A French media outlet has captured an otherwise ment from French President Emmanuel Macron that Africa is overpopulated. When asked about a possible “Marshall Plan for Africa,” Macron listed among the continent’s current problems the need for “demographic transition,” lamenting the fact that some African “countries still haveseven to eight children per woman.” His concerns seem particularly worth examining today on World Population Day. During a July 8 press conference about the G20 summit, Macron began by naming truly concerning...

Is every aspect of Christian life valuable to God? Many, if not all Christians would confidently respond “Yes, of course! Everything we do should be done for the glory of God.” While this response is natural pletely true, its message seems to lose meaning when Christians enter the workplace. Scott Rae, professor of the philosophy of religion and ethics at Biola University, addressed this topic in his recent Acton University lecture, “Theology of Work.” He emphasized that Christians often make...

As Donald Trump stood alongside Emmanuel Macron at a parade on Friday, memorated more thanBastille Day. The presidents of the U.S. and France burst into applause as a marching band paid tribute to the 86victims of last July 14th’sNice terrorist attack. The ever-growing string of terrorist “incidents” gained momentum with the murders at a Jewish school in Toulouse in 2012. But the situation, which one Israeli official dubbed the “European intifada,” broke into public consciousness following the 2015Charlie Hebdoattack. A...

One hundred years ago, the man Winston Churchill dubbed a “plague bacillus” journeyed back from his exile in Europe to eventually seize the reins of power in his native Russia. Vladimir Lenin’s itinerary could not have been more fraught with peril and subterfuge, which makes it an ideal framing story for a recap of the rise of 20th century totalitarianism. The result was millions suffering and millions more murdered, tortured or starved to death by Lenin’s – and, later, Stalin’s...

Note: This is the post #24 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere. Cabinet position:EPA Administrator Department:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Current Administrator:Scott Pruitt Department Mission:The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA’s purpose is to ensure that: all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work;national efforts to reduce environmental...

In an age where chaos and cronyism seem to be the defining characteristics of our politics, and where the political system is increasingly decried as being “rigged” by populists from both the left and right, the time seems ripe for a renewed focus on political constraints. When such concerns arise, we are quick to point back to the U.S. Constitution, and rightly so. Yet economist Peter Boettke sees another guide that can also offer some value. For Boetkke, our politics...

“The case of 11-month-old Charlie Gard continues to garner international attention and pleas for his life from Donald Trump and Pope Francis,” says Anne Rathbone Bradley in this week’s Acton Commentary. “Cases like Charlie’s, while exceptional and rare, are important because they establish precedents regarding the relationship between the individual and the state.” When we think about it in this way, Great Ormond Street Hospital – which has been the target of much criticism – is actually almost an incidental...

For many of us, what is heroic about Spider-Man is not his ability to do “whatever a spider can,” but rather his effortless inclination to do what is good. But what makes Spider-Man good? In his book Leisure: The Basis of Culture, Josef Pieper argues against the notion that “Hard work is what is good.” He says that this phrase, although seemingly harmless, has dangerous implications. It implies that the amount of effort something takes directly corresponds to how good...

, their budget reconciliation proposal to repeal-and-replace the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Here is a summary of the changes being proposed: • Eliminates the individual mandate tax penalty (by reducing the amount owed to $0). • Eliminates the employer mandate tax penalty (by reducing the amount owed to $0). • Delays implementation of the so-called Cadillac tax until taxable periods beginning January 1, 2026. • Allows all individuals purchasing health insurance in the individual market the option to purchase...

While the rest of nation continues to fret about various threats to labor demand — whether from technology, trade, or immigration — an influential labor union is worrying about goats. Yes, goats. In a surreal set of circumstances that seems closer to Bastiatian satire than actual reality, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has filed a grievance against Western Michigan University for hiring a herd of goats to clear undergrowth on campus land. From the Battle...