For the Sake of Arguments

Reflections on how we talk about ethics, politics, and religion.
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What's so bad about capitalism?

9/21/2020

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By David Barr 
It can be hard for many people to see why anyone would want to do away with capitalism. It can be especially hard to see why anyone would think capitalism is essentially about exploitation, greed, and materialism. This line of critique is just plainly implausible to many of us. When we think about why people we know and respect do their work, it doesn’t look like greed. People who start a business, for example, are after a lot more than money. They can realize their dreams, build families of loyal employees, and pass on their businesses to their children. Craftspeople produce goods and provide services that reflect who they are and what they care about. When markets work like this, people do not just make money; they pursue a vocation that is theirs, something in which they can take pride and find satisfaction.


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Form vs. Content In Political Thinking: One Reason Why So Many Of Us Can't Find A Home On The Right Or The Left

9/8/2020

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​I have a friend who works with an organization that hosts conversations between conservatives and liberals. When he checks people into the meetings, he asks them to identify as a member of one group or the other, a “red” or a “blue.” He says a lot of folks object to the binary choice and launch into a description of their special, unicorn-made-from-snowflakes political beliefs. When they do, he politely informs them that this is what everyone says and politely asks them again to pick a team.


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