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September 19, 2005

Bigger is not always better

Government is the only arena in which I can readily see that incompetence and failure, often of the staggeringly ignominious variety, is “punished” with an increase of funding and influence. Many others have observed this phenomena, perhaps most pervasive in the public education system. Continue Reading...
September 16, 2005

Five marks of a Catholic school

Deal W. Hudson of the Morley Institute reports on an address by a Vatican official. The story is also reported here: Vatican Official Explains What Makes a School Catholic His name is one you should know. Continue Reading...
September 15, 2005

Katrina: A chance to escape the welfare trap?

The Wall Street Journal editorializes today that President Bush has a chance to encourage a more free-market oriented approach to rebuilding the gulf coast: Instead of channeling more cash through the same failed bureaucracies, he should declare the entire Gulf Coast region an enterprise zone, with low tax rates for new investments and waivers for any regulatory obstacles to rebuilding. Continue Reading...
September 15, 2005

State of nature redux

I’ve finally had a chance to respond to this piece on Tech Central Station, “The State of Nature in New Orleans: What Hobbes Didn’t Know” (Tech Central Station no longer active). Continue Reading...
September 15, 2005

Natural law and targeting whirlybirds

Psychiatrist and author Theodore Dalrymple has published a brilliant essay in the National Review highlighting the importance of the rule of law. He takes as a case study the looting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina: “New Orleans shows us in the starkest possible way the reality of the thin blue line that protects us from barbarism and mob rule,” writes Dalrymple. Continue Reading...
September 14, 2005

The welfare trap

In Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, Brendon Miniter notes that many of those stranded in New Orleans after the levee breaches were literally caught in a trap set by government “assistance”: We still only have anecdotal evidence to go on, and we can be hopeful as the death toll remains far below the thousands originally predicted. Continue Reading...
September 14, 2005

Low Marx for poor memory

Samuel Gregg writes on a recent BBC Radio listeners poll that ranked Karl Marx as the greatest philosopher in history. Gregg reflects on the evils and atrocities that are committed by the political heirs of Marx’ philosophy while commenting that the materialist view of Communism removes any possibility of fulfilling the two greatest commandments; loving God and loving our neighbors. Continue Reading...
September 14, 2005

The mandate to work

Check out this editorial from the current issue of Christianity Today, “Neighbor Love Inc.” The editorial focuses on the importance of work and labor in the Christian life: “Business for the Christian is a form of neighbor-love, a way to fulfill the second Great Commandment.” Continue Reading...
September 13, 2005

Top Catholic high schools

The Acton Institute’s Catholic High School Honor Roll has released its annual list of the Top 50 Catholic High Schools in the United States. About half are repeat winners and half are new honorees. Continue Reading...