Joy of Gospel Part Five

Continuing with paragraph 56 from yesterday, I paused because there is a line I find particularly interesting.

Debt and the accumulation of interest also make it difficult for countries to realize the potential of their own economies and keep citizens from enjoying their real purchasing power. To all this we can add widespread corruption and self-serving tax evasion, which have taken on worldwide dimensions. The thirst for power and possessions knows no limits. In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule.

Here this Pope has opened up, or reopened the discussion of usury, using the common term today, interest.  This Apostolic Exhortation is a run down on what he plans to work on for his papacy.  He got pretty specific here, debt and interest keeping people from enjoying their real purchasing power.  Again, just so.  And if so, then what?  I wonder what, if anything, more he will have to say on this.  If you think what he has said so far will has chaffed the right wingers, wait until he challenges usury, commonly known and practiced today as charging interest, something still strictly forbidden by the Catholic Church, with the most dire threats.

Most international trade is about tax evasion and money laundering.  These lawless supranationals get rules written for their benefit, and then exploit them, and they are lawless for the corruption of the State actors who bring violence to protect them.  And yes, there is no logical limit to the damage they do.

And yes, the environment is defenseless before these lawless entities, who show no regard for property rights.  And he using the term deified market, again, not the free market.  The free market recognizes itself as merely a clearing house of goods and services, certainly not a god.

In the context of politics grounded in ethics and proceeding from submitting to God, the Pope says:

58. A financial reform open to such ethical considerations would require a vigorous change of approach on the part of political leaders.

Now, there is trouble.  I wanted to laugh out loud reading that, but he is not kidding.  This reminds me of the Church teaching on just war and just cause for war.  After reading it, you realize, well, gee whiz, there is no such thing as a just war or a just cause in the real world.  Exactly!

And there will never be a reform of political leaders, nor any effort, vigorous or otherwise to change approach. One requirement to get in office is inability to change approach.  The very vesting of power in individuals is directly contradictory to the express will of God. And after that contradictions, when God gave israel what they wanted, their kings proved relentlessly horrible, even David and Solomon.  Read it for yourself.

So what is this about?  The Pope is not naive, and I suppose there is something to expectations, and that certainly some good will come from some expectation that people behave themselves.  I like the Hong Kong approach better: people are the same everywhere, anyone who gathers power will be corrupt in that measure, therefore, don't give anyone power.  Almost anything government can do, a free market can provide, and that which a free market cannot provide, neither can a government.

Now...

Today’s economic mechanisms promote inordinate consumption, yet it is evident that unbridled consumerism combined with inequality proves doubly damaging to the social fabric. Inequality eventually engenders a violence which recourse to arms cannot and never will be able to resolve.

He can only be talking about usury, which allows you to buy today something you do not need and charge it off to your kids later.  Is he going to expand on this in the coming years?

It serves only to offer false hopes to those clamouring for heightened security, even though nowadays we know that weapons and violence, rather than providing solutions, create new and more serious conflicts.

Wow, how long have I been complaining about people clamoring for security, to be abused?

Some simply content themselves with blaming the poor and the poorer countries themselves for their troubles; indulging in unwarranted generalizations, they claim that the solution is an “education” that would tranquilize them, making them tame and harmless. All this becomes even more exasperating for the marginalized in the light of the widespread and deeply rooted corruption found in many countries – in their governments, businesses and institutions – whatever the political ideology of their leaders.

Yes, Darwin provides a comprehensive cover to explain why some countries are poor, and it then allows those responsible for the poverty to discharge and responsibility. And given the hopeful things said above about change of approach by politicians, I do wonder how he expects this to improve.

He has left all of this open ended, except for advising submission to God, but I expect he will expand on this in time.

All for today...

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