Conservative Obtuseness on Cuba

I’ve long been fascinated by the reluctance of conservatives to condemn wrongdoing by the U.S. government, especially since the time that the U.S. government was converted to a national-security state after World War II. The primary reason for this phenomenon, it seems to me, is that conservatives have come to view the federal government as a god, one that works in partnership with their religious God. In the conservative mind, it’s okay to carp about minor mistakes that their national-security god makes but it’s never okay to challenge or question it at a fundamental level.

Pope Leo: The Family Comes Before the State

In one of several talks this past week, during his visit to Lima, Pope Leo XIV reminded his audience that the institution of the family occupies a more important place in society than any institution of civil government. According to Leo: “The family is the first natural society, with rights of its own. This means that the family precedes every written law. The law’s role is simply to recognize and protect it, while public institutions must support the family, not replace it.”