Today on Kresta - January 14, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Jan. 14

4:00 – The Arizona Shootings and Political Rhetoric
Headlines read “Shooting in Arizona May Soften U.S. Political Rhetoric”, “Vitriol in political rhetoric: Did it play a part in the Arizona shooting?”, and “Lawmakers Urge Cooling of Political Rhetoric After Shootings in Arizona.” Virtually everyone can agree that rhetoric on both sides of the political spectrum can be over-the-top at times, but this is hardly a new phenomenon and seems to have very little to do with the Arizona shooting tragedy. We talk to Fr. Robert Sirico about the AZ tragedy and political rhetoric.

4:20 – Redeeming Economics: Rediscovering the Missing Element
Economist John Mueller is calling for a bold revolution in economics—by retrieving its past. John says to make this leap forward will require looking backward, for the most important element of economic theory has been ignored for more than two centuries. Since Adam Smith tore down this pillar of economic thought, economic theory has had no way to account for a fundamental aspect of human experience: the social relationships that define us, the loves (and hates) that motivate and distinguish us as persons. In trying to reduce human behavior to mere exchanges, modern economists have lost sight of how these essential motivations are expressed: as gifts (or their opposite, crimes). Mueller makes economics whole again, masterfully reapplying economic thought as articulated by Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas. He joins us to make his case.

5:00 – Beatification of John Paul is set: May 1
On 1 May, the second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, Benedict XVI will preside at the rite of beatification for Pope John Paul II in the Vatican. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, authorized the dicastery to promulgate the decree of the miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Servant of God John Paul II. This concludes the process which precedes the rite of beatification. We talk with Kishore Jayabalan who was baptized and confirmed by John Paul II and was in Rome when the Pontiff died in 2005.

5:20 – Finance Friday: On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System
Today we continue our series intended to fully explore the practical, political, moral and philosophical underpinnings of the financial meltdown of 2008. Our guide will be Dr. Max Torres and each “Financial Friday” we will be using as a base of discussion, one book written on an aspect of the financial crisis. Today, we look at Henry Paulson’s On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System