Posts by Rev. Ben Johnson
December 04, 2019
Christians who oppose government intervention are often accused of harboring indifference, or antipathy, for the poor. But an abundance of evidence from two continents shows that welfare state policies actually reduce the wealth of the poor and raise prices, while benefiting the upper-middle class and well-connected corporations at taxpayers’ expense. Continue Reading...
December 03, 2019
(Pope) John Paul, George, and Ringo on the harms of high taxes (video)
Every November 29, fans pause to remember George Harrison of The Beatles, who died in 2001. In addition to his sensitive lyrics, intricate melodies, and legendary chart-topping success Harrison should be remembered for another feat: He may have been the first singing supply-side economist. Continue Reading...
December 02, 2019
Enjoy your family Thanksgiving? Socialism would abolish it
If you enjoyed a hearty Thanksgiving meal last week with your family, you have a personal incentive to oppose socialism. Extreme egalitarians would like to ban these kinds of family celebrations – by abolishing the family. Continue Reading...
November 27, 2019
Do classical liberals ‘pave the way for white nationalists’?
Matthew Schmitz’s article “How classical liberals paved the way for white nationalists” in the Catholic Herald borrows a conceit from Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Both place two unrelated phenomena in their titles for dramatic effect. Continue Reading...
November 26, 2019
Samuel Gregg: Marco Rubio’s ‘soft corporatism won’t help workers’
Senator Marco Rubio, R-FL, touched off a debate about the values of capitalism with his remarks on “common-good capitalism” on November 5 at the Catholic University of America. Today, Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg offers his assessment at Law & Liberty, where he traces Rubio’s thought to one of the most influential political philosophies in postwar Western European history. Continue Reading...
November 25, 2019
Wealth inequality is a First World problem
As the West has become progressively more interventionist, concern with “income inequality” has been eclipsed by “wealth inequality.” However, that focus betrays a certain blindness to a vital economic reality.
Measures of equality and inequality tell us nothing about what really matters: a society’s prosperity or poverty. Continue Reading...
November 25, 2019
Hong Kong demands freedom in landslide election
The citizens of Hong Kong expanded their democratic revolution to the ballot box on Sunday, as pro-democracy parties won control of virtually every local government from pro-Beijing functionaries. Yesterday’s district council elections – the largest in history, with an estimated 71 percent of all registered voters (or 2.94 million of 4.13 million) participating – proved voters’ overwhelming support for the traditional rights enjoyed by the former British protectorate. Continue Reading...
November 22, 2019
Nibbling at Dylan Pahman’s Chick-fil-A argument
As though guided by an invisible hand Dylan Pahman and I – independently and without coordination – each posted an essay about Chick-fil-A’s philanthropic giving within minutes of one another, each with slightly different emphases. Continue Reading...
November 22, 2019
Fact check: 5 facts about the fifth Democratic debate of 2019
The Democratic Party narrowed the number of presidential hopefuls to 10 at the fifth debate, held Wednesday in Atlanta. Several of their statements deserve greater scrutiny.
1. Elizabeth Warren: Freeloading billionaires? Continue Reading...
November 20, 2019
Kanye West, Chick-fil-A, and the need for authenticity
One year ago, no one could have predicted that American Christians would hold Kanye West in higher esteem than Chick-fil-A. Yet the nation has seen two cultural transformations take place this week at the intersection of faith and commerce. Continue Reading...