Capitalism, Ideology and the Abortion Debate (after 40 years) | Capital Commentary

Capitalism, Ideology and the Abortion Debate (after 40 years) | Capital Commentary by Ryan McIlhenny.  MGB: I have been putting forth a proposal for over a decade to give each family a $500 per child per month tax subsidy payable through wages.  Sadly, those who are most against it tend to be pro-lifers.  Their opinion is that family limitation should occur through sexual control.  So much for their claim that the war against abortion is not about sex.

North/West African Conflicts and Interfaith Interventionism | Capital Commentary

North/West African Conflicts and Interfaith Interventionism | Capital Commentary by R. Drew French.  MGB: I went to school with two African tribal princes from Southern Sudan.  This was in the early 80s.  Islamic extremism is nothing new.  It killed Sadat and likely is not amenable to peace overtures.  If we really want to protect the human rights of those who resist it, it will be bloody - as it is in Afghanistan.

Roe Plus Forty: Where Now? | Capital Commentary

Roe Plus Forty: Where Now? | Capital Commentary by David Koyzis.  MGB: First, a correction - states had begun to legalize abortion, including California, prior to Roe.  Legalization was where momentum was heading until the issue was constitutionalized.  Second, in 40 years there has been no bill to implement the 14 amendment powers of Congress to enforce the amendment, which would include moving the start of life to an earlier point than birth or viability.  Extending it to the first trimester (where children are embyros, not fetuses, has legal problems in dealing with the criminal and tort problems inherent in granting legal status).  Without such status, privacy dictates that there is no third person.

Religious Freedom in the Next Phase of Health Care Reform | Capital Commentary

Religious Freedom in the Next Phase of Health Care Reform | Capital Commentary by Clarke E. Cochran.  MGB: The whole contraception fight was waged for political purposes and the Obama side won it.  The only thing the law changed was co-payments - all firms with third party insurance (including churches) already had this coverage due to a ruling by the EEOC in 2000 (as reported by Mother Jones).  Most of the lawsuits filed were to keep the issue in front of the public at election time.  It turns out not many people really cared.  These cases are mostly not ripe for consideration because the final regulations have not been issued - which is proof of their electoral nature.

A Healing Inaugural Address | Capital Commentary

A Healing Inaugural Address | Capital Commentary by Michael Gerson.  MGB: I agree with Michael that if Obama recognizes the need to unite the country and reaches across the aisle, while at the same time giving strong emphasis to raising up the disadvantaged, it would be a good speech indeed.

What to Watch for in the Next Phase of Health Care Reform | Capital Commentary

What to Watch for in the Next Phase of Health Care Reform | Capital Commentary by Clarke E. Cochrane.  MGB: Even more important is the prospect that health insurance company investors are more risk averse than the uninsured.  If this is the case, the health insurance market will crash long before 2014 begins, leading to quick replacement of the pre-existing condition reform with a tax subsidized public option or a full-on single-payer system.  Some  estimate that the real goal of reform was the latter.

A “Common Good” Prescription for our Political Malaise | Capital Commentary

A “Common Good” Prescription for our Political Malaise | Capital Commentary by Michelle Kortwell Kirtley.  MGB: In order to preserve lower income taxes, we have set ourselves on a road to either diminish health benefits (or force them to be more cost effective - an experiment that has never worked) or to set up a new tax system - such as an employer paid consumption tax - to fund them adequately.  Given that the prospects of health care reforms pre-existing condition reforms may yet bankrupt the entire health insurance industry, a few dollars in Medicare cuts seem like a small issue.

Understanding Upcoming Supreme Court Decisions | Capital Commentary

Understanding Upcoming Supreme Court Decisions | Capital Commentary by Julia K. Stronks.  MGB: Affirmative action cases are about balancing competing groups.  Marital rights are not.  The are about whether gays and lesbians are able to exercise the basic adult right to form one's own family, rather than being relegated under the law to eternal childhood - with their families of origin retaining their rights as next of kin.  Additionally, this cases illustrate the fact that marriages are not performed by clergy or state, but are instead a choice of the parties involved.  If this is the truth for Christian marriage for heterosexuals, it must also be true for homosexuals.  It the Center does not believe this, then the Center needs to rethink.

African-American Turnout and the Fate of the Voting Rights Act | Capital Commentary

African-American Turnout and the Fate of the Voting Rights Act | Capital Commentary by Timothy Sherratt. MGB: What is important is whether the election authorities are dominated by those who would suppress minority votes, not the population of the voters.

Can We Do Anything About the Sandy Hook Horrors? | Capital Commentary

Can We Do Anything About the Sandy Hook Horrors? | Capital Commentary I agree with Steven Meyer. The Church must lead on the issue of getting the guns.  It is the only authority some gun owners (or their mothers) will listen to.

Educating the Good Citizen | Capital Commentary

Educating the Good Citizen | Capital Commentary by Kevin R. Den Dulk.  MGB: Civic education has always come outside the educational system.  It comes in families, campaigns, union or non-union shops, churches and civic clubs. College level activity usually shows who will be the future leaders in this regard, but not all leaders have a B.A. degree or a J.D.  Had I gotten a J.D., I may have been in Congress by now, although none of my classmates in Pre-Law have so ascended.

In Search of Political Courage | Capital Commentary

In Search of Political Courage | Capital Commentary by Michael J. Gerson.  MGB: On Medicare, I have always thought that the best solution was to build measures to foster the birth of more children, thus ignoring the demographic certainty of catastrophe altogether. Short of that, consolidating health care taxes into a single employer-paid consumption tax (with offsets for those who wish to self insure or get their own outside coverage) would provide more than enough competition to lower costs - although single payer would be the west way to drive these down as well, if properly empowered to bargain.