Check out these recent articles from around the web:

What can we offer to the world? by Mike Lewis: “We have two choices: we can retreat further into our collapsing fortresses (with groups like the Veritatis Splendor community or other traditionalist enclaves) and cling to a self-referential concept of the Church, or we can get in the boat with Peter, Pope Francis, and venture out into the wider world, riding on the choppy waves, seeking out a new future for the Church.”

Pope Francis is right: modern poverty in the United States is a scandal. But what are possible solutions? by John W. Miller: “Uniontown, established on July 4, 1776, birthplace of the Big Mac and home to General George C. Marshall, is a microcosm of American poverty. It suffers from high degrees of segregation, income inequality, low-wage service work as the dominant form of employment, pollution from heavy industry, drug abuse and a lack of public transportation and other public infrastructure.”

From Here to Utopia by David Albertson & Jason Blakely: “As American social democracy matures, it has much to learn from religious movements, and from Catholic communities in particular, as it supplements cries for change with the fine-grained work of ethical transformation.”

The pandemic shed light on what it’s like to be a stay-at-home parent by Stephanie H. Murray: “This collective societal wake-up call has been strangely comforting — hundreds of millions of people suddenly understand with searing clarity the odd psychological challenge of being at home alone all day. How difficult it is to schedule socialization when it isn’t already built into your day. How far Zoom and FaceTime fall as substitutes for real interaction.”

Is it time to limit personal wealth? by Christine Emba: “What does it say about us that we have agreed to live with chasms so vast, and that we continue to ignore the connection between extreme wealth and immiseration? Why do we so commonly assume that material wealth is a clear signifier of worth?”

The Authoritarian Threat Is Not Overhyped by Jonathan Chait: “Suppose Trump had dropped dead in January. Would Republicans not be passing vote suppression laws? They very likely would. And the reason is that, while Trump is an extreme manifestation, his authoritarian impulses are not purely idiosyncratic. Skepticism of democracy as a value has deep roots in conservative thought. While conservative parties in other countries accommodate themselves to democratic control over the economy generations ago, the American right has never relinquished its belief that allowing majorities to redistribute income at the ballot box is a fundamental violation of liberty.”

Joe Biden Worries That China Might Win by Thomas Wright: “Each side is motivated more by insecurity than by an ambition to transform the world in its image. Xi and his fellow autocrats worry that the free flow of information, the attractiveness of democracy, and economic interdependence would destabilize their regimes. Biden and America’s allies are concerned that Xi’s attempt to make the world safe for the Chinese Communist Party will undermine freedom and democracy, pushing international rules in an illiberal direction and empowering autocrats worldwide.”

Nurturing dads raise emotionally intelligent kids by Kevin Shafer: “When fathers are caregivers – when they provide emotional support and act affectionately toward their kids – the effects go well beyond growth, development, good health and solid grades. My research shows the benefits also include having children who value emotional intelligence, gender equality and healthy competition.”

Politics and Science Are Both Catching up With Big Marijuana by Kevin Sabet: “Colorado isn’t charting this course alone. Other states, such as Vermont and Montana, have seen the result of Colorado’s laissez-faire approach and have moved to restrict THC potency and severely limit advertising. They have also taken other steps to ensure public health remains paramount over the addiction-for-profit interests of the marijuana industry.”