Category Archives: Justice

Justice And The Question Of Jewish-Christian Continuity

Christianity, Hebrew Testament, Judaism & Jews, Justice, Religion

In response to an exchange in the Comments Section on Christian forgiveness between Rob Murphy and Jess Strong: A growing number of Christians—Replacement Theology proponents, perhaps—pretend Jesus was not Jewish and was not steeped in the Hebrew (“Old”) Testament’s ethics. It’s as though he were an alien from Deep Space. Jesus was certainly a radical, very much in the mold of the classical prophets, some of whom had to sleep in the fields to escape the people’s wrath. Deuteronomy, an early book—the fifth of 39—showcases an advanced concept of Jewish social justice, and is replete with instructions to protect the poor, the weak, the defenseless, the widows, the orphans, the aliens, etc.

This ethical monotheism, developed centuries before classical Greek philosophy, is echoed throughout the Hebrew Bible (Exodus), and expounded upon by the classical prophets, who railed against power and cultural corruption so magnificently:

“There is blood on you hands; wash yourself and be clean. Put away the evil of your deeds, away out of my sight. Cease to do evil and learn to do right, pursue justice and champion the oppressed; give the orphan his rights, plead the widow’s cause.”—Isaiah 1:11-17

The claim, made by the dazzling Catholic controversialist Clare Boothe Luce, that “New Testament universalism superseded Old Testament particularism” can be dispatched with a reminder that the Ten Commandments preceded the Epistle of St. John.

Knowledge and wisdom don’t arise in a vacuum; like so many greats, Jesus stood on the shoulders of giants. As for retributive justice in the Hebrew Bible, it would be hard to rival the Book of Revelation–it is pitiless about those “cast into outer darkness.” Jesus, moreover, returns not as a Prince of Peace but as a warrior who “rule[s] the nations with a rod of iron.” If Revelation is not about violent retributive justice I don’t know what is. In fact, some contend that based on the allusions to Armageddon in Blair’s speeches and the apocalyptic themes in Bush’s, both are inspired by Revelation. All in all, history best attests to the propensity of the three major religions to inspire brutality in their followers. The Jews, a dispersed people until very recently, have been most likely to turn the other cheek.

‘Due Process’ For A Despot

Bush, Iraq, Justice

Now that this burlesque of justice is branded ‘made-in-America,’ it’s a Mark of Cain on all of us

Now that we’ve established a constitutional government in Iraq, the rule of law, and a judiciary capable of Nuremberg and Tokyo-type prosecutions, no less, we can sit back and observe the 6th Amendment applied in Baghdad.
Duly, Saddam Hussein is enjoying a “speedy and public trial”—he was brought to trial a mere two years after capture. The trial is public only in the sense that we know it is underway. Paula Zahn is too busy reporting on her latest colonoscopy to dispatch a legal analyst to publicize the proceedings. (Her staff is probably too scared to go, though.) Zahn’s cable cohort, for different reasons, has confined its coverage to bad-mouthing the righteous former Attorney General, Ramsey Clark. These TV titmice believe being on Saddam’s sparse defense team is the same as “supporting” him.
I believe that under American-style justice the accused also has a right “to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation.” Hussein has only recently been formally charged. As the trial commenced, so Hussein’s attorneys—well, those still alive (two defense lawyers have already been killed, another wounded)—had to request time to study the charges against their clients.
As to Hussein’s right to confront the witnesses against him—would that the Iraqis on the so-called stand were merely swaddled in abayas. Those not too frightened to testify (three men and two women, so far) were hidden behind screens, their voices modulated.
Look, prior to Bush’s invasion, I didn’t give a tinker’s toss what Iraqis did to Saddam. He was their baggage. But now that this burlesque of justice is branded ‘made-in-America,’ it’s a Mark of Cain on all of us
Incidentally, we were told until recently that Saddamites are behind the insurgency. But those behind the slaying of Saddam’s attorneys are probably Shiite—it has even been alleged members of the Iraqi “government” are involved. Yes, this is what chaos looks like. Once a rogue state; Iraq is now a failed one, where any faction that imagines its wishes are being frustrated goes out and kills its foes. Freedom is on the march.

Bill (Anderson) On Black (Conrad)—and Derivative Deviltry

Bush, Criminal Injustice, Justice, Law, libertarianism, The Zeitgeist

Hooray for crusader against injustice, economist Bill Anderson, who wrote in agreement with my column, Crucifying Conrad (Black):

“I am in complete agreement about ‘derivative crimes’ such as mail fraud and wire fraud. Candice Jackson and I have written at length about this stuff, so I am glad to see someone else also beating this same drum. An attorney friend of mine once told me that federal prosecutors are the single greatest threat to liberty in this country, and I agree.
That is why I have not been among the cheerleaders of Patrick Fitzgerald and the bogus “Plamegate,” in which the prosecutors early on realized that no law was broken, so they decided to look for other charges. I have strongly criticized other libertarians who have been cheering Fitzpatrick because he is tormenting the Bush Administration. In other words, all libertarian principles go out the window because the political outcomes in ‘Plamegate’ are satisfying.

Must reads are Bill’s “The Courts and the New Deal,” and Washington’s Biggest Crime Problem.

Crucifying Conrad (Black)

Justice, Law, The Zeitgeist

Mention Justice Department Ãœberbloodhound Patrick Fitzgerald, and the Securities and Exchange Commission in one breath, and even the dimmest libertarian ought to see warning lights flash. These entities are involved in the recent indictment of Conrad Black, former chairman of “one of the world’s most renowned newspaper groups,” on “eight counts of mail and wire fraud. … This epic fight, more fundamentally, is about property; it goes to a proprietor’s prerogatives in the increasingly socialized corporation. … But mostly, the bruising battle concerns an out-of-control, bloated behemoth of a state. Bush’s “New New Deal,” including the Sarbanes-Oxley’s sweeping provisions, has accomplished what FDR failed to: the final federalization of corporate governance law. This machine, now capable of occupying every company across the land, has been commandeered by private parties to do their bidding against Black. In the process, the rent-seekers and their racketeers have dismantled a business they don’t own.

The excerpt is from my new WorldNetDaily column, Crucifying Conrad (Black). Comments are welcome.