Politics and the Pope

The combination of economic freedom, markets,  openness to technological innovation, respect for property rights, and rule of law which is sometimes given the name capitalism has lifted many societies throughout the world out of poverty  and misery. It has transformed societies, even deeply flawed societies such as China which have embraced it only partially, for the better.  Except when stopped by war or actions and failures of governments, it has done so every place it has been tried broadly throughout a society.

Socialism on the other hand has never lifted any society out of poverty and misery.  In the Soviet empire, in  much of Africa, and in China and Vietnam until it was abandoned de facto, socialism has failed to improve the lives of people and usually made them worse. The record is clear, and the reasons are well understood both in economic theory and through the history of the last hundred years.

So some people are puzzled that  the present leftist pope fulminates against capitalism and people’s desires to improve their well being while embracing communists and  socialists and favoring many of their ideas. They should not be.  Catholicism has never lifted a society out of poverty and  misery either or made an effort to do so.  It has often been an impediment to the process.  The  pope is following a long tradition within his organization of condemning, opposing or retarding forces, conditions, and activities  enabling human progress.   

Reasonable and humane people who care about the world’s poor having opportunities for improving their lives should ignore, oppose,  or laugh off the pope’s attacks on free markets and capitalism.  

And perhaps  economically successful Catholics should take his screeds against money to heart and refrain from polluting the organization he heads by donating their vile  cash to it.