Speaking of Milton Friedman, here’s a link to a paper that looks interesting: “Transcendental Commitments of Economists: Friedman, Knight, and Nef” (HT: Organizations and Markets). Acton president Robert A. Sirico’s reflection on Friedman’s legacy last year noted, “Friedman was a true Enlightenment disciple and feared that truth claims could lead to coercion.” ...

The ing out of the World Bank in recent weeks has largely focused on the departure of Paul Wolfowitz and the nomination of Robert B. Zoellick to head the bank. At the same time, a little noticed power struggle was underway at the World Bank over policies related to “reproductive health” and family planning. Michael Miller takes a closer look at the bank’s Malthusian enthusiasm. Read the mentary here. ...

You just can’t make this stuff up. Here’s my favorite photo, for reasons our friends at pletely missed but I’m sure Jordan (ourresident anti-misanthropist)will appreciate: If it’s hard to see what the little blue sticker to the left says, here’s a better view: In other words, stop killing our children for oil, but make sure we can kill them for convenience. “Concourse of hypocrisy” indeed. ...

“Root of all evil” or liberator of mankind? Samuel Gregg examines the role that money plays in a free economy, particularly the way it “allows people to engage in the greater specialization of economic production which produces growth.” Read the mentary here. ...

CNN reports how Chavez is looking more and more like Lenin. CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) — As thousands of students marched in the streets in support, a Venezuelan television channel denied accusations that it was inciting violence against the government. President Hugo Chavez’s administration shut down one station that was critical of him, and has opened an investigation into the remaining opposition station, Globovision. Globovision’s director, Alberto Ravell, was unimpressed. “We are not going to change our editorial line that we...

Or so reports Catholic News Service today. In and of itself, the item is not that big a deal: The Vatican will be installing solar panels atop the Pius VI Hall, where the pope holds his general audiences. It does seem, however, to be indicative of greater emphasis being placed on environmental stewardship by the leadership of the Catholic Church (among other eccesial bodies, as has been much remarked on this blog). There was no ment from the Vatican, but...

One of my favorite novels is Saul Bellow’s Henderson the Rain King. Eugene Henderson is a loud, boorish, rich American who goes on a soul-searching journey into the heart of a mythically depicted Africa. One of Henderson’s first stops is a village inhabited by folks called the Arnewi. es into the village brandishing his modern implements, lighting a bush on fire (one of many biblical allusions) and offering to shoot any man-eating lions with his gun loaded with .375 H...

Glenn Reynolds links: U.S. carbon dioxide emissions dropped slightly last year even as the economy grew, according to an initial estimate released yesterday by the Energy Information Administration. As Randy would say, “Yo Dog, check it out…”One data point does not a trend make, but it’s obviously possible fortably grow the economy and domestic output without increasing CO2. Sorta like reducing taxes while growing tax revenues, I guess. This should be a wakeup call to conservatives who contend that any...

Assisted suicide crusader Dr. Jack Kevorkian is out of prison as of this morning. For a good recap on who Kevorkian is, what he proposes for society, and just how creepy the man really is, I encourage you to check out Wesley Smith’s article at National Review Online. A sample: …most of Kevorkian’s “patients” were not terminally ill, but disabled and depressed. Several weren’t even sick, according to their autopsies. Moreover, Kevorkian never attempted to treat any of the 130...

Jim Wallis: “I’m believing more and more that politics alone cannot e poverty and our other great social problems.” (See also: Pentecost 2007, featuring Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama.) But, since the Sojourners forum isn’t the pulpit, Tony Campolo should have no problem with it: “It is time for us to name the hypocrisy of the Left plaining about how the Religious Right is violating the first amendment while turning a blind eye to their own candidates’ use...