In a world drowning in content, what if the answer isn't less creation, but better communities? 🤔 At BasedCon, Acton scholar @DanHugger found a small, but mighty community of authors, readers, fans, and friends, connecting and supporting one another in their work. "Success for most authors in the modern marketplace is defined by neither fame nor fortune but by finding and connecting with an audience of dedicated readers," he writes. Read his full article on Religion & Liberty Daily.

"The task of the literary critic is to help the reader understand complex literature; presenting oneself as an authority on a text presumes the ability to read the text correctly and help others do the same. In this case, that threshold is unmet." @JoshHerring1217 reviews "Planet Thulcandra: Magic and Science in C.S. Lewis's That Hideous Strength" on Religion & Liberty Daily.

As President Trump welcomes the President of China for a state visit this week, we urge these leaders to work to bring Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment to an end. As @WSJopinion writes: "Releasing Mr. Lai would demonstrate that China’s leadership is confident enough to show compassion and that even amid serious disagreements, the two countries can still find room for an act of humanity."

The national debt has passed $40 trillion....so what? @Dave_Hebert and @thomas_savidge argue that chronic federal borrowing affects more than just Washington's balance sheet. It can mean: → More resources devoted to servicing past debt → Less capital available for private investment → Higher borrowing costs for households and businesses → Slower productivity and wage growth → Fewer choices for future generations Public debt isn't inherently immoral. Borrowing can make sense during genuine emergencies or when it finances productive investments whose benefits extend into the future. The moral problem arises when we enjoy the benefits today while pushing the costs onto people who aren't yet at the table. Fiscal responsibility isn't only an economic question. It's a question of stewardship. Read the full analysis from David J. Hebert and Thomas Savidge.

"A lot has changed in the last 25 years, but one thing has not: Americans still feel separated from one another." Acton scholar @NoahcGould1's latest piece in @NRO details how society has changed since Robert Putnam's "Bowling Alone" highlighted the growing loneliness experienced by Americans, but despite technological growth, Americans remain more disconnected than ever. His solution: more community. "At a local level, philanthropists and community builders should invest in those groups that are engaging real people rather than those that promise connection for their own sake. On the federal and state level, however, we should do less. If centralized solutions could fix the problem of American disconnection, they would have done it already."

What really separates the American Revolution from the French? What does George Washington's letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport still have to say to a divided country today? Why do so many, on both the right and the left, think the American Founding was a mistake, or built on evil foundations? We dive deeper into these questions and more in this Conversation Starters with Wilfred M. McClay.

TUNE IN this Friday, Sept. 25 at 8:30AM ET for our next event as part of Acton Conversations, a four-part virtual series on topics at the intersection of theology, economics, and liberty. Historian @DrJohnPinheiro will be discussing "Liberty and Order: What the American Founding Still Means for the World."