The Parable Of The Cart: Why The Pope Is Wrong On Capitalism

The Vicar of Christ? Or Marx?

Pope Francis came to Congress this week and lectured America about our fascination with self reliance and capitalism.  As he talked down to us - a trait used by other Marxists in power like the Kenyan - he admonished us for many things, not the least of which is our cultural and personal  advancement through evil capitalism.  As we've taken so much from so many, he reasons, we should gleefully give it all back.  Not so fast. Rather than debate the points of his lecture, er, speech, point by point, in seriatim, let's just create a comparative analogy of wealth distribution, and why it has never, ever worked anywhere it has been tried.   

The Parable Of The Cart

The Progenesis of Wealth

Let's say we buy into this wealth distribution thing, and agree to give a hand up (really a handout) to each of a thousand illiterate impoverished people in a hypothetical third world country.  That handout consists of $100 and an ox cart.  How many of those thousand people will make something out of that gift?  How many will take the $100, sell the oxcart, and enjoy the fruits of this windfall until it runs out and they are in poverty once again?  And how many will see the potential, and turn that gift into an enterprise that employs several other guys, and ultimately makes them all money, which indeed will lift them out of poverty? We know the answer to that, because we see it every day.  Despite financial support, most people cannot support themselves, and the reason is not one of education, or opportunity or even means.  Its is singularly one of will.  Many people simply don't want to provide for themselves, especially if others are willing to do so for them.   

Parable of the Cart

I have a real world story on this very topic.  I own rental property, and one of my tenants was an intelligent, single mother whose sole source of income was government "assistance."  She mentioned one day that she'd like to be free of the government's largess, and do something on her own.  I suggested she obtain a hotdog cart, and simply be a street vendor in the downtown area, which in my city was a mecca for bankers, lawyers, judges, and other professionals.  No such service existed, and she would have made a good deal of money just by serving lunch to harried professionals downtown for perhaps just two hours a day.  Preferential financing for the cart, and discounted sources of supplies were available to her.  Her intellect was engaged, but her will to act was not.  And therein lies the problem:  the lack of optimism and will will never be offset by "assistance."  As salesmen have often said of the will to act: Some will; some won't; so what. 

Yet They Want More.

How clearly the parable above shows Francis' lecture inappropriate.  Even the parable of the tenets in Mathew 25 - invest, don't divest - would suggest the Pope's message is missing the point.  More people have been lifted from poverty and have gained personal freedom through capitalism, which is investing in the future, especially in the United States, than have those who suffer to this day under tyrannical regimes who plunder the wealth and efforts of the providers.  Especially big are American's hearts:  individually we give $360 billion annually in charity.  Who else comes close to that?  How is that not in keeping with Christ's teachings of tithing?  Yet they want more.  They want it all.  Further, America has taken in more refugees than all of Europe combined.  With this influx of millions of millions of impoverished, illiterate- even in their own tongues - invaders, America risks everything by allowing this: her culture, her language, her rule of law and her way of life.  Yet we do it anyway, even in the face of widespread grassroots objections.  My belief is that the fallout of these misguided immigration policies -  especially as it pertains to Muslims -  will be disastrous.  We give even though we owe nothing.  Yet they want more.  They want it all.

I'm not here to bash the Pope.  I too champion the furtherance of Christian views and Christ's teachings.  But one wonders how he can maintain his political positions given his own country's history.  Just a century ago, there were only seven countries in the world that were more prosperous than Argentina.  Those were Belgium, Switzerland, Britain and four former English colonies including the United States.  What happened?  Argentina was burdened with bad socialist policies and decades of political instability which made property rights insecure and investment unattractive.   That means personal wealth was lost, folks.  But these are the very policies the Pope advocates now.  Yet in contrast to Argentina, America with her big heart and rule of law and capitalistic society has elevated more people out of poverty any other system in the history of mankind.  But perhaps Francis knows more about how to become impoverished than he does about becoming prosperous.  Let's hope for America's sake that his advocacies are ignored, and we continue with what actually works.