Pope Warns Against New Colonialism: Corporations, Loan Agencies, and Austerity Measures That Hurt Poor

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zz912 said:
Those 3,500,000,000 people are poor because of socialism.
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My neighbor whose job was outsourced overseas by the corporation where he had worked for twenty-five years is now poor because of socialism? I don’t think so.
 
Thomas_White said:
My neighbor whose job was outsourced overseas by the corporation where he had worked for twenty-five years is now poor because of socialism? I don’t think so.
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Your neighbor isn’t even CLOSE to being among the 3,500,000,000 poorest on the planet.

Not by a LONG shot.
 
Hazen_Pingree said:
Thomas White;13114344:
Having taught for some years in the inner-city public schools of a large Midwestern city located not so distant from Detroit, I have to ask this question: How does this happen? Is it nature or is it nurture, heredity or environment?

I think it’s both nature and nurture. I also believe that it is a great mystery. The nature of mankind is to be rebellious – witness Adam and Eve and project their rebellion into the future. Man rebels and celebrates his rebellion. Part of the rebellion is to inculcate animus into our children so that they too can hate what we hate, rebel against what we rebel against. As time goes on it becomes more and more difficult to figure out where it all started or how to stop its momentum. Our rebellion – and our damnation – is secured by our actions and language. Having good intentions will not cure the disease. No one is exempt. Were it not for Christ, we would all be lost.
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I think your posts in this thread are outstanding!
If I could add one more thing to your statement above it would be this.

Welfare breeds contempt, I personally believe that once people get accustomed to this lifestyle they can never have enough for free, they want more and more money and toys, that we as a nation can not afford to give to them. This is where the contempt lies.

I also believe that there is a guilty resentment that lies just below the surface for these people, they sense that the handouts have ruined their self esteem but they feel powerless to reverse this situation. I think it is akin to the way I feel when I have the occasional easy week at work, I have a slightly harder time gearing up after that. I can’t imagine what it would be like to sit around for 10 years and then go back to work.
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zz912 said:
Your neighbor isn’t even CLOSE to being among the 3,500,000,000 poorest on the planet.

Not by a LONG shot.
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Thanks for the clarification. I’ll run right over and let him know. I’m sure the news will make his day. 👍
 
You sound as if these people just tripped over their billions. Most of these people created their wealth or are children and spouse of someone that created that wealth. Would we really want to live in a world without all our new technology? Would we really want to live in a world where we cant walk into a store and buy some many different fresh produce and food? Would we really want to live in a world where we cant get into our cars and drive across this great nation? Not me.
 
philipl said:
You sound as if these people just tripped over their billions. Most of these people created their wealth or are children and spouse of someone that created that wealth. Would we really want to live in a world without all our new technology? Would we really want to live in a world where we cant walk into a store and buy some many different fresh produce and food? Would we really want to live in a world where we cant get into our cars and drive across this great nation? Not me.
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I guess I should note that the title of the thread is: “Popes Warns Againt New Colonialism: Corporations, Loan Agencies, and Austerity Measures That Hurt Poor”

I don’t know what that might sound like to some, but it is what it is. And those who disagree with the teachings of the Pope ought to just say so.
 
stinkcat_14 said:
Poverty can be a result of these things, however there are other causes of poverty as well. For example, I have a friend who works hard and makes $250 a month in a developing country. He doesn’t drink nor does he squander his money, but he is likely to be poor for most of his life, because he lacks access to education and other factors that contribute to higher incomes. There are two basic reasons why people are poor: first, people do stupid things, second, bad things happen (i.e. born in the wrong country) or lack of opportunity. We don’t really know what percentage of poor people come from each cause.
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When people are poor simply for lack of opportunity,that is no one’s fault,although the culture may be at fault for lack of motivation and development. A person who is in that situation can either cultivate his own business where he is at or move to a place where there are better opportunities to earn money.
 
triumphguy said:
Wrong.

they are probably poor because of globalization and multi-nationals.
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Many people are poor because they live in places which have been impoverished for centuries because of the people’s lack of initiative to improve their condition,and they were raised by parents who lacked initiative.
 
anthony022071 said:
Many people are poor because they live in places which have been impoverished for centuries because of the people’s lack of initiative to improve their condition,and they were raised by parents who lacked initiative.
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think about that for a few minutes: How could people survive for centuries/generations in the third world without initiative?

In many impoverished places people have to walk 10km to get water. That’s not a lack of initiative.

BTW are you going to answer the posts about assent to papal teaching being a Catholic duty?
 
anthony022071 said:
Many people are poor because they live in places which have been impoverished for centuries because of the people’s lack of initiative to improve their condition,and they were raised by parents who lacked initiative.
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That’s a very offensive and inaccurate statement to make. :nope:
 
anthony022071 said:
Many people are poor because they live in places which have been impoverished for centuries because of the people’s lack of initiative to improve their condition,and they were raised by parents who lacked initiative.
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Can you provide the data on this lack of initiative? How do you measure lack of initiative?
 
anthony022071 said:
When people are poor simply for lack of opportunity,that is no one’s fault,although the culture may be at fault for lack of motivation and development. A person who is in that situation can either cultivate his own business where he is at or move to a place where there are better opportunities to earn money.
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Where would you suggest my friend move to?
 
Thomas_White said:
I guess I should note that the title of the thread is: “Popes Warns Againt New Colonialism: Corporations, Loan Agencies, and Austerity Measures That Hurt Poor”

I don’t know what that might sound like to some, but it is what it is. And those who disagree with the teachings of the Pope ought to just say so.
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I do disagree with his opinion. But I do notice he never seems to talk about solutions except to tax people even more.
 
ProVobis said:
The 1% or so will have to answer to God for that.

Governments and corporations, however, will not be standing before God.
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What make you think the 1% is guilty of any those things? Simply because they have wealth?
 
anthony022071 said:
Justice is about giving to each person what he is due. In particular cases,that begs the question - what is due to this person?

That some people are very wealthy while others are very poor does not necessary mean that the wealthy have defrauded the poor or that they are the cause of the poverty of others. We need to think logically about this.

Companies defrauding workers of their wages is one thing,but the mere fact that the companies are very wealthy while many other people are poor is another.

If we accuse a company of causing poverty,we should show a clear connection between the company’s practices and other people’s poverty.

People who are poor are not usually in that state because they are being defrauded of their wages,but because of lack of motivation and organization and economic development.

People throughout history have observed that poverty is a result of sloth and negligence and drunkenness and squandering money and inheritance and living a dissipated life. These observations are found in scripture.

There may be as little connection between the wealth of large companies and other people’s poverty as there is between the wealth of us middle class people and the poverty of people who live in ghettos or homeless people. We owe it to the poor people we meet to help them if they need our help,but that owing does not mean our wealth is the cause of their poverty or was gotten at their disadvantage. Likewise,the wealth of large corporations is not necessarily the cause of other people’s poverty or gotten at the disadvantage of the poor. We should have the same attitude towards people who are wealthier than us that we have towards ourselves.

People throughout history have observed that poverty is a result of sloth and negligence and squandering money and inheritance and living a dissipated life. This is found in scripture.

If a company is defrauding workers of their wages or paying them far too little for their work,the authorities of the Church can rebuke it and try to compel it to do what is just. But the financial transactions and profits it makes should not be our concern,if nothing clearly wrong is being done.
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Outstanding points!
 
philipl said:
I do disagree with his opinion. But I do notice he never seems to talk about solutions except to tax people even more.
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Pope Francis was a Jesuit missionary in Buenos Aires, and his primary concern for at least the past forty years has been the huge numbers of desperately poor people in that region, as was very evident during his recent visit to South America. I don’t think his criticisms have been directed toward U.S. domestic politics. It really hasn’t been his focus.

The pope does seem to view global corporations as imposing a new colonialism. But, again, this seems to concern South America.
 
philipl said:
What make you think the 1% is guilty of any those things? Simply because they have wealth?
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I’m not the one who’ll be judging which individuals are responsible for the suppression of the poor. Or is the Pope condemning anyone, for that matter? .
 
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