On Fridays, we bring you the week’s best from around the web. This week’s round-up includes a call for America to ‘snap out it,’ a discussion of Western and Eastern opinions about capitalism, and more.
1. “The West’s Bruised Confidence in Capitalism” by Donald Baer, The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. public is divided on whether corporations are a source of “hope” (36%) or “fear” (37%). In China they have far fewer concerns, with 84% saying corporations are a source of “hope.” More than half (51%) of the U.S. public says “strong and influential” corporations are “bad,” even if they are promoting innovation and growth. In China 74% embrace strong corporations as “good.”
2. “Are Millennials Really Less Religious Than Previous Generations?” by Elise Amyx, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics
Many studies show that Millennials are less religious today. However, this might not mean they have deserted their faith more than members of previous generations when they were young. Pew Research found that in some ways, young people today are not much different from youth of the past when it comes to certain aspects of religion.
3. “Education for Opportunity: 3 Ideas for Education Reform in America”: AEI research fellow Michael Q. McShane offers three ideas for how to revitalize America’s education system and give our children—especially the most vulnerable—a chance at success.
4. “Welfare, Work, and Human Dignity” by Dylan Pahman, Humane Pursuits
God does not make a pristine world and then tell humanity, like a clumsy child, not to touch anything lest they break it. Rather, he has made us to cultivate the earth for his glory, our good, and the good of the world as well. Work is, indeed, a commandment.
5. “Snap Out of It” by David Brooks, The New York Times
It’s important in times like these to step back and get clarity. The truest thing to say is this: We are living in an amazingly fortunate time. But we also happen to be living during a leadership crisis, and a time when few people have faith in elites to govern from the top. We live in a vibrant society that is not being led.
