Impressions from reports about “Ankeny uprising.” *
With Bishop Martin J. Amos of the Davenport Diocese, leading a prayer, leftist lap-dog Catholic “leaders” opened a “media conference” in Ankeny Friday to “implore” political leaders to take action on “climate change”. As the “conference” unfolded, Bishop Amos’ “prayer” seemed to have several intentions: 1) to “implore” Iowa Catholics to vote Democrat, and, 2) to promote the interests of industries involved in the “renewable energy” movement. Of course, a third and perhaps overriding hoped for answer to the bishop’s prayer was the success of Pope Francis’s calls for a halt to climate change by redistributing the world’s wealth and bringing an end to those economic “systems” which cause all kinds of bad stuff for the world’s “poor”.
In the story from the AP/Sioux City Gazette — it was reported that the media “event” was staged “near a wind turbine”
Note of interest: It is often charged that scientific studies which have proven that many of the so-called “facts” supporting man-made global warming (now dubbed “climate change”) are clearly bogus, are paid for by the “fossil fuel industry”.
Featured speaker for the cleric-industrial complex
It was thus interesting to see represented among the gathering of “concerned clergy” Friday, corn/ethanol producers and the wind energy industry, both of which profit from the “renewable energy” movement.
Also the AP/Gazette reported that the Rev. “Bud” Grant (not to be confused with the one time head coach of the Minnesota Vikings) rejected comments by “some presidential candidates and federal lawmakers” (mostly GOP ones) who preferred that the Pope stay out of politics and stick to religious issues, as “silly”. In skirting the edge of coherence, the St. Ambrose “theology professor” said, “It’s like expecting us to talk about health care, but don’t expect us to know anything about medicine.” (Rev. “Bud” probably thought that was pretty profound until he read it.)
A further note: This “rally”, er, “media conference” was the biggest PR event since these bishops spoke in support of the Church’s opposition to abortion, freedom of worship, gay marriage. Oh wait! There has not been any remotely comparable press coverage on those issues by this group of Catholic “leaders”. Why is that? Whose enthusiasm is lacking? We don’t remember such an obviously political event aimed at Democrats on those subjects.
Our illustrious local papers the QCTimes and the Dispatch-Argus, and many others we noted from our online search, used this clearly political headline to the story.
A final note: There were no “Guy Fawkes” mask wearers in attendance at Friday’s “rally” (but which this writer thinks would have added a nice touch to the overall theme) but it is likely they sent messages of support. Word is they used one of several Twitter hashtags to promote the event:
#capitalism/is/the/crisis
#No borders/No nations/F**k deportations
The slogans are actually from anarchy101 but seem entirely inline with Catholic leadership of late.
DLH with R Mall
* all graphics sourced from related AP wire story or screen grabs of online editions and are set forth for purposes of political criticism.
Reading the Sioux City Gazette article they quote another member of the cleric-industrial complex:
“Ray Gaesser, a farmer from southwest Iowa, suggested addressing climate change should be an issue that unites Iowans, not one that divides them.”
“We shouldn’t take sides on climate issues or farming practices. We should all work together because morally it’s the right thing to do. We need to find ways to sustain our families, our soil, our communities and our people,” Gaesser said. “As the encyclical says: to till and to keep, means to feed people and care for the land.”
Talk about confusion about how these things work– taking sides on the climate debate is wrong? Then what the hell is he doing there? And what kind of steward of the land is he? Find ways to sustain . . . our soil? I don’t know of any farmer / agribusinessman who does not aggressively pursue “ways to sustain our soil.” As for industry not involded in crop production which industry and which country is he talking about? If he is talking about the US, a market based economy, he is largely full of manure. If he is talking about third world countries, those are much more so command and control economies, it is counter productive to sign on with the Popes recent encyclical . Pope Francis calls for command and control economies and the association and cause and effect with environmental degradation is clear.
Farmer Ray is passionate about his solemn responsibility to “…till and to keep means to feed people…”. How much of Farmer Ray’s crop production is going to “feed people” and how much potential “food” is diverted to ethanol production? When far cheaper, far more efficient energy sources are available, taxpayer subsidies are going to an industry arguably of little benefit to society, from which Farmer Ray directly benefits…all because “morally, it’s the right thing to do”?