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The Pope is more right than wrong IMO. Capitalism is not a perfect system. That isn't my opinion on whether its the best available system, but it's my recognition that it has flaws. The most basic of these is the need for constant expansion of the economy.
Productivity has risen substantially in the past generation but workers have mostly not been rewarded for that additional productivity with higher wages and/or reduced work weeks. The extra margins have gone to the bottom lines of captains of industry, but not to ordinary folks. It might hurt for this to be pointed out but it is in fact the case.
This thread probably belongs somewhere besides the religion forum though unless we tie it to some way in which the Pope was wrong because he's a religious leader. Is that what you are seeking to do? Is it wrong for the Pope to have anything to say about economics or government? That is an argument I've heard some conservatives advance. Hilariously, Jon Stewart played a clip of some Fox News pundit who had just spoke disparagingly of increasing the minimum wage, declaring that as a Catholic he goes to church "to save my soul, not to be told how to run my business" To which Stewart asked rhetorically, "then why aren't you in church right now"?
What's a market-based system? When did we dump Per Capital GDP and Employment (Capitalism) for the ancient system of money-hoarding (mercantilism)? Communism would ofcouse allow the poor to be comfortable yet remain poor.
The poor dont remain poor because of capitalism. They remain poor because of lifestyle choices that prevent them from getting ahead. Of course I'm not talking about those who are physically impaired etc, but the general population who create generational poverty through their lifestyle choices.
Is an IQ of 84 impaired? How about 75? Do you think that individuals with those IQ's have the same chance to "get ahead" as a person with an IQ of 100? 115? 130? 145? - even if they work equally hard?
Sorry guys, no political threads in the religion forums
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