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Exactly. Most of the country's takeaway was "sexy girlfriend" and "high school dropout". And then something else came along. I don't see his actions changing anything except how a few world leaders feel about us.
The Pope could conceivably change the relationship of the Vatican to the Church it supposedly works for.
And Edie Windsor has already caused the moment whereby the Supreme Court upheld marriage equality. She is the one who had the most influence this year. Unless you count Ted Cruz, another candidate, demonstrating what a train wreck the Tea Party is trying to cause.
And really, the internet was voting for Miley Cyrus. The internet is a ass.
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"Edward Snowden came in second place for TIME's Person of the Year, losing the top spot to Pope Francis, editors announced Wednesday morning."
I still think it should have been Snowden. Maybe Francis after he's been around for a while. Snowden's impact is already known.
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What impact, exactly? Endless congressional hearings which will lead to exactly nothing?
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The most significant security leak in US history and one that may hopefully save us from further erosion of constitutional rights to privacy and against illegal search and seizure, and put some power back with the people and away from the out of control executive branch and the intelligence services it controls.
Pre-Snowden people had no idea what the reaches of the NSA and other agencies were. We knew about the Patriot Act but that's like Captain Kangaroo compared with what was actually going on.
Snowden will probably never be able to set foot in the US again but he decided it was worth the cost to expose this truth to the American people, and I for one am very glad that he did.
I'd be interested to know who at TIME thought Francis was more significant, and why, or whether they didn't want the political pressure price that choosing Snowden would bring.
Not something that matters to a whole lot of people, but at the same time, an interesting choice by some pretty high profile media people.
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$tevie wrote:
Exactly. Most of the country's takeaway was "sexy girlfriend" and "high school dropout". And then something else came along. I don't see his actions changing anything except how a few world leaders feel about us.
The Pope could conceivably change the relationship of the Vatican to the Church it supposedly works for.
And Edie Windsor has already caused the moment whereby the Supreme Court upheld marriage equality. She is the one who had the most influence this year. Unless you count Ted Cruz, another candidate, demonstrating what a train wreck the Tea Party is trying to cause.
And really, the internet was voting for Miley Cyrus. The internet is a ass.
No single Pope, no matter how long lived, has the ability to reshape the (currently righ-wing reactionary) College of Cardinals. Public Papal pronouncements are mere suggestions for them, they see them implemented when they agree, not when they don't.
The last two popes skewed the College as badly as the previous President and his father predecessor skewed our Supreme Court. Unless Frank can maneuver a like minded successor into place, any shift in church doctrine or practice will die with him.
Anyone remember the euphoria that accompanied the elevation of John Paul XXIII? He wasn't called the place keeper for nothing, he was 77 when anointed - same age as Frankie. Should Francisco live to reign twice the time of JPXXIII, it won't come near to the time it would take to turn this iceberg that they call the Church.
Arch conservative Catholics and their allied clergy have little to fear from this Pope. On the bright side, any of you (even Pops*) has a better chance of seeing Heaven than the majority of Cardinals - past or present.
*
Man will he be surprised.
