European Catholics Don't Get American Abortion Politics (Even Cardinals)

In my view European Catholics (as well as others) get a cartoon version of American politics. Some of the mainstream stuff is so out there and sensational it provides a warp picture.

In fact one gets a sense that people abroad(with the exception of nearest neighbors) don't have a idea how even the Government is structured over here. For all the talk of American arrogance many Americans realize they don't have a clue of the political dynamics of Italy, France, Denmark or even the UK. Ask them about the EU and they have no sense of how it runs.

However Europeans seem to think they have got our system all down.

Inside Catholic looks at the unfortunate remarks of Swiss Cardinal Cardinal George Cottier . See Common Ground with Obama on Abortion?

Also See Father z's post Fr. Z to Card. Cottier: Check your facts! (excellent)

I think this ignorance is shown here in the Cardinal' piece:
In addition, Obama recognizes the tragic seriousness of the problem. That the decision to abort “is a heart-wrenching decison for any woman”. The common ground that he is proposing is that we all work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortion. He adds that any legal regulation of the matter must guarantee in absolute fashion conscientious objection for health workers who do not want to engage in the practice of abortion. His words go in the direction of diminishing the evil. The government and the State must make every effort to ensure that the number of abortions is minimized. It is, of course, only a minimum, but a precious minimum. It reminds me of the attitude of the early Christian legislators who did not repeal the Roman laws tolerating practices that did not comply with or even went counter to natural law, such as concubinage and slavery. The change was arrived at by slow degrees, often marked by setbacks, as the number of Christians in the population increased and with them the impact of the sense of the dignity of the person. At first, to obtain the consent of citizens and preserve social peace, the so-called “imperfect laws” were left in force, which prevented persecution for acts and behavior contrary to natural law. Even St Thomas, who had no doubt that the law must be moral, added that the State should not make laws too severe and “lofty” because they would be despised by those incapable of applying them. The realism of the politician recognizes evil and calls it by its name. It recognizes that we must be humble and patient, fighting without the presumption of eradicating it from human history by means of legal coercion. It is the parable of the tares, which also applies at the political level. On the other hand, this does not become justification for cynicism and indifference to it. The effort to decrease evil as much as possible remains persistent. It is a duty.

First it is apparent that the Cardinal is not aware of the changes Obama has done on the Domestic and international front as to abortion policy. Also one gets a sense here that the concept of Federalism is unknown to the Cardinal. That is the main immediate objective of Pro-Life folks is too get Roe V Wade reversed which would send this back to the States. I suspect the Cardinal believes that such a action would outlaw abortion immediately. That is of course not true.

Further the Cardinal seems not to be aware that these slow incremental steps that have been taken the last 8 years have been swept away. In fact the approach the Cardinal is advocating is one that was pushed by the on of the main pro-life people in the Bush administration that being Hadley Arkes!!!

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing