Sounds like the government isn’t cutting spending, it is shifting spending because more people are on Medicaid.

That first sentence doesn’t make any sense. What are you trying to say?

These are examples of the “nearest, most local competent party available.” Part of that metric seems to be political will, which is a subset of competence.

I think the root of this is a misunderstanding of Subsidiarity. Problems should be solved by the nearest, most local competent party available. That means I don’t barge in and try to solve another family’s problems when they are capable of solving them theirselves. The federal government shouldn’t regulate signs in my residential neighborhood. Neither should the state. It should be the local government, my neighborhood association, of me making a decision for myself.

Nowhere in subsidiarity are we understood to be relieved from the moral obligation to be charitable. Yes, if your funds are limited, you direct them to the area of your greatest competence & the greatest need. Give a coat to your neighbor next door before you give a coat to someone across town … but if you have the funds for two coats, give them both.

I think the bottom line is if your heart is in loving your neighbor, you are going to get it right. If it isn’t, you’ll find something in the above as an excuse to not give a care about someone else.

I have my flaws. Thank you. But what about the topic we were discussing? Is that all you had to contribute?

I’ll be honest, as a traditional Catholic, I’d be fine with Crusaders getting the job done, but I am willing to defer to the Ottomans. Either way, the children running Hamas & Israel need to be put in their place.

I’m not aware of ever having done that. Why?

I’m friends with American Palestinians and American Jews and I’ll say that the support of each side for their government is irrationally strong. Hamas is legitimately popular on its own. And very few say Hamas should turn in their weapons and release the hostages and surrender even though that would end the war overnight. In this regard, I feel they are similar to Russians & Putin. It just isn’t rational. Hamas is causing harm to Palestinians.

My solution isn’t liked by either side. I say bring back the Ottoman Empire so both can be ruled by someone else. Neither can be trusted to respect the lives of the other without an even bigger entity above them both.

There were a few Palestinians protesting against Hamas a few months ago but Hamas killed them. That said, Hamas does have broad support in Gaza.