With COVID-19 ushering in a new era of social distancing, the idea of a mass demonstration seems as quaint as a delivery from the milkman. However, as recently as last month the memory of France’s gilet jaunes—the yellow-vested protesters who blocked French intersections over proposed fuel taxes—inspired Spanish farmers to block streets and wring ill-conceived concessions from the government. Continue Reading...
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March 20, 2020
€153M in coronavirus philanthropy helps plug Italy’s drained public coffers
Clearly, we are facing a disheartening situation here in Italy, where I study at one of Rome’s pontifical universities. It seems that every day brings more bad news, more regulations, and more uncertainty. Continue Reading...
March 19, 2020
How creative Christians should handle ‘dangerous wealth’
In exploring the intersection of Christianity and economics, we routinely see several tensions come into play, particularly between notions of generosity and personal profit. The key question is: How do we reconcile our calling to be both a selfless servant and a maker and multiplier? Continue Reading...
March 19, 2020
How to turn social distancing into love
The most ubiquitous phrase popularized by the coronavirus epidemic, “social distancing,” carries connotations of shunning or anti-social behavior. The isolation of the elderly particularly tugs at our heartstrings. The widely shared photo of 88-year-old Dorothy Campbell speaking through a nursing home’s window to her 89-year-old husband, Gene, poignantly depicts the deep-seated need for human contact amid the obstructions of anti-virus protocols. Continue Reading...
March 18, 2020
Just the facts about the coronavirus
Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has invited people around the world to take a sober approach to life and social relations. But it has also spread a potentially worse contagion throughout society: panic. Continue Reading...
March 18, 2020
Coronavirus and spontaneous order
As the COVID-19 pandemic affects more and more people across the globe, there are many duties that become plain to us as individuals, communities, and citizens. Many workplaces have innovated in response to these challenges, and churches have looked to the past for inspiration to bring hope to our present. Continue Reading...
March 18, 2020
The two most important principles to remember during a pandemic
Like everyone else, I’m trying to wrap my mind around the blizzard of information on the coronavirus pandemic and the sudden change in my daily routine. It’s all a bit surreal. Continue Reading...
March 18, 2020
Why the economy needs a theology of the body
This article first appeared on March 17, 2020, in Public Discourse, the journal of the Witherspoon Institute, and was republished with permission.
The COVID-19 pandemic is catalyzing trends in the economy that have been incubating for some time. Continue Reading...
March 18, 2020
Acton Line podcast: How Communist China’s virus coverup caused a pandemic
As of March 18, Coronavirus, or COVID-19 — which originated in Wuhan, China — has infected over 200,000 people and has killed more than 8,000 people globally. What responsive measures should have been taken by China that weren’t? Continue Reading...
March 18, 2020
Empty store shelves? Thank price controls
The COVID-19 pandemic panic has caused an eerie, post-apocalyptic scene to become commonplace across the country: supermarkets with barren shelves. One would think that this is the time for an intervention to ensure that stores stay stocked with the things we need, but governors nationwide are taking the opposite approach. Continue Reading...