Inequality

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.

Racial Accounting and the Galvanization of Group Rights in the U.S. – Not a Liberal Solution

To combat racial discrimination, government agencies in the U.S. keep a kind of accounting system based on race and ethnicity. Well-intentioned policies perpetuate divisions in society.

Why Intellectuals Don’t Like Capitalism

Anti-capitalism is widespread among both right-wing and left-wing intellectuals. Both are united by the belief that economic and social problems can be solved primarily through state action.

Racism: On the Bad and “Good” Kinds of Prejudicial Suspicion

For the guardians of political correctness, prejudicial suspicion is not bad in itself, so long as it is directed against the right groups. Moreover, the current hysteria about racism obscures the real problems—creating an obstacle for those who actually want to help.

The Bolivian Fairy Tale – The Illusory Success of “21st Century Socialism”

For years Bolivia was considered a successful example of the “Socialism of the 21st century”. An apparently booming economy blinded economists and politicians and obscured the view of a regime that was in reality authoritarian and corrupt.

Freedom or Equality? “Social Justice” Is Not a Demand of Classical Liberalism

Historically as inequality dissipates the inequalities that remain become intolerable for many. Freedom then becomes seen as an enemy to greater equality. The modern welfare state seeks to establish equality through redistribution, but leaves people dependent and demoralized by their caregivers.

The Rich – A Personally Unknown and Hated Minority

The Germans and the French are more likely than the English or Americans to envy rich people for their wealth. Moreover, social envy nurtures a scapegoat mentality and anti-capitalist thinking. This is confirmed by a recent study.

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

Inequality is Shrinking: Branko Milanović Disagrees with Oxfam

Every year the Oxfam report makes sensational headlines. The tenor: global inequality is increasing. 26 billionaires would own as much as the 3.8 billion poorest people in the world. Leading inequality specialist Branko Milanović unmasks Oxfam’s alarmism as misleading.

Market Capitalism and Christian Social Ethics: A Contradiction?

Capitalism and free markets are widely considered to be incompatible with Christian social ethics. At a closer look, however, market capitalism turns out to be the economic order most consistent with the basic principles of Christian ethics.