Whatever one thinks of President Obama's speech to the U. S. Chamber of Commerce on February 7, 2011, there is no denying that the presentation included policy (paths to goals) and politics (getting votes). Time will tell which aspect will be more lasting, but Obama's policy statements deserve attention for the way they resonate with basic Catholic teaching on social justice. Specifically, the president framed economic cooperation between government and business in the moral terms of what we "should do" for the common good. This core of Catholic teaching is admired even by commentators like Michael Gerson who don't necessarily agree with all of it.
Read Full Article »
