Phil J retweeted
I earn £100 grand a year.
I have a detached house. 2 cars and my wife is a full time home maker.
I can just about afford this. I probably couldn’t afford the house I own if I was buying for the first time today.
My salary puts me in the top 5% of earners in the UK.
Top 5% to have a similar standard of living to Homer Simpson.
That is a disgrace.
We have a flatter salary distribution than Soviet Russia and the highest taxes and borrowing costs we’ve seen in generations.
Success is almost impossible because our tax system means hard work makes you a stressed out tax cow, not wealthy and certainly not free.
We need something radical.
Less state.
More family.
Less handouts.
More reward for risk.
Instead. Tomorrow, Labour will offer another batch of policies which will send one message to aspirational Brits: why bother.
I read a piece in the FT this week about the price of being middle class in Britain now and it said a couple earning £436,000 combined take home £216,000. That’s a crazy amount of tax, and it doesn't include VAT on purchases, council tax, stamp duty or other taxes (I think does include pension contributions). I can’t stop thinking about it.
Phil J retweeted
Today is the anniversary of the death of Alfred the Great, who died in 899. Famous for defending his kingdom against Viking invasion, Alfred also strove to rebuild learning and education among the English - to restore both their 'wealth and wisdom': aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/…
Phil J retweeted
Very interesting to meet Fr. Thomas Kennedy from Louisiana the other day, who is visiting and saying Mass in as many places connected with St. Thomas Becket as possible. He celebrated Mass in the Becket chapel at Dover Castle.
Phil J retweeted
I'll try to briefly lay out the Girardian perspective on the decision to livestream a coming capital punishment execution via firing squard, since I see some are defending it on those terms.
Girard was very clear that the scapegoat mechanism doesn't have the same cathartic sociey-wide effects as it once had due to revelation of Christ on the cross—which was itself a public execution (of an innocent man, in that case) which revealed the truth of human violence. Satan cannot cast out Satan.
In the public execution of even the worst criminal, you cannot cast out Satan. It will feel like you are, but you perpetuating cycles of violence while thinking that you are doing something just and good.
He saw that the reason executions in a country like America are extremely private and hidden from public view is precisely because the scapegoat mechanism doesn't work the same way anymore. it's hidden because it fails to unite; the story or narrative about the violence doesn't sell. The act—especially in its public form—is no longer seen as just by the majority of people.
And yet Hegseth—because he's a genius, and knows and understands things the rest of us don't, or that history doesn't—believes he can sell it.
He is badly mistaken.
I have to believe Girard, if we were still alive, would be absolutely mortified and confused that there are "Girardians in the White House". This ridiculous decision will only polarize, divide, and break the country apart, even if it does win some zealous converts to a particular political cause. On the whole, the catharsis will not work—in fact, it will have the opposite effect. It is not just evil; it also happens to be dumb.
It's a political decision, not a moral one. And even on that count, it's a very poor one.
You might ask yourself where it ends, if taken to its logical conclusion: the guillotine in public squares? That was a political and social strategy, just as this is.
Regardless of what anyone thinks about the death penalty, I hope that this mimetic and social dimension of it will at least be seen clearly. This is an incredibly dangerous road to be going down.
Phil J retweeted
Our latest free books give-away, open to all worldwide. This time it's 8 books from the last 200 years, and 8 people will be drawn to pick their choice. Retweet this and you're in for the random draw on Sunday 11 October. Proper books these. Details to follow over next few hours!
Phil J retweeted
Japan is sending something extraordinary to America this November.
Our Lady of Nagasaki survived the atomic bombing of Urakami Cathedral.
For the first time in 16 years, the surviving head of the statue will cross the Pacific again.
It will be taken to churches and the United Nations as Catholics and atomic-bomb survivors appeal for a world without nuclear weapons.
May her witness reach many hearts.
Phil J retweeted
Pope Leo's trip to Paris has turned into a phenomenon.
Street confessions. Blessings of the disabled. Tens of thousands of young people singing Latin hymns making an against-the-grain revival.
Some thoughts:-
comment.press/leoinparis
Phil J retweeted
A happy feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, especially to my fellow Anglos.
OLW OPN 🏴
Phil J retweeted
Simone Weil’s greatest insight was that attention is the foundation of morality and that letting your attention span degrade is the first step on the road to hell
Phil J retweeted
An excellent episode - listen here: bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct983…
This quoted post is unavailable.
Phil J retweeted
Rest in peace to the wonderful Wendell Berry. His book, Jayber Crow, will always be one of my favorites.
“You have been given questions to which you cannot be given answers. You will have to live them out - perhaps a little at a time.'
And how long is that going to take?'
I don't know. As long as you live, perhaps.'
That could be a long time.'
I will tell you a further mystery,' he said. 'It may take longer.”
- Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow
He is pictured below, as a young man in his cabin.
Phil J retweeted
Westminster Cathedral will host Mass with 15 Bishops.
Join the Catholic Mass at 10:30am on 5th September.
This will be followed by activities for all the family at the Emmanuel Centre and then the March for Life.
#March4LifeUK #Prolife #UK #London #AbortionHurtsTheFamily
Phil J retweeted
Remember, the Medusa is a kind of monster you can't fight while looking at it directly. Even Virgil will not let Dante do so.
Don't stare too long at the Medusa.
Phil J retweeted
You are right about this. You can behead all your family and despoil monasteries and still be a Catholic, though not perhaps an exemplary one. But you cannot purport to depose the Pope and still be in communion with him and thence with the universal church.
Phil J retweeted
The Latin Mass Society is the best-resourced lay Una Voce group in the world. We have an office in central London and currently two full time and three part time staff; our magazine editor is a freelancer. Our activists organise, facilitate and advertise a vast number 1/2
The @latinmassuk is hiring! We need a new Office Manager. If you fancy working for the Latin Mass Society managing staff and ensuring our magazine, website, online shop and membership matters run efficiently, then follow the link in the reply.
Phil J retweeted
Good to see Harry and Meghan achieve 6 full tax years of non-UK residency to manage the “temporary non-resident” rules for capital gains tax 😬
They have clearly had some good tax advice and the timing of their move back to the UK is immaculate 👌
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62e…
Phil J retweeted
My work as academic and chaplain puts me in a unique position to comment on today’s news.
I’ve seen university culture change over three decades so that critical thinking and robust feedback has diminished when paying students call the shots. The unwillingness to give and take robust criticism has been shocking to witness and catastrophic on the culture and resilience of individuals. Each day I am insisting on standards in an evermore gently gently culture. It’s not healthy.
As a chaplain, I speak with the suicidal every week. Suicide kills. It is never a good idea to talk about the “they” and “the system” and the “isms” and “phobias” that would make the suicidal believe that such things have a power over their own actions.
“If I kill myself then that will teach them” but No actually it won’t because your actions are your own responsibility and we want to keep you safe as you pass this period of crisis.
Jason Arday, like all those facing suicide ideation today, deserved better help and protection but I expect his family are distraught that nothing they could do or say prevented this.
What I know is that there are fundamental cultural issues at play in our universities which also set up this man to fail. I’m sure the public pressure recently has been awful for him and it is still not the case that one single event causes a suicide. Samaritans guidance is very clear on this. Please be careful about how you speak about suicide if you have no experience around it.
Building resilience is the key here. In schools, universities and wider society. Keep it real. Take responsibility, listen closely to your detractors and examine your own conscience and ego. Also be humble enough to seek and accept help and support. You do not need to be perfect. We are all flawed human beings.
As I share daily with despairing men in prison- God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Rest in peace Jason Arday.
Phil J retweeted
Extremely rare. Opening page of a singular manuscript (British Library Add. 17127), one of only two Syriac commentaries known to have been written on the book of Revelation. Manuscript dates to 1088 AD, though the commentary was composed probably in the 7th century. This manuscript is the only witness to the commentary.
