Getting to the root of social ills

I am sure many, if not most, of those reading this column have had occasions to engage in lively discussions on the latest fine dining restaurants, top travel destinations, wines yet to be savored, the latest models of smart phones, which designer brands are still in fashion; topics that are considered almost fashionable in certain circles of society.

It may be hard to believe, but Pope Francis is apparently telling us, in his first Papal Exhortation, that this type of conversation is a symptom of what is wrong with the world today. To avoid debate, let me quote directly from the Pope’s message:

“To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of indifference has developed. Almost without being aware of it, we end up incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own.

The culture of prosperity deadens us; we are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase. In the meantime all those lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they fail to move us.”

In paragraph 54, the Pope condemns trickle-down free market economy. Again, much later in his Papal Exhortation, he repeats this message using a different language. In paragraph 204, he says:

“We can no longer trust in the unseen forces and the invisible hand of the market. Growth in justice requires more than economic growth, while presupposing such growth; it requires decisions, programs, mechanisms and processes specifically geared to a better distribution of income, the creation of sources of employment and an integral promotion of the poor which goes beyond a simple welfare mentality. I am far from proposing an irresponsible populism, but the economy can no longer turn to remedies that are a new poison, such as attempting to increase profits by reducing the work force and thereby adding to the ranks of the excluded.”

It is clear that the Pope sees poverty not just an economic condition, but as a source of great evil in this world. He reiterates two basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching, namely the Principle of Human Dignity and the Principle of the Common Good. In Paragraph 202, he is very clear about his message on “the economy and the distribution of income” which many rightist economists may interpret as being socialism. He says:

“The need to resolve the structural causes of poverty cannot be delayed, not only for the pragmatic reason for its urgency for the good order of society, but because society needs to be cured of a sickness which is weakening and frustrating it, and which can only lead to a new crisis. Welfare projects, which meet certain urgent needs, should be considered merely temporary responses.

As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of the markets and financial speculation and by attacking the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be found for the world’s problems or for that matter, to any problem. Inequality is the root of social ills.”

Obviously, this message is addressed to those who are financially well-off in all societies, including ours. And this is where the Pope will find the strongest resistance, though there may be public deference to the Pope’s message and it may even elicit complimentary remarks.

But I have, for example, always brought up this issue of income inequality as the root of social ills in conversation among business and political circles without mentioning that this was part of the Pope’s message. Invariably, the reaction ranges from indifference to cynicism. There were even occasions when this topic became a basis for humorous anecdotes.

The main cause of this lack of empathy with the Pope is that the upper classes believe that income inequality has always been with us and will continue to remain as a permanent feature of society. Furthermore, warnings that income inequality will cause social upheavals have been heard too often in the past. It seems to be the accepted conventional wisdom that there will always be poor people, and that the poor have learned to accept being poor.

It is clear what the Pope considers as a framework for the “new “economy.” He says: “The dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies.”

The goals are clear. But again the devil is in the details. What exactly is the economic system proposed by the Pope? From the point of view of an economist, it seems to be a mixture of socialism and Keynesian economics.

But the Pope seems to be avoiding proposing any specific system. Instead he simply asks for the wielders of economic power – businessmen and politicians – to accept the responsibility of attaining the goal of an ideal society.  He says, “Business is a vocation, and a noble vocation, provided that those engaged in it see themselves challenged by a greater meaning in life; this will enable them to truly serve the common good by striving to increase the goods of this world and make them more accessible to all.”

This places a great burden on those who have the authority to determine the economic and business policies in a society. The Pope is telling them that they will be judged by the results of their actions and decisions.

But so far, I have not seen any changes in business practices in the Philippines or anywhere in the world that indicates the Papal Exhortation is being taken seriously by business leaders. Perhaps, the message is too new. Or perhaps the message has been heard so often since the birth of Jesus Christ that it has become a cliché. Perhaps businessmen have become too cynical. Or maybe the Pope is right. We have all become consumed by the idolatry of money.

But the greatest message is that we have a Pope who has not given up on aspiring for a society where everyone can either have a job with a living wage or a life of human dignity as a matter of justice, not as a matter of charity.

Maybe for now all he is asking is that we do not give up as well.

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