On Fridays we bring you the week’s best from around the web. This week’s collection includes a look into AEI president Arthur Brooks’ new book, a description of economic populism at its logical extreme, and more.
“The Maximum Minimum” by Kevin A. Hassett, National Review
Every political season, Democrats argue for higher minimum wages. Republicans respond by citing all of the evidence that higher minimum wages are harmful. Democratic voters get charged up and swing voters conclude that Republicans are heartless. It is the gift that keeps on giving for Democrats, but the curse that keeps on afflicting those below the poverty line who lose their jobs because of it.
“Firm Faith: The Company Bosses Who Pray” by Katie Hope, BBC
Saying prayers with colleagues would feel a bit uncomfortable, too intimate an activity in the workplace for many people. Yet at Chinese real estate giant Tiantai Group, known as Tentimes Group in English, that is exactly what they do in the boardroom before making important decisions. “When the senior managers at the top are willing to use the values in their own work and life, the values are passed down. Eventually they become the shared values of the common employees of the entire company. At that time, the company becomes truly irreplaceable,” he says.
“Conservatives Really Do Have a Heart: Arthur Brooks’ Solutions for America” by Jamie Jackson, The Daily Signal
“‘The Last Man on Earth’: A Lesson in the Nature of Wealth” by Elise Amyx, Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics
Imagine you woke up this morning and you were the last person on the planet. You’d feel lonely and terrified, but look at the bright side. You just inherited all the wealth in the world.
“The Economy of Order: Justice Requires Love” by Joseph Sunde, Acton Institute
As we continue fighting against individual or systemic oppression or dysfunction, let us remember that along with the fight to change the system at the top, God has given us the wisdom, relational capacity, and, above all, love and grace to begin repairing the fragments of society at the ground level.
