(I do not use the word “stupid” as a childish insult to Representative Stupak. I use it to describe the act of trusting someone about something which only the most naïve could possibly trust. The only way to describe such an action is “foolish” or “stupid”.)
In the aftermath of the stunning betrayal by Bart Stupak on March 21, 2010, one historical precedent has filled my consciousness with its eerie, stomach-churning similarity. This precedent is the role of the Catholic Centre Party in the accession of the Nazis in the early 1930’s. (Before I go any further, I do not intend to directly compare Hitler and Obama. My purpose is to underline the foolishness of Catholics who trust those who have displayed unmistakable antagonism to moral issues of relevance to Catholics.)
Pictured above is Franz von Papen. He led the Catholic Centre Party, presenting himself as promoting the interests of Catholics in Germany, but in the end, he was just another short-sighted politician about whom Hitler commented, “These men are ghosts.” Hitler played him like a violin, used him for his own purposes and tossed him aside. We need not delve into great detail. Suffice it to say, Papen made deals with Hitler, a man whose virulent anti-Catholic rants were public record and easily accessible to any curious man, not to mention his perverse hatred of the Jews and others. Further, his main stated socialist and statist goals were totally repugnant to the Catholic ideals of subsidiarity and solidarity. Papen thought he could guide or control Hitler for his own purposes. Hitler made promises to von Papen. Von Papen used his influence, in his turn, to get Hitler appointed Chancellor, just when it seemed he had been stymied.
Papen used his influence for an altogether disastrous intrigue. In spite of all assertions to the contrary, it was he who took the initiative in establishing an alliance with Hitler, who was already beginning to despair of attaining power. Any hesitations he may have had about entering into this suicidal partnership were doubtless swept aside by his natural recklessness, his arrogant assumption of his own right to lead, and an itch for revenge upon his rival Schleicher, now Chancellor in the new cabinet. At all events, the offended Papen cleared away the last personal obstacles to a partnership between the nationalist right and the NSDAP….but this time with real chances of achieving power.
He really should have known better. If he had only stood his ground, we might have avoided the horrors of Holocaust and World War. A Catholic can’t ‘make deals’ with people who have consistently espoused moral values inconsistent with true social justice theory. You can’t get pure water from a thoroughly contaminated well.
Stupak should know better about this health care bill, too. Those who wrote and influenced it or, those whom Obama plans to use to administer the bill, like Ezekiel Emmanuel, Cass Sunstein and the like, have supported the use of government health care to promote federally funded abortions and maybe even infanticide in the words of some of them. Their own words, associations and actions have given us all more than ample opportunity to figure out what their REAL purposes are. These people have already let slip their real intentions in regard to life and other moral issues important to Catholics.
What has Obama or his friends ever said in all their ‘public-consumption’ commentary that would give anyone any confidence in their most earnestly argued reassurances? Their credibility on ‘transparency’, on deficit-cutting or anything else has reached laughable lows. Why should Stupak trust an empty promise to do something which is inherently nonsensical: executive altering of legislation?? When they have made it so clear that widespread access to abortion and euthanasia is virtually number one on their list, why should he expect them to change their spots, unless it’s for a tactical maneuver?
HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE?
This is a sad day for all those who feel conscience should have some sort of real-world relevance. Alas, it seems there is no ‘social justice’ for the most innocent and helpless among us like the infants and the elderly. We were hoping Stupak would stand tall. He failed. We still have a chance to and MUST stand up for life and freedom after this display of stupid gullibility.
Remember November is coming. Reports are already arising of a massive surge today for Stupak’s opponent. There’s one thing among many that we all can do. Let’s get back to work again!
Stupak knew he was voting for the Devil.
He’s not that stupid to trust 0bamas word.
I’m wondering what position he’ll get come December when he’s no longer a congressman.
Kurt, how ’bout Czar of Abortions? It would be so fitting. 👿
Stupidpak betrayed the pro-life cause and must be defeated in November.
I’ll be keeping a close eye on his race and will support the GOP nominee for this seat.
Like you would have supported Stupak anyway Mike. You aren’t saying anything that changes anything at all. You are just another whiny Republican.
@Real American Patriot:
The idiot Franken voter whines about Mike not supporting a fool that was “played like a violin.”
RAP
No sense in arguing, we will see in November. Until then, I am sure Mike and other whiny conservatives will be ponying up to support good conservative candidates.
You all won the last several elections through lies and distortions.
I am another whiny conservative AOWG, and believe me, I’ve had enough. I will become involved in the political process with cash and boots on the ground support. You party on brother, relax and sit back with your ‘wins’. I will NOT let another election go by without getting involved.
As my kids would say, my bad. … OK … but as my Dad would say, get off your -ss and get to work. I am.
Stupak knew full well that the executive order was a fraud. He simply wanted cover…an EXCUSE to vote for something he desperately WANTED to vote for all along. Stupak is a liar and hypocrite.
RAP
Do you understand there is a big difference between not actively supporting a candidate and aggressively working to have him ousted? Secondly as far as blowing off the opposition as being just a bunch of whiny Republicans,thats exactly the juvenile kind of attitude we need Democrats to maintain until November.Stay stupid brother.
For 30 pieces of silver and a few million for a couple of airports in his district, he sold his soul. As a catholic, I never did trust him because he liked the rest of the bill. So his socialist leanings won the battle. Vote him out!
I am stunned by this post.
As a Catholic, I take exception to your incorrect and inappropriate comparison of US Catholics to anything related to Nazism.
Stupak is no Catholic. He does not speak for me as a Catholic anymore than Patrick Kennedy or Nancy Pelosi do.
Did you read the final comments by the USSCB?
There are no more strong proponents of human dignity than shown by those strong in Catholic faith.
Finally, a recent quote I saw. “God’s will will always be for the salvation of the individual involved.”
newguy,
I wasn’t comparing “US Catholics” as a group to “Nazism” as a group. I am warning against people who declare themselves to be Catholics and then trust untrustable promises. I support the Bishops and I come from the perspective of a Catholic with strong faith. Who am I offending and in what way? If I did, I didn’t mean to.
IMO, it’s a feeble comparison and unworthy. The historical comparison is tenuous. If you are Catholic, you should not be have any wiff of ties of the Church of St Peter with any Nazi.
If you want comparison’s compare Stupak on abortion to Lieberman on Iraq. That is a much cleaner comparison of integrity and suffering for your convicitons.
newguy,
Sorry, I’m still mystified. I think what von Papen did compares extremely well to what Stupak just did. How does comparing them have anything to do with The Church itself and the Nazis? Maybe I’m dense, but I’m just not seeing the problem you’re having. You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to, but I wanted to explain that I’m still not getting the objection you have.
I think “Real American Patriot” should be forced to change his name as he clearly is pulling a Stupak with it. No one by that name should have anything whatsoever to do with supporting Obamacare’s socialistic program. A real american patriot would not want to give up any amount of personal liberty to the government.
RAP=Stupak. Neither is what they claim to be.
You might find it handy to address our long standing, drain/sponge off on his fellow citizens, “real American patriot”, by our pet name for him, johngalt. We just call him CRAP.
Wall Street Journal has this commentary today:
I’ll gladly support and raise money for any Republican running against him.
Stupak’s 30 Pieces of Silver!
JUDAS!! JUDAS!!!
Obama Administration Awarded Hundreds of Thousands in Airport Grants to Stupak’s District Two Days Before Vote
http://www.nrcc.org/codered/dealwatch/?p=52
Mata
Thank you and I will use that often in rebutting the tripe from him. 😉
IT’S TIME FOR BART TO GO!: Lets beat Stupak with Tom Stillings, a true conservative. http://www.stillingsforcongress.com
@Newguy40
The post did NOT point at the Church. It pointed at one man who took power unto himself in the name of a segment of Germany’s Catholics.
mlajoie2, and the rest of us are very aware of how the Church itself worked against Hitler. If they say otherwise, I and many others will defend it vociferously.
Selling out for a couple of airports in a district where they are of littl commercial importance. Very sad. My congressman did the selling, amazing that people keep him in power. Contribute all you can to the opponents of these people.
This is flawless logic. I don’t like what’s happened, so I’ll blame a peripheral player’s religion (a not-so-good religion at that) and then I’ll find three examples that sort of seem similar throughout history and somehow connect it all to prove my point. Voila! Bad Thing = Stupid Catholic + Untrustable Nazi. Just brilliant! Okay, let’s play a game. I name the bad thing, and you fill in the Catholic and the Nazi. 9/11!
Tom,
Bottom line: Stupak should not trust Obama given the track record of the people who wrote and will IMPLEMENT the Bill. Go ahead and refute that part. The similar part with von Papen was he bought the present surface promises in full knowledge of the track record of Hitler. The reasons both had to do so were petty and stupid. Similarities don’t get much more solid.
Your comment “a not-so-good-religion at that” betrays your prejudice and insults the good will of millions throughout history. Your ‘conspiracy theory’ implication does not apply to what I outlined above, in that the comparison refers to the foibles of all human beings. Shakespeare may have been writing about Danes in “Hamlet” but the particular nationality wasn’t the point. I think anyone can see the tragic foible common in both actions. You have to argue that the foible was not really present in order to refute the comparison.
yup the righties tout that they are such up standing citizens…
OPPS I guess that is NOT TRUE!!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_threats
Didn’t the Nazis also cover up child abuse cases by its members like the Catholic church has done with it’s priests? That’s what you get when you have moral condemnation meeting repression – hypocrisy.
*yawn*
Stupak decided that health insurance for 32 million Americans was worth the risk that Obama would reverse his own exective order*, undercut a Dem who voted HIS WAY and, for the first time since the 1970s, do what neither Carter nor Clinton did, which is have federal funding for abortions. Seems like a good bet to me.
You know why? Because Stupak trusts Obama. And Obama has not given him or any other Dem any reason not to trust him.
Want proof that there will be no federal funding of abortions and that this bill will actually DECREASE abortions? Just look at the pro-choice side, foaming at the mouth.
*Has this ever been done, a president reversing his own order? Not that I knoe of. And why would they?
HEY Moron. Until he signs it, there is no order to reverse.
(And this guy is a fookin lawyer?!?!)
@BRob:
He trusted a man who he and you should well know supports infanticide. A man who has in fact justified throwing a new born infant in bucket to die can not be trusted to avoid a lesser sin, to tell a lie as a means to acquire power. Neither can one trust a fellow traveler who shills for such an evil.
@GaffaUK:
The Nazi’s burned the legal archives which held much of the evidence of their homosexual predation against children. They imprisoned and killed those Democratic Socialists and Catholics who sought to expose them. After they had established themselves in totalitarian power they orchestrated political show trials prosecuting German Catholic priests for sexual abuse of children.
The Catholic Church in the US on the other hand opened its archives to John Jay College of Criminal Justice which has produce two important empirical studies on the homosexual clerical child abuse crisis in the Catholic Church in America. No other organization has done so.
@Sid:
Not Judas, but Pontius Pilate …
Judas betrayed Christ because for him Christ was a rival who had frustrated a revolutionary uprising against Rome. Judas repented because he knew Christ was innocent. He tried to undo the exchange for 30 pieces of silver so as to free Christ. Judas failed and died in despair. Pilate KNEW he was sending an innocent man to his death. He did so anyway and a had far longer successful political career than he would have had otherwise.