Washington Post: "Tens of thousands of Somalis, mostly women and children, are on the move, fleeing the worst famine in a generation in this Horn of Africa nation. Resilient Somalis have endured two decades of civil war and two consecutive seasons of failed rains. Now, after their livestock and crops have died, and with their … Continue reading Somalis flee famine along ‘roads of death’
Author: DFLA
At Least 80 Are Dead in Norway Shooting
NY Times: "Norway suffered dual attacks on Friday when powerful explosions shook the government center here and, shortly after, a gunman stalked youths at an island summer camp for young members of the governing Labor Party. The police arrested a Norwegian in connection with both attacks, which killed at least 87 people and stunned this … Continue reading At Least 80 Are Dead in Norway Shooting
Goran Hadzic captured in northern Serbia
BBC: "Serbian authorities say they have arrested Goran Hadzic, the last remaining fugitive sought by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Mr Hadzic, 52, is wanted for atrocities committed in the 1991-1995 war in Croatia."
Why a balanced-budget amendment is too risky
Norman J. Ornstein: "The Republican proposal would cap spending each year at 18 percent of gross domestic product. Because the formula is based on a previous year’s economy, it would mean, according to Republican economist Don Marron, a cap of more like 16.7 percent of GDP. This in turn means that the House-passed budget proposed … Continue reading Why a balanced-budget amendment is too risky
DFLA Board Member Steve Schneck takes on Paul Ryan
Steve Schneck: "At the beginning of life, Medicaid also pays for about one-third of all births in America. Maybe you know a scared young mom who needed such help. If you are pro-life, like me you realize what support for these births can mean. Or maybe, like I do, you have a friend who lost … Continue reading DFLA Board Member Steve Schneck takes on Paul Ryan
G.O.P.’s No-Tax Stance Is Outside Political Mainstream
Nate Silver: "Much to the chagrin of many Democrats, the mix of spending cuts and tax increases that Mr. Obama is offering is quite close to, or perhaps even a little to the right of, what the average Republican voter wants, let alone the average American. However, all but 7 Republicans in the House of … Continue reading G.O.P.’s No-Tax Stance Is Outside Political Mainstream
The death penalty and the costs of an obsession
EJ Dionne: "The unseemly love affair some American politicians have with the death penalty is bad for justice and bad for our country’s standing in the world. It inflicts a wholly unnecessary moral stain on a nation that rightly preaches the rule of law to everyone else."
First Study of Its Kind Shows Benefits of Providing Medical Insurance to Poor
NY Times: "When poor people are given medical insurance, they not only find regular doctors and see doctors more often but they also feel better, are less depressed and are better able to maintain financial stability, according to a new, large-scale study that provides the first rigorously controlled assessment of the impact of Medicaid."
The moral dimension of the federal budget does not end with protecting the unborn
Kathy Dahlkemper: "The moral responsibility of protecting an unborn child is no different than the responsibility to ensure that a child with cancer gets proper medical treatment without bankrupting their family. These responsibilities have the same source—the fundamental worth of the human person."
Shameless Self-promotion: Catholic social teaching vs the cult of individualism
My article from NCR: "The common link between these libertarian social and economic policies is the individualism that animates them. The source behind the rejection of distributive justice and the sanctity of human life is fundamentally the same. It is the great irony of American political life that the two bitterest opponents in American politics … Continue reading Shameless Self-promotion: Catholic social teaching vs the cult of individualism
The Whole Life Democrat 