Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Public Policy

February 07, 2008

Economists are people too

In any period of economic transition there are upheavals at various levels, and winners and losers (at least in the short term). We live in just such an age today in North America, as we move from an industrial to a post-industrial information and service economy, from isolationism to increased globalization. Continue Reading...
February 05, 2008

Global warming consensus alert: New, shocking data!

It’s been a while since we’ve had a GWCW update, so here are links to a couple of articles I just ran across at Watts Up With That: RSS Satellite data for Jan08: 2nd coldest January for the planet in 15 years Arctic sea ice back to its previous level, bears safe; film at 11 That second post is especially interesting considering the breathless media reports about endangered polar bears in danger of drowning as the ice melts from under their feet last year. Continue Reading...
February 05, 2008

‘Casino capitalism’ or personal failure?

Two weeks ago, French bank Société Générale announced that off-balance sheet speculation by a single “rogue trader” had cost the company 4.9 billion Euros ($7.2 billion). The scandal had enormous repercussions in international markets leading some commentators to decry the rotten nature of global “casino” capitalism and to call for the reversal of financial liberalization. Continue Reading...
February 04, 2008

Campaigning for state involvement in education

I came across a troubling essay in this month’s issue of Grand Rapids Family Magazine. In her “Taking Notes” column, Associate Publisher/Editor Carole Valade takes up the question of “family values” in the context of the primary campaign season. Continue Reading...
February 01, 2008

Colorado Catholic Charities controversy III

An update on the battle between Archbishop Chaput and the Colorado legislature over an ostensibly anti-discrimination bill that in fact infringes on religious liberty. (Acton’s Joseph Kosten ably defined the argument in this week’s commentary; I initially raised it here.) Continue Reading...
January 31, 2008

Ethical employment

What do you look for when you are searching for a job? A growth industry? A healthy bottom-line? A positive corporate culture? Some combination of the above? Fortune magazine recently rated the “Top 100 Places to Work.” Continue Reading...
January 31, 2008

Acton on religious liberty and Huckabee’s economics

Two new Acton commentaries this week: In “Religious Liberty and Anti-Discrimination Laws,” Joseph Kosten looks at recent controversies in Colorado and Missouri involving Roman Catholic institutions. Without the liberty to decide who represents its views and who disperses its message to the public, a religious institution or organization lays bare its most vulnerable aspect and welcomes destruction from within. Continue Reading...
January 29, 2008

CFR debate: Free trade or fair trade?

The Council on Foreign Relations is hosting an online debate (in blog form!): “Policy for the Next President: Fair Trade or Free Trade” (HT). From the introduction: “Jonathan Jacoby, associate director of international economic policy at the Center for American Progress and Robert Lane Greene, an international correspondent for the Economist, debate the shape of trade policy for the next U.S. Continue Reading...
January 28, 2008

PowerBlogging the State of the Union

I’ll be watching President Bush’s final State of the Union speech tonight and PowerBlog readers are invited to react and respond in the comments section below. I’ll be updating this post throughout the night (below the break) for those of you interested in the (running) commentary. Continue Reading...