Following my previous posts, two interesting questions can be asked theoretically. First, what would happen if politicians from a Catholic country were to run the government of a Protestant country (say, Portuguese politicians running the US government) ? Second, and what about politicians from a Protestant country running the government of a Catholic country (say, American politicians running the Portuguese government)?
I start with the first question. The Catholic politicians would be perceived by the Protestant population as a double threat. On the one hand, the government would try to impose an orthodoxy of thought on the Protestant people which would be regarded by them as an intolerable interference with their traditional freedom of thought. On the other hand, the Catholic government would be soft on law enforcement, which would turn the Protestant society into a society of criminals, leading directly to its destruction.
A Catholic government in a Protestant society is not a good prospect. In a democratic environment, it is clear that such government would not be re-elected. Most likely some of its members would be murdered while in office. (This might explain why the Kennedy family has been the target of political assassinations in the US; it is also a warning to Portuguese politicians of never dreaming to run the US government, or any other Protestant country government).
Let me now consider the case of Protestant politicians running the government of a Catholic country. Such government would be disliked for two reasons. First, since the government would not try to tell the people what to do - that is, it would not try to impose an orthodoxy - it would be regarded by the population as not governing the country at all, because Catholic people expect the government to tell them what to think and what to do; at the same time, while allowing freedom of speech, the government would be opening the way to the country's own destruction. Second, since the Protestant government would enforce laws strictly, it would be seen by the Catholic people as interfering in an intolerable manner with their traditional freedom of action. (This scenario approaches the situation in Portugal today, as many government measures are imported from the EU where Protestant countries are dominant).
It is rather unlikely that any politician of the Protestant government would be murdered by the Catholic population during his mandate. But this government would surely lose the next general election.
I start with the first question. The Catholic politicians would be perceived by the Protestant population as a double threat. On the one hand, the government would try to impose an orthodoxy of thought on the Protestant people which would be regarded by them as an intolerable interference with their traditional freedom of thought. On the other hand, the Catholic government would be soft on law enforcement, which would turn the Protestant society into a society of criminals, leading directly to its destruction.
A Catholic government in a Protestant society is not a good prospect. In a democratic environment, it is clear that such government would not be re-elected. Most likely some of its members would be murdered while in office. (This might explain why the Kennedy family has been the target of political assassinations in the US; it is also a warning to Portuguese politicians of never dreaming to run the US government, or any other Protestant country government).
Let me now consider the case of Protestant politicians running the government of a Catholic country. Such government would be disliked for two reasons. First, since the government would not try to tell the people what to do - that is, it would not try to impose an orthodoxy - it would be regarded by the population as not governing the country at all, because Catholic people expect the government to tell them what to think and what to do; at the same time, while allowing freedom of speech, the government would be opening the way to the country's own destruction. Second, since the Protestant government would enforce laws strictly, it would be seen by the Catholic people as interfering in an intolerable manner with their traditional freedom of action. (This scenario approaches the situation in Portugal today, as many government measures are imported from the EU where Protestant countries are dominant).
It is rather unlikely that any politician of the Protestant government would be murdered by the Catholic population during his mandate. But this government would surely lose the next general election.
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