On Fridays we bring you the week’s best from around the web. This week’s collection includes a critical look at free speech on college campuses in America, a student-centered vision for education reform, and more.
“I Am Not Charlie Hebdo” by David Brooks, The New York Times
The journalists at Charlie Hebdo are now rightly being celebrated as martyrs on behalf of freedom of expression, but let’s face it: If they had tried to publish their satirical newspaper on any American university campus over the last two decades it wouldn’t have lasted 30 seconds. Student and faculty groups would have accused them of hate speech. The administration would have cut financing and shut them down.
“How Much Does Government Regulation Cost America?” by Joe Carter, Acton Institute
The short answer is that no one knows for sure. The officially reported regulatory costs as reported by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) total up to $128.7 billion. But the real costs of regulation is impossible since, as the Nobel-winning economist James Buchanan said, “Cost cannot be measured by someone other than the decision-maker because there is no way that subjective experience can be directly observed.”
“Has Education Reform Gone Wrong?”: In this video—part of a series of AEI Vision Talks, Kaya Henderson, Chancellor of Washington D.C.’s public schools, examines the disconnect between our policy debates and the daily concerns of ordinary Americans.
“2015: The Year of the Organic McChicken?” by Tyler O’Neil, Values & Capitalism
In a free market, consumer choice is king, and when those who pay the piper want fresher ingredients, even notorious junk food outlets like McDonald’s will be forced to change their tune.
“Is It Worthwhile for Christians to Be Ambitious?” by Vincent Bacote, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics
Should our churches make sure they teach believers that the Christian life is one where dreams and wishes are set aside because they are guaranteed to disappoint us? Not at all. Instead, our recognition that difficulty, failure, stress, and loss may attend the pursuit of our dreams is actually a great opportunity.
