Ignorance combined with mal-education is a powerful weapon for the hearts and minds of the young.
Confused by Important Terms
Communism and Empty Souls
There is a seeming contradiction in our culture between some of the highest living standards the world has ever seen (including the poor) and the relatively high level of dissatisfaction with the economic system that got us here: Capitalism. I think there is much to ponder here. Doubtless a lot of young people have simply... Continue Reading →
Work is Neighbor Love
Amidst the relief packages flying around, both passed and proposed, there is the hope that infusions of cash from the government to individuals and businesses will help keep the economy afloat during the Coronavirus pandemic. This post is not designed to debate the relative virtues of one-time shots-in-the-arm for individuals or businesses, bailouts for states,... Continue Reading →
She Got Everything Wrong: Work is Better than Checks
In the throes of the Cornonavirus shutdowns, some harsh economic and psychological realities are coming clear to some. For others, it is an opportunity for a new normal, forced on citizens by a group of self-proclaimed enlightened political progressives. Giant bail-outs, government enforced rising unemployment, and ticketing citizens for going to church, are, for some,... Continue Reading →
Good Work Done by People of Virtue
It is no secret that we hear calls for “socialism” more and more often. Many people, especially the younger among us, and especially in the middle of an election year, tout this thing as a kind of panacea to our economic ills. There is inequality, it is said, so the solution is socialism. Some people... Continue Reading →
An Introduction to Wilhelm Röpke
“We need a combination of supreme moral sensitivity and economic knowledge. Economically ignorant moralism is as objectionable as morally callous economism.” Wilhelm Röpke, A Humane Economy Wilhelm Röpke (1899-1966) deserves a shot at the title: “The Most Influential Economist You Never Heard Of.” A citizen of Germany and decorated veteran of World War I, he... Continue Reading →
Capitalism, Greed and Self-Interest
It is not at all uncommon to hear modern critiques of capitalism citing “greed” as the root problem. Capitalism is sometimes defined as greed. Often it is said that capitalism cannot work without greed. In the movie Wall Street, the character Gordon Gekko pontificates, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is... Continue Reading →
Socialism Mis-Defined
Our culture is wrestling with some big-picture economic questions. As polls show us, we are in a fairly precipitous slide toward the acceptance of socialism as a kind of universal panacea for culture’s ills. Having spent the first four years of my University education in economics, I am usually baffled by the general popularity of... Continue Reading →
Defining Capitalism
In the first essay in Counting the Cost, Michael Novak updates a few of his thoughts from The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism and provides a fertile place to begin when thinking about Christianity theology and capitalism. The free market is much maligned these days. Is there anything to say about it that accords with sound Christian... Continue Reading →
My Economics Project: Introduction
I’m growing concerned about a trend in our culture that, on the face of it, may seem like just a change in economic values. That it is, but it is also a trend in a moral and spiritual direction. It may strike many as a non sequitur to see an economic belief as a moral... Continue Reading →
Every Thought Captive 