The 'Values' Debate (cont'd)
It's refreshing to see at least a few commentators point out that Pope John Paul II was an outspoken critic of consumerism and “unfettered neo-liberal capitalism.” Indeed, he believed it was a detriment to creating a "culture of life," a term he coined which has been misconstrued recently by partisans in the abortion debate. John Paul II meant it in a far broader sense: Feeding the hungry, ensuring health care for the sick, opposing war, ending the death penalty, and yes, in keeping with longstanding Catholic Church policy, opposing abortion.
(It remains a mystery how opposition to birth control can be reconciled with these beliefs, given the suffering from AIDS and overpopulation that could be relieved with aggressive family planning education. Not to mention a reduction in the number of abortions around the world.)
Even as he helped topple Communism and totalitarian political rule, the Pope encouraged discussion about a few kernels of Marxist economic theory -- particularly ideas that would ensure some kind of economic fairness for working people. (He once said that he came from "the proletariat.") He was said to be seeking a "third way" between Marxism and capitalism. And, yes, it's related to abortion, too, because in economic hard times, abortions increase. Under President Bush, a staunch opponent, abortions are on the rise. Why? Because as working families and low-income Americans get squeezed economically, and also try to get by without health insurance, they make different choices.
In the wake of the Pope's passing, I hope the "values" debate expands to include economic issues, because reducing suffering and enhancing the quality of life for billions of human beings depends on it. Here in the U.S., it's critically important to cast more of our public policy debates in this light. Massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while nearly 17 percent of American children live in poverty is indeed a "values" debate.
In a recent interview, comedian and commentator Bill Maher talked about values in the context of our attitudes toward money (and, interestingly, found a connection to homeland security):
(It remains a mystery how opposition to birth control can be reconciled with these beliefs, given the suffering from AIDS and overpopulation that could be relieved with aggressive family planning education. Not to mention a reduction in the number of abortions around the world.)
Even as he helped topple Communism and totalitarian political rule, the Pope encouraged discussion about a few kernels of Marxist economic theory -- particularly ideas that would ensure some kind of economic fairness for working people. (He once said that he came from "the proletariat.") He was said to be seeking a "third way" between Marxism and capitalism. And, yes, it's related to abortion, too, because in economic hard times, abortions increase. Under President Bush, a staunch opponent, abortions are on the rise. Why? Because as working families and low-income Americans get squeezed economically, and also try to get by without health insurance, they make different choices.
In the wake of the Pope's passing, I hope the "values" debate expands to include economic issues, because reducing suffering and enhancing the quality of life for billions of human beings depends on it. Here in the U.S., it's critically important to cast more of our public policy debates in this light. Massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while nearly 17 percent of American children live in poverty is indeed a "values" debate.
In a recent interview, comedian and commentator Bill Maher talked about values in the context of our attitudes toward money (and, interestingly, found a connection to homeland security):
"I think you can really quantify what a value is. In America, we don't seem to be able to count votes accurately. But . . . no one ever makes a mistake when we're counting money. I see the people at Diebold finally figured out a way to have a paper trail (from an electronic voting machine) - after the election. It's called a receipt. At the airports, we seem unable to have any kind of real security. And yet, ever walk into a casino in Las Vegas? There are cameras everywhere, there are plainclothes people making a good salary who know what to look for. Somehow, nothing ever escapes the security apparatus at the Bellagio. That's because we obviously value money more than we do life."Shockingly straightforward, because who would agree (or admit) that we value money more than life itself? No one, of course. Which is why it's worth reflecting on how our public policy choices -- or, more accurately, the actual impact of public policy choices -- may not match our stated values. I suggested as much in last Wednesday's column, Politics for Kids, because I believe it's central to the debate about the future of America.
CUT TO: Shein stepping off soap box...
posted by Bill at 2:32 PM
2 Comments:
The problem with contraception/abortions/planned parenthood is that the people who should do it the most - do it the least. It's the residents of the poorest of countries who ignore the obvious and procreate beyond subsistence. However. with the Schiavo precedent, we should be happy for all those "starving" people in Third World Countries. Are they not now in a "Blissful State?"
It really comes down to basic things like food, clean water, and health care. In many impoverished parts of the world, the infant mortality rate is unfathomably high because those things are absent. Disease also kills lots of young children. Families need children to help farm, support the parents, etc. So they have -- or try to have -- lots of children. A global commitment to fighting poverty, ending hunger and providing health care, as suggested in the Sachs Report is this best, and most practical, solution to this and other global problems. And, importantly, one that people of all ideologies can come together to support.
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