The Uselessness of Utility
In abandoning the “ought” in the name of science, economists abandoned the one principle that could make the discipline scientific.
The Economics of Abundance
Out of a natural abundance, we create an artificial scarcity. But modern economics preaches that to make a thing scarce is to make it valuable.
The Neoconservative Response Part II
Novak himself states that “neoliberal” would be a better epithet than “neoconservative,” as Liberalism describes the movement more accurately.
The Neoconservative Response
The neoconservatives have tapped a strain in Catholicism that has been present in one form or another since the Enlightenment.
Monarchy and the American Constitution
Love the idea of monarchy or hate it, we already have an imperial presidency.
A Real Catholic Monarchy
Monarchy is both the best and worst form of government; best when the king acts for the common good, and worst when he does not.
Why I Am a Monarchist
The announcement that one is a monarchist is greeted with the same regard as the announcement that one has joined the Flat-Earth Society.
Is America Ungovernable?
If you want to see the future of America, look at Europe of the 1920s and 30s.
Is Economics a Science?
Do we not have warrant for suspecting that economics is not a complete science and is unable to give us real information about the economy?
Building the Ownership Society
Building an ownership society involves the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, and the principle that justice is intrinsic to economic order.
Plutonomics, Citibank, and the Doom Cycle
Citibank uses a term to describe our economy which has never occurred to me, “plutonomy,” an economy run for the benefit of the rich.
Aristotle and Aquinas, Bank Regulators
Not too long ago, a Prominent Economist told me that Aristotle had nothing to teach us about modern finance. I beg to differ.
Taxes: Fair or Foul?
The great debate about taxes is this: should they be regressive, flat, or progressive?
Neo-Feudalism and the Invisible Fist
Calling it “neo-feudalism” is unfair, to feudalism. At its best, that was a system of mutual rights and obligations which ensured a decent standard for all.
Wendell Berry and the Great Economy
Berry points out that current economics have severed all connection with the real economy, which he calls “The Great Economy.”
Naïve Experts: Economists and the Real World
It is considered something of a rude question, nevertheless I think it fair to ask why 90% of all economists missed the coming of the current disaster.
Armani and the Angels
Armani seems to be winning the debate. “American Gothic” is replaced by “Armani Gothic.”
The Church and the Libertarian
There are many strains in libertarianism, but “Austro-libertarianism” is rather a latecomer to the libertarian tent, and hardly the whole of the movement.
Lethal Loyalties: Dulce et Decorum Est...
What if all that we “know” isn't so, is in fact a myth used to justify the nation-state and marginalize certain kinds of discourse?
Doing God's Work at Goldman
Nothing is quite as boring as reading about a banking crisis, unless it is reading about somebody else's banking crises.