Andrew Yang
Posted on 04/13/2020 4:22:19 PM PDT by ebb tide
VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - The Latin America-based group, World Meeting of Popular Movements [El Encuentro Mundial de Movimientos Populares (EMMP)], released a letter from Pope Francis to its member organizations in which he says circumstances created by the global pandemic "may be the time to consider a universal basic wage."
Pope Francis shared that thought with an organization he initiated and whose purpose is to create opportunities for Church leadership and grassroots, social justice organizations to strategize about structural changes that promote social, economic and racial justice.
Released on Easter Sunday, the letter is addressed to "our brothers and sisters of popular movements and organizations."
The pontiff fondly recalled his three previous meetings with the organization, twice at the Vatican in 2014 and 2016 and once in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. He speaks fondly of the "beautiful projects" that emerged from the meetings and says their time together "warms my heart." Based on the organization's website, it does not appear the group has met with the pope since 2016.
However, a by-invitation-only regional meeting took place in Modesto, California, in 2017. It was convened by the Vatican's department for Integral Human Development (IHD), the Catholic Campaign for Human Development of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and PICO National Network.
Twice noting their work "on the peripheries," the pope pointed out that "market solutions" do not reach there. He also expresses concern that these "social poets" are "looked upon with suspicion when through community organization you try to move beyond philanthropy or when, instead of resigning and hoping to catch some crumbs that fall from the table of economic power, you claim your rights."
In his letter, Pope Francis wrote about the plight of the poor, difficult in the best of times, nearly unbearable during the current global crisis. "How difficult it is to stay at home for those who live in tiny, ramshackle dwellings or for the homeless! How difficult it is for migrants, those who are deprived of freedom and those in rehabilitation from an addiction."
He continued his description of and empathy for people around the world who are suffering.
The ills that afflict everyone hit you twice as hard. Many of you live from day to day, without any type of legal guarantee to protect you. Street vendors, recyclers, carnies, small farmers, construction workers, dressmakers, the different kinds of caregivers; you who are informal, working on your own or in the grassroots economy, you have no steady income to get you through this hard time ... and the lockdowns are becoming unbearable.
It was in this context that Pope Francis wrote, "This may be the time to consider a universal basic wage, which would acknowledge and dignify the noble, essential tasks you carry out. It would ensure and concretely achieve the ideal, at once so human and so Christian, of no worker without rights."
In addition to a universal wage, the pope expressed his hope for universal access to "the three Ts that you [EMMP] defend: Trabajo [work], Techo [housing] and Terra [land]. These are the three human basics around which EMMP organizes its global activities.
This may be the time to consider a universal basic wage, which would acknowledge and dignify the noble, essential tasks you carry out.Tweet
The pope called for an awakening from our [the West's?] "sleepy consciences" that indulge in "frenetic rhythms of production and consumption," extravagant luxuries, and profits that benefit only a few in favor of a "humanistic and ecological conversion."
Pope Francis' tone of encouragement and admiration for EMMP-member organizations is in sharp contrast to his messages for American Catholics. One writer called out "Francis's harsh attitude toward economic sinners and his red-hot contempt for the Western 'myths' ... individualism, consumerism and blind faith in technology."
Andrew Yang
At least one person was excited about the pope's universal wage suggestion. Andrew Yang, a former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, tweeted in response to the pope's wage proposal: "Wow ... Game-changing." Yang was the candidate whose platform called for a basic income plan that would give every adult citizen $12,000 per year through a series of monthly payments.
Meanwhile, in Finland, the response was less effusive, as the nation's own universal basic income experiment was failure. Beginning in January 2017, the Finnish government gave a random sample of 2,000 unemployed people a monthly stipend of around $700 with no requirement to seek or accept employment. The stipend was not enough to live on, but leftists thought it would fill in wage gaps and conservatives thought the plan would streamline a bloated welfare bureaucracy.
Two years later, many recipients remained jobless, by choice. Branding the experiment a dismal failure, the government cancelled the scheme and began pursuing other welfare options.
Francis was busy this Easter Sunday with his politicking. First pope to do so.
Of course he does. It’s not coming out of his pocket.
Ping
The title for Bergoglio is Dope, not Pope.
He claims to be such a caring person. He should open the Sistine Chapel to immigrants...plenty of room there for tents and cots. But I guess his sympathy is just meaningless words.
Pope Che. Nuff Said
TAX THE CHURCH!
Great idea. Just sell all Catholic and Vatican assets.
That would go long way to help those in need.
Lots of valuable stuff that could be sold off to help the poor.
So that means that every adult in the world is now going to be getting a lifetime US $800/week from the Pope!!
1) Working someone and not paying them for their labor and efforts, or
2) Giving them money without requiring them to work!
You only get to do that once.
The Catholic Church is the largest charity in the world.
Matthew 25:35 shows that Jesus didn’t say, “I was hungry and you gave me some money to buy food,” but, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.”
Also, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that if you won’t work then you don’t eat.
Insights welcome.
From Rudyard Kipling, over a century ago:
In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.”
Right..let’s just PRINT. MONEY. and give it to people.
What could possibly go wrong? /sarc
WORST. POPE. EVER!!! In the ENTIRE HISTORY of the Church.
I hate this guy with the fire of a thousand suns..and I’m married to a hard core Catholic who only marginally gets how dangerous this guy is..
I never thought we would have a “Catholic Obama”, yet here we are..
I think it’s a great idea. How long do you think that the artwork, real estate and other Vatican treasure will pay for this? When will he liquidate assets to get the cash and when can I get my first check?
slaves - giving them money
Wish I could remember the name of a book I read 40 years ago, this really rich guy gets screwed over in this small town and sends everyone there $50,000 - it totally destroys their lives.
Communist.
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