Profound Wisdom in Economics
Economics is sometimes called "dismal" science, and while there may be many explanations why, mine is this one: So many hifalutin economists with the most advanced scholarly credentials make the most boneheaded assertions about the way things are.
I myself am a veteran economics teacher with some credentials, but my main qualification for elucidation of things the way they actually are is that I work hard to be a humble student of Scripture. I have a webzine and a blog to share some of what I discover, only to the extent that a reader may find Christ in the wisdom He shares with me as it is. I don't at all hold to any claim of anything, really. If what He sees me saying is off, that's cool, I've been corrected by Him thousands of times.
Prayerfully look at His words in Scripture yourself to see.
One of the main thrusts of my work is to challenge the silly assertions made by the legion of those making claim to expertise in the latest rendition of the dismal science, "behavioral economics." They do quite a lot of ding-dong blapping about what we're all doing that is "irrational," always assuming some proud mantle of being the most rational of them all. Not going to get into all that now, but I've spent some time addressing it at my webzine -- one such place is here, another one here.
I often refer to articles at the website The Federalist, and while they will likely never see the Catholicist connection to all the great observations the writers share there, they do a phenomenal job of describing things the way they really are. Here is one very recent one, and I want to let you know about it.
"Open Borders Are Not As Libertarian As Long As America Is A Welfare State."
Bam.
Oh how many economic illiterates make their case with very little wisdom from Scripture or even the core truths related to economics. Those truths are that we are always assigning value to things and that we all make decisions about what to do with those value assignments.
Related to this issue of immigration I always tell my students it really comes down to a very simple premise. No one (at least very few anyway!) are so heartless to dismissively deny a disadvantaged individual (a destitute migrant, for instance) something that would make his/her life better in some meaningful way (perhaps allowing them to move from their benighted country into a nicer one). What very few people get is that any time something is extended to that individual to aid him/her, there is a cost. Somewhere, somehow down the line, someone is paying for it.
Thuh end. That's it. That's the premise.
My students can draw their own conclusions, and it doesn't say one thing or another about what policy there should be.
It does lay out the plain truth for them to grasp, however.
And it is a truth that the academia and media and ecclesiastical mandarins distort and exploit just to keep themselves jet setting about in their virtual signaling stratosphere.
That is what the writer of this Federalist piece does a terrific job of explaining.
Those mandarins duly assigned the task of implementing socialism are doing so merely because an economically illiterate populace foolishly ask them to, and much of that is because those mandarins keep telling them they're supposed to -- essentially they're supposed to keep shelling out tons of tribute payments to them so they can not only keep putting taxpayers and debtors and tithers on the altar of human sacrifice -- from the fact that their money is forcefully confiscated to feed, clothe, and house the migrant -- but they can also keep putting the migrant on that altar as well. He/she (and his/her children!) are being used and abused just so the Cain's agents can get their touching photo op and sound bite, all for the purpose of being able to stick out their chests and declare how awesome they are coming to aid and rescue of somebody.
They are indeed being a Jesus to them.
But it isn't Jesus. Cain knew he had to do great works of building cities and establishing publishing operations to prove to everyone he could that he really was a fine brother's keeper.
That's the World.
Jesus reigns in the Kingdom, and He'd love for you to take a look there. He does want you to understand economics, but it isn't hard, it really isn't. You just have to let Him open your eyes and your ears.
And behold Him and the splendor of how much He values you.
___
I myself am a veteran economics teacher with some credentials, but my main qualification for elucidation of things the way they actually are is that I work hard to be a humble student of Scripture. I have a webzine and a blog to share some of what I discover, only to the extent that a reader may find Christ in the wisdom He shares with me as it is. I don't at all hold to any claim of anything, really. If what He sees me saying is off, that's cool, I've been corrected by Him thousands of times.
Prayerfully look at His words in Scripture yourself to see.
One of the main thrusts of my work is to challenge the silly assertions made by the legion of those making claim to expertise in the latest rendition of the dismal science, "behavioral economics." They do quite a lot of ding-dong blapping about what we're all doing that is "irrational," always assuming some proud mantle of being the most rational of them all. Not going to get into all that now, but I've spent some time addressing it at my webzine -- one such place is here, another one here.
I often refer to articles at the website The Federalist, and while they will likely never see the Catholicist connection to all the great observations the writers share there, they do a phenomenal job of describing things the way they really are. Here is one very recent one, and I want to let you know about it.
"Open Borders Are Not As Libertarian As Long As America Is A Welfare State."
Bam.
Oh how many economic illiterates make their case with very little wisdom from Scripture or even the core truths related to economics. Those truths are that we are always assigning value to things and that we all make decisions about what to do with those value assignments.
Related to this issue of immigration I always tell my students it really comes down to a very simple premise. No one (at least very few anyway!) are so heartless to dismissively deny a disadvantaged individual (a destitute migrant, for instance) something that would make his/her life better in some meaningful way (perhaps allowing them to move from their benighted country into a nicer one). What very few people get is that any time something is extended to that individual to aid him/her, there is a cost. Somewhere, somehow down the line, someone is paying for it.
Thuh end. That's it. That's the premise.
My students can draw their own conclusions, and it doesn't say one thing or another about what policy there should be.
It does lay out the plain truth for them to grasp, however.
And it is a truth that the academia and media and ecclesiastical mandarins distort and exploit just to keep themselves jet setting about in their virtual signaling stratosphere.
That is what the writer of this Federalist piece does a terrific job of explaining.
Those mandarins duly assigned the task of implementing socialism are doing so merely because an economically illiterate populace foolishly ask them to, and much of that is because those mandarins keep telling them they're supposed to -- essentially they're supposed to keep shelling out tons of tribute payments to them so they can not only keep putting taxpayers and debtors and tithers on the altar of human sacrifice -- from the fact that their money is forcefully confiscated to feed, clothe, and house the migrant -- but they can also keep putting the migrant on that altar as well. He/she (and his/her children!) are being used and abused just so the Cain's agents can get their touching photo op and sound bite, all for the purpose of being able to stick out their chests and declare how awesome they are coming to aid and rescue of somebody.
They are indeed being a Jesus to them.
But it isn't Jesus. Cain knew he had to do great works of building cities and establishing publishing operations to prove to everyone he could that he really was a fine brother's keeper.
That's the World.
Jesus reigns in the Kingdom, and He'd love for you to take a look there. He does want you to understand economics, but it isn't hard, it really isn't. You just have to let Him open your eyes and your ears.
And behold Him and the splendor of how much He values you.
___
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