Religion and politics

Global Demography, Fiscal Collapse, Government Spending and Debt

AUSTRIAN ACADEMY 2023: Demographic changes and increasing public sector over-indebtedness are making the welfare state increasingly unfinanceable. Can such fiscal overstretch be sustainable? A stocktaking from a British perspective.

Socially Unjust Inflation: Why Recessions Are Inevitable and Salutary

Inflation is profoundly socially unjust. Its causes lie above all in an expansionary monetary policy, and this must be stopped. If policymakers want to prevent the inevitable recession that will follow, they will only make the problems worse.

Do We Need a ‘Great Reset’, or More Capitalism?

For many, capitalism needs to be reinvented. And yet it proved to be robust, innovative and enormously successful, especially during the pandemic. Thus, the idea of a “Great Reset” merely serves familiar anti-capitalist prejudices.

Genocide in Ukraine? A Western-Oriented Nation’s Fear of Extinction

An overview of Ukrainian history shows why the fight against the Russian aggressor is a matter of either supporting or not supporting the continued existence of Ukraine. The accusation that this is a form of genocide seems justified in this light.

Freedom to Choose: A Cure for Illiberal Education

Attempting neutrality in public education ends up creating a systemic preference for a particular ethical standpoint. This creates a tension between public schools and the principle of liberal neutrality. This tension can be resolved without abandoning government-financed education through policies that are both popular and effective.

The Universal Destination of Goods and Private Property: Is the right to private property only a “second-tier” natural right?

Did the rich get rich by robbing the poor? Theology and Catholic social teaching have long known that wealth generation is not a zero-sum game, but a process from which everyone benefits.

The (Classical) Liberal Is No Relativist but Instead Grapples with the Truth

Today, anyone who claims that all opinions are of equal value is considered tolerant. Liberals therefore often define themselves as relativists and skeptics. But this is a big misunderstanding.

Has Liberalism Failed? A Response to Patrick Deneen (Short Version)

Has liberalism become a victim of its own success? A short version of the review and critique of Patrick Deneen’s book “Why Liberalism Failed.”

Fury vs. Freedom: The New Left-Right Conflict

Today, social debates are ignited from the political margins. When democracy is in crisis and social cohesion is crumbling, it is time for intellectuals to focus on the essentials. What is needed is an anti-totalitarian self-enlightenment from the political center.

Is the Pope Calling for a Universal Basic Income?

Pope Francis never called for a “universal basic income” as a new socio-political model. He asked for financial assistance for those on the margins who have been harmed by the quarantine. Even so, the idea of a “basic income” is only feasible, if at all, in a country with strong protection of property rights and a market economy.

Capitalism is Good for the Poor – and for the Environment

The wealth-creating dynamic of capitalism remains widely misunderstood. Few know that it is also the solution to our environmental problems. The imbalance of capitalism today, on the other hand, is caused by politics.

The Entrepreneur’s Responsibility Is to Succeed as an Entrepreneur

From a “man of the church” one usually expects (besides friendly praise for the work of the entrepreneur) the admonition that entrepreneurs should not merely strive for profit, but always