Seamless Garment Party

I wanted to agree with both Mark and Michael about the fundamental failings of American political parties, and the particular failings of the Republican Party as it relates to Catholic social teaching. I don't know why more American Catholics don't see how many key Republican positions are in direct conflict with Catholic teaching. I'll offer an additional one that has not yet been mentioned. The Bush campaign is going out of it's way to label Kerry as an "internationalist" who would subject American foreign policy to a "global test." Although the "global test" attack is merely a simplistic distortion of Kerry's comments in the last debate, it would be a good idea for Catholics to think more cogently about the implications of Republican unilateralism and the party's hearty support of pre-emptive war. These positions fly in the face of Catholic teaching. The Catholic Church is extremely internationalist, and Catholic social teaching rejects isolationist models of nationalism and unilateral exertions of force in defense of notions of national sovereignty that have long been discredited by the unrelenting violence and abuse of human rights that marked most of the 20th century.

The Republicans champion an "America first" economic and foreign policy that views war as a legitimate tool in the effort to remake the globe in America's image. They also panders to a vulgar jingoism and nativism that has a long and ugly history in American culture (if you don't believe me, spend an evening watching the Fox News Channel). Sure, a lot of people will suffer and die in the short term as a result of these policies, but in the long run, those foreigners will be better off (and the world will be much more receptive to American cultural and economic expansion). This is simply an imperial agenda in the 21st century clothing of "democracy and freedom." Catholics should view it with the jaundiced eye it deserves.

Vince