@@writer89 yes I have. But cloud seating and some other weather manipulation doesn’t amount in anyway to man being able to create hurricanes and steer them to particular destinations. That is what people were saying and that is what I was pushing back about. That is utter nonsense.
Father, with all due respect, the Democratic party does not support socialism. The definition of socialism is government ownership of the means of production resulting in a state-planned economy. To make that assertion is, charitably, misinformed. Nowhere does the Democratic Party platform mention socialism or communism. Nowhere does it suggest that the government seize private companies and make them government entities. Can you please clarify what you mean by suggesting that the Democrats threaten this nation with the imposition of a socialist, or even communist, economic system? Beyond that, the idea that the prescription to stanch the moral decay of this nation is to elect MAGA conservatives into office is a dubious proposition, esp when their figurehead, Trump, is characterized by lies, bullying, chaos, the courting of dictators, unchastity, an almost-coup, and a cult of personality gathered up around him. What causes moral decay? A lot of things, right? One thing is the unwillingness to stand up and fight. When I was in college at a service academy, we had to memorize John Stuart Mills' quote: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth a war, is much worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people. A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice; a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice, - is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." Trump is unwilling to take a stand for a sovereign democratic nation invaded by an autocratic foe. For example, at last month's presidential debate, regarding the war in Ukraine, Trump explained, "I think it’s in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. All right. Negotiate a deal. Because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed." War IS a terrible thing. But would you not agree that the appeasement of dictators is perhaps also a great evil that Trump supports? What would have happened if in 1938 Chamberlain had not brokered the Munich Agreement promising "peace in our time" by ceding the Sudetenland to Hitler? What will happen if Trump is elected and "compromises" for the sake of "peace in our time" with Putin by offering him Ukrainian territory as a means to appease Russia? Keeping in mind Mills' quote, will that sort of thing - an unwillingness to fight for a righteous cause - contribute to our moral decay? Will it be an example of virtue and courage to American citizens? Or will it send a signal to our American society, especially our young men, that not much of anything, is in fact, worth fighting for? What will it say to Xi vis a vis the PRC's claims on Taiwan? Will it make him more or less likely to destabilize both the world geopolitical balance and the global economy by making a move on Taiwan? What would that war look like? Would it go nuclear? How many people would lose their lives? Would a worldwide economic collapse result if the world's two biggest economies are caught up in war against each other? Would a war like that happen if, instead of compromising to make Putin happy, Xi sees the free world, led by America, stand up and say to Putin, "This will not stand." And that's just one fairly easy to predict outcome of electing Trump to say nothing of the normalization of bullying and lying in American culture. And yes, I am pro-life, but Trump has softened his stance on abortion and the SCOTUS - what really matters on that issue - is safely pro-life for the foreseeable future. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, I cannot in good conscience, as a Catholic, vote for Trump.
@@Matt-jv3mk there is no way I am going to read your download. In my mind, in good conscience, if one can’t vote for Trump, that has been my position this whole election cycle, is perfectly ok. But no Catholic can vote for Harris. I guess you are new here. I have taken a lot of heat for my criticism of Trump. I was just saying today that TDS has 2 edges…those who think he can do no right and those who think he can do no wrong. I doubt I will pull the lever for him this time around. So…I hope you feel better.
@@FrStephenImbarrato Part of what drives the moral decay that you point to (and I agree with you on) is the massive shortening of attention spans. You not wanting to read a few paragraphs (my "download" as you call it) is evidence of this. Most consequential issues can't be reduced to a 144-character Twitter (or X if your prefer) post. But the appetite is for short, sweet hits of dopamine. So, we end up in a well of cultural shallowness which, in turn, helps fuel moral decay. As far as a Catholic voting for Harris goes, Pope Francis has directly addressed this question. He did not say a Catholic can't vote for Harris. He explained both Trump and Harris are "against life," and said, "in political morality, generally, they say not voting is wrong; one must vote, and one must choose the lesser evil" in accordance with one's conscience. Even Pope Benedict said voting for a pro-abortion candidate is permissible "in the presence of proportionate reasons" like "truly grave moral reasons."
@@Matt-jv3mk brother, it has nothing to do with my attention span. It has to do with how quickly I can measure someone. You have me measured, or so you think, and I have measured you. Not biting, brother. Regardless of Trump, supporting Harris is all I need to know if that is what you are doing.
1917??
Have you heard of cloud seeding Father?
@@writer89 yes I have. But cloud seating and some other weather manipulation doesn’t amount in anyway to man being able to create hurricanes and steer them to particular destinations. That is what people were saying and that is what I was pushing back about. That is utter nonsense.
Father, with all due respect, the Democratic party does not support socialism. The definition of socialism is government ownership of the means of production resulting in a state-planned economy. To make that assertion is, charitably, misinformed. Nowhere does the Democratic Party platform mention socialism or communism. Nowhere does it suggest that the government seize private companies and make them government entities. Can you please clarify what you mean by suggesting that the Democrats threaten this nation with the imposition of a socialist, or even communist, economic system?
Beyond that, the idea that the prescription to stanch the moral decay of this nation is to elect MAGA conservatives into office is a dubious proposition, esp when their figurehead, Trump, is characterized by lies, bullying, chaos, the courting of dictators, unchastity, an almost-coup, and a cult of personality gathered up around him. What causes moral decay? A lot of things, right?
One thing is the unwillingness to stand up and fight. When I was in college at a service academy, we had to memorize John Stuart Mills' quote: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth a war, is much worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people. A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice; a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice, - is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
Trump is unwilling to take a stand for a sovereign democratic nation invaded by an autocratic foe. For example, at last month's presidential debate, regarding the war in Ukraine, Trump explained, "I think it’s in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. All right. Negotiate a deal. Because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed." War IS a terrible thing. But would you not agree that the appeasement of dictators is perhaps also a great evil that Trump supports? What would have happened if in 1938 Chamberlain had not brokered the Munich Agreement promising "peace in our time" by ceding the Sudetenland to Hitler? What will happen if Trump is elected and "compromises" for the sake of "peace in our time" with Putin by offering him Ukrainian territory as a means to appease Russia?
Keeping in mind Mills' quote, will that sort of thing - an unwillingness to fight for a righteous cause - contribute to our moral decay? Will it be an example of virtue and courage to American citizens? Or will it send a signal to our American society, especially our young men, that not much of anything, is in fact, worth fighting for?
What will it say to Xi vis a vis the PRC's claims on Taiwan? Will it make him more or less likely to destabilize both the world geopolitical balance and the global economy by making a move on Taiwan? What would that war look like? Would it go nuclear? How many people would lose their lives? Would a worldwide economic collapse result if the world's two biggest economies are caught up in war against each other? Would a war like that happen if, instead of compromising to make Putin happy, Xi sees the free world, led by America, stand up and say to Putin, "This will not stand."
And that's just one fairly easy to predict outcome of electing Trump to say nothing of the normalization of bullying and lying in American culture. And yes, I am pro-life, but Trump has softened his stance on abortion and the SCOTUS - what really matters on that issue - is safely pro-life for the foreseeable future.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, I cannot in good conscience, as a Catholic, vote for Trump.
@@Matt-jv3mk there is no way I am going to read your download. In my mind, in good conscience, if one can’t vote for Trump, that has been my position this whole election cycle, is perfectly ok. But no Catholic can vote for Harris. I guess you are new here. I have taken a lot of heat for my criticism of Trump. I was just saying today that TDS has 2 edges…those who think he can do no right and those who think he can do no wrong. I doubt I will pull the lever for him this time around. So…I hope you feel better.
@@FrStephenImbarrato Part of what drives the moral decay that you point to (and I agree with you on) is the massive shortening of attention spans. You not wanting to read a few paragraphs (my "download" as you call it) is evidence of this. Most consequential issues can't be reduced to a 144-character Twitter (or X if your prefer) post. But the appetite is for short, sweet hits of dopamine. So, we end up in a well of cultural shallowness which, in turn, helps fuel moral decay.
As far as a Catholic voting for Harris goes, Pope Francis has directly addressed this question. He did not say a Catholic can't vote for Harris. He explained both Trump and Harris are "against life," and said, "in political morality, generally, they say not voting is wrong; one must vote, and one must choose the lesser evil" in accordance with one's conscience. Even Pope Benedict said voting for a pro-abortion candidate is permissible "in the presence of proportionate reasons" like "truly grave moral reasons."
@@Matt-jv3mk brother, it has nothing to do with my attention span. It has to do with how quickly I can measure someone. You have me measured, or so you think, and I have measured you. Not biting, brother. Regardless of Trump, supporting Harris is all I need to know if that is what you are doing.