"I don't know much about economics but it just seems..."

I hear this often from friends of mine, particularly Christians. This qualification is often used when proposing seemingly good ideas such as raising the minimum wage, enacting rent control to create affordable housing, etc. I am often tempted to respond, "It is obvious you don't know much about economics; otherwise you would not have proposed such an idea".

Now I am certainly not one to equate capitalism or conservative politics with Christianity. However, economics isn't about how we want things to be but is about how things are. And the fact of the matter is that capitalism does more to feed the hungry, help the poor, and provide hope for the oppressed than any other economic system. Capitalism recognizes that people are fallen sinners, provides incentives to help others, and helps allocate resources to those in need.

I am going to try to make this a regular discussion topic on this blog. Feel free to make comments or tell me why I'm an idiot. Click on the title of this entry for a very good article from the Acton Institute on this topic.