HerbEly

Is the Market Moral?

Here is a WaPo review of Rebecca Blank’s new book from Brookings: Rebecca Blank, the labor economist and dean of the public policy school at the University of Michigan, follows her Protestant ethic toward a vision of market capitalism restrained, augmented and improved through government action. Her worthy opponent is William McGurn, chief editorial writer of the Wall Street Journal, who follows Catholic teachings toward a view of markets better constrained by culture than by government. The book is short, the interplay between them lively and the discussion far more nuanced than the usual diatribes about dog-eat-dog capitalism, homilies to freedom and musings on what Jesus would do. As a dialogue on religion, economics and justice, it makes for interesting holiday reading.

Just reading the review makes me want to read the book. Life being what it is, I may never get to it. It certainly sounds better than the Bishops pastoral letter in 1986. You can buy your copy here

Tsunami Deaths: Blame the Lawyers!

It seams that the Thai government underestimated the danger and did not issue a warning for fear of lawsuits from the tourist industry! Of course, this report may not be accurate. It serves as a reminder that workplace spirituality includes the obligation to do our jobs correctly.

Is the Bush strategy of Pre-emptive Attack Unjust?

The US Army War College journal published an article suggesting that Operation Iraqi freedom did not meet meet the Just War test.

A Blogworthy

Lane Core has listed my piece on New Years Resolutions among his blogworthies. This 894 word piece summarizes 32 years of career experience combined with a two year course in Msgr. Chester Michael's Spiritual Direction Institute. Thanks, Lane. I hope the piece helps someone. Comments?

On Being a Lector: How to “Prepare Ye the Way...”

Yesterday, I had the privilege of being the second lector and the challenge of reading Col 3:1-21. As a husband and father, I was very aware that I seek “progress, not perfection”. This reading went well, bringing to mind this phrase as a touchstone for preparing to read:

“We read the scripture in its fullness
when it reads us and finds emptiness.”

Rudolph, the Red Nosed Fraud

Rudolph is a publicity-hungry, egomaniacal fraud," the Times quotes Blitzen as saying. "The guy has one stupid gimmick, and he's made an entire career out of it. The rest of us do all the heavy lifting, but where's Blitzen's animated TV special, huh? Where's Blitzen's song?"

Thanks to Kathy Shaidle at recovering liberal.

Another Source of Politcal Bitterness

In this morning’s WaPo Richard Cohen writes about meeting George Tenet at a Washington dinner party. He writes about having a civil conversation, even though he had criticized Tenet in his column. He goes on to comment about the decline of civility in the Washignton establishment

“Christmas Wars” a pseudo-trend?

My gut instinct is that the so-called “Christmas Wars” – i.e. the spate of news stories about Christians fighting secular forces in order to keep Christ in Christmas – are an artifact. They are the result of a journalistic need to write sensationalist stories that deliver eyeballs to advertisers. The stories work because they respond to a deep seated concern over culture wars. Click here for my previous postings on this.

A bit of historical perspective will help us to see if this is a real trend or just a newspaper editor's search for an audience. This morning’s NYT gives some historical perspective on how changes in the economy have affected the way we celebrate Christmas

Compare and Contrast

The Air Force is punishing its former top military lawyer for conduct unbecoming an officer and several other offenses after an investigation found that he engaged in improper relationships with more than a dozen women.

Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Fiscus, the former judge advocate general of the Air Force, received a formal reprimand and forfeitures of pay under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for conduct unbecoming, fraternization, obstruction of justice and violating a lawful general regulation, an Air Force statement said.

Cardinal Law, the serial enabler of sexual abuse against children, gets a basilica in Rome.

The Air Force, thanks to James Madison’s magnificent Constitution, is responsible to the American people through their elected representatives. Cardinal Law is responsible to the Vatican. The people just pay the legal bills and finance the continued work of the Church.

Maybe Napoleon Wasn’t Poisoned

Napoleon died of arsenic poisoning. No one has provided evidence pointing to a culprit. Dr. David Jones has another suggestion as to how he was exposed to lethal levels of arsenic.

When your are done reading how Napoleon was done in, visit the Grand Illusions Toy Shop .