Matthew Comments

"But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Gospel of Matthew, 3:7-10 I heard this read as part of the gospel lesson reading today in church. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the annointed leaders of the local church, well positioned and politically involved, priviledged and sure of themselves. John the Baptist, this curious new phenom in the wilderness, was making waves as the real deal. Presumably as an act of c.y.a., the Pharisees and Sadducees ran out to check the John the Baptist experience off their list. John called them out.

Steve Walt issued a 14-point indictment of George W. Bush's foreign policy, and Will Inboden issued a response. Both are found in Foreign Policy's website . Like Imboden, I think Walt is wrong to say Bush should have done more about Bin Laden before 9/11. That is a case of hindsight and wishful thinking. Every disaster is followed by a chorus of "we should have known better." I also think Bush should get some credit for the lack of a major terrorist attack against the U.S. after 9/11. But some perspective is also needed. Bin Laden and his network were dangerous, but they were not as rich or as powerful as many small nations. The U.S. should not brag about preventing Libya or Khazakstan from mounting serious attacks on the U.S. But if an aggressive Libya or Khazakstan dominates our foreign policy for a decade, we should be embarassed. That is what happened with Al Queda. Bush's foreign policy was a disaster for one reason: He started an unnecessary war in Iraq. Eve

I need to express my disappointment in the controversy over the proposed Muslim gathering place near Ground Zero in New York City. It is not technically a mosque, although the distinction may not matter much. I’ll refer to it as a Muslim Center, although people of different faiths will be invited to use many of the facilities there. I am disappointed that there is a controversy. I am disappointed that public figures are using people’s fear and bias to score points (political points or rating points). I am disappointed in the cowardice of other public figures who fail to defend simple American principles. I agree with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who stated that terrorists attacked freedom on 9/11, and it is shameful to restrict the freedom of Americans in the name of 9/11. This group has the right to build this Muslim Center, and I see no legitimate reason to question either their intentions or their sensitivity. They were not responsible for 9/11. Period. The United States hosts

I'm not really that invested in the illegal immigration issue, but I'm not a big fan of wild distortions. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the nonsense in the email (the email itself is copied in the previous blog post, if you'd like to see it). The Iraq and Afganastan wars should not be lumped together for any cost comparison. Iraq was the optional one that was based on "poor intelligence" of more than one type. It is also untrue to suggest that if illegal immigrants cost us too much, the war must not have cost too much. Perhaps both cost too much! Next, if you support our troops in any way, you can’t talk about the cost of the war and leave out the loss of American lives. This email leaves that out. What is the implication? Since it doesn’t hit our pocketbook, maybe it’s not worth mentioning? I disagree. Estimates for the cost of the Iraq War range from $700B-1T (so far). Please note, it also does not include the long-term cost of health care for those so

Copied below is a rabid, nonsensical anti-immigration email. I respond in my next blog post. A Real Eye Opener WHY is the USA BANKRUPT? Informative, and mind boggling! You think the war in Iraq is costing us too much? Read this: Boy, was I confused. I have been hammered with the propaganda that it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us. I now find that to be RIDICULOUS. I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of reading them. I also have included the URL's for verification of all the following facts... 1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments. Verify at: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters7fd8 2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC , and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscal