POPE FRANCIS AND THE CARING SOCIETY

Foreword by Michael Novak

Edited By Robert M. Whaples

New Book Examines Pope Francis’s Embrace of Government to Alleviate Poverty, Protect the Environment, and Create a More Caring World

In his 2015 encyclical, Pope Francis called for an open dialogue about poverty and the destiny of what he calls “our common home.” This invitation is the inspiration for the new Independent Institute book, Pope Francis and the Caring Society, edited by Robert M. Whaples. In the deluge of books by and about Pope Francis, we finally have a careful and reliable discussion about many hot topics by renowned experts in religion, history, economics, and related fields. With a foreword by the late Catholic scholar Michael Novak, this book respectfully examines the Pope’s views on poverty, charity and the environment from the intersection of theologians, economists, and environmentalists. 

In this book, you’ll learn that:

• Friends of human well-being, market-based enterprise, and civil society have a grand opportunity to address widespread misconceptions about the economy, the environment, and charity, thanks to Pope Francis’s call for a worldwide dialogue on these subjects.
• Allaying Pope Francis’s worries, world poverty is not rising but falling. 
• Contrary to Pope Francis’s suggestion that capitalism is “the economy of exclusion,” private charitable giving is strongest when economic freedom and private-property rights are strong.
• Pope Francis links what he calls “the environmental crisis” to the market economy, but most environmental problems result from the “tragedy of the commons” created by governments’ failure to embrace and uphold a key pillar of the market economy that fosters free markets: private-property rights.
• Pope Francis does not merely offer caution regarding potential pitfalls of the market economy as his recent predecessors did - sometimes he rings the alarm.
• As Pope Francis and the Caring Society demonstrates, intellectual dialogue need not be discourteous (or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, fawning).

What does one of the most popular Popes in modern history have to say to us about poverty, the environment, and family issues? Does what he says line up with traditional Christian teachings and the social and economic record?

The book’s editor, Independent Institute Research Fellow and Wake Forest University economics professor Robert M. Whaples, says, “There is a clear need for dialogue between Pope Francis and economists because the Pope and many in the economics profession do not see eye to eye at a fundamental level on many issues.”

This fascinating and informative volume belongs in the hands of anyone interested in creating a better, more caring, and prosperous world. It provides an essential historical and cultural context for considering Francis’s views, along with non-bureaucratic solutions for environmental protection, a defense of Francis’s criticism of power and privilege, and the case for market-based entrepreneurship and private charity as essential for fighting poverty and creating human flourishing.

About the Editor: ROBERT M. WHAPLES is a research fellow at the Independent Institute, co-editor and managing editor for The Independent Review, professor of economics at Wake Forest University, and book review editor and former director for EH.Net. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Whaples is the recipient of both the Allen Nevins Prize and Jonathan Hughes Prize for Excellence in Teaching Economic History from the Economic History Association. 

When Harry Became Sally By Ryan T. Anderson, PhD

Responding to the Transgender Moment

 

by Ryan T. Anderson, PhD

 

The transgender movement has hit breakneck speed. In the space of a year, it’s gone from something that most Americans had never heard of to a cause claiming the mantle of civil rights. Can a boy truly be “trapped” in a girl’s body? Can modern medicine really “reassign” sex? What is the loving response to a child experiencing a gender-identity conflict?

 

In his new book, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment, Ryan T. Anderson, PhD offers a balanced approach to the policy issues, a nuanced vision of human embodiment, and a sober and honest survey of the human costs of getting human nature wrong. He draws on the best insights from the fields of biology, psychology and philosophy to explore the many contradictions at the heart of the transgender movement.

 

Anderson reveals a grim contrast between the media’s sunny depiction and the often sad realities of gender-identity struggles. He introduces readers to people who tried to “transition” but found themselves no better off. Especially troubling is the suffering felt by adults who were encouraged to transition as children but later came to regret it.

 

In When Harry Became Sally, you’ll learn:

 

·     the many reasons that many regret making the transition;

·     that the most helpful therapies focus not on achieving the impossible - changing bodies to conform to thoughts and feelings - but on helping people accept and even embrace the truth about their bodies and reality;

·     how an ideological school counselor might try to steer a child - unbeknownst to the parents;

·     that the best evidence shows the vast majority of children naturally grow out of any gender-conflicted phase;

·     how new school policies might affect children indoctrinated to believe that they really are trapped in the “wrong” body; and

·     that 41 percent of people who identify as transgender attempt suicide at some point in their lives, and people who have had transition surgery are 19 times more likely than average to die by suicide.

 

Analyzing education and employment policies, Obama-era bathroom and locker-room mandates, politically correct speech codes and religious-freedom violations, Anderson shows how the law is being used to coerce and penalize those who believe the truth about human nature. And he shows how Americans can begin to push back with principle, prudence and grace.

 

When Harry Became Sally is a compassionate, honest and thought-provoking commentary on the often-misrepresented concept of transitioning, the impact of the transgender movement on American society as a whole, and the costs to individuals when we get the realities of human nature wrong. Anderson believes we should be tolerant and, indeed, loving toward those who struggle with their gender identity, but we should also be aware of the harm done to the common good, particularly to children, when transgender identity is normalized. He warns that activists are not merely asking for tolerance or kindness; they are demanding affirmation, not just from adults but from children and adolescents who are already challenged by the normal process of sexual development.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ryan T. Anderson, PhD graduated with honors from Princeton University and the University of Notre Dame. He is the William E. Simon Senior Research Fellow in American Principles and Public Policy at The Heritage Foundation. Anderson’s research has been cited by two U.S. Supreme Court justices in two Supreme Court cases. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, the Harvard Health Policy Review, the Weekly Standard, and National Review. Anderson has appeared on ABC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel.

 

Watch Ryan T. Anderson on CBN News

Burn the Business Plan By Carl Schramm

What Great Entrepreneurs Really Do

By Carl Schramm

At the dawning of the era of Trump, new businesses are finally starting to feel the relief from crippling regulations and getting the boost they’ve needed to encourage entrepreneurs to follow their dreams and/or reinvigorate existing businesses. But it’s a whole new world which requires a whole new roadmap toward success. With BURN THE BUSINESS PLAN: What Great Entrepreneurs Really Do, bestselling author and economist, Carl Schramm, applies his decades of experience in the world of entrepreneurship to offer a myth-busting guide packed with tools and techniques to launch any business. Illustrated with stories of real entrepreneurs who started successful businesses, he debunks some of the most commonly held beliefs surrounding startups and business development - starting with the supposed importance of a business plan.

Business schools teach that the most important prerequisite for starting a business is a business plan. Nonsense, says Carl Schramm in BURN THE BUSINESS PLAN, who for a decade headed the most important foundation devoted to entrepreneurship in this country. Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Google, and hundreds of smaller, lesser known companies all achieved success long before they had business plans.

According to Schramm, entrepreneurship has been misrepresented and glamorized by business books, university and MBA courses, and the media. Much of the advice they offer today is about how to be the next Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg; and while their stories make fascinating reading, their narratives hold few actionable lessons for the more than ninety-five percent of entrepreneurs who are not tech-wizards and who want to start a construction business, manufacture innovative building materials, or develop a franchise. BURN THE BUSINESS PLAN offers lessons that apply to all budding entrepreneurs, including:

·     Why you don’t need a business plan: Many of today’s most successful businesses launched without formal business plans. It’s more important for entrepreneurs to be flexible. Schramm says, “Business is simply too fluid; unpredictable markets set the direction of companies for established giants and small startups alike, not the other way around. Entrepreneurs must learn to dance to the market’s ever-changing tempo and rhythm.”

·     Why you don’t need to be a “kid genius”: It’s a widespread belief that all entrepreneurs are young Silicon Valley software prodigies. But in fact, the average entrepreneur is thirty-nine years old and has worked in corporate America for at least a decade, which is a great advantage. The success rate of entrepreneurs over age forty is five times higher than those under thirty.

·     Why you should work in the corporate world: Schramm argues that people with work experience in the corporate world have several advantages as entrepreneurs. They often have important contacts in the business world who may become customers for their new service or product, and they also have the opportunity to strategize with knowledgeable colleagues and get valuable business advice.

Just in time for those who have resolved to launch a new business in 2018, BURN THE BUSINESS PLAN lays out a motivating path to true success. It dispels the costly, misleading startup myths and offers practical, real-world advice on how to avoid common mistakes, showing what you need to do to put your enterprise on track for success. Schramm believes knowledge, passion, determination, and a willingness to experiment and innovate are far more valuable than financial skill.

When it comes to entrepreneurship, age 40 is the new 20...and always has been

Putin on the March By Doug Schoen

PUTIN ON THE MARCH

The Russian President's Unchecked Global Advance

By Douglas E. Schoen

In his 2016 book, Putin’s Master Plan, Doug Schoen warned of the Russian president’s grand vision to expand his country’s influence around the world, especially in Eastern Europe, while destabilizing the Western alliance and delegitimizing the very principles of free societies - and especially the political model of democracy’s exemplar, the United States. Now, in his follow-up, Putin on the March, Schoen tells us Vladimir Putin is winning. Schoen brings the story up to date, warning that Putin’s mission is no abstraction but rather an active, ongoing campaign, and one that the Russian president has pursued with far more successes than setbacks. And Schoen warns again that the U.S. continues to lack a coherent plan for combating Russian aggression, political intrigue - including the cyberwarfare that has upended American politics - and the communications and propaganda offensive that seems continually to keep the Western democracies off balance.

In Putin on the March, you’ll learn about:

·     Russia’s ongoing aggression and its petro-politics;

·     The forming of the new Russian empire;

·     Russia’s backroom dealings;

·     Espionage: spies, leaks and cyberwarfare; and

·     How we can fight back, countering Russian aggression, with closer allies, clearer goals and empowering cyber-counterintelligence

In Putin on the March, Doug Schoen examines Russian moves across a range of geopolitical areas, including Moscow’s sustained menacing of its Eastern European neighbors, especially Ukraine, and analyzes Russia’s current posture regarding energy markets, the diplomatic situation, espionage and cyberwarfare, and Moscow-Washington relations. This follow-up reveals that Schoen’s previous warnings have been borne out. Under Putin’s leadership, Russia is achieving success in the three key areas in which it needs to prevail: foreign policy; control of Russian internal politics; and keeping the U.S. confused, demoralized, and even destabilized. Those who dismiss Putin’s behavior as unsustainable or reckless overlook the fundamental truth: he is getting away with it, and the more he gets away with, and the longer he does, the stronger he becomes - especially as the Western democracies grow more fractured both from their own internal problems and from lack of consensus on how to respond.

About the Author: Democratic Strategist, Fox News analyst and best-selling author, Doug Schoen, has been one of the most influential Democratic campaign consultants for over thirty years. Doug has advised President Bill Clinton, numerous governors and senators as well as NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. [more...]

The False Promise of Big Government By Patrick M. Garry

By Patrick M. Garry It’s time to change the debate by debunking progressives’ favorite myth about big government Patrick M. Garry, a law professor and political commentator, explodes this widely accepted myth in his powerful new book, The False Promise of Big Government: How Washington Helps the Rich and Hurts the Poor. The federal debt recently topped $20 trillion. So much for “the era of big government is over,” a statement famously made by a Democratic president two decades ago. What happened? Why has the crusade against big government failed? Because the advocates of limited government are making the wrong arguments. Professor Garry shows why, and also reveals the right argument against big government. Progressives have created a massive and intrusive federal government by repeating this mantra: big government is necessary to help the “little guy” - the poor, working class, and middle class. There’s only one problem with progressives’ favorite claim: IT’S A MYTH! The False Promise of Big Government reveals: ·     How big government hurts the very people it purports to help; ·     How big government is a tool of the elite, helping the rich, powerful, and politically connected; ·     Why America’s four richest counties are all suburbs of Washington, D.C.; ·     How the poor have been trapped in poverty by a federal War on Poverty that has cost THREE TIMES more than all of America's military wars combined ·     Why the two most common arguments against big government - about costs and constitutionality - don’t work; ·     Why big business loves big government and welcomes more federal regulations; ·     How big federal programs like Dodd-Frank and Obamacare spawn industry monopolization that hurts the average person; and ·     Why proponents of limited government aren’t heartless or mean-spirited - in fact, they’re trying to free the poor and vulnerable from government policies that harm them and hold them back. In just 100 pages, The False Promise of Big Government lays out everything you need to know about why big government fails and how to overcome it at last. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patrick M. Garry, JD, PhD, is professor of law at the University of South Dakota. He is the award-winning author of several books, including Conservatism Redefined. Garry writes frequently for both popular and scholarly publications and has delivered hundreds of lectures across the country. He has been invited to testify before Congress several times.

The Armageddon File By Stephen Coonts

By Stephen Coonts Was the last election stolen? And if so, who did the stealing... and why? The answer lies in The Armageddon File - the latest book by national bestselling author, master thriller writer Stephen Coonts. Stephen’s blockbuster bestsellers include The Flight of the Intruder and Liberty’s Last Stand. Now, at the top of his game in The Armageddon File, a story ripped from the nation’s headlines, Stephen takes a fresh look at the American presidential election system. In Armageddon, CIA Director Jake Grafton and CIA Agent Tommy Carmellini race to discover who might have attempted - or succeeded - to steal the last presidential election. A string of dead bodies, rigged voting machines, and a conspiracy that seems to lead in divergent directions - from the uppermost reaches of the FBI to foreign powers, from high finance to organized crime - are only part of this gripping story of cross and double-cross that leads to a shattering climax. Life imitates art and Coonts knows how to tell a story all about the real Electoral system and its profound effects; he knows that voter fraud is alive and well in America; and that courthouse politics has always been played for blood and money in America and political machines ruled some states for generations. In the old days politicians stayed in power by buying votes with whiskey, money, jobs, and illegal access to public assistance. Political machines stuffed ballot boxes in the big cities. In America today, the cultural and political divide can generally be defined as a split between rural and urban America. In 2016 the press reported that in thirty-seven percent of the precincts in Detroit there were more ballots cast than there were registered voters. Ballot box stuffing, allowing illegal aliens to vote, and the failure to require a photo ID before allowing someone to vote no doubt all played a part. Still, despite the efforts of the Detroit Democrats, and to their horror, Michigan went for the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. What if the efforts of the Detroit Democrats had given the state to Hillary Clinton by one vote? Coonts says the American election system is a patchwork antique that desperately needs an overhaul, which will probably have to come from the federal level. Requiring photo IDs to register and to vote is a cheap and easy fix that would do much to cure some of the system’s ills. However, politicians who think they benefit from crooked elections have resisted this change with all their might in legislative bodies and federal courts, waving the bloody flag of racial discrimination. [more...] About the Author: Stephen Coonts is one of America’s greatest thriller writers. A former naval aviator and Vietnam War combat veteran, he is the author of The Flight of the Intruder, The Assassin, The Disciple, Liberty’s Last Stand, and sixteen national bestsellers. A graduate of West Virginia University and the University of Colorado School of Law, follow Stephen Coonts on Facebook and visit his website at www.coonts.com.

Fatwa: Hunted in America by Pamela Geller

In her newly announced but already bestselling book, Fatwa: Hunted in America, the woman known as "the Joan of Arc of the counter-Jihad movement," Pamela Geller, tells the story of how she became one of the world’s foremost activists for freedom of speech and equality of rights for all. In Fatwa you’ll learn: ·     how Geller fought the battle to defeat the sinister Ground Zero Mosque project; ·     about the ISIS jihad attack at Geller’s Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest in Garland, Texas; ·     about the fatwa on her head and plot to behead her - she is a free person who set out to defend freedom and ended up with a death threat which requires security at all times; ·     about how freedom of speech is under severe attack in the U.S. and all over the Western world; ·     how the political and media elites are forcing us to accept Sharia blasphemy restrictions; ·     ...and much, much more – including the relentless vilification from the mainstream media hell-bent on defaming and destroying everyone who stands for freedom against jihad terror and Sharia oppression. Her critics have called her “the most dangerous woman in America,” “far-right hate queen,” and “the anti-Muslim movement’s most visible and flamboyant figurehead.” Her admirers say she is “the Joan of Arc of the counter-jihad movement,” “one of the top world experts in radical Islam and Sharia law and Islamic supremacism,” and “a wonderful fighter for liberty.” Pamela Geller writes: “Any lover of freedom would have been tarred the same way I was, and many have been. I am but a proxy in this terrible long war; what has happened to me is what happens, in small and large ways, to every American who stands for freedom.” Yet – as shown in Fatwa – she has prevailed. Without Pamela Geller, countless numbers of indefatigable fighters for freedom would have been cowed and intimidated into silence by an increasingly violent and authoritarian Left. Fatwa: Hunted in America by Pamela Geller is now available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The book will be published on November 1, 2017 in hardcover and e-book formats by Dangerous Books, the publishing arm of MILO, Inc. Fatwa is the second book published by Dangerous Books, following the New York Times bestselling DANGEROUS by MILO. Fatwa will include a foreword by Dutch politician and tireless freedom fighter Geert Wilders. About the Author: Pamela Geller is the founder, editor and publisher of The Geller Report and President of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and Stop Islamization of America (SIOA). She is the author of The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War on America, with Robert Spencer and Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance. She is also a regular columnist for Breitbart, American Thinker, WND and other publications. Geller’s articles and op-eds have been published in Time Magazine, the Guardian, Commentary Magazine, Fox News, The Washington Times, The Hill, Human Events, Jerusalem Post, Pajamas Media, and Israel National News.