This pope isn’t backing down on his critique of trickle-down economics, noting that none of the benefits never trickle down to the poor:
Pope Francis addressed accusations from ultra-conservative critics like Rush Limbaugh who accused him of being a Marxist and Sarah Palin who argued the “liberal” leader is the “Catholic Church’s Obama.”
Pope Francis previously denounced the global economy for worshipping a “God called money” and criticized world leaders for denying immigrant rights, treating them like “pawns on the chessboard of humanity.”
“This is just pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the Pope,” conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said in early December.
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Pope Francis was asked about criticism.
“Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don’t feel offended,” the Pope said. “There is nothing in the Exhortation that cannot be found in the social Doctrine of the Church.”
“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,” he added.
“The promise was that when the glass was full, it would overflow, benefiting the poor. But what happens instead, is that when the glass is full, it magically gets bigger, nothing ever comes out for the poor.”
Thanks, Kush Arora.
The Pope has put himself into a real bind here. Francis knows that Marx was correct when he spoke about the eonomic exploitation of the workers by the capitalists. Hell, Christ was a communist. He often spoke of the “community of man” and paying for things from the “communal purse.” The problem for the Pope is that Marx said that religion was another form of oppression of the people by the ruling class (1%). Marx saw religion as the exploitation of human ignorance and credulity. If the Pope is nothing else he’s a very religious man. How he escapes from the box that he’s put himself into will be interesting to watch.