Far from being at the service of kings and superpowers as it has been in past centuries, the Catholic Church seems to be building a new humanism. Its message is to enhance the dignity of all men, especially the weak, and inspire a moral balance, especially to the powerful. In these regards, the process revived by Pope Francis is in line with the original role of the Church as global moral guide.
Dies calamitatis. The public policy of fear.
I analyse emergency policy-making in three circumstances: the sovereign debt crisis of 2011, the Covid crisis of 2020, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine of 2022. Decisions taken under the influence of fear are the least inclined to progressive principles and participatory democracy.
What went wrong, Mr Lenin?
The fall of communism is deeply related to the most impractical assumption of the second welfare theorem. For this to work, the planner must have perfect knowledge of everybody’s preferences about every good.
Some thoughts on Western values
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I propose some reflections that have accompained my growth.