More Dissent on the Right | National Catholic Reporter

More Dissent on the Right | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Samuel Gregg of Acton is correct and I will not apologize for anything the Holy Father said.  The Pope diagnosed the region's and the world's problems to a tee.  It is Acton whose prescription has led to disaster.  Gregg is right that wealthy countries do not play fair, but agreements like the TPP only codify that unfairness because they favor companies over countries.  If the non-Portuguese countries unified, they would have the leverage to tell the United States and its member corporations to swim in the sewer.  Once the countries cannot be easily exploited, the poor are in much better shape to demand their rights as well, including the right to unionize and not be black listed or killed.  A continent wide workers rights agency is exactly what the doctor, and the pontiff, would have ordered.



Of course, before we get all high and mighty about American corporations exploiting the poor, we need to remember that they do so to feed our cheap consumption - which keeps us from organizing on behalf of all workers.  If food were not so cheap, many more would be rioting in the U.S., including me.  Liberty is the luxury of the well fed.



Weigel's comparison of Francis to St. John Paul is apt.  Karol was the leading voice of rejectionism at the Second Vatican Council, yet he had the temerity to name himself after the Council popes, or rather after a pope who might have taken the spirit of Vatican II to the next level rather than dialing it back.  Francis is now bringing back the revolution and making up for lost time for families, gay children, the divorced, abused children, the poor and the environment and he is providing an unavoidable example on overturning clerical culture by living simply.  No wonder Weigel is not friendly to this pope. Then again, I never, ever, cared what Weigel thought or concluded about anything.  Why start now?



Why confront a good comrade, like Morales.  I doubt Francis would have endorsed General Jarulzelski, just to be clear.  Not a good Comrade. Indeed, Soviet and Chinese communists are not considered to be socialists.  They are authoritarians.  Socialism is by nature democratic, not autocratic.  That would be capitalism.



George Weigel and the John Paul priests can wait around to die - as long as they don't get in the way of reform for the rest of us.  Of course, if they wish to tango, we will shout them down with less respect than they think is due them, but more than they have earned.



I like how Francis says that between now and September, he will read those who criticize them.  He will likely be more gentle with them than I would be - and certainly more than St. John Paul, or St. Pius, would be.



I hope he reads what I have said in the comment on consumerism.  The problem is not having goods, its having goods without paying for the labor to bring them.  There is only so much we can do on that score unless we start really condemning the bad actors and finding alternatives for people of conscience to eat and drink - or finding a way to make our own food sustainably (I have some writings on that topic - and it will first revolutionize life for American workers and then overseas workers as well - maybe I should be on Francis' calendar).



There are many Traditionalists who are good economic liberals, although they still take in some of the crap they are taught and know no better.  Hopefully Francis can reach them about the upcoming changes so that we can cut the likes of Gregg and Weigel off at the knees.