Pope criticizes the ‘cruelty’ of capitalism

[freesoulhope]

Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, and Bill Gates are very smart guys who made billions in the computer industry because they created things people wanted. I wasn’t oppressd into buying the computer I am using. Who thinks they were?

I never said you were, you bought it because you wanted it and could afford it; plus it is not quite, at least not yet, a human necessity. I was just trying to point out is that because the poor cannot be self suffcient because they own nothing, we are at the mercy of a system that does not care for human dignity. Not everybody can be bill gates and have success(competion won’t allow it); neither can the capitalist market alone be supportive or be sympathetic to the human need becuase the nature of a competitive capitlist market (where only the fittest bennifit and survive), is indifferent to the human need; it puts human needs second to profit, if at all, and thats why there are poor people and people living below the poverty line in two of the most richest countries in the world; there is no saftey net for those that fall victim to the competition of the market. Humans competing agains’t eachother for survival in this technological age is illogical and immoral to me; and christianity is not supportive of it.

Peace.

 

[GreenJeans]

I never said you were, you bought it because you wanted it and could afford it; plus it is not quite, at least not yet, a human necessity. I was just trying to point out is that because the poor cannot be self suffcient because they own nothing, we are at the mercy of a system that does not care for human dignity. Not everybody can be bill gates and have success(competion won’t allow it); neither can the capitalist market alone be supportive or be sympathetic to the human need becuase the nature of a competitive capitlist market (where only the fittest bennifit and survive), is indifferent to the human need; it puts human needs second to profit, if at all, and thats why there are poor people and people living below the poverty line in two of the most richest countries in the world; there is no saftey net for those that fall victim to the competition of the market. Humans competing agains’t eachother for survival in this technological age is illogical and immoral to me; and christianity is not supportive of it.

Peace.

Gates, Dell, and Jobs have created good jobs for hundreds of thousands of people who are making a good living and providing for their own and their families’ human needs. The industry they helped found has created millions of jobs all over the world. Who is being oppressed?

Gates has created a charitable foundation with assets of $60 billion.

 

[Al_Masetti]

Part and parcel of the discussion of capitalism (as a social phenomenon … rather than as an economic system) are the ideas of envy and jealousy.

Some people just have talent that is highly marketable; and some other people just have talents that are not highly marketable.

Jealousy can push us to excel.

Envy can push us to deny others the fruits of their labors.

 

[ribozyme]

Part and parcel of the discussion of capitalism (as a social phenomenon … rather than as an economic system) are the ideas of envy and jealousy.

Some people just have talent that is highly marketable; and some other people just have talents that are not highly marketable.

Jealousy can push us to excel.

Envy can push us to deny others the fruits of their labors.

Well, we can always live in a democracy such as Cuba

 

[Al_Masetti]

Well, we can always live in a democracy such as Cuba

Well, that is THE alternative!

What is lacking is an accurate characterization of life under President-for-Life Democrat Fidel Castro.

It is interesting that one of the key arguments regarding the Cuba-alternative is that Cuba would be a veritable garden of eden if only the United States would remove its economic embargo of Cuba.

Strange, isn’t it?!!

Every one of the 160 or so countries of the world has economic ties to Cuba. And yet prosperity in Cuba is thwarted ONLY because the United States, the alleged headquarters capital city of “evil capitalism”, doesn’t freely trade with Cuba.

How ironic is that.

“Evil capitalism” is the bane of the world [small amount of irony and sarcasm, there] and, YET, Cuba and its supporters claim to need trade with the capitalist headquarters to prosper.

Cuba can get everything it needs from the United States via Cuba or any number of other intermediaries.

And yet, it still can’t survive.

Cuba has sunshine and abundant natural resources, and yet can barely feed its people.

Very few people from the United States risk swimming through shark infested waters to reach Cuba. And yet, thousands of Cubans risk all to reach the United States, the alleged headquarters of capitalism.

Why is that???

 

[stinkcat_14]

Part and parcel of the discussion of capitalism (as a social phenomenon … rather than as an economic system) are the ideas of envy and jealousy.

Some people just have talent that is highly marketable; and some other people just have talents that are not highly marketable.

Jealousy can push us to excel.

Envy can push us to deny others the fruits of their labors.

I think one of the problems in our market oriented society is that we focus too much on how the market values things. There is too little emphasis put on nonmonetary values. That is where the Church needs to play a larger role, because it needs to help us remember that there are more important things in life than making money.

 

[Voco_proTatiano]

Well, that is THE alternative!

What is lacking is an accurate characterization of life under President-for-Life Democrat Fidel Castro.

It is interesting that one of the key arguments regarding the Cuba-alternative is that Cuba would be a veritable garden of eden if only the United States would remove its economic embargo of Cuba.

Strange, isn’t it?!!

Every one of the 160 or so countries of the world has economic ties to Cuba. And yet prosperity in Cuba is thwarted ONLY because the United States, the alleged headquarters capital city of “evil capitalism”, doesn’t freely trade with Cuba.

How ironic is that.

“Evil capitalism” is the bane of the world [small amount of irony and sarcasm, there] and, YET, Cuba and its supporters claim to need trade with the capitalist headquarters to prosper.

Cuba can get everything it needs from the United States via Cuba or any number of other intermediaries.

And yet, it still can’t survive.

Cuba has sunshine and abundant natural resources, and yet can barely feed its people.

Very few people from the United States risk swimming through shark infested waters to reach Cuba. And yet, thousands of Cubans risk all to reach the United States, the alleged headquarters of capitalism.

Why is that???

Actually, bearing in mind the huge diplomatic pressure laid on other nations to boycott Cuba, and the contant CIA dirty tricks, some of them hilarious, the wonder is, not that Cuba does badly, but rather that it survives at all.

 

[freesoulhope]

Gates, Dell, and Jobs have created good jobs for hundreds of thousands of people who are making a good living and providing for their own and their families’ human needs. The industry they helped found has created millions of jobs all over the world.

If there was only thousands or millions of people in the world, and none of them had to compete to get a job, and all of them where employed by gates and given good wages, then i would have to agree with you; since there would be no one living in poverty. Secondly i never ment to say that there are no rich people with charitable hearts in the world. If you have more then enough, then it is righteuoss to give.

Gates has created a charitable foundation with assets of $60 billion.

If this is in fact true, then why is there people living in povety in some of the most riches countries in the world?

Please give a better answer then “the poor are to blame”; cause thats just a load of propaganda **** made up by those who want to exploit the poor, as for as im concerned.

Peace.

 

[Voco_proTatiano]

Part and parcel of the discussion of capitalism (as a social phenomenon … rather than as an economic system) are the ideas of envy and jealousy.

Some people just have talent that is highly marketable; and some other people just have talents that are not highly marketable.

Jealousy can push us to excel.

Envy can push us to deny others the fruits of their labors.

That Capitalism encourages jealousy and envy, two of the seven deadly sins, marks it out as inherrantly evil.
This means that if the system is to be used, it MUST be under tight controls to ensure that the inherrant evil does not defeat whatever good might be achieved by sleeping with Satan, alias Mammon.

 

[catholicbuckeye]

Bingo!
We are getting somewhere.
You accept limited access to some unhealthy products like tobacco, alcohol , heroin, hand-guns, automobiles, etc.
Why not treat other unhealthy products the same way?
But oh dear, that would harm the capitalists who are by targetting the weak and foolish, maximizing their profits.
We can’t do that, it would not be capitalism.
Capitalism has to be untethered.
Capitalism is the law of the jungle.
But the law of the jungle is for beasts of the jungle.
G_d set us apart from the beasts.
Those who want to behave like beasts are turning their backs on G_d.

Food stamps are scammed so badly it is unreal. A common scam would be for someone to trade $50 in food stamps for $20 in booze at a corner store. The register does not ring up the exact description of the purchased good. HUD gets scammed with it’s Section 8 rules as well. And that says nothing for the havoc wreaked by “Lesco”!!! Ha ha

What is interesting is that some of the strongest proponents of Communism/Socialism in the past are changing their ways. The former Soviet empire have embraced Capitalism after Communism failed. China has developed some free(er) market principles; now even France has elected a president on the premise that he will get rid of Socialism!!! If Communism, or total state control of all assets, is suicide economically, then Socialism is a slow death. I promise if the US adopts national medical coverage just in time for the Baby Boomers to retire and receive benefits, there will be no other result than economic collapse for the US. Then everyone will be equal(ly miserable).

 

[GreenJeans]

If there was only thousands or millions of people in the world, and none of them had to compete to get a job, and all of them where employed by gates and given good wages, then i would have to agree with you; since there would be no one living in poverty. Secondly i never ment to say that there are no rich people with charitable hearts in the world. If you have more then enough, then it is righteuoss to give.

If this is in fact true, then why is there people living in povety in some of the most riches countries in the world?

Please give a better answer then “the poor are to blame”; cause thats just a load of propaganda **** made up by those who want to exploit the poor, as for as im concerned.

Peace.

I suppose I could add many names to the list of Gates, Dell, and Jobs. Then we could expand the benefits coverage. But if capitalism is exploiting folks I would hope one could show how these capitalists, including the richest man in the world, are doing it.

I mention Gates charitable work not to refute any claim you made, but to highlight the fact that the richest capitalist in the world is giving huge amounts to the less fortunate. Hardly exploitative.

Well, it is true that Gates created a foundation with$60 billion, and it is true that there are people living in poverty. He can’t fix everything. Do you expect him to do so?

You ask for a better answer than “the poor are to blame.” What’s the question?

 

[ribozyme]

If there was only thousands or millions of people in the world, and none of them had to compete to get a job, and all of them where employed by gates and given good wages, then i would have to agree with you; since there would be no one living in poverty. Secondly i never ment to say that there are no rich people with charitable hearts in the world. If you have more then enough, then it is righteuoss to give.

If this is in fact true, then why is there people living in povety in some of the most riches countries in the world?

Please give a better answer then “the poor are to blame”; cause thats just a load of propaganda **** made up by those who want to exploit the poor, as for as im concerned.

Peace.

Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein blame it on low IQ genes.