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Articles by Tony Annett
American populists used to run against tariffs. It could happen again.
American populists used to run against tariffs. It could happen again. (washingtonpost.com) American populists used to run against tariffs. It could happen again. By Tony Annett 2025040910450000 Even as President Donald Trump's tariffs convulse the market and threaten higher prices, some Democrats have been hesitant to fully condemn them.
Iowa conference celebrates Pope Francis
Although a number of universities, Catholic organizations and even NCR held events for the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' election, the only multiday conference in the U.S. dedicated to marking a decade of his pontificate was held in Davenport, Iowa. Nearly 300 people from 17 states and three countries attended the March 16-18 "Francis at 10: A Papacy of Possibilities" conference at St. Ambrose University, while another 100 joined online. Yes, if you build it, they will come.
The Midterms and the Economy
Although the final votes are still being counted, the results of the U.S. midterm elections seem clear. The predicted Democratic wipe-out never happened. The Democrats actually held the Senate and lost the House by a very small margin. It was not supposed to be like this. Inflation has been running hot for quite some time and currently stands at 7.7 percent. Biden’s approval rating is abysmal. People genuinely hate inflation, especially when nominal wages don’t keep up.
Catholics are part of a universal church. Let’s act like it.
As Catholics we are accustomed to thinking of ourselves as members of a universal church. We understand our identity not just in terms of specific communities, cultures, and nations but also as When it comes to our social and political responsibilities, Catholics are called to act and think on a global level.
Bretton Woods Rap Battle
And now for something completely different, as Monty Python might say. Many of you know that I used to work at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF - along with the World Bank - was born in 1944 after forty-four allied nations gathered in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The two lead negotiators at this conference were U.S. Treasury official Harry Dexter White and eminent British economist John Maynard Keynes.
Catholicism vs. Libertarianism and Neoliberalism
Libertarianism and neoliberalism are different. Libertarianism is predicated on self-ownership and its highest value is freedom. Neoliberalism is predicated on free market competition and its highest value is efficiency. Both are condemned by Catholic social teaching. Libertarianism has its roots in the philosophy of John Locke, which says that a person is entitled to what she produces when mixed with her own labor (given that she owns herself and her labor).
Are Catholics Globalist?
Are Catholics globalist? Globalism has become a dirty word in recent years, especially on the political right. Yet the Catholic Church remains the quintessential global institution and can—in core dimensions—be understood as supportive of a globalist ethic. To unpack this, it helps to begin with the theology. At its most basic, Christianity holds that we are less autonomous individuals than relational persons, beings-in-relation. In other words, we become fully human only in relation to others.
Saving Liberalism
Just recently, I had the pleasure of reading Francis Fukuyama’s new book, Liberalism and Its Discontents. I should note that I first became aware of this book when it was reviewed alongside my own book, Cathonomics, by the Irish Times. In his book, Fukuyama makes the case for classical liberalism against assaults from both right and left. In this short essay, I want to address some of these arguments, and hopefully map out a route forward with the help of Catholic social teaching.
Pope Francis’ blueprint for a better world, post COVID
What should a post-COVID-19 world look like? Pope Francis has been thinking about this question for quite a long time—from very early on, in fact. Almost two years ago, he delivered a remarkable sequence of post-COVID-19 discourses, in which he laid out the principles needed to anchor global society and the global economy when the pandemic finally recedes.
5 things you need to know about the IMF and the Sustainable Development Goals
The global economic juggernaut is bumping into the boundaries of environmental safety (photo: Infogram) By Tony Annett and Chris Lane MON, JULY 30 2018-theG&BJournal-Although we live in an age of unparalleled wealth and technological achievement, billions of people are still suffering from poverty, hunger, exclusion, and conflict.
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