Apparently, the pope did not have any opinion on the Iraq war.
But Torture?
Surely the pope would speak out against the kind of torture for which our country has become famous: Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, CIA “black sites”—the more so, since Jesus of Nazareth was tortured to death. The pope chose silence, which presumably came as welcome relief to five-star torturer’s apprentice, Gen. Michael Hayden, now head of the CIA. The White House has made clear that Hayden is ready to instruct his torturers to water board again, upon Caesar’s approval.
Hayden proved his mettle when he was head of the National Security Agency. He saluted smartly when the president and vice president told him to disregard the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act and his oath to defend the Constitution. One of Hayden’s predecessors as NSA director asserted that Hayden should have been court-martialed. Pelosi was briefed both on the illegal surveillance and the torture, but did nothing.
Having demonstrated his allegiance to the president, Hayden was picked to head the CIA. The general likes to brag about his moral training and Catholic credentials. At his nomination hearing, he noted that he was the beneficiary of 18 years of Catholic education.
And all the while it was quite clear he was positively lusting to be in charge of water boarding and other torture techniques—whatever you say, boss. I was somewhat crestfallen after adding up my own years of Catholic education—only 17. Clearly I missed “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques 301.”
Keep It General; Focus on Others’ Sins
Saturday at the UN, the pontiff pontificated on “God-given human rights” and “massive human rights abuses,” but pretty much left it at that. The Washington Post reported that the pope was “short on specifics and long on broad themes.”
But there was one specific. Here in the U.S., the pope seemed to prefer to dwell again and again on the pedophilia scandal—to the exclusion of much else. He is to be applauded for meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse and expressing deep shame, but he got a free pass from the media in disguising his own role in trying to cover the whole thing up.
While still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he headed The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—the Vatican office that once ran the Inquisition. In that capacity he sent a letter in May 2001 to all Catholic bishops throwing a curtain of secrecy over the widespread sexual abuse by clergy, warning the bishops of severe penalties, including excommunication for breaching “pontifical secrets.”
Lawyers acting for the sexually abused accused Ratzinger of “clear obstruction of justice.”
Very few American bishops have been disciplined. And when Bernard Cardinal Law was run out of Boston for failing to protect children from predator priests, he was given a cushy sinecure in Rome; many believe he should be behind bars.
In an interview with the Catholic News Service in 2002, Ratzinger branded media coverage of the pedophilia scandal “a planned campaign…intentional, manipulated, a desire to discredit the Church.”
It is nice that the pope has now changed his tune. And nicer still for him as he found himself in the congenial atmosphere of Washington, where it has been a very long time since powerful miscreants have been held accountable.
So What Did You Expect?
I do wish my friends would stop asking me that.
While it was good that the pope addressed the pedophilia issue head on, it seemed as though he and his politically astute advisers made a considered decision to devote inordinate amounts of time and energy to the abuse. An all-too-familiar side-benefit of this focus on below-the-belt sexual issues enabled the pope to speak in glorious generality on other major issues—war, torture, capital punishment—in all of which, as we have seen, many of “the faithful” are deeply engaged—embarrassingly engaged. Or am I the only one embarrassed?
Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC. During his 27-years as a CIA analyst, he chaired NIEs: he is now on the Steering Group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
War is good! Just ask Halliburton, Dynacorp, Northrup, and so many other fine businesses that are ethical and pure. Exxon-Mobil may make a bissel on the conflicts to gas up the Hummers and Tanks, but that is just business.
You stupid idiots who would prevent businesses from prospering because you choose not to keep us in per-PET-ual battles necessary to keep kapitalists free from want! Stop it now before I see a recession striking the C E O's that have devoted their lives to the bottom line.
It costs money, lots of it ,to line the pockets of politicians and judges to see the true legacy of the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, the Warburgs and Rothschildes, and all the Nobler Barons of the distant past.
Forget the wasteful money that could have been spent to pay for FDA, GAO, FCC, and SEC. Just keep shoveling it in as this administration has continuously, so business will prevail.
The small cost of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands wounded, are a small price to pay for industry to be victorious.
Wolfie is PET-ulant that the petty people are not servile enough for the wants of the big dog!
by
Wolfie (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 970 comments)
on Monday, April 21, 2008 at 10:14:18 PM
Can a Pope be impeached? Just kidding. . . sort of.
While many of us continue to speak out, sit-in, and rise up, I do wonder - where are today's Berrigan brothers? NRCAT does a good job of educating and lobbying, but we could use more "people of faith" willing to stick their necks out like the Catholic Left did during Vietnam. The Catholic Schoolgirls stepped up and the media demonized them and they're facing felony charges. What would happen if a few priests started taking direct action? Might we see a different response? Maybe.
I had the pleasure, Ray, of hearing you speak recently while I was vacationing near Phoenix. The question that was on my mind that night is this: What would you say is the closest institution we have today that rivals the draft board during Vietnam? Many, including the Catholic Left, were able to zero in on that successfully because it had the ability to send shockwaves all the way to the top. Would appreciate your insights on that.
We should increase actions against our members of Congress right now, but we need to figure out what to do about the complicit media. They either ignore or dismiss it. Maybe it's time groups start some direct action at media outlets...
I will leave readers with this: Father Michael Doyle, a member of the Camden 28 (still tending to a parish a few miles from me in Camden) said this about their actions 37 years ago at the Federal Building:
"What do you do when a child is on fire? We saw children on fire. What do you do when a child is on fire in a war that was a mistake? What do you do... like, write a letter?" [Camden 28 trailer]
by
Cheryl Biren-Wright (16 articles, 13 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 258 comments)
on Monday, April 21, 2008 at 11:47:26 PM
I wasn't more than 100 yards away from bush today. He was right across the street. Must have been 2,000 police, troopers and soldiers, not to mention an army of undercover agents protecting our "Torturer in Chief".
It was surreal, my mind and soul are still burning furiously over last weeks disclosures, and to think that this vile, vapid excuse of a humane-being was within shouting distance, dining on a gourmet meal we paid for, and picking his teeth with bones of the dead he's responsible for, has had me in a state of rage all day. It's a wonder I wasn't stopped at least once as I had occasion to pass very close to manned barricades all day, and unable to control myself let fly with some verbal barbs that drew stares.
I was disappointed that there was no protests of any kind. Downtown New Orleans isn't all that big and for where bush was staying 5,000 hard-core protesters could of boxed him in. Granted they would of faced the combined might of above mentioned forces, but what a show it would be! But as far as I know, I was the only one voicing any descent, as feeble as I alone may be.
And what a shame. For it seems Mr. McGovern is making a call that if we don't stand-up now to this tyranny, we'll forever be put down. And yet, there I was today, the only other person I saw up-set about bush being in town was upset, not because he's a war criminal, but, because streets were blocked-off and she couldn't get where she wanted to go with-out taking a detour.
"The Torturer" will be around tomorrow. I'll try to see if there is any organized demonstrations, but I doubt it - this week-end is Jazz Fest, and for the City of New Orleans it's the crowning jewel of the world's music festivals, only equal to Mardi Gras, and when it's a choice between politics and party, in this city, it's no contest.
But soon the party will end. Soon all the bad things people only hear about on the fringe, see on TV and read about in their media aren't going to be so abstract - soon all the horror that bush and his ilk are brewing in large batches is going to spill into all our lives, and there won't be enough music in the world to drown out screams of those that will fall pray to the torturers whip.
by
Mr M (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 1056 comments)
on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 1:31:23 AM
I'd have joined you in the barbs... and on the thought about the 5000 protesters - by now I would have thought that anywhere Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al were travel to they would met with huge overwhelming protests... I don't understand how it fails to happen... I know a lot of outraged people - but maybe we're all just looking for a way to act - that - a way we can participate.
The internet is great - but it's so completely invisible to the "masses".
We need some way to build a visible national coast to coast presence...
by
August Adams (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 385 comments)
on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 1:43:43 PM
"..state plainly what 109 bishops of the Methodist faith, George W. Bush’s tradition...."
GWB's tradition. LOL.
There is obviously a divide and rule strategy to get Christians fighting like the Shia and Sunni do. BTW, a similar article using the word "Jew" or "Zi*nist" gets labelled as a hate crime. I get warned before posting a comment with this word in it since it might be "hurtful".
Besides, we all know who controls the Vatican and the Pope today. WTF do you think happened to Pope John Paul I and his sidekicks. He was the ultraliberal Pope who lasted 33 days, repeat, 33, days, before being taken out in 1978, and then Pope John Paul II, the ultraconservative Pope gets voted in, and 1.4 billion dollars disappears (had to buy his way in I guess).
In 1958 they strong armed 53 conservative cardinals into voting for an unknown cardinal who happened to be a secret liberal. He repealed the ban on Masonry, was said to be a former Mason himself, liberalized the Church with Vatican II and liberal Cardinals and Bishops infiltrated the Church and protected those pedophile Priests. Interesting how the first and only Catholic ever elected to office, despite making up 20% of the population was assassinated. Who did the KKK target in the early 20th century: catholics, jews and blacks. Who was behind the KKK? Guess. Who killed JFK? Same people. Call them what you will, Illuminati or whatever they call themselves, but they are behind the Globalization and fascism of today.
What is the difference between the liberal and conservative cardinals and popes? One wanted to make contraceptives ok for Catholics and make women more equal in the Church. This interfered with our genocidal plans in the 3rd world. So since then, what have we got, 2 conservative Popes with connections to the Nazi's. Today, Pope John Paul II cleaned out all the liberal Cardinals, but if St Malachies prophecies are to come true, Ratzinger or the next Pope will be the last. I do not believe in prophecies, yet they can be self fulfilling.
I am not religious, but you know those Christian Zi*nists who support what is going on in Iraq, I got news for you, most of them ain't Catholics.
When I look for who is behind conspiracy, I look at which groups get away from all the sh*t throwing with nary a drop on them, and where Fox and CNN talk with one voice.
Oh, and one more thing, Pope John XXIII, he witheld the 3rd secret of the Lady of Fatima, which was supposed to be released in 1960. Instead it was delayed until 2000, and what was released appeared to many to be not the real secret . Here is what it it predicted, according to some interpretations, one year before 9/11.
"The fulfillment of the Third Fatima Secret begins the destruction of the papacy and the man who spiritually holds one billion souls ransom by claiming to be the Vicar of Christ. The same goes for Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs and others. All humans must be set free from the shackles of organized religions first because the later will not set them free to take part in the Last Judgment. The pope holds the maximum of God's children in spiritual ransom. That is why it is necessary that he is destroyed first.."
It also showed a city with big buildings that were destroyed.
So how convenient our man OBL, who is said to have knocked down a few big buildings, has also threatened the Pope. I mean, Hollywood must have written this script. Wonder how they stage the rapture (I wonder what those airplane inspections all about). I read LaHays books just for the heck of it.
That FLDS scam is simply another staged event to discredt religion, and exercise governments right to break up families. I am not religous, but believe in Freedom of and from religion. Imagine, the leaders of the FLDS have Pentagon contracts. It's hilarious. LOL.
So you see, we are not in a War on Terror. It is simply a War on Religion, and they will give us a Tribulation so those Left behind accept it as a prohecy being fulfilled. And then we get One World Totalitarian government. In the world of the Old testament, (I had to read that too), for those whom interpret it literally, as many non-Catholics seem to do, at least those who believe in creationism, we see a world where god permits slavery, parents give away their male children to the temple, animal sacrifice is required, polygamy is allowed, that children born as little girls, like animals, were mans property and must serve their master, obviously a man (I am a guy but....). This might be what the future looks like.
But we might be on an intergalactic tv miniseries, so try to play your part, and just go along like a nice sheep to the slaughter. Those who survive to becomes slaves, good luck.
by
pft (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 234 comments)
on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 3:13:32 AM
Summoning Courage - Local Strong Consistent Action
Excellent Article.
Where are all the spiritual leaders on this ongoing occupation and patently illegal war of aggression? I can't help but wonder why there isn't more condemnation in the International Community. Clearly, based on international law, this country has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. We should be judged harshly and so should every group, terrorist organization or nation that uses aggression as a tool of diplomacy.
It seems to me that in order for our representatives to understand the anger and feel the courage of everyone in this country, we need to start acting peacefully demonstrating on a more consistent level locally. Churches, schools, activist organizations should be organizing around every congressional districts home office. We should have consistent daily "End the War", "Hold them Accountable" peaceful and assemblies in highly visible locations in every town, village and city across the nation.
I think we somehow need consistent on-going local visible places to be seen - in places our elected officials cannot possibly ignore. Rotating action - that involves a visible group that grows over time.
In Corvallis, Oregon, in front of the City Hall, there is a peace protest with people rotating every night. They have been there since prior to the invasion and they have continued a rotational presence there everyday since.
None of us can be at our representatives offices 24/7/365 but collectively, we can.
I think we must begin to organize an ongoing 24/7/365 visible protest.
We need a new model, that becomes so large that the it doesn't matter any more if the MSM ignores us. So large that they cannot make the demonstrations disappear down a rabbit hole.
I'm angry, summoning up the courage to act. Have written the letters, gone to "meetings" at our representatives office (with no representative present and a 6 week delay in their response).
What efforts and how can we mobilize more consistent ongoing peaceful demonstrations?
We can't all go everyday, but most of us could carve out a few hours a week if the actions were local... maybe we can get to 24/7/365 together...
by
August Adams (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 385 comments)
on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 1:34:23 PM
Pretty shameful, isn't it? And in regards to the previous big weekend of "God and Politics" debates on CNN et al: I guess if I was to ask the Candidates ONE big Religious/Moral question, it would be,
What's the deal with this 2012 thing? Do you, (and does your religion) believe these "End Times" prophecies about that date? Because if you DO, Mr, Madam, candidates, HOW can we expect you, as president, to do anything constructive about AVERTING this damnation, which surely will include Nuclear War, rather than simply helping this to become a self-fulfilling prophecy by your actions?
BW (at 2012 North Rd.!)
by
Bia Winter (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 154 comments)
on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 9:30:06 AM
