Biorseth then reconsiders "whether Marxism and its utopian ideal is predominantly evil, or predominantly stupid." He discusses his realization "that anarchy is, in fact, the state of Marx’s Communism. It is a stateless, classless, government-less, law-less, hierarchy-less, private-property-less, authority-less collectivist socio-economic order, based on the commune and communal living. The difference between an anarchist and a would-be Communist is that the anarchist wants the state of Communism right now, and the would-be Communist wants to move through stages of Socialism to eventually arrive at Communism."
Sadly, Biorseth's claim that Day's movement has descended into militant feminism and other errors is true. CW houses have had public "Masses" celebrated by women "priests," and the CW is also "gay-friendly" in its newspaper articles and membership. "Ecumenical" for the CW includes houses that are Mennonite, Anglican, non-sectarian, interfaith, and even "queer." The last designation is for the CW Radish House, in Toronto, Canada, which states it "is committed to acts of resistance against oppression. We specifically engage with trans[gender] and queer communities and discern the ways in which all forms of oppression intersect and affect those who are most marginalized within our churches and our communities" (http://dorothydayworker.blogspot.com/2014/01/by-their-fruits-you-will-know-them.html).
What does the left need another saint for? They already have Obama.
I remind my Catholic friends not to hold their breath for miracles attributed to her any time soon.
1)Many "palaeoconservative" Catholics are big fans of Day, since they regard capitalism itself as modernist and left wing, and yearn for a return to pre-capitalist feudalism. Supposedly, capitalism made Communism possible. And to an extent, this is probably true.
2)I simply don't get the connection between the Left, especially the contemporary Left, and anarchism. If they are so anarchist, so opposed to authority, why are they constantly passing new laws and creating new offices? If they truly want to abolish the state and authority there is a very simple way to do it: declare all laws repealed and the government dis-established. But no left winger ever suggests this. Instead they just want more laws, more laws, more laws, and an ever more powerful and authoritarian and centralized state. I'm sorry, but I simply don't see any anarchy anywhere in any of this.
3)As I have said so many times before, these "poor" people the Left claims to adore must be very strange people. They're certainly not like me (a poor person) or any of the poor people I have ever known (which includes just about all my relatives). Exactly where does one find "poor people" who are egg-headed elitist nineteenth century materialist philosophers? If any of these lefties had moved in with any of my poor ancestors they'd have taught them about G-d and the Bible, not that all reality reduces to matter in motion and all human thought to brain chemistry.
4)So, Day was one of those rare lefties (like Mao and Pol Pot) who think country folks are better than city folks, huh? Better tell that to the urban elite left in this country or to the many rural conservatives who associate leftism and Communism with the inherent corruption of cities.
5)I'm going to say something that's really going to surprise whoever (if anyone) is reading this: the author's view of capitalism is far too utopian. Not all people are poor because they're too "proud" to work. Many are poor because for whatever reason they are not able to work and have to depend either on the extended family or (barring this) some level of government just to survive. This is the one big crack in capitalism, and pre-capitalist conservatives used to understand this.
Well . . . that's all I can think of for now.
Day is a pet cause of Dolan.
She's up for sainthood?
I’ve seen Day lauded here on FR.
Beats me why.
Dolan practically starts drooling when talking about communist Dorothy Day.
I always get her confused with Doris Day. I don’t know why.