Jonathan Spalink

Posts by Jonathan Spalink

June 29, 2005

Our slap-happy slide into techno-violence

Recent high-profile examples of the combination of violence and technology, such as “happy-slapping,” bring into sharp focus the need for moral judgment in the marketplace. The social nature of violence and sin mean that “no government, economy, family, or society can survive if a critical mass of citizens do not exercise a particular level of self-government and restraint.” Continue Reading...
June 22, 2005

It’s a wonderful retirement?

D. Eric Schansberg, an Acton adjunct scholar, takes a look at the Social Security system, and concludes that “policymakers should address the oppressive taxes that Social Security imposes on the working poor, its pathetic rate of return, and inequities in its payouts.” Continue Reading...
June 22, 2005

Business and virtue in Batman begins

Can the new Batman movie provide moral lessons on business ethics and philanthropy? Ben Sikma writes that the film affirms “the value of traditional institutions more generally, such as the family, rule of law, and private ownership of the means of production.” Continue Reading...
June 08, 2005

The culture’s animating values

A Dove Foundation report released this week shows a link between family-friendly movies and profitability. “One comes away from the Dove report with a sense that the movie industry is beginning to recognize a profit opportunity in producing more morally robust movies,” writes Rev. Continue Reading...
June 03, 2005

Asia’s war on poverty

Asia is home to about 2/3 of the world’s poorest people. Underdeveloped nations in Asia (the same is true elsewhere) struggle to maintain a foothold in an ever-globalizing world economy. An approach to helping solve some of these problems was explained in The Japan Times today. Continue Reading...
June 01, 2005

Fear of the European Union

With France voting NO for the ratification of the EU Constitution, a spotlight now follows the current voting on the same issue in the Netherlands. The world is expecting the Dutch to follow suit with the French, although not necessarily for all the same reasons. Continue Reading...
May 31, 2005

The blog renaissance

C.S. Lewis identifies the development of “the machine” as the most drastic change in both technology and philosophy in all of history (he pinpoints the machine age as generally beginning around the time of the Industrial Revolution). Continue Reading...