Everybody is looking for ways to describe the dire state of the world economy. Some have used Crisis with a capital C, a sinking Titanic or a perfect storm. These are all dramatic expressions to describe a very serious situation. However, the latest metaphor being used is even more dramatic. Leading economists … Read more
Symbolic acts and gestures often have a greater persuasive power than words and reasoning, though one completes the other. This is why the Divine Savior constantly used both symbolic gestures and employed metaphors and parables. This is also why the Church has always surrounded herself with symbols to make visible the beauty … Read more
There have been many attempts to apply socialism to the modern workplace. One of these was the program of former president of France François Mitterrand who sought to implement what he called self-managing socialism in 1981. Like all such schemes, it was a dismal failure. He could not make the moldy principles … Read more
As the nation heads into the next election cycle, there is much frustration, angst and anxiety directed at a system that does not seem to work. Everyone senses there is something terribly wrong with the country. The worst part of this growing malaise is the feeling that no one seems to know … Read more
If the pace of life seems overwhelming, it might well be because we have assumed so many of the jobs once held by others. This is the position of Craig Lambert in his book, Shadow Work: The Unpaid, Unseen Jobs That Fill Your Day (Berkeley, Calif., Counterpoint Press, 2015). The Harvard sociologist … Read more
Saint John Bosco, also known as Don Bosco, a Confessor and given the title of “Father and Teacher of Youth” by Pope Pius XI, grew up in a poor household, but one sanctified by a spirit of selflessness and sacrifice. This helped form him not only into a physically very strong young … Read more
As the nation enters another exhausting election cycle, there is ever growing frustration with government. America is polarized and unable to move forward. Some believe the solution lies in forgetting about moral issues and just doing what it takes to return to power and prosperity. Such a pragmatic approach reduces all things … Read more
“What would you think if a robot showed up with your food?” This is the question I asked Ross and Kelly, a young couple in a Newark, New Jersey airport restaurant. “Oh, interesting,” answered an intrigued Kelly. “No thanks,” disagreed Ross, “you would miss the human touch.” Not the best way to … Read more
In face of a recession that never recedes, the assumption of a broad and growing prosperity for the middle class is in doubt. Gone are the heady days of the post-Cold War triumphalism of the nineties when optimistic observers believed that we might live forever in a kind of glorious consumerism. Instead, … Read more
In the placid waters of this canal of the Belgian city of Ghent, the facades of some buildings typical of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance have been reflected for centuries. These buildings create a singular architectural impression of balance because of the harmonious contrast between their imposing, serious and solid mass, … Read more