances - sodium and chlorine gas - that produce something that is actually essential for the human body.  And, this is the language that Jesus and the Apostles use in Scripture to describe the attitude of the believer.  There is a very important lesson in this as it leads to consideration of how two toxic things can be synthesized to create something beneficial, and here is the lesson.  Our human nature is by nature sinful due to the Fall in Genesis 3, and it possesses a trait endemic to the Fall called concupiscence.  As natural sodium in its pure state is highly corrosive and toxic, our human nature is likewise corrupted and can corrode our being.  Likewise, the law, while it has a good premise, can also be strangling, much in the same way as chlorine is in its pure state - the pure form of chlorine in liquid form we are all familiar with around our homes is something called bleach.  If you are around bleach for too long, it can be very rough on the respiratory system, but also there is another problem - chlorine bleach, if mixed with another alkaline substance such as ammonia, can be highly toxic and will kill you, as it gives off noxious fumes - I learned that the hard way many years back when trying to clean a cat litter box with bleach; big mistake there!  It took me several hours to recover from exposure to those fumes, which when they reacted actually produced a vapor cloud that was so toxic that one had to leave the area.  The Law is like that as well - while it restrains evil, trying to live up to its standards by yourself can be a fatal thing, much like chlorine gas.  So, there you have it - a substance that can actually erode flesh, like pure sodium, and a gas that can suffocate a person, like chlorine gas, can be deadly by themselves and are not fit for human consumption in their pure states.  But, when a reaction causes them to combine, they produce a substance (sodium chloride, or table salt) that is essential to the human body and its functions.  Likewise, something needs to reconcile the Law and our fallen nature, as they cannot be reconciled on their own, and that is why a third element is needed, and that element is supernatural grace, only given through the Person of Christ and His atonement.  This is where we are going.

The Incarnation reconciled two things - it perfected human nature and reconciled the Law, and it did so through the impartation of supernatural grace.  Christ is the personification of supernatural grace, and He is also the product of reconciliation between divine law and human nature.  When we receive Christ as Savior both by confession and via the sacramental life of the Church, He becomes part of us, and we then also become a "salt" that shares that grace through evangelization to others.  This is why Dr. Marshall actually is right in admonishing us to "stay salty," and now we will examine briefly the benefits of that "saltiness."

Salt has a number of beneficial uses, and here are a few of them:

1. Preservation - salt prevents decay and spoilage, and food treated with it lasts much longer.

2. Cleansing - Salt is the original disinfectant, as it is used to clean everything from contact lenses (which would be called saline solution) to even use in dishwashing processes - the granular action of salt makes it naturally abrasive, and the chlorine component actually sterilizes.

3. Healing - Salt has therapeutic qualities that are related to both its preservation and cleansing.  To "rub salt in a wound" is an aphorism that is based on this principle.  Salt will heal a wound naturally, which is why many people soak parts of their body in salt water to disinfect and cleanse cuts, blisters, and other such things and it also comes in handy for gargling in case of upper respiratory infections.

4. Flavor - Salt is used as a seasoning to add and/or enhance the flavor of something.  In many cases, salt brings out a flavor that would not otherwise be detected, and thus it aids in the culinary process of the human anatomy.  Due to its alkaline properties, salt also makes highly acidic food, such as grapefruit, more palatable too.

5. Hydration - related to healing properties, salt is integral to maintaining water content in our bodies, as its thirst-generating aspect encourages more liquid consumption.  This is why people suffering heat stroke will often drink something containing salt-based electrolytes, such as commercial drinks like Gatorade, or (and this one is personally nauseating to me, but it works) the drinking of pickle juice (yecccchhhh!!  Give me Gatorade any day!).  It aids in rehydration of the body when fluids are at a critical level.

There are other uses for salt too, but as you can see, salt is beneficial in many cases.  So, why are we allegorically admonished by Our Lord Himself to be "salt?"  It is simple.  For one, when society is in a state of moral decay, it needs something to salvage what it can of it and preserve it - our "saltiness" does that.  Also, the wounds of societal decay need cleansing and healing, and that is where we also come in as a "salt" allegory.  Finally, in an utterly depraved and tasteless world where moral and civil decline make public discourse unpalatable, it is up to us to add the flavor of the Gospel to make it more tolerable to exist in.   And, as salt is not always pleasant - it really stings when applied to a wound, and it can also be hard to swallow if you gargle with it - neither is our presence at times.  When we deal with a volatile culture at times, we have to sting a little and maybe even our message may be hard for many to swallow, but it is the medicine our fallen world needs.  And, we cannot back away from administering it either.  As Dr. Kennedy said in the message of his I listened to earlier today, God did not call us to be "sugar to the world," as sugar can mess up a system more than it helps it, and although it tastes better, in the long run over-consumption of it causes health problems;  diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, and other ailments. Also, we are not called to be vinegar, meaning we are too dogmatic to the extreme of risking being spit out due to the nastiness and bad will created.  Sugar tastes good, and in the moral and spiritual sense, it always sounds good, but in the end it has little benefit if it is consumed heavily.  Likewise, vinegar is stinky, nasty, and also putrid - it represents in the spiritual sense the forms of excessive legalism and judgementalism some Christians engage in, and it accomplishes little either.  Over-consumption of both vinegar or sugar often has the same result - it will upset the stomach and induce vomiting.  Salt, on the other hand, tempers the appetite and provides both balance and enhancement.  And, that is who Christ is - the perfect balance, as well as the enhancement of life.  Christ is the source of supernatural grace, which as Aquinas defines it is given to perfect, heal, and elevate us in our nature, bringing us closer to what God originally created us to be.  Salt both is palatable but it also can sting - try, for instance, eating a salty Utz potato chip when you have a sore tongue or mouth, and you will feel it!  But, the sting in this case is good - it means healing is taking place and wounds are also being cleansed.  That is what the Gospel does; it seasons us.  As living conduits of the Gospel in our lives, we also should provide both flavor and cleansing to our world, and sometimes it can sting those around us as it penetrates the wounds of our society.  We should see that as a good thing, as it testifies to the effectiveness of the message. 

A lot more can be said on this subject, but simply, we must be more "salty" than "sweet" in our approach to this world.  We also must be more "salty" than "sour" too.  Therefore, as many of us hear at the end of Mass, we are to go out to provide antiseptic and flavor to a sick world that desperately needs it.  And, the times we live in, this is more real than ever.  God bless until next time.  

Catching Up

 It has been a while since writing, and there is good reason for it that I will discuss momentarily.  Although not the level of 2020, this year so far has been interesting - we have a bunch of godless Democrats running the government now, and we also have weird things going on in our churches that almost looks prophetic (in the case of our Catholic Church, we are being warned by godly leaders such as Archbishop Vigano about this, but that is a theological issue).  But, it is also been fairly stable for me financially this year so far, and I hope to keep it that way.  But, many factors - sans COVID-19, which has relatively little to do with my personal affairs honestly - have precluded me from writing a lot, so I wanted to just talk a bit about those things.  Without further elaboration, let us get into that now.

The first factor that has been contributing to a more busy life is my schooling - I am about to wrap up my second semester in my Ph.D. program and it tends to be intense.  While many of the classes are interesting, I also have the challenge of having some professors who honestly seem to confuse an 8-week class with a doctoral dissertation.  One of those in my Atlantic World course I am finishing up in a couple of weeks is a young lady who facilitates the course - she is a nice lady as a person, but she is a bit over-ambitious as an instructor, which leads me to believe this may be one of the first courses she has taught.  It is my hope that in due course of time her teaching methods will settle and mature, and she can make the class flow with a more reasonable level of work.  Doctoral-level courses are a bit more intensive honestly than either Master's or undergraduate-level, and they require a lot of reading, a lot of writing, and a lot of time.  So, therefore, that would explain why I haven't done as much blogging in recent months.  This will be more intense next academic year, as the second phase of my program - the reading comprehension courses - will take up even more time.  At the rate my doctoral program is going, if I maintain my good GPA (which at present is 3.73) I will complete the program by the end of December 2023.  At that point, it also will mean that I will be finished with school for good, as I will be 54 then and it will be time to move on.  Therefore, expect to see less blog activity for a while.

I am also in the process of reconfiguring my blogwork and maybe consolidating all three of my blogs into one, as at times some of the material does overlap.  Also, given that Blogspot is a product of Google, which is increasingly hostile to the views of people like myself, I may have no choice in the near future but to consider an alternative venue for writing.  This is still in development, and there is much to plan and think about concerning that, so updates will happen as needed on that. 

The second factor that has been occupying much of my time is of an even more serious nature.  I mentioned at the end of last year that as of June 24, 2020, Barbara and I have decided to separate and end our marriage.  The factors entailed in that are complex and are not things that need to be discussed here, but our parting has been amicable and we are still close friends.  We filed the final divorce papers on April 22 of this year, and we are now awaiting the final judgment and/or hearing.  This alone has more or less compelled me to reorder my life, as I am more or less getting back to where I was before I was married.  There have been adjustments, but they have been met and both Barbara's and my outlook is generally good, as this ultimately was the best decision.  For those reading this who are my friends, please do not bear any ill-will toward Barbara - she and I are in a good place now, and I only pray and wish the best for her as she begins a new life as well.  Also, this is not something I have widely talked about, so at this point I would ask that the readers would refrain from any speculation or gossip about it - for one thing, it is our business and no one else's, and also it protects Barbara's privacy as well in all of this.  Thank you for your understanding, and as we step into this new chapter of life, I ask for your prayers for both Barbara and myself, as we are at peace with the decision yet will face challenges with the adjustments it brings.  

That pretty much wraps up what I wanted to talk about today, and as I am able I will be back with more good insights in the near future.  God be with and bless all who read this.  

Cancel Culture and Identity Politics - Some Thoughts

 Due to my doctoral studies and some other factors, I have been unable to write on some things like I would desire to.  However, I do believe that there needs to be some updating to a lot that has been going on recently, and I feel some things need be said. 

What really sparked this is the recent firing of an actress, Gina Carano, who was fired for a meme she posted on her personal social media comparing the "cancel culture" to the way Jews were harassed in Nazi Germany.  It was labeled as "hate speech" (a term which really has no meaning nowadays honestly) and she was fired from the cast of  The Mandalorian.  I have not watched this show, although I am actually an avid Star Wars fan and have seen every episode of similar series (notably Rebels and Clone Wars, two excellent animated series that were on air a few years back - I own the complete series of both on DVD now), but up until it became "woke" (more like doped) I had heard good things.  I may go back and watch some of those episodes just to check them out for myself.  Bottom line, Carano was actually making a valid point - the "divide and conquer" strategy that Fauci and other leftist goons have launched in response to this whole COVID mess has much in common with the way Hitler and his Nazis operated things in the Third Reich and the territories it conquered.  For instance, when Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus, as well as the Baltic States, were invaded and occupied between the years 1939 and 1941, the Nazi strategy via the Einsatzgruppen SS murder squads that followed the Wehrmacht troops was to prey on local attitudes against Jews, Gypsies, and others, and then foment pogroms based on that stir-up of old prejudices.  The tragic fact of that however is that those who would participate in such pogroms - Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians, and others - would later be targeted themselves once they served their usefulness.  This is not discussed anymore as "woke" leftists seem to despise history, and many schools don't even teach history anymore because it is a product of some non-existent phantom vice called "White privilege" (which still has yet to be defined, as now even non-Whites such as Candace Owens are accused of it).  So, what does this Nazi-inspired "divide and conquer" strategy have to do with Gina Carano and why she was canned? Let us discuss that now.

Back during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, there were mayors and governors (notably Gavin Newsome in California, Lori "Uncle Fester" Lightfoot in Chicago, Gretchen "Ubersturmfuhrer" Whitmer in Michigan, Ralph "Blackface" Northam in Virginia, and both Andy "Big Fredo" Cuomo and Bill DeBlasio in New York) as well as the "medical expert" Dr. Anthony Fauci (a sad, strange little man with a Napoleon complex honestly) encouraging people to report Thanksgiving family gatherings, maskless people in stores, etc., in order to "fight COVID."  Oddly, this even led to arrests of innocent people whose only fault was wanting to enjoy the holiday with their families.  In watching a movie called Swing Kids about German youth who liked good music in Nazi Germany and were penalized for it, I recall a scene where Christian Bale's character was encouraged by his Nazi teacher to report and turn in his own father for just voicing an opinion that disagreed with Hitler's war policy.  The Gestapo showed up at the man's door and took him into custody, and as history has documented, many people who experienced this were never seen by their families again.  The modern Left, which claims to be "anti-fascist" and against "hate speech," seems intent to employ Nazi-like tactics against those it disagrees with - disagreement for the Leftist today has become the new unpardonable sin (I can hear the whiney hiss of Greta Thunberg now - "how dare you!").  The new Goebbels of this revised Nazi rubric is not one person but several - some of their names include Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter), Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Facebook), Bill Gates, and other multi-billionaire elites who have self-appointed themselves the arbiters of truth and censors of what they dislike.  They are as nefarious and ridiculous as Joseph Goebbels was, and wield a lot of unmerited power they otherwise would not have if free speech were truly valued.  So, Gina Carano is right, and by "cancelling" her via firing, they have proven her point. That now leads to a couple of other points I wanted to address in relation to this.

First, what was once considered "radical" is now considered "normal," and I want to cite a specific example I came across recently that illustrates the point.  A couple of years ago, I worked at a company as a contractor, and one of my co-workers was a sweet and talented girl in her early 20's that for security reasons we'll call Marie (not her real name).  Marie is a gifted photographer, and actually was a beautiful but artsy young lady who at that time was shy and had very little involvement in political issues (on her social media then, she listed her political views as "nobody's perfect," which I can respect).  I had a great admiration for this young lady, and followed her work on social media.  However, in the past few months, something radically happened to her that really defaced the person I really believe she truly is, and it was ugly.  To begin, she actually shaved her head and made herself just ugly - her hair was actually beautiful the way it was.  Then, her rhetoric became very offensive and caustic - she began to use the "mf" word a lot, and a lot of her pictures ended up bordering on the obscene in her posts. This later was reflected in her political rhetoric - she made the usual nonsensical claims that she "hated America" and one of her other friends actually said on a post during the 4th of July to "f... your Independence Day!"  Not only America though, but she expressed particular vitriol against Christianity - she accused Christianity of "destroying civilization" and "enslaving indigenous peoples" as well as other garbage, and said how "grateful" she was at not being part of a church anymore.  That deluded diatribe - which has the impressions of Howard Zinn and Saul Alinsky all over it - showed how truly ignorant this young 22-year-old kid was of true history.  She failed to understand that without Christianity, there would be no hospitals, universities, or even civil rights.  She also failed to understand that rather than destroy civilization, Christianity actually enhanced it by preserving the best of the cultures it evangelized - I doubt if many people would know about Plato if it wasn't for dedicated Christian monks preserving his writings. You see, the evangelistic mission of the Church is not just for the conversion of the individual, but for the positive transformation of society.  As Aquinas and Bonaventure taught, it was the impartation of supernatural grace into a culture that elevates it, heals it, and perfects it.  Pre-Christian cultures possessed many good things, but only when the light of Christ shown into them were those things developed to their full potential.  Another aspect of Christianity's impact on culture is the respect of life and individual dignity - true feminism, which recognizes a woman as a human being worthy of the dignity and value she has as a human being, is a cardinal virtue of Christianity.  Also, Christianity made life worth living for so many people - thanks to things such as better education and the ability to use one's talents to better one's life, even the poorest of people can have the opportunity to rise above their circumstance.  Although I disagree with him theologically, the televangelist Mark Chironna once said something that sums up this well - "your present position does not determine your future potential." Why? Because the Gospel does have transformative power!  The transformative power is a fruit of supernatural grace too, as that is exactly what supernatural grace does.  Marie and her friends are even recipients of that to a degree, although they tend to bite the very hand that stretched to give it to them.  Let me rephrase that and say it again - even the non-Christians (and in this case, even anti-Christians) benefit from the fruit of Western Civilization that has its roots in supernatural grace due to the exercise of Christian virtue.  Therefore, far from being detrimental to civilization, Christianity actually enhances civilization.  So, my advice to Marie and her friends (as well as many more like them) is to re-read history, appreciate it, and perhaps they may understand that if it wasn't for the transformative power of the Gospel on a societal scale, they would be a whole lot worse off. 

A second thing I wanted to address in relation to this is what "racism" is, in particular what is now touted as "systemic racism."  Rather, I would like to make the point that this word, which is bandied about by so many "woke" jackasses as a weapon to shut down those they disagree with, has lost much of its meaning.  Is there such a thing as "systemic racism?"  Historically, yes - the "Jim Crow" laws of the past were a form of systemic racism, as was the very things that created atrocities like the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust.  But, the real question is does it exist in American society today?  My answer to that is complex - no, but not yet.  The reason I say "no" is because for the most part, Blacks and other minorities are entitled to pretty much the same rights and privileges that everyone else possesses - a Black man can ride in the same bus as a White man, eat in the same restaurants, use the same bathrooms, etc.  If this phantom called "systemic racism" does exist, it poses a difficult question for those who like to holler so much about it.  By "systemic" for instance, it means the apparati that are in place which govern the society - things such as the academy (universities), entertainment (sports, Hollywood, pop music etc.), the media, the government, and the scientific community.  If someone makes the charge of "systemic racism," then it begs a question as to who is in charge of the systems themselves then, right?   For the most part, all of these "systems" are controlled by the political Left, so if we make that charge, then it means that the Leftists who tout the systems and control them are the racists then, right?  On this, I would defer to people who have dealt with that idea specifically, such as conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who originally (and astutely) brought that point up, as well as author/documentarian Dinesh D'Souza, who actually did the footwork on researching the true origins of the Democratic Party (as a teaser, what he discovered does not look good for them).  Read and watch what they have learned, and it will be enlightening.  That leads to my second affirmation that "systemic racism" does not exist yet.  What that means is that the new arbiters of truth - the ones controlling the systems themselves - are growing increasingly more racist on two levels.  On one, there is now a demonization of people they consider "White" just based on skin color, but now "Whiteness" is no longer even about that - Black conservatives such as Candace Owens and Ben Carson have been accused of having "White privilege" (again, whatever that is supposed to be) although they are clearly not White.  This weird and insane classification makes no real sense, and it is clearly baseless.  So, in a sense, the ones who decry "White privilege" may themselves be the true racists, although God forbid you say that to them!  On the other side of that, this mentality is racist against Blacks and other ethnicities in general in that it basically wants to reinforce what is negative in their communities at the expense of the positive - the radical organization Black Lives Matter has even come out and said as much.  And, that leads me to a couple of final thoughts on this before I wrap it up.

First, let me be very clear in saying that racism is real - no one denies that - and any form of it is unacceptable.  Whether it is directed against Blacks, Whites, or anyone else, racism is racism, and it is evil and should be rejected.  The reason is simple, and again is rooted in a basic Christian principle.  God created mankind in his image, and in reality there is only one race - humanity.  There are a diverse number of ethnicities (and Blacks are one of them - an ethnicity, not a race) within the human race, but despite shades and tones on the outside, each is still indisputably human.  We therefore have no right, and there is no merit to be found in, condemning someone over a shade of skin.  Those who commit that evil - be they the Ku Klux Klan or Black Lives Matter - are violating a basic tenet of human dignity. And, that leads to a second point.

Secondly, people are evaluated on individual merits rather than physical appearance or shade of skin.  A person is accountable based on their own actions and decisions, and not on some fictional predetermined genetic traits that have not even been proven to exist.  A person who commits a bad action, regardless of what they look like, is judged by that action and not by their blood or skin color.  And, there are good and bad individuals within all ethnicities.  Likewise, a person's potential, intelligence, and individuality should not be limited by the color of their skin - every human being of every shade and color has the potential of learning, growing, and action upon their own decisions, and that is called merit - while it is true that some groups are more successful at some things than others, it does not mean the whole group is stereotyped based on the actions of individual members of it.  Although Blacks are often painted as criminal risks, there are as many Whites who have done stupid and evil things as there have been Blacks.  Likewise, there are substantial numbers of successful people in all ethnicities - it all depends on how they used their own gifts and talents to get that success, and has nothing to do with their skin tone or genetics.  That is why this affirmative action and "political correctness'" crap needs to stop now.  Again, it is time we observe the merits of the individual rather than either relying on stereotypes or stupid notions of identity politics.

I could say a lot more on all this, and probably will in due time, but you get the idea.  "Cancel culture" simply needs to be cancelled, and we need to stop using racial identity politics as a standard for life in this nation.  This means that we must unilaterally reject both the Ku Klux Klan as well as Black Lives Matter, as they are both two racist sides of the same coin of bigotry.  Honestly too, there is little distinction between the rhetoric of Adolf Hitler and Louis Farrakhan - one is as much a racist and a fascist as the other, and both need to be rejected.  But, that rejection should never be in the form of a "cancel culture" mentality - people can have opinions, even when they are wrong, and no one can "cancel" a person's opinion.  So, let the Kluckers and BLM thugs rage, but also let's not give them unwarranted attention - ignore both groups of bigots, and in time they will see they have no relevance for the majority of normal, decent human beings who just want to go about their business and live their lives in peace.  Thanks for letting me share today.