Wanted: One Counter-reformation

The Counter-Reformation is an interesting historic event to me. But that's probably just because I spent a good part of my history studying reformation-era history.  Let me break down the reformation for you real quick. (and don't worry, this will get relevant to world events real quick).  

 

Catholic church run by italians, is spreading its influence throughout europe. Corrupted by power.  This is making the Germanics and English and Swiss annoyed. Gets to the point where they say "screw you, popesuckers" and break off into Lutherans, Anglicans, Calvinists, Anabaptists. Etc.    Right. Underlying this geopolitical reality are theological distinctions. (Like " sola fide" for Lutherans and "predestination" for Catholics.  Email me if you want to know more. It isn't important here.)

 

Here's where it's interesting. How does the Catholic Church respond to this problem? They do the "counter-reformation".  They clean up their act, do their reforms, but most importantly they do a NEW DEFENCE of catholic doctrines. A guy named Ignatius Loyala starts the Jesuits and they become the debating team of the Catholic Church. Out they go and argue in favor of what the Catholics have always believed theologically. They provide a robust belief of the existing belief systems. They stem the tide and save the catholic church. 

 

The Western World currently needs a counter-reformation. 

 

There is a war of ideas going on in the world and here's what I see from my non-right wing friends. One of two things: 

 

- I see activists apologising for the geopolitical, economic, equality of law, liberal, industrial chess moves of the western world, and

 

 - I see people going about their business, keeping their heads down, trying to get their piece of the pie without getting into trouble. These folks generally want their ruling class to do the dirty work of giving them the lifestyle they want without them admitting to being complicit in any of the difficult decisions that make that happen.  

 

From my right wing friends I see ridiculous defenses of their actions designed for easy consumption and smelling of hypocracy using words like "freedom and evil" that make anyone with an IQ over 50 wretch. 

 

So here's what's needed: A real discussion and defence of what the US is doing what its doing globally. No one ever says "Hey, we didn't GO into Iraq. We were already IN Iraq. We never left. Saddam Hussein was always shooting at our jets. We had to get in in order to get out." 

 

No one ever says "What do you mean, no blood for oil? What possible BETTER reason could there be for blood? We live in the oil age whether we like it or not. Since time immemorial it has been necessary to control the crucial resource of the day and it is 100% crucial to maintain control of the waterways that allow for trade. Oil may be replaced with something else, but that geopolitical reality is never going to go away."

 

We also need a real defense of western values as a way to run a country and a rejection of cultural relativism. Humans in other countries are not stupid and shouldn't be treated as such. Why is it so awful to impose western values on other countries, when the people in those countries are desperately trying to emigrate from those countries and to immigate to those countries that HAVE those values? It may shock you to learn that our wealth is a result OF those values. Not an accident."

 

Finally, we need to understand that it is just as stupid to think of ourselves as "evil" and the rest of the world as "good", as it is to believe the opposite.

 

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