Burn of the Day
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Oh, Tony. As long as you’re evaluating the ethics of various politicians’ incomes, I’d like to hear how you excuse the Bidens, the Obamas, and the Pelosis…. Compared to them, I’d say Trump and Vamaswamy came by their fortunes honestly.
Something tells me Tony is only interested in his version of Catholic social teaching when it can be used as a club to beat Republicans. Can anyone show me where Tony calls out the graft, influence peddling, kickbacks, sweetheart deals and insider trading of powerful, wealthy Democrats? The man’s outrage seems rather… ‘selective’.
I get the sense Tony has this unresolved jealousy towards Trump. You know the kind- the hate for those individuals who actually worked for their money and employed people. As opposed to those who swindled their wealth, then made it out as though they are rooting for the little guy.
Oh, Tony. As long as you’re evaluating the ethics of various politicians’ incomes, I’d like to hear how you excuse the Bidens, the Obamas, and the Pelosis…. Compared to them, I’d say Trump and Vamaswamy came by their fortunes honestly.
==
Good point.
Trump’s been in a number of lines of business, but the core has always been real estate. When it’s convenient, Mr. Annett fancies buildings are not good and renting them does not truly serve anyone.
Mr. Ramaswamy has been in the venture capital business (focused on biotech) and the pharmaceutical business. Evidently, in Annett’s mind, providing capital for high-risk ventures does not serve anyone and pharmaceuticals are not goods.
I’m not sure Mr. Annett has any employment history at all outside the realm of intergovernmental agencies which are themselves controversial. And his primary function all that time has been in public relations. The current result of his PR activity has been the persuade people in increments that Catholic Social Teaching is horse piss.
If, as Tony Annett declares, Catholic social teaching insists on “goods that are truly good, and services that truly serve” and he selectively applies said teachings in an effort to service his preferred political party; then aren’t the goods he’s trying to sell just garbage, and his ‘service’ in the name of Church teaching just partisan hackery?
In short, couldn’t it be said that the bleatings of the insufferable Tony Annett re: Catholic social teaching in themselves constitute a violation of Catholic social teaching?
My two cents to the conversation for whatever it’s worth.
https://twitter.com/sauldetars89102/status/1695560753871237614?t=Pii4uD6ivGibivarqSFrdg&s=19
Some of these SJW types remind of the characters in Winnie the Pooh, who live houses they could never have built, and somehow manage to have pantries full of bread, butter and honey, and we are never told how they got that way. (Only Eeyore fully supports himself, and his dour pessimism fits.) These are stories for preschoolers, of course. What’s Annett’s excuse?
There’s this tiny little fraction of human thought called libertarianism. As a policy critique it has its value, but as a philosophy it’s absurd. It says absurd things like “taxation is theft” and sometimes, although rarely, “all market rewards are valid”. I hate that conservatives feel obligated wasting their time defending these positions.
That said, yes, there’s an argument to be made that Trump’s and Vivek’s wealth were created unethically. But the left has to actually make the argument. It’s as intellectually weak to assume the left’s argument as the libertarian’s. Or maybe I’m being too harsh; Twitter isn’t a format for making an argument at all, just for stating a conclusion.
hat said, yes, there’s an argument to be made that Trump’s and Vivek’s wealth were created unethically. But the left has to actually make the argument.
==
Nothing stopping you from making the attempt.
==
It says absurd things like “taxation is theft” and sometimes, although rarely, “all market rewards are valid”.
==
I’m sure you can find a Libertarian Party member who says ‘taxation is theft’. Those sorts of sentiments you seldom find in libertarian literature.
==
I hate that conservatives feel obligated wasting their time defending these positions.
==
The defenses hardly exist outside your imagination. While we’re at it, Annett isn’t complaining about twits pushing drug legalization or open borders. His complaint is contra people who respect markets generally.
The CCP in China has adopted aspects of capitalism in how it runs its economy. You have to create wealth before you can discuss its distribution.