News for September 17

The Fundamentals of the Economy, and Faith

In response to the collapse of major investment firms on Wall Street, Republican presidential nominee John McCain commented, “The fundamentals of our economy are strong.” Bloggers at The American Prospect and The Tenured Radical trace the history of the “fundamentals” and discuss what this Hoover-esque viewpoint could mean on the U.S.’s economic and political  future. Also, The Washington Post’s On Faith blog and dotCommonweal examine what faith might have in the economy. Links include:

The American Prospect |  “For the likes of Hoover and McCain, asserting the strength of fundamentals is shorthand for saying that business leaders, with maybe a little cheerleading, can sort out the crisis and that Congress should not try to regulate their behavior. It’s too soon to know if McCain will be proved right (I doubt it), but Hoover certainly turned out to be wrong.”

The Tenuered Radical |  “Seriously folks, the economy hasn’t been sound for a long time, making it even more bizarre that John McCain made this claim yesterday, shortly after Lehman Brothers went down the tube. Even if — as at least one source correctly asserts — this phrase was part of a longer speech that acknowledges the current situation as worrisome, how can McCain float this fantasy when economists of all political persuasions are asserting that the economy has not hit bottom yet?”

On Faith | “THE QUESTION: Are the economy’s recent financial failures also moral failures? Are credit and debt religious issues? Do you have faith in the economy?”

dotCommonweal |  “Over the years I have written pieces on what the variety of religious traditions say about a rightly-ordered economy, but for every assertion of a principle there is an equal and opposite reaction, or, as is often the case, especially among some Christian communities, the view that economics is not the proper forum for Christian preaching (beyond vague appeals to the Golden Rule). The economy becomes a person, in a sense, afflicted by original sin that will inevitably bring the cycle of prosperity down again, with the only hope of salvation a true and full liberty to make proper choices.”

• Related link:  Fed bails out AIG with $85 billion loan  |  Politico
• Related link:  Socialism for the Super Rich  |  TruthDig

Pulpit Freedom Folderol  |  Talk to Action

I’ve spent the weekend at the Religious Right’s  ”Values Voter Summit.” I’ve been exposed to so much Religious Right folderol over the years that I tend to look at things with a rather jaundiced eye. But even I was taken aback this year by some of the claims made by two Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys at a Saturday afternoon breakout session. The session focused on church politicking and the ADF’s upcoming “Pulpit Freedom Sunday.” I understand that the ADF does not agree with Americans United on this issue, but some of arguments they employed seemed to me to be – let’s just say – “creative.”

• Related Link: The Xenia Institute’s In the Press, News for September 9
• Related link: Religious Voter Guides: a Comparison  |  Blog from the Capitol

How Am I to Learn? Entering New Spaces and Unpacking Privilege  |  Womanist Musings

It is privilege to play the role of the helpless ignorant, when we live in the information age.  Library cards are free and  with one simple visit, a world of knowledge is instantly available.  There are documentaries, seminars and college/university classes dedicated to a myriad of subjects.  The only thing impeding your knowledge is you.

You May Say She’s a Dreamer  |  Mixed Multitudes

Today’s Jewel of Elul is written by philanthropist/superwoman Lynn Schusterman. She writes about dreaming big. (She writes:) ” I work with visionary dreamers – among them are people who advocate for improved children’s services in my hometown of Tulsa, or educators who bring Jewish history to life in college classrooms, or the gifted artists who enrich the lives of thousands around the world. These dreamers use their imagination as a sixth sense. Similarly, my partners in tzedakah envision a perfect world. They sense the possibility close at hand of tikkun olam, repairing the world. They are willing to follow their dreams and make them happen.”

Addressing Global Challenges through Networks  |  ForaTV

Conventional decision-making techniques that helped leaders succeed in the past no longer work, largely because problems can no longer be controlled by one group. A panel of civil-society, government, and business leaders stresses the benefits of collaboration between their three sectors in addressing large-scale, complex issues.

Beyond Just War Theory  |  God’s Politics

Just peace theory understands that peacemaking happens every day, that the only just war is the war that we prevent because there is no such thing as victory in war.  War itself is a defeat of human reason, communication, truth, and respect.  At the same time, just peace theory recognizes there may be times when a military force ought to deploy to protect vulnerable populations or to enforce a peace agreement. September 21 is the U.N. International Day of Peace and Global Cease-fire.  It is a day when the world can pause to think about ways to make justice and peace the project and the goal of daily life.