Hearty Thanks to Dr. Cork!

For saving me the trouble of writing this. :) My thoughts exactly.

In an e-mail yesterday to Domenico Bettinelli, I made the following observation that I'd like to share:

It seems clear to me that the Catechism addresses only what Macksey enumerates second among the "primary" titles. I do not see why we must conclude that the others among the "primary" titles, or the "secondary" titles, are thereby repudiated. Consider the lengths of the treatments in the Encyclopedia and the Catechism: the latter, by mere comparison, can hardly be considered exhaustive.

Until somebody cites a magisterial document that specifically and particularly repudiates the several primary and secondary "titles" for just war and the rest of the analysis propounded by Macksey, I will insist that the treatment in the Catechism is not — neither in fact nor in intention — exhaustive.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 02/14/03 10:15:00 PM
Categorized as Religious.

The Mindless Scream

From the bridge of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.

Excuse me while I quote from myself:

.... Know what else I think? I do think that when Islamist retaliation comes — and it will most certainly come — there will indeed be traitors Americans who say we asked for it.

But those very traitors Americans are the ones who would scream with purple-faced rage if America ever conducted retaliatory action. (Their moral relativism would instantly cease being relative.) Our enemies, though, these traitors Americans would — nay, will — give a pass.

It will be just another example of flaming left-wing hypocrisy....

Just wanted to let you know that this looks as if it's a place one will be able to go to find that "flaming left-wing hypocrisy" when the time comes.

(Thanks, sort of, Jonah.)

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 02/14/03 10:03:42 PM
Categorized as Social/Cultural.

The Axis of Weasels

Now I understand the origin of the phrase!

(Thanks Kathryn.)

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 02/14/03 09:55:10 PM
Categorized as Literary.

A Clergyman Speaks Out on the Clergymen

A worthy essay by Fr. James Schall at NRO yesterday:

.... There is a well thought out, clear, empirically based case that not to do anything in the present moment would be immoral. This case was made by President Bush in the State of the Union address and Secretary Powell in his speech to the U.N. It is impossible to read these statements without seeing that they are written and spoken with high moral purpose and their authors fully cognizant of the facts at issue. No side has a monopoly on the ethics of the matter: It is certainly not the exclusive preserve of the clergy. The American leaders do not conceive of themselves as operating in a moral vacuum. The "I-am-still-not-convinced" position has the advantage of not actually having to do anything to protect anyone from danger.

But the responsible politician has no such luxury. The president has spelled out the number of times since 9/11 that further attacks have been prevented. We live in a period of illusion if we think that further attacks have not come forth because bin Laden, wherever he is, or his friends, have changed their minds or their methods. Targets in Europe and the United States have been selected. Our efforts to defend ourselves have worked. The conclusion is not that no danger is near, but that danger has been thwarted and must continue so to be....

The "humanitarian" war advocates of recent years have often made every effort to suggest that it is our "obligation" to intervene in extreme cases, any place in the world. We have been blamed mostly for inaction. Now, these same voices demand inaction. Perhaps it is true, as Franklin Roosevelt said, that we all hate war. But the question remains: Is there something worse than war, something worse than not preventing what needs to be prevented? If it takes a war to prevent this something worse, and we do prevent it, it will always seem, to the anti-war faction, that no real problem existed, because they could not see the evidence for it.

Those who do see the evidence are in charge. There is a certain comfort in that....

Hhhhhmmm. Does this mean that when Sean Penn said he didn't see any WMD in Iraq, maybe he was wrong? Wow. Whodathunkit?

(Thanks Dom.)

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 02/14/03 09:54:20 AM
Categorized as Religious.

Oh, Jay. Oh, Jay? Oh, Jay!

First, Al Sharpton threw his hat into the Democratic presidential circus competition.

Now, I hear that Carole Mosely-Braun is thinking about doing the same.

How, O how, could the news possibly get better?

Wait... Orenthal James Simpson for President! That would do it.

I think this is a development one can actually be hopeful about. It is more likely, even, than the Democrats nominating FDR in 2004.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 02/14/03 08:07:30 AM
Categorized as Political.

Boycott France & Germany?

A reader writes again:

I would like to propose to Americans that we boycott consumer goods of those nations who oppose us in the upcoming Iraq War.

I, for one, have decided to buy no goods made in China unless I'm unable to find a replacement made elsewhere and the item is needed. Inexpensive household products such as dishes, place mats, etc. are increasingly imported from China. I hardly find any such items in Wal-Mart, for instance, that aren't imported from China. When we buy from China, we pour our money into their war machine so that they can create more missles to point at us, Taiwan, Japan.

We don't have to worry about goods from Russia -- I don't think that they make anything Americans would want.

We can live without French and German products too. Buy Italian wines instead of French; travel to England, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, the Baltic countries. Better yet, travel in the beautiful and vast US!

Let's begin to support workers and governments that take our side. Buy from Taiwan, the Phillipines, the small American countries, Mexico, etc.

I don't know that I would support a boycott of a country's businesses when I have a complaint with that country's government. For all I know, the French vintner I would not be buying from is furious about his government's position. (Okay. Okay. That's a very unlikely example. But you get the drift.)

I do support, however, rearranging the UN situation, for instance: why, exactly, should the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys now have a permanent seat, with veto, on the Security Council? And I support realignment of our troops: Poland and Czechoslovakia, I understand, would love to host the troops we station now in Germany. I think we should go for it.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 02/14/03 07:49:01 AM
Categorized as Political.

On Miguel Estrada

A reader writes:

I was listening to Rush Limbaugh today and heard three Hispanic (formerly Democrat) male callers in a row vent their anger at the Democrats for blocking Estrada's appointment to the Circuit Court. If they are calling Rush, then I would expect that they and others must be flooding Democratic senators with calls and e-mails. Since Hispanics are now the largest minority, the Democrats may have neatly placed another bullet in their collective foot. Oh, please, oh please.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 02/14/03 07:42:39 AM
Categorized as Political.