Stories to watch in 2010

A few of the stories that are going to be big in 2010:

1. The Health Care Bill: Will the Democrats succeed in pushing through this legislation despite the wishes of the vast majority of the American people? Will the Stupak language remain in, or become a bone of contention that makes the whole bill fall apart? How many more sweetheart deals will be put in to entice any legislators that might be wavering? My prediction: the Dems pass the bill, committing political harikari in doing so.

2. The Midterm Elections: Will the discontent showcased in the Tea Party Movement translate into votes on Election Day? Will the Democrats maintain their leads in the House and Senate, or are we witnessing a repeat of 1994? My prediction: Republicans gain control of the House, narrow the gap in the Senate. Nancy Pelosi sacrifices the Blue Dogs as both parties reject moderates.

3. Iran: Will civil unrest lead to change, or more government crackdown? Will the US or Israel take action against the regime? My prediction: Obama is unwilling to support Iranian dissidents, which only serves to embolden Khameni. Israel decides it must take action on its own.

4. Government Spending: Will Congress put the brakes on its reckless spending? Prediction: Not anytime soon.

5. Economy: Will we finally see a recovery? Will the unemployment rate go down? Prediction: Any recovery is likely to be short-lived, as the government continues to pursue disastrous policies.

6. Afghanistan: Will the troop surge be as effective as the one in Iraq? Or is Afghanistan beyond saving? My prediction: Never underestimate our troops. Unfortunately, the rules of engagement are such that they can't effectively do their jobs, so either those need to change or we're going to have big problems.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of what lies ahead in the new year, but it's a pretty safe bet that these issues will loom large. Let's hope 2010 turns out better than any of us expect.

What issues do you think will be important in the new year?

What I Want This Veterans Day

Note: This article comes from fellow CM contributor Chris Nelson, aka Right Field.


I have made a list, similar to a Christmas list,of things that I would like this Veterans Day. I do not expect to get these, but a man can dream.

1) First, I would like for politicians to stop making military decisions in Congress. One politician is prescribed by the Constitution to make decisions for the US military, and that is the Commander in Chief. When we end the war, how many troops are deployed, what equipment they have, and how we fight is at the discretion of the President and his generals exclusively. We live in a republic as far as legislation is concerned, but no war was ever won by committee.

2) The same as above goes for editorialists and authors, who are journalists not veterans. When the country goes to war, the time for debate over its mission is over. If you oppose a war, contact your representative or make your editorial statement before war is declared.

3) When you say something like "I support the troops, but I do not support the war" or "Support the troops, bring them home" drop the last part. Or if you must, make it two separate statements. With no other profession would someone, in a single statement, express an admiration for the professional and then disparage his mission. "I support lawyers, but I hate lawsuits." "I support our police, but I don't support enforcing the law." The statements may not be entirely illogical, but it is at least disingenuous.

4) Reform voting processes so that military turnout is encouraged, and their votes are counted. I have never been out of the United States and I have been unable to vote at least twice because of confusion over my status as a voter (Absentee vs. In person), or a misdirected absentee ballot. I cannot imagine how our soldiers vote in war zones. Well, I don’t have to imagine, I know that the Federal Election Commission has stated that deployed soldiers don't vote. The completed received ballots from the 2006 election totaled 5.5% of the overseas military electorate. Congress has not made any serious effort to address this problem.

5) I want everyone who has ever bought a meal for me or my brethren in uniform to know what a deeply moving gift they have given. It is the epitome of human kindness to give such a gift to military member. I would like to thank all of YOU for this service to our country.

6) I would like to see the men and women who have been mentally or physically scarred in the service to our country to be taken care of by the selfsame nation. The veterans hospital system is entirely inadequate and I would like to see the public and private healthcare system band together to ensure that the best possible care, both mental and physical, is given to wounded soldiers.

7) I want everyone who is considering military service to be able to do so. I do not enjoy how politicized certain issues have become in regards to recruitment. Public universities should not be able to refuse military recruiters nor should they allow the harassment of recruiters. I know much of the anger directed at the military by certain groups is over the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. But the decision on this policy is entirely the domain president and congress. Direct the anger there.

Tangentially, if a member of your family decides to join the military please support them in their decision.

I may not get everything on my list this Veterans day, but making you aware is really my only goal today.

What Can We Learn From The Fort Hood Massacre?

All the warning signs were there, clear as day. It was obvious that Nidal Malik Hasan was dangerous. This man openly stated his support for murder in the name of Islam. He referred to himself as a "soldier of Allah." He even attempted to contact Al-Qaeda. It's not as if he were some evil mastermind hatching his plot in the shadows. It was all out there in the open. People knew about it. And did nothing.
The obvious question is, "why?" Was it the fear of being labeled a hatemonger? Was it fear of being accused of profiling? Fear of an ACLU lawsuit? Whatever the Army and the FBI's reasons for inaction, it seems to me to have been based in fear.
One of the things we pride ourselves on in this country is our openness. We want to believe the American dream is open to everybody, regardless of their religion or ancestry. We want to believe the best about our fellow Americans. It is one of the strengths of our country. However, it is exploited by terrorists as a weakness. They will use our assumptions of human decency against us. In Hasan's case, there wasn't much more he could have done to make us aware of his intentions. But no action was taken.
So what are we to do, then? Should our basic trust in humanity give way to paranoia or suspicion? No. But neither should we allow ourselves to be naive. We fear to be thought of as prejudiced, biased, and judgmental, and rightly so, because ideally we are none of these things. But when we are confronted with an unpleasant truth, we must act upon that truth rather than pretending it isn't real. To paraphrase Fulton Sheen, let's not be so open minded that we let our brains fall out.

"A Bridge Across the Tiber"

It was announced this week that there will soon be a way for Anglicans who so desire to achieve full communion with the Catholic Church. They would be able to preserve many of their traditions and operate in "Personal Ordinariates". This is welcome news for many faithful Anglicans who have grown disillusioned with the denomination's acceptance of homosexual marriage, contraception, and the like. It is welcome news to Catholics who will be enriched by the reverence, zeal, and traditions of former Anglicans. This is one of the most significant events in the quest for Christian unity since the Reformation. It forces no one to leave, but gives a home to those who have long felt estranged. As a Catholic, I wish to joyfully welcome home those brothers and sisters of mine who will come into the Church.
It is estimated that 12 bishops and 1,000 priests will enter the Church. It is hard to guess just how many lay people will join them, but the number is sure to be significant. The Church already has many former Anglican priests who now serve as married Catholic priests. I have known some of these priests and they are simply amazing. If all of the priests that will join the Church are like them, we are in for an incredible period in the Church.
The press will focus on the question of what this will do about the Church's rules on priestly celibacy. Indeed, a sudden influx of married priests will be significant, but I don't think that celibacy is likely to go anytime soon; the Church has long recognized the great benefits of priestly celibacy. Anyway, to focus on that issue is really missing the point of a reunion longed for for a very long time.
As for the future of the Anglican Communion, that remains to be seen. I would think that there will be two camps- traditionalists who are wary of a reunion with Rome, and liberals such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams. The extreme liberals among the Anglicans seem to be steering away from everything for which the Church of England once stood. In my view, they are building on pillars of sand, and they will not be vital for very long. The others, I believe, will eventually join the Church when they see a mass movement towards it, or continue in a significantly smaller Anglican Communion. That's just my view.
The great hope, of course, is that this will facilitate unity with other denominations. I believe that some degree of reunion with the Orthodox churches is possible within our lifetimes, and although there is still a wide gap between Catholics and Protestants in terms of belief, those gaps are much more narrow as we have come to understand each other more and work together in the cultural battles of our day.
Converting to the Catholic Church is often referred to as "crossing the Tiber." Thanks to Pope Benedict, there is no longer a need to swim, because as Fr. Dwight Longecker puts it, the Holy Father has "built a bridge".