There is nothing wrong with the free movement of people, or products around the world. That helps everybody. However, that is not what the vice president is talking about. Allow me to translate Harris’ comments; the US approach is to secure monetary imperialism, managed trade, compliant client states, all for the benefit of politically connected elites in the US, at the expense of most of the populace. All of this is done by the use and threatened us of US force, hence the need for 800+ bases all over the planet, propping up odious regimes everywhere.
At least she is open about all this being in the “interest” of the US (again, think elites), rather than anything resembling legitimate national defense. Interests are always aggressive, violent and have nothing at all to do with defending territory, sovereignty, or transit in international waters. Of course, none of any of this has anything to do with the Christian scriptures.
My only quibble (minor really) is the KJV use of the word charity. KJV is quite poetic, yet not very scholarly. The New Jerusalem (Catholic, and very solidly translated) and the New Revised Standard Version, we use in the Lutheran church both use the word love rather than charity. I do not think that this changes your excellent point at all. While relying on better scholarship than KJV, it also makes more sense in the broader sweep of the New Testament. Can I claim my prize for Bible nerd of the day? 😊
I often prefer the KJV for exactly the reason you cite: the poetry of the language. It resonates with me. The NIV and other "modern" translations are sometimes too dry and uninspiring, at least to my ear.
America's leadership is made up of competing imperial warlords. Harris said it herself. The curtain has been pulled back, the facade has been shattered. MAGA and the Biden clique represent two different versions of a shared vision for the so-called "indispensable" nation. They both suffer from a severe case of delusional American Exceptionalism.
I always have to question people when they say things like "it's in America's interests". The problem is that America has no interests. Only people have interests and not all people share the same interests. So, when they say "it's in America's interests", exactly whose interests are they addressing.
I can attest to the fact that it's almost never my interests (and probably not yours) that are being served by American foreign policy. As a matter of fact, it's costing me (and my progeny for generations to come) one helluva lot of money with no tangible benefit. So, once again, exactly whose interests are they serving?
Harris makes it sound like she and Biden are business geniuses guiding America into a new period of prosperity. Can we imagine an administration and Congress in our history with less fiscal sanity than what we have now? Will they wake up to the reality of the declining dollar hegemony? It seems the answer is a resounding, "No!"
And we are said to be the rational animal, but as the globe warms I see lots of brand new gasoline powered heavy pickups and vans everywhere. People don't want to be told what to do but behave in ways that will eventually require imposition of rules. We see so little reason in DC, but in the neighborhood as well. What lies behind both is profit in command.
Clif: I believe wholly that we as the human race are frequently still just as ugly, gritty, cruel, tragic, unfair and inhumane as we've ever been to each other, and that when we do still, but rarely see humane behavior its precious still...
What came to my mind was another word that will is not in the lexicon of the US foreign or domestic policies: compassion. If I might be permitted, here is a good definition of compassion and empathy from the Merriam Websters dictionary listing of compassion: "Compassion and empathy both refer to a caring response to someone else’s distress. While empathy refers to an active sharing in the emotional experience of the other person, compassion adds to that emotional experience a desire to alleviate the person’s distress." And it is vital to our personal and communal health: https://ccare.stanford.edu/research/wiki/compassion-definitions/compassion/.
(If you need to edit this long note, I understand).
How nice to be living in a replay of the Fall of the Roman Empire, take two. (Sarcasm enhanced).
Great post, thank you! Love/ Charity/ Agapé. Peace comes from love, rather than from the end of a gun, or from a bomb, or from hatred or “othering.” Israel is powering its defeat of Palestine out of loathing and distrust, as is the US attempt to teach Somalis to not attack Red Sea shipping by means of force, rather than reaching out in love/charity to ease the tensions in the world. But after their history of violence, the world would rightfully suspect any change-of-course toward a more tolerant world view. The die has been cast, over and over in hatred.
It is quite ironic that Vice President Moron-Harris should so rightly state our materialistic goals, not just trumping charity but not even a point for consideration, while at the same time acting as though autocracies are somehow worse. I thought the whole point of condemnation of autocrats was their stone-cold hearts.
Yes, I believe the MAGAs are that malevolent. I think TFG's recent comments leave no doubt on that score.
But to your main topic, Bill, I had to re-read Harris' comments when I saw them earlier today. I guess I give her props for total honesty, but, "We're just using you," is not exactly an appealing foreign policy statement. Evidently, it didn't occur to her that it's as bad as 45's comments a week ago, that caused alarm among the very entities she was addressing. Obviously, treaties and trade agreements are established out of mutual interest and benefit, but throwing it in Europe's face that we only care about them to the extent that we can extract advantage.... Ms. Harris certainly didn't attend any Diplomacy 101 classes.
The overarching concern being, of course, that we all share the same planet, and actions have ripple effects. But as long as 'Merrika comes out on top, all good, apparently.
Trump haters always leave out another salient fact: Trump resisted arming Ukraine, at least for a while, until the Ukrainian-American warhawk Vindman and numerous Deep State Russophobes like Hill used his attempt at delaying the arms to Ukraine to impeach him.
There is nothing wrong with the free movement of people, or products around the world. That helps everybody. However, that is not what the vice president is talking about. Allow me to translate Harris’ comments; the US approach is to secure monetary imperialism, managed trade, compliant client states, all for the benefit of politically connected elites in the US, at the expense of most of the populace. All of this is done by the use and threatened us of US force, hence the need for 800+ bases all over the planet, propping up odious regimes everywhere.
At least she is open about all this being in the “interest” of the US (again, think elites), rather than anything resembling legitimate national defense. Interests are always aggressive, violent and have nothing at all to do with defending territory, sovereignty, or transit in international waters. Of course, none of any of this has anything to do with the Christian scriptures.
My only quibble (minor really) is the KJV use of the word charity. KJV is quite poetic, yet not very scholarly. The New Jerusalem (Catholic, and very solidly translated) and the New Revised Standard Version, we use in the Lutheran church both use the word love rather than charity. I do not think that this changes your excellent point at all. While relying on better scholarship than KJV, it also makes more sense in the broader sweep of the New Testament. Can I claim my prize for Bible nerd of the day? 😊
Yes, you win!
I often prefer the KJV for exactly the reason you cite: the poetry of the language. It resonates with me. The NIV and other "modern" translations are sometimes too dry and uninspiring, at least to my ear.
America's leadership is made up of competing imperial warlords. Harris said it herself. The curtain has been pulled back, the facade has been shattered. MAGA and the Biden clique represent two different versions of a shared vision for the so-called "indispensable" nation. They both suffer from a severe case of delusional American Exceptionalism.
I always have to question people when they say things like "it's in America's interests". The problem is that America has no interests. Only people have interests and not all people share the same interests. So, when they say "it's in America's interests", exactly whose interests are they addressing.
I can attest to the fact that it's almost never my interests (and probably not yours) that are being served by American foreign policy. As a matter of fact, it's costing me (and my progeny for generations to come) one helluva lot of money with no tangible benefit. So, once again, exactly whose interests are they serving?
I never accused the U.S. of being a democracy.
Harris makes it sound like she and Biden are business geniuses guiding America into a new period of prosperity. Can we imagine an administration and Congress in our history with less fiscal sanity than what we have now? Will they wake up to the reality of the declining dollar hegemony? It seems the answer is a resounding, "No!"
After the horror of the Civil War, Lincoln said, "with malice toward none, with charity for all"
159 years have passed. Have we progressed?
Clif, the same words from Lincoln pulsed through my brain.
Now we have charity for none -- how's that for "progress"?
And we are said to be the rational animal, but as the globe warms I see lots of brand new gasoline powered heavy pickups and vans everywhere. People don't want to be told what to do but behave in ways that will eventually require imposition of rules. We see so little reason in DC, but in the neighborhood as well. What lies behind both is profit in command.
Clif: I believe wholly that we as the human race are frequently still just as ugly, gritty, cruel, tragic, unfair and inhumane as we've ever been to each other, and that when we do still, but rarely see humane behavior its precious still...
What came to my mind was another word that will is not in the lexicon of the US foreign or domestic policies: compassion. If I might be permitted, here is a good definition of compassion and empathy from the Merriam Websters dictionary listing of compassion: "Compassion and empathy both refer to a caring response to someone else’s distress. While empathy refers to an active sharing in the emotional experience of the other person, compassion adds to that emotional experience a desire to alleviate the person’s distress." And it is vital to our personal and communal health: https://ccare.stanford.edu/research/wiki/compassion-definitions/compassion/.
(If you need to edit this long note, I understand).
How nice to be living in a replay of the Fall of the Roman Empire, take two. (Sarcasm enhanced).
It would truly be in the best interests of the American people if we were to treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated.
Great post, thank you! Love/ Charity/ Agapé. Peace comes from love, rather than from the end of a gun, or from a bomb, or from hatred or “othering.” Israel is powering its defeat of Palestine out of loathing and distrust, as is the US attempt to teach Somalis to not attack Red Sea shipping by means of force, rather than reaching out in love/charity to ease the tensions in the world. But after their history of violence, the world would rightfully suspect any change-of-course toward a more tolerant world view. The die has been cast, over and over in hatred.
It is quite ironic that Vice President Moron-Harris should so rightly state our materialistic goals, not just trumping charity but not even a point for consideration, while at the same time acting as though autocracies are somehow worse. I thought the whole point of condemnation of autocrats was their stone-cold hearts.
Somewhere on twitter "X" jake Sullivan is quoted:
"We do not believe "that" that serves the national security interests of the United States".
"That" was referring to that nasty hindrance the 4th amendment and the US constitution in general.
"National security interests" are extra legal! Immoral certainly!
Kamala Harris is an imbecile in the moral realm.
Good news for Kamala Harris: https://babylonbee.com/news/kamala-harris-moves-to-second-place-in-worst-diversity-hire-of-all-time
Harris sets up a strawman and then speaks against it. Standard nonsense.
Kamala Harris explains what. Matthew Karnitschnig explains why: https://www.politico.eu/article/how-the-us-broke-kosovo-and-what-that-means-for-ukraine/
Yes, I believe the MAGAs are that malevolent. I think TFG's recent comments leave no doubt on that score.
But to your main topic, Bill, I had to re-read Harris' comments when I saw them earlier today. I guess I give her props for total honesty, but, "We're just using you," is not exactly an appealing foreign policy statement. Evidently, it didn't occur to her that it's as bad as 45's comments a week ago, that caused alarm among the very entities she was addressing. Obviously, treaties and trade agreements are established out of mutual interest and benefit, but throwing it in Europe's face that we only care about them to the extent that we can extract advantage.... Ms. Harris certainly didn't attend any Diplomacy 101 classes.
The overarching concern being, of course, that we all share the same planet, and actions have ripple effects. But as long as 'Merrika comes out on top, all good, apparently.
Trump haters always leave out another salient fact: Trump resisted arming Ukraine, at least for a while, until the Ukrainian-American warhawk Vindman and numerous Deep State Russophobes like Hill used his attempt at delaying the arms to Ukraine to impeach him.