Rand Paul Sides With Catholics (And Freedom)

Here's the intro. of an excellent article by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, appearing in National Review:

In his 1991 encyclical Centesimus Annus, Pope John Paul II delivered a scathing critique of socialism, declaring that “the fundamental error of socialism is anthropological in nature. Socialism considers the individual person simply as an element, a molecule within the social organism, so that the good of the individual is completely subordinated. . . . Socialism likewise maintains that the good of the individual can be realized without reference to his free choice, to the unique and exclusive responsibility which he exercises in the face of good or evil.”

Pope John Paul II’s indictment of socialism is illustrated in the Obama administration’s recent edict requiring nearly all employers — including Catholic hospitals, schools, and charities — to cover sterilizations and contraception in their employees’ health-care plans. Because “contraception” includes abortifacients, this decision — made under the powers granted to the executive branch under Obamacare — also threatens many Protestant employers.

With young, savvy legislators like Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, and not to mention stellar governors like Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal and of course, Scott Walker, the future of conservatism looks brighter than ever. (At the same time, it's too bad that none of these politicos are running for the presidency. Quite simply, they outshine the GOP candidates in every category. Here's to a VP slot.)