Pope Says Concern for Poor Is Gospel, Not Communism

Headlines this morning:

“Pope Says Concern for Poor Is Gospel, Not Communism“
“Pope calls for more market regulation, denies he is Marxist:”

I have to agree with him on the first, concern is not Communism, nor is asking the people to give with a free, generous heart Communism. But when you use the force of government, like the second headline implies, to take from those who have to give to those who have not is a close kin of Communism.

Now to step off on a tangent. There are three major economic systems at play in the world today: Communism, Fascism, and Capitalism. The Solstice system are a mix of Communism and Capitalism, and is referred to as a mixed economy.

In a Communist system manufacturing, labor, and distribution. wealth creation and dispersal, is owned by the government. The government decides what is to be produced, who will produce it, and who will get it.

In a Fascist system individuals are allowed to own the means of production, but the government dictates what will be produced, the price at which it must be sold, and where it can be sold. The US economy has been creeping into a Fascist system for a long time now.

In a Capitalistic system individuals own the means of productions, set the price of what is produce using market forces, and decide the means of distribution via retail or direct marketing. The market, not government, dictates what will be produced, where it will be sold, and at what price. The Capitalistic system has raised more people out of poverty than any other economic system that has be devised by man.

Capitalism can be perverted into what is know as “Crony Capitalism” which is where certain industries get into bed with the government to rig the rules in their favor. Three example come to mind today, and that is the Solar, Wind and Ethanol industries none of whom could exist at their current scale without government force.