Frankly he needs to simply button up rather than show his ignorance on the matters of economics. I might expect this from a muzzie, but what he is saying is really unbecoming (and unworthy) of the head of the Roman Catholic church.
A lot of people are excusing it when they should be quite disturbed that he is telling the world some deep untruths. The lefties of America are all over this, celebrating. Too many here do not understand this fact.
This too shall pass. And IMHO, it won't be long ... they hate him down deep and they're merely enjoying using him, and his words, for now. He has not said and does not believe that 'marxism' is better. It's obviously not and he knows that. I suspect that he will condemn marxism soon enough since it has caused 'FAR MORE damage to the human spirit'. I choose to believe that there is a method to his seeming 'madness'. Maybe a little Breitbart in him, setting the arrogant liberals up for their own comeuppance later.
It is alarming when he uses some of the same words - however, his are sincere and without any preferred worldly ideology; theirs are insincere and only about personal pride and a selfish lust for power. He truly cares about the poor while the liberals care about their own power and merely 'use' the poor to further that.
“There is nothing in the Exhortation that cannot be found in the social Doctrine of the Church. I wasn’t speaking from a technical point of view, what I was trying to do was to give a picture of what is going on. The only specific quote I used was the one regarding the “trickle-down theories” which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and social inclusiveness in the world. The promise was that when the glass was full, it would overflow, benefitting the poor. But what happens instead, is that when the glass is full, it magically gets bigger nothing ever comes out for the poor. This was the only reference to a specific theory. I was not, I repeat, speaking from a technical point of view but according to the Church’s social doctrine. This does not mean being a Marxist.”
Pope Francis is all about the Great Commission and evaluates everything in light of the question ... "does this evangelize new souls?" His perspective is apolitical, non-technical and he knows that it will 'offend the comfortable'. He doesn't want anyone to be comfortable because he believes that has left too many 'sheep' still wandering about, lost and in need of being found.