Well, at least his last sentence is correct. During his paleocon period a few years ago, Shea was an isolationist. Now, as a born again Leftist, he is hot for war with Russia. He hates Putin almost as much as he hates Trump. Sin does make you stupid, as does blinding white hot rage, which seems to be the main emotion of the man who used to have a blog entitled Catholic and Enjoying It.
I’d rather like to go more than one generation of boys in my family without being drafted to go over and save Europe from itself yet again, much less adding a collection of mind-breakingly huge mass murders to the “let’s recreate the early 1900s” cosplay, but that hardly is going to make me feel less worried by Canada going all stompy-boots in the faces of actual peaceful protesters.
I remember Mark before he became an unpaid apologist for the oligarchs.
He wouldn’t have celebrated the crushing of working class protests.
I would dearly love to see that Mark again.
As would I Dale.
Ordinarily, your outlook on social life (of which the political life is a dimension) is fairly stable after a certain age – i’d say 30 in my case, ~37 in my father’s case, ~16 in my brother’s case. Rather curious the perigrinations of this person between the ages of 44 and 64. I’m not sure I’ve ever been acquainted with anyone in meatspace who was like this.
This is the first time I’ve heard anyone even consider invading Canada. Even putting aside the serious nature of an invasion, the supporters of the truckers know full well that the only thing our current military leadership would be willing to do in Canada would be to further crack down on peaceful protests.
There is literally nothing that Mark Shea would not believe if it was said about conservatives (or to use his terminology “MAGA antichrist Qatholic death cultist Trumpist idiots.”)
If one of his friends said that Trump supporters were literally peeing on the graves of veterans and then eating puppies he would make several tweets about it without once thinking that maybe these accusations aren’t true.
I’ve forgotten what the precise formulation is. One type of person talks tactics, another type talks strategy, and “the real professionals talk logistics”. Other than shipping some equipment, I’m not sure a military response to Russia’s threats would ever have been feasible in the last 15 years, even before the institutional culture of the armed services began to decay so severely. We just have to hope Putin isn’t listening to Russian nationalist numbskulls.
This is the first time I’ve heard anyone even consider invading Canada.
At this point, Mark Shea is conversing with regions in his own mind, and hardly anyone else.
Rudolph-
I’ve seen it joked about.
Generally in the context of photographs of migrating Canadian geese, with comments about how they’re refugees fleeing Canada because they wouldn’t stop honking.
Biden of course has already said that if Putin invades there will be no military moves but only economic sanctions. What is staying the hand of Putin is not the West or Nato, but the thought of the guerilla war he would likely face in the Ukraine, which we could support. Trump never gave Putin the type of green light that Biden has.
“Cherchez la femme”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherchez_la_femme
“This is the first time I’ve heard anyone even consider invading Canada.”
In fairness, he could be referencing a story I saw at Newsweek that said Candace Owens called for us to send soldiers into Canada. I don’t know how accurate that is, or if it is taking her out of context. But if that headline came across some Twitter post, I can see Mark jumping on it. Since the Newsweek article was on Feb 20, and Mark’s post is also the same day, I’m inclined to think that’s where he got it.
Oh, I’m sure some nobody Twitter crank said it. That is the unhealthy bubble/echo chamber/affirmation field wherein he dwells these days, and you can always find yourself some idiot who validates your fears there. And then Mark took it and did the smear-and-guilt-by-association thing he’s become addicted to and applied it to Team Antichrist.
Which, of course, is his ready shorthand for “people I dislike.”
Candace Owens of course having as much right to speak for all conservatives as Mark does to speak for all the Trump obsessed. In no time in my life have I seen conservatives less supportive of any use of US forces abroad. A decade ago Mark would have been pleased with that development.
Ah, Owens. A cynical diva crank. Alas, she has too much of an audience, which she can play like a fiddle.
“Cherchez la femme”
Huh? Are you suggesting it’s his wife’s influence or that some other dame has seduced him? I’m going to suggest we not go there.
Catholic Social Teaching advocates show a strong tilt towards statist solutions. Solutions that are an engraved invitation to the accumulation of unaccountable power in an all powerful state. Is there a nickel’s worth of difference between Mark Shea, Trudeau, and Chairman Xi?
Seconded. With a gavel.
I don’t think there is any great mystery here. Starting with the great torture debate Shea has been disenchanted with conservatives. For a while he was enamored with the paleocons because they opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His movement to the Left since that time has been fairly steady. I think something broke inside him when he got canned by National Catholic Register in 2016 and he blamed all Catholics to the right of Stalin for this misfortune. Back when he was calling himself a conservative he tended to engage in strawmaning and a fair amount of vituperation. Those tendencies have gotten worse as he has grown older.
Maybe Mark saw something quasi-legitimate which suggested that someone, somewhere wanted to invade Canada. I think that it’s just as likely that one of his associates joked about conservatives wanting to do that and Mark took it seriously, or even that it he assumed that conservatives would want to invade Canada since invading Canada would be evil and conservatives are evil so they must support it.
In his debate on the death penalty against Dr. Feser he repeatedly accused, or at least heavily implied, that Feser was a bloodthirsty Trump supporter and that was the only reason that he was willing to defend the legitimacy of the death penalty. Every time it happened Feser called Shea on it and he backed down, only to repeat the same allegations down the road. It should go without saying that at no point did Dr. Feser ever talk about Trump or express a glee at the thought of criminals getting executed. There was nothing to misinterpret here, it was all Mark Shea assuming that his enemies must be cartoonish caricatures and then filling in the picture with that in mind. And this was back in 2022, when Mark was considerably more rational and even handed than he is today. (The main difference being that back then he had things to say beyond simply calling his opponents evil and deranged.)
Sorry, I meant that the debate happened in 2016, not 2022.
Catholic Social Teaching advocates show a strong tilt towards statist solutions.
The problem with the social encyclicals is that it’s difficult in your own mind to figure how they might be implemented brass tacks. Social Christian parties have had programs over the years, so I suppose that is one reference.
I think something broke inside him when he got canned by National Catholic Register in 2016 and he blamed all Catholics to the right of Stalin for this misfortune.
His last contribution to Crisis was in 2012. Then there was the scandal at Catholic Answers in re Karl Keating’s inflated salary. Don’t know how that worked out for the rest of the staff there.
“Useless truckers stop clogging the roads”…Mark Shea calling the truckers useless as though his own raison d’être is anymore “useful”.
I am guilty-insult to Hitler and all good Nazis for me to have called Unjustin Tyrdeau the “Canadian Hitler.” And mea culpa to Fidel and all good communist Cubans for “Canuck Castro.” As for the Italians, I stick by “Maple Leaf Mussolini”. Guy, Texas
“Ah, Owens. A cynical diva crank. Alas, she has too much of an audience, which she can play like a fiddle.“
She has “too much of an audience” thanks in large part to Dennis Prager, Ben Shapiro, and Tucker Carlson. Tucker has her on it seems like every other week. Every time I hear Tucker say, “Candace Owens has thought a lot about this.” I turn him off. Owens grates on me even when I agree with her.
Art: the problem is that the larger the economy, the greater the complexity. The decentralized decision making of a capitalist economy handles this complexity better than a command driven top down economy. You also have to take into consideration the concentration of power that can lead to abuses. The populist movements are a reaction to the out of touch establishment ruling elites. I don’t see how any social encyclical can really do more than be a statement of principals without being over its skis. I question if even the economists entirely know what they are talking about.
I tried listening to her podcast but it’s too much…
Owens is hard to handle and she’s a bit over her skis, I just hope she matures a bit so she doesn’t crash.
Candace Owens speaks rapid fire because she wants, I assume, to finish her thought since the segments are really short. Carlson is not like Hannity who goes on and on about his opinions so that a guest has little time to express his or her thoughts. Annoying.
Frankly it’s refreshing to hear a young African American mom with strong conservative opinions speak. I’m amazed that she isn’t out of breath when she finishes. FOX has quite a few black conservatives on camera such as Larry Elder, Jason Whitlock, Bob Woodson, Horace Cooper, Leo Terrell, young Lawrence Jones, and rare appearances of Thomas Sowell. If one reads up on their backgrounds these individuals quite often are from the ‘hood and have made good..stories of American opportunity.
The Left media accuses Tucker Carlson of supporting Putin. No, Carlson just doesn’t believe the US should be entangled in a Ukraine – Russia bloody conflict. To paraphrase O’Bama, “Biden screws up everything he touches” in referring to Biden’s pre dementia vice presidency. President Biden is a foolish, arrogant dangerous man; no boundaries in his deteriorating brain. No match for treacherous Putin. I agree with FIREFOX. God help the world..that’s a prayer.
Years ago, I stopped wasting eyesight on Marx Che’s ‘better’ versions of Objective Truth and The Word of God.
He simply makes up everything.
Don’t tell Marx that CCPO Joe’s CCP-controlled handlers financed and green-lighted Putin’s Ukraine and Xi’s [imminent] Taiwan adventures.
T. Shaw, I think Mark stopped caring about anything some years ago if it doesn’t involve attacking non-liberals. That’s basically his thing. He doesn’t really defend the Left that much, though he will in a pinch. His main focus seems always on attacking those who haven’t joined him in swinging left. And he doesn’t sweat things like facts, truth or reality in doing so. He says little of substance in most cases. Take his attacks on those who don’t want involved in a Ukrainian war. What does he mean? We should go to war? I don’t know, he’s not specific. I don’t think he’s thinking about it. It’s only that some conservatives have said something, so he must attack them for it. That’s the total substance of his rants.
T. Shaw, I think Mark stopped caring about anything some years ago if it doesn’t involve attacking non-liberals.
Mostly through hurling home-brew epithets (“MAGA antichrist worshipers”, “GOP Crime Syndicate”, “Right Wing Lie Machine”).
She has “too much of an audience” thanks in large part to Dennis >>>Prager, Ben Shapiro, and Tucker Carlson. Tucker has her on it seems like every other week. Every time I hear Tucker say, “Candace Owens has thought a lot about this.” I turn him off. Owens grates on me even when I agree with her.
The same. Here’s hoping motherhood changes her perspectives at least a bit. Starting with her ridiculous troop deployment proposals.
A comment he posted on his blog on the 19th:
“There is no bigger butthurt, self-pitying, bully and sociopathic narcissist on the face of the earth than a white, conservative Christian MAGA cultist. They stain the gospel black with their lies and selfishness.”
So you nearly had a bingo there, Art. 😉
“They stain the gospel black with their lies and selfishness.”
So he’s saying black is bad? He’s going to have to do better than that if he doesn’t expect to end up on the leftwing menu.
“They stain the gospel black with their lies and selfishness.”
Shea has always had a love for apocalyptic language when he is casting people into the nether regions.
It’s remarkable that so many people on the right wanted Black Lives Matter protesters arrested for far less serious infractions than shutting down transport in the capital and the country’s economy. “Peaceful” protest does not extend to blocking bridges, roads (which, I might add, states such as Florida created a free license to run protesters over in such instances) ports or freely elected legislatures from convening.
BLM riots John were anything but peaceful and shutting down major highways on the spur of the moment was a constant feature of BLM “protests”, but you knew that already, didn’t you? The Truckers were almost entirely peaceful by contrast.
“Far less serious.”
https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/25887/20200601/oldest-independent-science-fiction-bookstore-burned-down-minneapolis-riots.htm
That’s before the basic reality that BLM started with blocking roads, and repeatedly dragged people out of their vehicles. Plus the setting things on fire.
That’s standard left-wing “protest” behavior, even before BLM or AntiFa became the flag they cradled.