Wesley Gant

Values and Social Capitalism

wesley — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:45:29 +0000

Over at Values & Capitalism this week I share thoughts on “social capital”—the idea that voluntary community associations increase social trust and cooperation, creating an environment suitable for democracy and capitalism. From this premise, we find that liberty and virtue share a reciprocal relationship, where they both depend on and enhance one another. Read the [...]

Is Price Gouging Immoral? Should It Be Illegal?

wesley — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:32:32 +0000

http://youtu.be/h9QEkw6_O6w

Is Price Gouging Immoral? Should It Be Illegal? April 30th, 2012 § Leave a Comment http://youtu.be/h9QEkw6_O6w The folks at LearnLiberty.org are creating some excellent and rather entertaining videos on liberty and free markets. This short video shows how price gauging during an emergency—an act commonly viewed as inspired from the devil himself—is merely a function of the market finding a way to deliver goods to the people who need them most. I heard a great EconTalk podcast a while back with Russ Roberts and Mike Munger on this very topic. Paradoxes like these are one reason I enjoy economics. The bigger reason is learning how to actually help people in need instead of making situations worse.

Libertarianism, Conservatism and Christianity: Can coercion bring glory to God?

wesley — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:22:36 +0000

A discussion has been ongoing at Values and Capitalism over the relationship between Christianity and libertarianism. Does the libertarian emphasis on individualism and license jive with Christian values of brotherhood and morality? And does conservatism offer a different answer? This morning’s post examines these questions and more >> click here to read the blog.

Houston’s homeless will suffer under proposed regulations

wesley — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:54:36 +0000

Too often we pay critical attention to national policy debates and miss the ones going on under our noses. Many Houstonians are unaware that on March 20, the City Council considered and thankfully postponed new regulations on feeding the homeless which would have made it much more difficult for local charities and generous individuals to [...]

HBU Name Change, part II

wesley — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:47:31 +0000

Since my last post supporting a possible name change for Houston Baptist University, a number of arguments have surfaced to which I have yet to see a thorough public response. To some extent they were addressed in last week’s “town hall” meeting, but I wanted to offer a few follow-up comments of my own. 1. [...]

Hunger Games film review

wesley — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:41:09 +0000

No doubt, those who have read the books are going to get much more out of the Hunger Games films, but having watched the first installment last night, I think the franchise will do quite well among the non-readers of all ages and social groups. Unlike Harry Potter, which targeted children early on, and Twilight, [...]

On The Hunger Games Trilogy

wesley — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:58:40 +0000

The first film in the Hunger Games trilogy is hitting theaters at midnight and is already looking like a huge success. If you haven’t read at least the first book I would recommend doing so this weekend. In honor of the event, ValuesAndCapitalism.com is publishing a series of posts regarding the trilogy’s ending. Yours truly [...]

Thoughts on the HBU name change

wesley — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:04:08 +0000

Houston Baptist University has invited its various constituents to a town hall meeting to “discuss the name of the University.” The notion of a possible change is now the hot topic du jour. As both a loyal alumnus and a member of the marketing staff (University Communications) I wanted to offer my perspective, and perhaps [...]

Christianity’s Identity Crisis

wesley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:19:05 +0000

Jefferson Bethke’s “Jesus hates religion” video has gained enormous popularity among the Facebook walls and Twitter feeds of America’s young evangelicals. This slick production features Bethke reciting a poem about Jesus and his teachings being the antithesis of “religion,” (to which he applies a peculiar definition). More to the point, it is a critique of [...]

The Conservative dilemma & why Santorum will fall

wesley — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:28:41 +0000

The impressive near-victory by Rick Santorum in last night’s Iowa caucus is making headlines today, but his star will fall soon enough. As I argued in my last post, Mitt Romney is the inevitable candidate, and for two reasons: he can beat Barack Obama, and he would be a pretty good president. Santorum is simply [...]