Business in the Kingdom

In a recent article in National Review Online, Nebraska Treasurer John Murante (https://ballotpedia.org/John_Murante) demonstrates that the ESG investing approached (Environmental, Social, Governance) being promoted by giant asset managers hurts not only the fossil fuel industry, but agriculture as well. Since the poor spend a much larger proportion of their income on food and energy, an investment approach that attacks those industries attacks the poor. Treasurer Murante also discusses with Business in the Kingdom how ESG empowers tyrannies such as China.

Rick Graber, President of the Bradley Foundation, talks with Business in the Kingdom about the genius of our founder’s system of federalism. Bradley focuses on helping to create local solutions which then become models for other parts of the country, something made possible only by our decentralized political system. He discusses the new video series Expressions of Educational Freedom | K12 | The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation (bradleyfdn.org), which point to models of excellence in private, often Christian, education.

Former Governor, Senator, and Ambassador Sam Brownback tells Business in the Kingdom how the religious freedom organization he founded had its bank account cancelled, suddenly, without warning and without explanation. Instead of slinking away, the group has launched Chased Away (https://thencrf.org/chasedaway), a campaign to stop banks from discriminating based on religious and political views.

Allison Ball, Treasurer of Kentucky, is an attorney and a person of faith. As such, she takes her legal and ethical obligation to oversee state finances, including pension funds, as an inviolable duty. That is why she has resisted industry pressure to embrace the financial fad of ESG investing, which replaces the goal of the best financial outcome for retirees with goals of political and social outcomes. Whether it's pushing to eliminate profitable fossil fuel investments from portfolios or to use shareholder money to vote for pro-abortion resolutions, Treasurer Ball and other state officials are resisting attempts to replace prudent financial management with an imprudent social agenda. She joins Jerry on this episode of Business in the Kingdom to tell her story.

Tom Strobhar first got involved in fighting against corporate funding for Planned Parenthood in 1989. Since then he has been the most consistent and long-lasting voice for Christian witness on behalf of the unborn and against the degradation of pornography in corporate life. He convinced scores of companies to stop funding Planned Parenthood, including Chevron, AT&T and Berkshire Hathaway. He tells Business in the Kingdom how ordinary Christians can actually do this and prevail.