Religion & Liberty Online Archives

International Affairs

June 06, 2019

Jordan Ballor: The price of D-Day and the Prince of Peace

In a radio address broadcast 75 years ago today, Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Almighty God to lead the United States “with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men, and a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.” Continue Reading...
June 06, 2019

Psalms in war time

As part of reflecting on the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day, I write about “The D-Day price and the Prince of Peace” over at Acton’s Transatlantic channel. The Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper invoked Psalm 88:15 in his essay on the outbreak of World War I, “Your terrors,” (translated by Harry Van Dyke). Continue Reading...
June 04, 2019

The European left and immigration

Danish elections are usually not high on the list of must-watch political contests but the forthcoming election on June 5 is one that I think worth watching. As this Guardian article illustrates, it is distinguished by the fact that the Danish Social Democrats—the main center-left party in Denmark—have revisited and substantially changed their approach to immigration. Continue Reading...
June 04, 2019

How ‘conservatives’ became the war party

  The only thing that can overcome the stupidity of modern-day progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the 24 people contending for the 2020 presidential nomination of the Democratic Party is an understanding of the price—and the consequences — of the policies that they preach. Continue Reading...
June 04, 2019

A new Member of European Parliament exposes Europe’s self-doubt

Last week’s elections for European Parliament swept a bountiful harvest of Euroskeptic thorns into the EU’s side. Among them are the Sweden Democrats; Trey Dimsdale has interviewed successful SD candidate Charlie Weimers for the Acton Line podcast, and Weimers contributes a book review of Kasja Norman’s stirring book Sweden’s Dark Soul: The Unraveling of a Utopia to Acton’s transatlantic website. Continue Reading...
May 31, 2019

Europe’s dream

Last week, EU voters went to the polls in the latest round of the project of pan-European governance, another step on the supposed road to further unity and prosperity. The results were varied and at odds with one another, and the only constant seems to be dissatisfaction with the status quo. Continue Reading...
May 31, 2019

The tax that closed 3,600 doctors’ offices

A UK tax policy intended to soak the rich has caused highly specialized physicians and surgeons to retire early, depriving more than a million citizens of their services. A new report details the extent to which progressive taxation has harmed British patients. Continue Reading...
May 31, 2019

Labour pains: The far-Left’s anti-Semitism problem

This week, a UK government office launched an investigation into the Labour Party over charges the party “unlawfully discriminated against, harassed, or victimised people because they are Jewish.” Allegations of anti-Semitism are nothing new against the Labour Party (which, ironically, founded the investigating body, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a dozen years ago), but the charges – and their lack of resolution – reveal two important truths about socialism. Continue Reading...
May 30, 2019

Alejandro Chafuen in Forbes: European elections

Alejandro Chafuen, Acton’s Managing Director, International, comments in Forbes today on the results of the European Parliament elections that concluded this past Sunday. Many European countries showed gains for nationalist, Euroskeptic and environmentalist parties at the expense of more traditional centrist groups and of socialist parties. Continue Reading...
May 29, 2019

Bernie Sanders’ socialist utopia crumbles

When asked to name a successful example of democratic socialism, one nation always rises to the top of the list: Denmark. However, a Reuters news story shows that the socialists’ model nation is providing fewer and fewer services to citizens despite its hefty tax bill. Continue Reading...