Altruism and a formal economic policy of using force and aggression to take from the rich and give to the poor the unearned, the undeserved, and something for nothing will end up making things worse for the poor in the long run.
Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan are the models of what nations need to do to cure poverty. They must start with a pro-business environment combined with austerity. Everyone must save rather than consume and use the savings to begin the process of capital accumulation.In addition to capital accumulation, there must be respect for private property, a rational culture, and technological progress.These requirements are the exact opposite of the marxism and socialism of liberation theology.
Hate to say it, but Japan ain’t much of a model any more. Their deficit problems are worse than ours!
Altruism is essential to Christian character and culture, but if followed consistently, would never lead to “compulsory altruism,” as Christian selfishness is necessarily voluntary. Rand’s objectivism is that blind squirrel that has found a few good acorns, but missed some essential truth as well. It is not the true opposite/antidote for Marxism. It is a variant of Nietszchean theory, and if implemented as ruthlessly as Marxism typically is, would merely lead to a different kind of distopia. There is no substitute for the Kingdom of Heaven.