Martin Meenagh blog

Nancy Pelosi, Marcus Aurelius Biden and St Thomas Aquinas President Obama called for an informed dialogue about abortion the other day at a Catholic University, and it occurred to me that I wasn't very sure of the reasons for the catholic position on the modern version of the practice. I'm not alone. Last year, in the last third of the election season, Nancy Pelosi saw fit to correct St Thomas Aquinas, or rather, one bit of Aquinas' thinking on abortion. Joe 'Mad Jose' Biden (late of this blog) complemented some of the arguments she put forward with some of his own slightly later. Ms Pelosi's basic point was that, as a Catholic, she believed that the teachings of the church on abortion were Thomist, and that St Thomas was either confused or wrong about when a foetus became a child. This was because Aquinas had written that 'ensoulment' or 'quickening' happened after conception. She then went on to go on about other people's right to an opini...

Healthcare The most significant, and potentially expensive reform of healthcare and student loans for almost fifty years passed the House of Representatives of the United States last night. Given the sums involved, and the still potent example of the USA, the whole world may be affected by a change that will directly or indirectly affect around a fifth of the American economy. I had intended, and may deliver, something portentous. But--and it is possibly because Marcus Aurelius Biden reminds me of Snowman, and John Bonior makes me think of Buford Justice's idiot son--I can't get the Smokey and the Bandit theme out of my head. For those of you unfamiliar with the film, Big Enus and Little Enus, on a Texan whim, give 'Bandit' some mad task. Buford T. Justice, played expertly by Nixon supporter Jackie Gleason, objects. Bandit, with the aid of Snowman, then does 'what they say can't be done'. An interesting chase ends up at a funfair, I think, with the female i...