Francis' critique of libertarianism echoes the Gospels: Distinctly Catholic: No Christian theology can start with the premise that self-interest, enlightened or otherwise, is an appropriate starting point for ethics, Christian or otherwise.
MGB: Slade is a libertarian economist, which means she herself is woefully ignorant of the mainstream of the discipline, which is not libertarian. She is a contributor to America because she has written for them before, just as I am a contributor to the libertarian magazine The Free Liberal. It is an acknowledgement, not an endorsement. Of course, the fact that Slade uses Breitbart as her source totally blasts any credibility she may think she has. Using Breitbart consigns her analysis to the realm of tribalism.
There is nothing wrong with a free economy. It just works. What is horrid is using that economic freedom to justify economic power over others, whether they be employees or consumers. By the same vane, it is horrid to seek religious power over others when talking religious liberty. That is why some of us are Social Libertarians. We believe that morality is a humanistic enterprise, not a theistic one, especially in the area of sin. Of course, that morality should include finding systems so that individuals have no economic power over others. Likewise, the Church should not encourage the government to take police state actions, like banning abortion.
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