I have written many times that free markets are for a free people, and that only a free people can sustain them. But slaves to sin cannot be a free people. And the only way to be liberated from slavery to sin is through the gospel that brings new life. Another problem is that when …
Puritanical
“We need to guard our lives against the love of riches and worldly cares. All love for earthly goods, however, is not a sin. Their sweetness is a drop of his love and they have his goodness imprinted on them. They kindle our love for him as love tokens from our dearest friend. Loving them …
And Then, Wham
As news comes in that China is starting to teeter, allow me to take a moment to remind everybody that there are two kinds of money. Given that miscreants are often put in charge of economies, the boundary between the two kinds of money is frequently murky, but it is important to note the two …
Not Compassion at All
You have a button in front of you, placed there by a helpful genie. But instead of giving you the standard three wishes (and why doesn’t anybody ever wish for ten wishes?), the genie has limited your options. If you push the button, the real income of all the “have-nots” in the world will double …
Just Call Me Old-Fashioned
This coming Thursday, Jim Wallis and Al Mohler will be debating the question of social justice and the mission of the church (HT: Justin Taylor). Click here for more. The question before the house will be this: “Is Social Justice an Essential Part of the Mission of the Church?” Wallis will be arguing the affirmative …
That Chokey Feeling
Apparently the office at the Vatican responsible for ushering in the millennium has suggested that we obtain for ourselves a central world bank, and has further intimated that various market idolatries are responsible for the economic mess we are in. One headline I saw suggested that the Vatican butt out of economics and go back …
Horse Leech Economics
The blood-sucking annelid is no fun at all. Parasitic nuisances, in biblical Palestine, they would fasten onto the nostrils and tongues of horses when they came to an infested pond to drink. The horse leech is therefore a fitting symbol for a particular kind of economic theory. “The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. …
On Feeling Sorry for Exxon
Here is a little datum that should cheer you right up (HT: Frank Turk). The thing that is revelatory about this, if you think about it right, is how far we have to go in shifting our paradigm on the nature of corporate greed. The debate ought not to be over whether there is such …
Jitney Dictators of Glorified Shantytowns
You may have heard about the kerfluffle related to Paul Ryan, budget cutter man, eating out with a couple of his friends at an upscale restaurant. He was espied by an inebriated leftie, who took him to task for the price of the bottles of wine they had (over three hundred clams a bottle), and …
A Greece Fire
The difference between secular conservatives and secular progressives is that the conservatives talk sense without a foundation, and the progressives talk nonsense without one. Take the truism that you cannot indefinitely spend money you don’t have. The secular conservatives believe that reality is not optional, but cannot give a thorough or consistent account of that …