Somehow we’ve come to accept the notion that there are separate “economic” issues and “social” issues in our politics. The former issues supposedly have to do with our pocketbook and the latter touch on religious values and behavior. But this is a mistake. The economy is also a social issue — a values issue. It’s about the extent to which we respect private property and protect it from politicians.

Respect for private property is disdained in socialist countries. Our respect for the sanctity of private property reflects our values as much as does our respect for the sanctity of life and marriage.