So, Peter Schiff was the guest on “The Daily Show” this evening (unless it was a rerun).  Schiff had been predicting the financial collapse for the last couple of years at least, back when it was not popular to do so.  Naturally, Stewart likes him for this.  But the interesting thing here, and the reason I’ve made a post for this, is that Schiff is in the Austrian strand of economic thought.  Indeed, he was an economic advisor to Representative Ron Paul’s presidential campaign.

Those of us familiar with Austrian economics know that while Schiff was a pretty lonely voice in the American popular media predicting the recession, his was one among many in the Austrian economics circles, particularly those associated with the Ludwig von Mises Institute (as Schiff is).

In his interview with Stewart, Schiff spoke very plainly his conviction that Obama is only further hurting the economy with the stimulus, with the bailouts, and that we’re potentially on the road to hyperinflation.  What was so interesting to me was that Stewart didn’t have anything to rebut Schiff’s points.

If someone like Schiff is suddenly very credible to someone like Stewart, then perhaps paleolibertarianism has a significant future in this country.  I will give it, oh, twelve or sixteen years before anything serious could develop practically, i.e., politically.

I’m Catholic and am very much interested in the idea of sanctifying secular, ordinary work.  That is where the title of the blog comes from, “St. Benedict’s Actuary.”  St. Benedict laid down the Benedictine Rule in the 6th century for his monasteries and it constitutes Benedictine life to this day.  The rule can be summed up with three words: ora et labora (work and prayer).  The goal is, in some sense, for our work to become a prayer.  One might think of the well known saying from the fourth chapter of the first letter of St. Peter, “…so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever.”

In my two preceding posts you might notice quotes from St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of the ever-controversial organization Opus Dei.  While I’m not a member of “the Work,” as it is called, its mission is exactly the sort of thing I describe above: for most of us, ordinary work in the world must be the path to holiness.  It is notable that so many of the members of Opus Dei are successful professionals and others excelling in their respective fields.  The idea is that we all ought to strive for excellence in our work ad maiorem Dei gloriam.

“Let us work. Let us work a lot and work well, without forgetting that prayer is our best weapon. That is why I will never tire of repeating that we have to be contemplative souls in the midst of the world, who try to convert their work into prayer.” – St. Josemaria Escriva

From Monday of Week II’s Evening Prayer Hymn (Divine Office):

Now fades all earthly splendor,
The shades of night descend;
The dying of the daylight
Foretells creation’s end.

Though noon gives place to sunset,
Yet dark gives place to light:
The promise of tomorrow
With dawn’s new hope is bright.

I’ve been working some problems from the Exam P practice tests that saab.org can generate.  Perhaps I’ll edit this post with particular problems that are especially important to understand, or that have a number of key concepts at work in them, or something along those lines.

Midday Prayer for Week II of Ordinary Time (Liturgy of the Hours):

Father,
yours is the harvest
and yours is the vineyard:
you assign the task
and pay a wage that is just.
Help us to meet this day’s responsibilities,
and let nothing separate us from your love.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. +