Having moved from the left to the right politically, the Rev. Robert A. Sirico has a deep understanding of our political culture.
Father Sirico has spent the last 22 years heading the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In his new book Defending the Free Market: The Moral Case for a Free Economy, Sirico lays out a compelling argument for free and virtuous enterprise by drawing on his understanding of economics and his foundation in his Catholic faith.
How can government help the poor when it “doesn’t know the poor?” he asks. Sirico’s makes the moral case for an ethical capitalism that creates wealth as a way to spur private charity and upward mobility. His book echoes themes presented by the American Enterprise Institute’s Arthur Brooks in a recent interview The Daily Caller.
In an interview with TheDC’s Ginni Thomas, Father Sirico discusses whether he believes the welfare state helps the poor, his view of the Occupy and tea party movements, what gives him hope and much more.
Click the links below to fast-forward to each question:
Do Americans risk taking liberty for granted?
How has the left worked to erode the foundations of America and strengthen big government?
Does increasing the federal welfare state help the poor?
How do you respond to Jim Wallis, who asks, “What would Jesus cut?”
How do you size up the tea party and Occupy Wall Street movements?
Contrast the excesses of capitalism with the excesses of big government
What stories are the elite media missing as religion comes under attack?
Are profits inherently evil, and why are they under attack right now?
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