Hernando de Soto

September 02, 2019

Letter from Rome: Amazonian myths, civilizational despair

We should be skeptical of conspiracy theories, mainly because they assume too much skill and intelligence from conspirators. Experience tells us ignorance and incompetence are much more common among those holding power and influence. Continue Reading...

April 11, 2017

Why the rule of law matters for human flourishing

In our efforts to reduce poverty, spur economic growth, and cultivate the conditions for human flourishing, the conversation can quickly be consumed with debates over material wealth and the allocation of physical resources. Continue Reading...

October 07, 2015

In the Quest for Globalization, Let’s Not Forget About ‘Internal’ Free Trade

“Globalization must do more than connect elites and big businesses that have the legal means to expand their markets, create capital, and increase their wealth.” –Hernando de Soto When assessing the causes of the recent boom in global prosperity, economists and analysts will point much of their praise to the power of free trade and globalization, and rightly so. Continue Reading...

March 05, 2015

Hernando de Soto: Property Rights, Not Just Capitalism

The work of Hernando de Soto has been followed closely for years at Acton and more recently at PovertyCure. See the 2001 interview “The Poor are the Solution, Not the Problem” in Religion & Liberty and a short film clip of de Soto talking about property rights and rule of law at PovertyCure. Continue Reading...

October 13, 2014

Can Capitalism Cure Terrorism?

The Middle East is enduring yet another wave of terror and political change, spurring countless Western analysts and elites to offer their preferred strategies and solutions, most of which involve military force, foreign aid, or some mixture of the two. Continue Reading...

June 25, 2014

A Cultural Case for Capitalism: 9 of 12 — Berry vs. Salatin

[Part 1 is here.] Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning, details how the growth of government-corporate cronyism during the past 120 or so years has been largely a phenomenon of the socialist left. Continue Reading...

October 03, 2013

Property Rights, Rule of Law, and the Spark of the ‘Arab Spring’

Conversations about economic development often gravitate toward such topics as monetary policy, trade regulation, tax structures, infrastructure, etc. These are critical pieces of the puzzle indeed, but there exist even more primary components of prosperity that are often skipped over. Continue Reading...

June 30, 2011

Defending Free Markets and Private Property

Earlier this week on the Acton Institute Facebook page, Rev. Sirico’s archived article “What is Capitalism?” was posted and sparked a lively discussion between two people (click here to see our Facebook page and the discussion). Continue Reading...

April 12, 2011

Water is not a human right

It sounds draconian and contrary to the beliefs of many humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations which declared water as a basic human right in 2010. However, if we expect to take the correct steps forward to solve the global water crisis, then water must be treated as a commodity not a basic human right. Continue Reading...