Alan McCann at Via Fortunata takes issue with my post on St. Thomas and private property. He accuses me of “uncritical leftist thinking” in drawing the conclusion that Thomas would have endorsed a role for government in ameliorating the plight of the poor: This is typical of a lot of uncritical, leftist thinking within and…

Though I opposed the Iraq war, I’ve always tried to take seriously the arguments of the war’s proponents. Nor do I assume that war advocates were arguing in bad faith or from ulterior motives. I’m not a pacifist, nor am I reflexively opposed to the use of American military power. In thinking about these matters…

An excellent illustration of the differences between libertarians and conservatives is supplied by this essay from Orthodox theologian David B. Hart in last month’s First Things: The only sound premise for a people’s self-governance is a culture of common virtue directed towards the one Good. And a society that can no longer conceive of freedom…

From today’s Philadelphia Inquirer: Daniel Culligan offered apologies at his sentencing in Bucks County Court yesterday but no explanation as to why he doused his cat with lighter fluid, set it on fire, and threw it from the deck of his Bristol Township apartment in December. Judge David W. Heckler gave him six to 23…

The origins of the just war tradition are usually traced back to the fourth century and St. Augustine’s masterwork, City of God. St. Augustine grapples with the undeniable anti-violent thrust of the Christian tradition, especially the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. He comes to the conclusion that wars of aggression and self-aggrandizement — like Rome’s…

A contradiction in terms? Not according to Chris Roach who offers a manifesto of sorts for hawkish paleocons.

A while back Bill Vallicella linked to this excellent post at the Big Hominid (n.b.: some bad language) on the topic of pluralism, truth, and religion. This sparked a series of equally interesting posts on the question of whether every religion should be understood as offering a path to salvation and/or liberation. Rather than enter…

So says Alice Cooper about Springsteen, R.E.M., et al.: “To me, that’s treason. I call it treason against rock-and-roll, because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics.” and “If you’re listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you’re a…

A helpful article from the London Spectator shining the light of truth on that icon of soi-disant college radicals: The essential fact about Che was that he misunderstood his own experience, and then tried to apply it as a rule for the whole world, with predictably disastrous results. He was a savage ideologue, a mesmeric…

Apologies to my three readers for the gap in blogging this week. Chalk it up to some vacation and work-related travel.