Plutarch, (in Coriolanus) wrote about Rome and the abuses of
great wealth:
The
abuse of buying and selling votes crept in and money began to play an important
part in determining elections. Later on, this process of corruption spread in
the law courts and to the army, and finally, when even the sword became
enslaved by the power of gold, the republic was subjected to the rule of
emperors
Use his words to write your Sunday homily.
The
House passed a budget. The 2-year budget promises to do something in ten
years, while being only a two year deal. And it doesn’t even actually do what
it proclaims; actually reduce
the deficit in a meaningful way. It replaces a $6.3 billion deficit reduction
with a $2.3 billion reduction, which looks like a $4.0 billion increase.
Since the CBO estimates the deficit to be $6.3 trillion over the next ten
years, that $2.3 billion amounts to a reduction
of one third of one percent.
Mr. Boehner made a turn to help get the budget
passed:
But not without grumbles within his own party:
Congress channeled Mandela:
Francis won Time’s Person of the Year, but haters were out there:
Mr. Obama’s critics followed him to South Africa:
And the media misinterpreted Obama’s selfie:
The
Wrongologist wrote this week about the breakdown of Trust
in America. Democracy works when there is a rough national consensus and
starts breaking down when there isn’t any consensus. Consensus? Bueller?
We used to
have consensus when the economy was growing and everyone had a shot at living a
better life than their parents. Today, the economy is growing, but fewer
are getting that shot. Kids are told to get smarter, to work smarter (more) and
settle for what will eventually be called ‘smart wages’ (less).
There is no
point in debating each other when there are zero points of agreement. Sitting
on the sidelines and demanding nothing but more tax cuts and less regulation
has been an altogether too comfortable lounge chair for the rich.
Or, as Chesterton said:
“The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly;
the rich have always objected to being governed at all.”
