"Pope Francis denounces ‘trickle-down’ economic theories in critique of inequality"
 

"Francis’s focus on the subject is especially notable given dramatic changes in the world economy.

Many of the world’s richest countries are experiencing historic levels of income inequality, with the quality of the life for workers in the middle no longer improving.

And even in the developing world, there are emerging concerns about inequality and whether workers will benefit from their countries’ increasing prosperity. In China, for instance, officials have made repeated promises to tackle the country’s widening income gap"


All the talk in the world is not gonna reverse things ,it is all just talk and finger shaking.there is nothing that can be done to meake the ecomy better it is a runaway train.

So one of the world's leading economists chimes in on "trickle-down" economics.: rolleyes:

Actually, this should surprise no one. The Catholic church for years has been pretty far to the left with its views on economics / wealth (re) distribution.

Yeh dem Catlicks are pure evil to business uber alles types.:rolleyes:

And, in this case he happens to be right. It's failing, Mike.

Dave

When you work harder and demand less for your labors, you will be rewarded with more work.................

Until, of course, they find (or create) people who are willing (or more likely forced, politically, economically or at gunpoint), to work even harder for even less.

Thence the race to the bottom. Which, of course, was the whole idea behind "trickle down" to begin with.

Note; There are STILL workers who staunchly believe in this mechanism of repression. But, this won't last forever. They'll figure it out someday.:)

Dave

Lotsa "anti-organized religion" types all the sudden got some love for them Catholics

Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and give unto God what is God's.

What you do for the least among you, you do for me.


Put those two together, and it tells me it's not the government's place to take care of the poor.
I think the Pope missed the mark calling for politicians to make things better.

ANYTHING tells you it's not the government's job to take care of the poor. Or your's, or anyone's.

I love everyone in my own mean, sarcastic way. Yes, even Catholics. It's just that they finally have a Pope who's bold enough to tell his flock that American style Conservatism runs afoul of Gods word.

So, if you came upon Jesus and he said he was hungry, tired and naked, you'd tell him "Go get a job you f**king bum!"?

I think you need to reassess the basic nature of your ideology and the glaring way it conflicts with the teachings of Christ. You've been fed a pack of absurd lies by the likes of St. Ronnie and the Church of Righteous Greed. :rolleyes:

Dave

"trickle down" is a euphemism for "piss on"

You mean that gentle warm yellow rain isn't manna from on high?

Your assumptions, while dramatic, don't reflect my attitude at all. Your cynical stereotype of the cruel, selfish individualist is I'm sure a convenient outlet to direct your anger.
The facts, however, stand in bold contrast to your view. Capitalist, Christian, free enterprise based societies are by far the most charitable, with the highest levels of volunteerism.
I don't expect you to understand or believe what you can't see for yourself though. I just do what I can and have faith that I'm trying to serve my God as he taught, while recognizing I will fall short of the mark, and am forgiven.

While the bolded statement is true, it is also true that the social democracies such as those in northern Europe are more generous and engaged in improving the lives of the poor than we are. I think that this is the Pope's point.

Right. Less charity and volunteerism, because there is less need for it.

Also, there is no way to know whether one is forgiven until the end of ones life when whence he faces judgment. The whole pre-forgiven for events that have as yet to occur is a fallacy. It's like giving someone a pass at birth for any crimes he may commit later in life. It simply doesn't work that way.................unless you're born rich and connected, of course.

Dave

To cut to the chase, if an omniscient, omnipotent God, knowing everything that was going to happen, created the world the way it is on purpose, I cannot forgive Him.

1st Corinthians 13 with the proper translation of agape.

I hope 'charity' is a proper translation--I truly love the King James version of that.

The USA in 19th in terms of charitable giving as a percentage of Gross National Income. You'll note that nearly all of the countries above us are northern European social democracies who actually need less charity than we do. During my 11 years in Germany, I don't recall ever seeing a poor or destitute person. In contrast, the USA ranks #34 in the world in terms of percentage of children living in poverty.

Luxembourg – 1.00%
Sweden – 0.99%
Norway – 0.93%
Denmark – 0.84%
Netherlands – 0.71%
United Kingdom – 0.56%
Finland – 0.53%
Ireland – 0.48%
Belgium – 0.47%
France- 0.45%
Switzerland – 0.45%
Germany – 0.38%
Australia – 0.36%
Canada – 0.32%
Austria – 0.28%
New Zealand – 0.28%
Portugal – 0.27%
Iceland – 0.22%
United States – 0.19%

When it comes to the Pope's point, from 2009 - 2012 the top 1%'s income went up 31.4%, whereas the income of the bottom 99% went up 0.4%.

http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~saez/saez-...comes-2012.pdf

Actually DQ it is not. The Greeks had four words for 'love'. There is Phileo or brotherly love, Storge or affectionat love. Then Eros for sheer physical love. Agape is a self effacibg or unconditional love. I believe that the King James translators were thing of a charitable love which could be one translation of agape but its a stretch.

I also prefer the King James version, the new Revised Standard has all the poetry of a telephone directory. But I confess that using the proper translation only makes Paul's letter more powerful.

Look at all these Papists :p

I find it interesting that the a man who lives at the pinnacle of wealth and luxury has these things to say. I'd rather hear it from a guy like Bishop Myriel.

Pete

I'm not a Papist, not even a very good Christian, (As you have noted, I'm sure.). But, I do believe in credit where credit is due and to the Pope I give credit for speaking the truth. As for the acolytes of unbridled greed and "trickle down" economics, I give credit for the struggling world economy and the "race to the bottom". I thank them for------nothing.

Dave

Say it ain't so!! :D

Pete

The pope is a Jesuit and the right has been killing in the past decades such active catholic priests and nuns in Central and South America.

That Francis should come to power is a miracle. I guess it was frustration from the numerous scandals.

Check the life of this Priest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Romero

By all means keep bash away!

We only won the Catholic vote by 50-48 last time and when you take out the Hispanics we lost the white Catholic vote by 59-40.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholi..._United_States

So we could stand to have you alienate some of them our way.

Near as I recall He gave us free will and a good rule to live by, as Rabbi Hillel put it

"That which is distasteful to you do not do unto others, that is the law the rest is mere commentary."

Ahhh, yes-those Jesuits are the smartest kids on the block and a constant source of irritation to those who would build 'butter' cathedrals.
My Irish Catholic better half was amazed and gratified that a Jesuit was chosen for the top job.

I'm not referring to how Catholics at large voted. I'm referring to the leadership of the Church: from the Vatican right through to the many of the ordained. Just hang out on any given Catholic church for a string of Sundays and listen to when comes from the pulpit. About the only divergence you'll find from standard left-wing dogma is on the subjects of abortion and birth control. Most everything else is aligned with the article in the OP.

This isn't a criticism, by the way. It just "is what it is."

1. We don't follow that a lot, and he knew we wouldn't from the get-go.

2. Lots of bad things happen that cannot be reasonably attributed to rule violations.

DQ my own father likely knew that I would disappoint him from time to time as I am sure that I did, but he never stopped loving me. Did not mean that what he told me to do was wrong.

On your second point sure; at the age of ten I got into an argument with a speeding truck. The truck won and I spent a month in traction, then another month in a full body cast, as the bumper sticker says excrement occurs.

We love our children but there comes a time when they leave the nest and your heart aches at what life does to them sometines but there is nowt you can do.

Well, there's not much point in chopping logic here. Had the whole thing down to sawdust ages ago.

I still find it to be a wonderful life. Let's celebrate.

DQ we live fairly well, I have the wife that I always wanted, didn't find her till I was 52 but hey the last thirty years have been great.:)

There seems to be a disconnect between how you analyze the social works done by the Church and their political bent. The US College of Cardinals is only a shade to the left of Joseph Stalin, who was a noted conservative:p

Every election cycle brings out the lecture from the pulpit regarding the sanctity of life and how the membership should vote straight Republican ticket. It is funny to listen to all the twists, turns, and gyrations the priests go through to arrive at straight ticket without ever saying "Republican."

Might as well celebrate, it's the only life you get.

Or at least I hope so. One of 'em will be enough for me.

Chas