Thomas Piketty’s first two books were too long. His most famous tome, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, exceeded 800 pages. His follow-up book, Capital and Ideology, was even longer, topping out at 1100 pages. I’m delighted to note that his new book,
So a couple of thoughts. His book mentions Haiti and France's paying reparations. Is there any connection as to why today Haiti is the most dysfunctional and poorest nation in the carribean? They clearly have not benefited. (Yes I'm sure there are many reasons). But of all the examples of what colonial reparations can do, Haiti is clearly a failure.
Second the German right to private property is only a right in so far it's for the public good? Who determines this? Governments? Envious neighbors? This MAY work if those entities were Catholic in their world view, but even now we see the Vatican has its own financial scandal. To say it supports Catholic social teaching is a bit of an exaggeration if not false.
Third, I'm a fan of higher education but it's not a fix all. It's expensive, doesn't guarantee success or prosperity. Allowing companies who manufacture and create to keep their wealth and Investing in training programs for workers to become more skilled and allow those companies to train entry level employees in "dirty hands on"work welding, machinery, heck electrical and plumbing that are sorely needed and necessary for growth of industry and create a country's robust economy. Having skilled craftman everyone benefits. More lawyers and accountants...eh?
Lastly, the carbon card would start with the wealrhy, but trickle down to everyone and impede individual freedom. That's just another layer of control I'm not willing to forego.
I fear to throw "The Catholic" label on any of these proposals is naive due to those implementing them are neither Catholic nor care about the common good. And the only means to implement these proposals is by "big government" to remove more freedoms then there would be gained. And that is contrary to the Catholic principle of subsidiarity.
There has been no system in the history of the world that has moved more people out of poverty than the free market. Can it be improved? Maybe, if those implementing had a Catholic world view. But they do not, and without it some of the proposals you laid out just have "danger" written all over them.
So a couple of thoughts. His book mentions Haiti and France's paying reparations. Is there any connection as to why today Haiti is the most dysfunctional and poorest nation in the carribean? They clearly have not benefited. (Yes I'm sure there are many reasons). But of all the examples of what colonial reparations can do, Haiti is clearly a failure.
Second the German right to private property is only a right in so far it's for the public good? Who determines this? Governments? Envious neighbors? This MAY work if those entities were Catholic in their world view, but even now we see the Vatican has its own financial scandal. To say it supports Catholic social teaching is a bit of an exaggeration if not false.
Third, I'm a fan of higher education but it's not a fix all. It's expensive, doesn't guarantee success or prosperity. Allowing companies who manufacture and create to keep their wealth and Investing in training programs for workers to become more skilled and allow those companies to train entry level employees in "dirty hands on"work welding, machinery, heck electrical and plumbing that are sorely needed and necessary for growth of industry and create a country's robust economy. Having skilled craftman everyone benefits. More lawyers and accountants...eh?
Lastly, the carbon card would start with the wealrhy, but trickle down to everyone and impede individual freedom. That's just another layer of control I'm not willing to forego.
I fear to throw "The Catholic" label on any of these proposals is naive due to those implementing them are neither Catholic nor care about the common good. And the only means to implement these proposals is by "big government" to remove more freedoms then there would be gained. And that is contrary to the Catholic principle of subsidiarity.
There has been no system in the history of the world that has moved more people out of poverty than the free market. Can it be improved? Maybe, if those implementing had a Catholic world view. But they do not, and without it some of the proposals you laid out just have "danger" written all over them.