A week of family and friends, wrapped around a turkey dinner for most of us. But for some, inequality still rears its ugly head, particularly on the holidays:
Now let’s return to the words of Pope Francis, who last week, pushed back hard against our political classes:
trust in the unseen forces and the invisible hand of the market.
Growth in justice
requires more than economic growth, while presupposing such growth: it requires
decisions, programs, mechanisms and processes specifically geared to a better
distribution of income, the creation of sources of employment and an integral
promotion of the poor which goes beyond a simple welfare mentality.
I am far
from proposing an irresponsible populism, but the economy can no longer turn to
remedies that are a new poison, such as attempting to increase profits by
reducing the work force and thereby adding to the ranks of the excluded.
Pope Francis derides the connivance of political leaders in the growth and consolidation of a malevolent socioeconomic global order that brought about these statistics:
- No growth in median real income since the 1970’s
- 15% of our people needing food stamps in order to avoid hunger
- 18 million Americans either out of work, or wanting more work hours
- 50 million without health insurance
Rush Limbaugh called the Pope a “Marxist” for his statements this week about economics and inequality. Here is what Numerian at the Agonist had to say about King Rushbag of Oxycontin:
surprising that Rush Limbaugh, spiritual leader of the Republican Party – the
man who determines Republican ideology and who enforces obedience to orthodoxy
within the party – now finds Pope Francis a “Marxist”. Pope Francis,
spiritual leader to over one billion Catholics, has issued a direct assault on
the Rush Limbaugh’s of this world, their paymasters in the business and financial
community, and their political lackeys
If they are listening to Francis, Catholic members of the Supreme Court, Roberts, Scalia and Alito should feel less certitude about their readings of our Constitution. In less than a year as Pope, Francis has undermined several precepts of conservatism as it is practiced today.
This week also saw big push back against Mr. Obama’s 6 month deal with Iran. Israel’s Prime Minister has a different view of the new plan:
Old men and their geopolitical theories send young Americans to war:
The six-month nuclear deal with Iran caused much snark among the chicken hawk intellectuals who cannot abide President Obama’s willingness to talk with his adversaries. It is entirely possible the deal may fail, but giving diplomacy a try is certainly preferable to another march to war.
If the Iran deal pays off, maybe the President will justify the Nobel Peace Prize he won prematurely in 2009, and the neo-cons may find themselves bereft of any new battlefields.
Except for China.
Since the 1960s we have worked to increase international trade, and to lower tariffs with the idea that “things” would ultimately get better. Well after 5 decades we should be able to say with confidence that they only get better for the few. That no amount of cheap iPhones or other gadget replaces having a job with a living wage. Economists are wrong. Valuing only the dollars they think it is great to have all this cheap stuff. But the cheap stuff comes at a price.