[frogjerk]

These policies are largely already in place in this country but not socialist or totalitarian countries. Don't we have laws in this country where you cannot be turned away from a hospital emergency room (fraternity), enter public school (fraternity) apply for educational grants (fraternity), etc...

Not sure why this message from the Pope is assumed to be exclusively directed at the US.

[Colonel_Flagg]

"These policies are largely already in place in this country but not socialist or totalitarian countries. Don't we have laws in this country where you cannot be turned away from a hospital emergency room (fraternity), enter public school (fraternity) apply for educational grants (fraternity), etc..."

I am not tracking with you completely here. Are you suggesting that socialist or totalitarian countries don't have socialist health care access? Like Cuba, for example? It can certainly be argued that your points about public schools and educational grants do not apply in totalitarian states, but that is in no small measure BECAUSE of the market system, not in spite of it.

"Not sure why this message from the Pope is assumed to be exclusively directed at the US."

I don't assume that. I think his message is directed at the world, as the title of the message indicates. And there's really no other interpretation that makes any sense than for the "effective policies" the Pontiff mentions to be implemented by governments, because they are the only ones who can.