I’m just askin’

Posted on 29 November 2009 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I don’t know, but does this seem like a pretty good summation to you?

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21 Responses to I’m just askin’

Virgil says:

29 November 2009 at 10:34 AM

You have a lot of patriotic readers (myself included), Father Z, who may be offended by a link like this, if we thought you were serious. No, actually it isn’t a very good summation of the President’s accomplishments. [Okay, I take it that that is a “no” vote.] Nor is it a good summation if you consider the deficit and the economy the last President’s leftover legacy. (Unless you’re a conspiracy nut or film director, in which case I must admit, it is great drama to imagine two evil Protestant presidents of rival parties conspiring to destroy the Constitution!)

But what does it have to do with slavishly accurate liturgical translations? Or frank commentary on Catholic issues?

Father Z, please keep up the good work with respect to Catholic issues in politics, e.g. the Tobin/Kennedy flap, e.g. keeping immigrants and the unborn in health insurance reform, e.g. keeping crucifizes in Italian schools.

As for linking to conspiracy theories, you are at your best when you just make light hearted fun of the Women’s Ordination Conference, or the connections between Bugnini and the Masons.
pberginjr says:

29 November 2009 at 10:53 AM

I think it’s great!
Brian Day says:

29 November 2009 at 10:57 AM

I love “Day by Day”.

Virgil,
Take a deep breath. It’s a cartoon. Think of it as “Doonesbury” for conservatives.
Soler says:

29 November 2009 at 11:05 AM

I may as well seize the opportunity, since this is one of my pet peeves.

The “ususual” cards shown here, for whatever reason, are taken from the “French Tarot” deck of cards. To one who only knows tarot cards as a means of divination, this may come as a surprise: where are the suits of swords, batons, cups and coins, and the symbolic cards? In fact, tarot cards were originally, and often still are, intended for playing card games. Tarot decks made specifically for this purpose can be found on the Continent. Different types of deck are available: some considerably resemble the tarot decks used for divination, while others, such as French Tarot, use the Anglo-French suits of spades, hearts diamonds and clubs and are entirely devoid of symbolism. http://www.pagat.com has descriptions of some of the games played with these cards.

Sorry for the irrelevant rant…
KAS says:

29 November 2009 at 11:05 AM

I love Day By Day as well, and I think this is an EXCELLENT summation of what is going on with our government.

History will bear this out and as this country slides into the pit, it will tend to be our rights to live and act as Catholics which will be taken away by the socialist takeover. After all, we Catholics are most inconvenient and are free to be lovers of the free market as the best means of helping the most people–thus a fitting direction for social justice to go.
fathermichael says:

29 November 2009 at 11:28 AM

I second Virgil.
Flambeaux says:

29 November 2009 at 11:29 AM

That about sums it up correctly as far as I can see. Thanks for the post, FrZ.
Jacob says:

29 November 2009 at 12:29 PM

Re: Virgil

The economic cycle, despite all attempts at control over the years, will continue to cycle along with the usual highs and lows. Yes, the current downward trend started during Bush’s second term, but the ‘Day by Day’ comic linked to by Father Z. illustrates quite well how the cycle has been perturbed by the agendas of Congress and how our president. The spending spree of the last ten months has gotten us this.
wanda says:

29 November 2009 at 1:04 PM

Even the cartoonist left out that this administration can now be called the all-time winner of the culture of death award. The first thing checked off the list was the un-doing of the Mexico (Agreement?) releasing funds for abortion and contraception. The 2nd was funding to the UN for the same thing world-wide. BO has promised to un-do the FOCA legislation and Lord help us, we are close to being forced to pay for abortion in the impending health care reform. Notice that not even one year has passed. Wonder why it was even though for the cartoonist to include in his piece?

Oh, and Fr. Z., thank you for your work in informing us of what is going on in the public arena. I wouldn’t have half a clue if not for your blog. Because the MSM is still in awe and ‘deer in the headlights’ mode as regards our Commander in Chief.
Subvet says:

29 November 2009 at 2:02 PM

I wonder if Virgil would find this objectionable if it had happened 2-3 years ago under Bush? IMO the politically minded Catholics who disdain commentary on politics are fairly onesided in their objections.

BTW, that would apply to BOTH sides of the political aisle!
MaryAgnesLamb says:

29 November 2009 at 5:23 PM

Works for me, Fr. Z! I am a big fan of DBD, anyhow.
EXCHIEF says:

29 November 2009 at 6:37 PM

Virgil
Does the truth hurt? Even the MSM is beginning to crack in its support of this child in a man’s job. Given his pro death stance he is bound to fail on most if not all other fronts as well. If one cannot get a very basic natural law principle right it is almost a given that other lesser important matters won’t be handled right either.
William H. Phelan says:

29 November 2009 at 7:02 PM

In law, there is the defense of “dirty hands”. The defendant says to the plaintiff, “Yes, I caused injury by doing what you allege, but you are also guilty of (perhaps something unrelated) and therefore you cannot point the finger of guilt at me”. President George W. Bush was warned face-to-face by emissaries from the Vatican sent by both John Paul II and Benedict that the invasion and subsequently the war with Iraq was both “immoral and illegal”. He chose to follow the path laid out by his Neo-Conservative advisors Cheney, Rumsfeld, Feith, Perle, Dineen, Boot, Wolfowitz et al. many of whom were Jews whose sympathies lay with Israel which was the intended beneficiary of the removal of Saddam.
I have adopted a very cautious style in my life when it comes to the political support of any one or any group.
ThomasL says:

29 November 2009 at 7:23 PM

I agree with pretty much everything Virgil said. What astonishes me is Virgil could not have been more even-handed and charitable in relaying his misgivings, yet later commentors have attacked what he said like the post was some kind of left-wing rant. Honestly, he sounded conservative much like myself. I can’t respond for Virgil, but I have personally never voted for a democrat let alone a pro-choice candidate in my young voting history. Still something about this cartoon being posted on wdtprs struck me as innapropriate. And just for the record, I’m not opposed to political discussions among Catholics nor am I trying to stifle debate. The link just doesn’t seem to fit the purpose of this web-apostolate. I do not want to make too big of a deal of it, but despite some very serious problems, Obama is our President who I hope is trying to do what at least he (misguidedly) believes is in our nation’s best interest.

And yes I would have been quite offended had this same insinuation been made about Bush. The strange thing is that I am a big fan of political humor, but even in the name of comedy cartoons can miss the mark. A very imperfect analogy are all those hatred filled cartoons about the Catholic majority on the Supreme Court.
gloriainexcelsis says:

29 November 2009 at 8:14 PM

“Make light of it,” as my grandmother used to say, but the cartoon is not far off the mark. If you indeed look into the very words all the “czars” have said or written, even recently, you can see where we are headed as a nation. The congressional majority is happily going along, ignoring the complaints and questions of the general population, gleeful in its victories over The Constitution. And yes, with the help of the courts, even the Supreme Court, it has been going on for a long while. But the shredder is working overtime these days. Religious freedom, free speech – I hope we don’t wake up one day and wonder where they went.
Oleksander says:

29 November 2009 at 8:40 PM

some men just like to watch the world burn.
Clinton says:

30 November 2009 at 12:11 AM

Last time I checked, this was Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s blog, upon which he is free to post about anything he desires.

I think the cartoon raises valid questions– questions that should be asked in our otherwise supine mainstream media. Bloggers like
Fr. Z., IMO, are simply picking up the media’s slack. He’s just askin’.

The suggestion that Father should stick exclusively to commentary on things liturgical sounds a bit like the criticisms that have been
directed at the good Bishop Tobin. The actions of this administration and this Congress will have an impact on the Church and Her
ability to operate freely in this nation. Conscience clauses, hate crime legislation, federal funding for abortion, state intrusion into
Church governance (a la Connecticut); these are only a few of the church/state balls in the air right now. This blog does promise to
offer frank commentary on Catholic issues…

Father, to answer your original question, I’d say “unfortunately, yes”.

Oh, and Oleksander: well played.
historyb says:

30 November 2009 at 12:56 AM

It’s a great summation of what is happen.
Geometricus says:

30 November 2009 at 7:46 AM

This is the most Catholic analysis I have read on our current economic troubles which seem to transcend both the attempts of left and right to fix.

The problem is that we did not allow more children to be born. We as a people have been making a conscious choice not to allow a huge part of the next generation to even exist.

The Catholic Church has been increasingly alone in the last 40-80 years saying that contraception and abortion are great evils. These inconvenient economic realities (which are NOT going away any time soon, unfortunately) are just further confirmation that we reject Church teaching at our own peril.

I am raising six children to be Catholic and pro-life. (Not much compared to some of you more heroic couples with eight, ten or more.) If my wife and I have done our jobs right, those six will give birth to more souls, raise them Catholic, and they will do more good than any politician in Washington to fix our economy, just by working, producing wealth, borrowing money from us older, richer folks and providing for their families.

Have all you married folks out there done your part? If you have the capacity and the gifts to do more, “get busy.” You single people, if you are not called to the priesthood or religious life, the rest of us could use your help. We are praying that you find suitable mates to raise more Catholic children.
PatrickV says:

30 November 2009 at 7:03 PM

Too much like reality. This piece of satire really hits home. Obama and his minions could not have messed things up any worse if they had planned it.

Of course there is no conspiracy, just soft headed progressive agendas that deny the fact that the world does not work well when social engineers and their ilk have the upper hand.

Dodgy ideas result in dodgy policies, which give us bad government and economies.

We need adults in the government, not this bunch of Jokers.
New Sister says:

30 November 2009 at 8:06 PM

The media/accademia have built President Obama into a false messiah. Criticism of him has become a form of liberal blasphemy; criticism of his political party a form of heresy….Challenge this blindness all you want, Father!