Today on Kresta - May 5, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on May 5

3:00 – Soft Despotism. Democracy’s Drift
In 1989, the Cold War abruptly ended and it seemed as if the world was at last safe for democracy. But a spirit of uneasiness, discontent, and world-weariness soon arose and has persisted in Europe, in America, and elsewhere for two decades. To discern the meaning of this malaise we must investigate the nature of liberal democracy, says Paul Rahe, and he joins us to do so. He argues that many early political thinkers anticipated the modern liberal republic's propensity to drift in the direction of “soft despotism”—a condition that arises within a democracy when paternalistic state power expands and gradually undermines the spirit of self-government. Such an eventuality, feared by Tocqueville in the nineteenth century, has now become a reality throughout the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. So Rahe asserts, and he explains what must be done to reverse this unfortunate trend.

4:00 – New Survey Shows U.S. Religious Giving to Developing Countries at $8.6 Billion
A national survey of U.S. religious giving from congregations of all denominations to the developing world, combined with other data, found that religious congregations gave $8.6 billion to the developing world in 2007. The Index is the sole comprehensive guide to the sources and magnitude of private philanthropy from U.S. foundations, corporations, private and voluntary organizations, volunteers, colleges and universities, and religious congregations to the developing world. This year’s Index finds that these sources contributed a total of $36.9 billion in 2007, over one and one-half times U.S. government aid for the same period. We look at the significance of such numbers with Carol Adelman of the Hudson Institute.

4:20 – Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan
Horse Soldiers is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. Outnumbered forty to one, they pursued the enemy across mountainous terrain and, after a series of intense battles, captured the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, which was strategically essential if they were to defeat the Taliban. The bone-weary American soldiers were welcomed as liberators, and overjoyed Afghans thronged the streets. Then the action took a wholly unexpected turn. During a surrender of six hundred Taliban troops, the Horse Soldiers were ambushed. At risk were the military gains of the entire campaign: if the soldiers perished or were captured, the effort to defeat the Taliban might be doomed. Until now, the full story of the Horse Soldiers has never been told. Doug Stanton is with us in studio.

5:00 – Kresta Comments

5:20 – Exorcism and the Church Militant
Exorcism is a part of the Catholic Church that is still very little known, but very real nonetheless. Fr. Tom Euteneuer has faced the devil, and that the devil is real and walks among us. "The manifestation of demons can be very frightening, but you never have to be afraid of the devil because we always have the power of Christ to deal with him," he said. Fr. Euteneuer is an exorcist and says his work will be increasing after Pope Benedict XVI recently announced his intention to greatly expand the practice of exorcism, in a matter the world hasn't seen in centuries. Fr. Euteneuer is with us to look at Exorcism and the Church Militant.