I was in Vatican City in July. Here is a picture of the papal apartments. Notice all the windows are closed. It was 110 degrees out at the time of the picture. Since there were no windows open, one can assume that air conditioning was on.
Posted on 09/26/2015 5:39:52 AM PDT by Entrepreneur
ED. NOTE: As this article is posted, Pope Francis begins his visit to the United States. In his encyclical released in June of this year, the pope singled out air conditioning as being a "harmful habit" that is a symbol of rampant capitalism that is blind to the plight of the poor and disadvantaged. These comments by Matt Michel, CEO of Service Roundtable, serve as a timely response.
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Since becoming pontiff, Pope Francis has repeatedly made the news for his criticism and condemnation of capitalism and free markets. Worse, in his encyclical, he singled out air conditioning as particularly pernicious:
“People may well have a growing ecological sensitivity but it has not succeeded in changing their harmful habits of consumption which, rather than decreasing, appear to be growing all the more. A simple example is the increasing use and power of air-conditioning. The markets, which immediately benefit from sales, stimulate ever greater demand. An outsider looking at our world would be amazed at such behavior, which at times appears self-destructive.”
The disdain for capitalism may reflect where the Pope spent his formative years, in the leftist economic basket case of Argentina. Conversely, I’m from Texas, where we are fond of capitalism, free markets, and especially, air conditioning.
Here’s what I think the Pope should say:
In the last decades, more than a billion people emerged from poverty. Never in human history have so many risen from destitution so rapidly. This is a true blessing. The source of the blessing is capitalism.
In 1980, fully 84% of mainland China’s population lived in extreme poverty. Today, that number is less than 10% thanks to China’s embrace of capitalism. After India’s market oriented reforms threw off the bondage of socialism in 1991, hunger fell by 90%.
Now, some criticize capitalism over unequal distribution of wealth. As Christians, we can turn to the Word for guidance. In the Parable of the Talents, Christ did not condemn the accumulation of greater wealth by those with more talents. Instead, He heaped scorn on the servant who did nothing with the talent he had. It is capitalism, more than any other economic system that allows individuals to use their God-given talent to the fullest. It is government control of markets and totalitarian overlords who restrict and limit individual choice, opportunity, and freedom.
God gave us free will because He did not want us to be happy slaves, but a people who would freely love and worship Him by choice. Free will and the freedom of choice is consistent with capitalism. It is not consistent with any other economic system, like socialism.
Capitalism is voluntary. Socialism is coercive. Capitalism supports freedom and opportunity. Socialism restricts or limits both. Capitalism’s vice is inequality. Its virtue is the reduction of suffering and elevation of all, albeit at differing degrees. Contrast capitalism with totalitarian socialism. Socialism’s equality of misery is hardly virtue.
While the idolatry of money is sin, wealth and money are not inherently evil. Great wealth makes great charity possible. Consider the air conditioning system that preserves the Sistine Chapel. It has been called a masterpiece of technology, comparable to the masterpiece it protects. Moreover, this custom designed system costing millions was donated by the Carrier Corporation, a profit-oriented capitalistic enterprise. If Carrier gains public relations value from the project, it does not lessen the value received by the Church or the millions who visit the Sistine Chapel each year. Without the air conditioning system, the Sistine Chapel would be closed to the public or limit viewing to reduce the damage from the carbon dioxide, sweat, and dust generated by masses of people.
Capitalism advances the human condition. Air conditioning is a great example. Without air conditioning, entire regions would be virtually uninhabitable. Without air conditioning, people suffer and die during heat waves. Without air conditioning, productivity would plummet when it is hot. Without air conditioning, many basic medicines would be undiscovered and unproduceable. Without air conditioning, hospitals would be less sanitary. Without air conditioning clean rooms, the computer age would not have occurred.
Neither I, nor any other soul on this earth knows if the planet is warming or cooling, or whether man can significantly affect the climate. We know that despite all predictions and computer modeling, warming has inexplicably been paused since before the turn of the century. Nevertheless, if warming resumes, it will be air conditioning that will save humanity and ease the suffering from a warmer planet.
The blessings of air conditioning came about because of capitalism. Entrepreneurs sought to improve their lot and wound up improving the lot of all mankind, guided, as the economist Adam Smith described, by an invisible hand. Is it possible that this invisible hand that leads entrepreneurs to create businesses is the same hand that led Michelangelo to paint masterpieces? Is it possible that this invisible hand is in fact, the very real hand of the Holy Spirit? I think so.
I was in Vatican City in July. Here is a picture of the papal apartments. Notice all the windows are closed. It was 110 degrees out at the time of the picture. Since there were no windows open, one can assume that air conditioning was on.
Since I am not Catholic I could care less what this man thinks. It will be a cold day in hell before I give up my air conditioner....I live in Texas!!!!
Can you provide a citation where the Pope condemns capitalism and free markets? I know there are plenty of MSM articles claiming that he did. That’s not what I’m asking for.
Willis developed the first air conditioner to solve a problem with ink smearing in a printing press. He was attempting to control humidity. It was an assignment by his employer, who wanted to make more money. Later, he launched Carrier Corporation. He was the epitome of the engineer entrepreneur who solved a problem/filled a need and built a business around the solution.
This would not have occurred in a Marxist state.
Get off your butt and look. The references are not hard to find. In fact, they are hard to escape. But no one is obligated to hand them to you on a plate.
Well I’m not Catholic ...but damn I wish I had said that!!!!
Hatred of Catholics ,
Babtists,
Mormons,
UHH!!! lets cut to the chase.....Christians!!!!
Exactly Entrepreneur
Well I'm asking for some.
I agree, I grew up in Texas without a/c and I never want to be without it again! I'd hate to be without my Tahoe or my cell phone too but a/c comes first!
Ditter, I bought my first F-150 because it was 105 Deg F out when I went on the test drive and it had air conditioned seats. Now, I won't own a vehicle without them.
***First consider that pretty much everyone in the US that wants air conditioning now has it...even prisons.***
I remember a Clinton HUD appointee Henry Cisneros, who declared AIR CONDITIONING was a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT for poor people, and wanted the government to buy ac units for them.
“Well I’m asking for some.”
And I’m telling you what others are - get off your butt and open your eyes. Heck - READ the article! Why do you think the Pope hates air conditioning? Why would ANYONE be amazed that air conditioning is valued by people living in 100 deg heat?
““People may well have a growing ecological sensitivity but it has not succeeded in changing their harmful habits of consumption which, rather than decreasing, appear to be growing all the more. A simple example is the increasing use and power of air-conditioning. The markets, which immediately benefit from sales, stimulate ever greater demand. An outsider looking at our world would be amazed at such behavior, which at times appears self-destructive.”
Do you think some evil market is driving the demand, or is it sweat?
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Is it me, or is anybody else tired of hearing about “His Holiness?” If a billion people around the world want to kiss the ring of a wretched sinner like you and me, then
22Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
23Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
Psalm 69
You dont’ have to get rid of heat, just restrict it to campfires outdoors.
Sometimes my phonetics go haywire!LOL
Air conditioning isn’t just a comfort luxury. Where I live, it is essential to prevent my house from turning into a moldy, decaying death trap. I don’t keep my house cold as a meat locker because I don’t really like it that way. Just cool enough that the house is happy.
Here is what I think this Pope should say:
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