Acton Unwind

Saving St. Louis & Terror in Israel

Oct 9, 2023

Rachel Ferguson, director of the Center for Free Enterprise and assistant dean at Concordia Uni, discusses saving St. Louis through neighborhood stabilization. They explore trust between citizens and law enforcement. They also discuss the recent Hamas attack in Israel and its impact on peace accords. Overall, they emphasize the importance of holistic approaches to poverty and the need for repentance in society.

01:09:08

Episode guests

Rachel Ferguson

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Quick takeaways

Investing in single city blocks can be more effective than government-initiated anti-poverty programs for stabilizing disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Differentiating between supporting the Palestinian people and condoning terrorism is crucial in seeking a resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Deep dives

Hamas launches deadly attacks on Israel

Hamas launched a surprise terrorist attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets and sending fighters into cities and towns in southern Israel. The attack resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including women and children, and the kidnapping of over a hundred people. The United States has declared its support for Israel and is sending additional military assistance. The attack comes as Saudi Arabia and Israel were in talks to normalize relations, which may now be at risk. The situation highlights the complex and ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Introduction

3min

The Challenges Faced by the City of St. Louis

3min

The Rise and Fall of Pruitt-Igoe and Failed Policies in North St. Louis

3min

Holistic Approaches to Addressing Poverty in Destabilized Neighborhoods

16min

Trust and Community Interactions with Law Enforcement

6min

The Illusion of Success

5min

The Recent Hamas Attack and Israel's Response

30min

Understanding Evil and the Need for Repentance

2min

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan are joined by Rachel Ferguson—director of the Center for Free Enterprise and assistant dean and professor of business ethics at Concordia University Chicago and an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute—to discuss her essay in the most recent issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY, “Saving St. Louis One Block at a Time.” How did St. Louis end up in the state it’s in? How does neighborhood stabilization work? How is investing in single city blocks more effective than a panoply of government-initiated anti-poverty programs? How important is trust between citizens and law enforcement to these ends? Then the guys discuss the terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel over the weekend. What will come next? What does this mean for efforts at peace accords between Israel and countries like Saudi Arabia? What should we make of the people pouring into the streets of American cities in support of the Palestinian cause, if not the actions of Hamas?

Subscribe to RELIGION & LIBERTY

Saving St. Louis One Block at a Time | Rachel Ferguson, RELIGION & LIBERTY

A ‘Black Day’ in Israel | The Morning Dispatch

Today Is Israel’s 9/11 | Noah Pollack, The Free Press

Iran Helped Plot Attack on Israel Over Several Weeks | WSJ