Stephen Hicks

The further divorce of conservatism and free markets

The Financial Times has good coverage of the increasing rift between American conservatism and free-market capitalism. President Donald Trump is both a result of that rift and a furtherance of it. Many of the deep thinkers behind conservative politicians have long favored the rift. Russell Kirk, Irving Kristol, Robert Bork — who represent differing versions […]

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Lucro: bueno, malo y obsceno [Spanish translation]

[This is a Spanish translation of “Profits: Good, Bad, and Obscene,” originally published in English at EveryJoe.] A nadie le gusta perder dinero, pero el lucro genera actitudes polarizadas. Como ocurre con la mayoría de los fenómenos con carga moral—la competencia, la riqueza, la pobreza, la propiedad—lograr superar las discusiones confusas, requiere algunas distinciones sutiles. Acerquémonos

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The Pope’s softness on Cuba, Bolivia, and Venezuela

The Pope continues to be rather silent about the disaster in Venezuela. Why? Here a supporter of Pope offers his best gloss of the Pope’s underwhelming response to socialist-dictatorship Venezuela. Earlier the Pope had a nice visit to socialist Bolivia. And before that a gentle visit to communist-dictatorship Cuba. But Pope Francis does goes out

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Exult or gnash teeth at whistle-blower Chelsea Manning’s release?

Chelsea Manning is out of prison — but here are the whistle-blowing questions for both those exulting and those gnashing their teeth. “Whistleblowing and Government Secrets, Chelsea Manning edition.” “In his final days in office, President Obama commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning. While in the employ of the US Army, Manning had downloaded

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Forcing professors out, 1933 edition

Thomas Hager (p. 240) describes well the attitude of a majority of students and professors within the universities, when Hitler and and his Culture Minister demanded that all Jews be removed from their professorships: “German university students were, in general … devoted to making Germany great again. They were strongly pro-Nazi. Among faculty members, there

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Loving Money and Books – Which Is More Evil? [Good Life series]

I worked in construction for some years before returning to graduate school. My crew members were all hardworking guys, and an ethos of manly ruggedness prevailed among them. Beer was drunk. Pickup trucks were driven. Camping and fishing were practiced faithfully. I am, of course, no slouch in the manliness department. Let’s be clear about

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