Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Socialism

September 26, 2019

The sermons that sparked a socialist revolution

1917 was the year of socialist revolutions. In the United States, an abortive revolt took place in Oklahoma that August, fueled by revolutionaries twisting the Gospel. The “Green Corn Rebellion” took place August 2 and 3 in Seminole County, in the rural, central portion of the Sooner State. Continue Reading...
August 20, 2019

Understanding the words we use

Today, we face a prevalent problem when making arguments about trending topics. Words such as capitalism, socialism, conservative, liberal and other broad categorical terms all have a wide range of meanings and emotions attached to them. Continue Reading...
August 16, 2019

Before economics, human freedom: Learning from Venezuela’s collapse

The Venezuelan people continue to struggle and suffer under the weight of severe socialist policies, facing economic collapse, widespread poverty, and mass starvation. In response, socialism’s critics are quick to focus on the external features, noting how all of this could have been easily avoided with a basic respect for property rights, free exchange, free prices, and so on. Continue Reading...
July 26, 2019

Edmund Burke on true freedom

In the United States, a growing number of Americans, especially young Americans, are calling for extreme personal autonomy in the guise of “freedom,” while promoting increased government control and coercion. The left, for example, defends radical pro-abortion laws motivated by a desire for personal autonomy. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019

How ideologues devalue and dismiss economics

Economics is often dismissed as ideological, reductionist, and mendacious. In the United States we see these criticisms increasingly from both the political left and right. This should come as no surprise as the lessons of economics have implications for the prudential decisions that make up much of our political life. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019

A victory for socialism? The Israeli Kibbutz

While eating lunch at an Israeli Kibbutz last winter, I learned firsthand about what used to be a self-contained, socialist community. I was struck by the local guide’s positive view of socialism, believing it to produce strong communal life and economic prosperity. Continue Reading...