Posted on 07/26/2014 6:02:34 PM PDT by markomalley
Yes, Pope Francis sees capitalism and inequality as the root cause of all the world’s social problems. His Apostolic Exhortation makes clear he’s on a mission. His power to change the world rests with his moral authority, convincing people to do what’s right, not just the 1.2 billion Catholic faithful, everyone in the world. But moral persuasion goes just so far.
The Pope has another weapon, the rarely used but extraordinary power of excommunication. When he used it recently the thought came up, could he use it against capitalists? Capitalism? To understand this weapon you need some background and what happened:
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
For a good sample of his thought processes (if you choose to call them thought processes), consider this piece from earlier in July:
The Great Obama Bull Market will roar till 2016Yes, it’s time to celebrate. We’re in a historic bull market. GOP conservatives keep fighting the wrong war, against the Obama economy. Meanwhile, the Obama bull market keeps roaring ahead!. And the long term looks even better: Bullish pundits predict stocks will continue climbing into the 2016 presidential election. Folks, this stock market has been roaring since March 2009 when the DJIA bottomed at 6,547, a painful 53.9% drop from the October 2007 high of 14,164 during the Wall Street bank credit crash in Bush’s last year as president. The S&P 500 also bottomed, at 676, a 56.6% drop. However, since March 2009 the stock market has been steadily climbing. Over five years. And the DJIA’s made a remarkable recovery, to just under its next big milestone, 17,000. While the S&P500 is nearing 2,000, headed up. Yes, market gains over 250% ... and still climbing! (snip)) |
Perhaps Business Insider said it best about this guy:
Is MarketWatch's Paul Farrell Patently Insane?Business Insider's Joe Weisenthal recently shined a light on MarketWatch.com columnist Paul B. Farrell's latest unintentionally hilarious "Behavioral Economics" column. I've learned something brand new today: the next time I go on a bender and start incoherently rambling about a book I glanced at in the self-help aisle the other day, I need only explain to those around me that I'm working on my new "Behavioral Economics" column. Behaving. Economically. To help my readers, man. That's why I do all of this painstaking research: to help you get rich. Rich beyond your wildest dreams. What I'm getting at here is that Farrell might be deemed absolutely insane by almost any objective third party, if it were not for the fancy MarketWatch columnist title… |
Of course, I anticipate that not a few FReepers will not consider the source and will immediately start hyperventilating.
Can we assume that the author of this pithy commentary has divested himself of all stocks and bonds or other investments and keeps whatever funds he has under his mattress? Oh wait if he so anti capitalism how and where does he get his money?
The reason being is because it is written on a Bog that is the drivel of business sites and by a moron who thinks the Pope can excommunicate a concept. Particularly a concept that is the MOST Catholic form of economic system.
Does Paul B. Farrell have a Bulgarian accent? Does he he answer to the name Daniel?
“Pope Francis sees capitalism and inequality as the root cause of all the world’s social problems”
This is an out and out lie. Neither Pope Francis nor anyone else with an once of intelligence or honesty has ever said anything like this.
The author should stop lying.
Idiots. Capitalism built the world.
His writings paint a picture of a self-righteous paranoid.
If you don't know what subsidiarity is -- then read one of the links.
Repeat After Me: Subsidiarity & Solidarity
Subsidiarity and Human Dignity
Does the USCCB Understand Subsidiarity?
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] The Principle of Subsidiarity
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Subsidiarity Over Social Justice
What is the USCCB’s problem with subsidiarity?
Subsidiarity: Where Justice and Freedom Coexist
Health reform still full of thorny problems for Catholics (Vasa comes out for subsidiarity)
What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Subsidiarity, [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Catholic Word of the Day: SUBSIDIARITY, 06-11-09
Simple definition:
The principle by which those in authority recognize the rights of the members in a society; and those in higher authority respect the rights of those in lower authority.
In other words, have a problem? Take it to your neighborhood. Then maybe your church. The proceed to a higher authority little by little.
This could be hilarious - ping for later
Oops
this Farrell guy knows nothing
If you don’t believe in capitalism, you don’t believe in freedom.
If you don’t believe in freedom, then you believe in slavery.
If you believe in slavery, you lose all moral basis on which to proclaim yourself one of the good guys.
End of story.
Whatever such folks can do to keep Christians fighting among themselves they do because that's their goal. To keep their enemy, Christianity, fragmented and incapable of resisting the Humanist agenda.
When they drool out something about capitalism remember this, for such folks that means the benefits of Capitalism for them. The government chosen elites who are helped to be "Capitalists" see no reason why the masses stupid enough to believe Jesus Christ is God incarnate who sacrificed Himself for us and will come again need any more than the crumbs that fall from the table of those the government grants Titles of Nobility allowing them to be "Capitalists".
Capitalism is just another hot button word on the list of hot button words people like this work from. Their goal is to destroy whatever stands in the way of their ideal "Capitalist" Nobility and first and foremost what stands in their way is the existence of sincere Christians. The more those sincere Christians can be induced to see one another as enemies, the easier it is for those who at best believe in a Great Watchmaker to roll every onward toward their goal.
JMHO
Depends on the definition.
IF a statement is made about Usury (which used to be a sin and is now a virtue), then maybe.
If he means a call to socialism, probably not. Though the Catholic Church has never been friendly to capitalism, and has historically been inclined to socialism.
So this guy will more than likely be disappointed.
I'm old enough to remember when politicians were holding hearings in the Senate and expressing outrage that the mob was charging 15% and 20% interest through mob owned credit companies.
Now, 24% or more is common an anything under 15% seems rare. The Church had a definition of Usury lot of people call the Church "anti-Capitalist" for standing in the way of "what the market will bear" which is now the norm. True, "them that has gets" and some folks may get lower rates, but that's not the norm.
The funny thing is people didn't think the US was an anti-capitalist Hell hole when the majority of States legislated an upper limit on interest that was well below the current norm.
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