Tag Archives: Wealth Redistribution

Mentoring

How I got interested in the relationship between Christianity and economics

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I listened to all the lectures of this course by the Christian philosopher Ronald H. Nash. He presents a view of economics that is consistent with the laws of logic and the Bible. And this course is comprehensive. I’ve moved on from Dr. Nash’s course to read F. A. Hayek and Thomas Sowell. And I found that Dr. Nash’s course was excellent preparation for these more advanced books.

Take a look at some of the topics:

  • the role of the government in regulating commerce
  • the meaning of justice
  • capitalism and socialism
  • interventionism vs free market capitalism
  • introduction to economics
  • marxism
  • wealth and poverty
  • liberation theology and the religious left
  • judicial activism vs legal positivism
  • pollution
  • public education

You can grab the lectures here.

A little blurb about Dr. Nash

Nash taught theology and philosophy for four decades at three schools. He was chairman of the department of philosophy and religion and director of graduate studies in humanities at Western Kentucky University, where he was on faculty from 1964-91. He was a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary from 1991-2002 and at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1998-2005.

Nash wrote more than 35 books on philosophy, theology and apologetics, including “Faith & Reason: Searching for a Rational Faith,” “Life’s Ultimate Questions” and “Is Jesus the Only Savior?” Nash received his Ph.D. from Syracuse University; his master’s degree from Brown University; and his undergraduate degree from Barrington College.

From this Baptist Press article.

News

MUST-SEE: Megyn Kelly of Fox News exposes the truth about ACORN

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Megyn “Tyrannosaurus Rex” Kelly interviews ACORN founder Wade Rathke! (H/T Nice Deb)

(This was original in 6 clips, but they were removed. Now the first video lets you click on to the second part at any time!)

Part one explores how ACORN’s goals are centered on increasing the number of welfare recipients, and making them politically active in order to pass more welfare programs. ACORN’s motto is discusses, which explicitly mentions redistributing wealth (socialism).

Part Two talks about the Community Reinvestment Act, which forces banks to make loans to people who can’t afford them. Also discusses ACORN’s support for higher minimum wage rates, which causes unemployment among the poor, and increases welfare rolls. ACORN also supports unions and also intimidates businesses to pay them money or be “protested”. ACORN’s close, long-term relationship with Obama is discussed.

Part Three explores the funding of ACORN, and the way that organizations linked to ACORN advocate for political causes. ACORN’s links to SEIU are also discussed in this episode. ACORN’s financial scandals, including embezzlement of funds by the founder’s brother, are also discussed. (No, he was NOT fired!)

Part Four talks about ACORN’s efforts to register voters in areas where voters vote mostly Democrat. The problem is that ACORN is now charged with voter fraud for turning in fraudulent voter registrations. Details about some of the trials going on right now are discussed.

Part Five explains how Democrat politicians block investigations of ACORN. ACORN is accused of being a criminal enterprise from the ground up. The new sting videos are from O’Keefe and Giles showing ACORN encouraging criminal activity are discussed.

Part Six shows the founder of ACORN and the current CEO spinning the findings from the previous episodes, taking no responsibility. The founder calls the videos “scurrilous”. ACORN is the victim, don’t you see? The series concludes by noting that ACORN has opened offices in several countries, including India.

I also note for our Canadian readers that ACORN International has opened offices in Toronto and Vancouver. It’s global communism.

Commentary

MUST-READ: Why Obama’s health care plan is just wealth redistribution

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Story from the Wall Street Journal.

Excerpt:

President Obama proposes to require insurers to sell policies to everyone no matter what their health status. By itself this requirement, called “guaranteed issue,” would just mean that insurers would charge predictably sick people the extremely high insurance premiums that reflect their future expected costs. But if Congress adds another requirement, called “community rating,” insurers’ ability to charge higher premiums for higher risks will be sharply limited.

Like the homeowner who waits until his house is on fire to buy insurance, younger, poorer, healthier workers will rationally choose to avoid paying high premiums now to subsidize insurance for someone else. After all, they can always get a policy if they get sick.

To avoid this outcome, most congressional Democrats and some Republicans would combine guaranteed issue and community rating with the requirement that all workers buy health insurance—that is, an “individual mandate.” This solves the incentive problem, and guarantees that both the healthy poor 25-year-old and the sick higher-income 55-year-old have heath insurance.

But the combination of a guaranteed issue, community rating and an individual mandate means that younger, healthier, lower-income earners would be forced to subsidize older, sicker, higher-income earners. And because these subsidies are buried within health-insurance premiums, the massive income redistribution is hidden from public view and not debated.

If Congress goes down this road, health insurance premiums will increase dramatically for the overwhelming majority of people.

This is the best explanation of what is really at stake if Obama’s socialized medicine plan passes. Please read it.

What no one realizes is that when one group is funding the lifestyle choices of another group, they stop producing wealth. Maybe they just retire, or maybe they move to another country. But the result is the same: economic growth is stifled and unemployment goes through the roof. These are the unintended consequences of the policies of well-meaning but naive socialists.

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