To begin – I am not a fan of socialism or communism, and I have been feeling pretty tepid about capitalism for about 20 years. As I wrote in yesterday’s thought, God’s economy isn’t any of the above but does include a little of each. God’s economy is about making sure that all people get what they need, but not necessarily what they want. One of our national mottoes, that every person has the right to “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” is pretty clear in its agreement with this. Every human being has the right to live, to be free, and to chase after happiness. No government – not even God – can insure your or my personal happiness. We have to make that happen. The questions around socialism, however, are foolish to me. I don’t think most people promoting socialism really want the government to control and/or own all the businesses. I think they want fairness, and like me, are disgusted by the greed we see masquerading as capitalism. For Adam Smith, considered the creator of economic theory, including capitalism, self-interest was supposed to be balanced with moral care for others. His books are amazing. Capitalists and Socialist should read them.
The question I ask is, is it socialism? It isn’t socialism to believe that business owners should pay a living wage, but it is socialism to think that every person should earn the same. There are differences in education and experience and skill, all of which should be compensated for. Otherwise, what’s the point of improving oneself? It isn’t socialism to believe that every American should be able to afford safe, affordable housing, but it is socialism to think a 22-year-old should be able to live like their 55-year-old parents. You start small and build. You have kids when you can afford them. You drive a little car until you can get something fancy, like my 7-year-old pickup truck. It isn’t socialism to believe that every American should have good, comprehensive health insurance and care, but it is socialism to believe that everything should be free. Paying a percentage of your income for good care isn’t highway robbery – it’s life.
The problem is that Americans, over the last 50 years, have been forced to pay much more than the generations who came before them. My first house was a little less than 1/3 of my income; my kids pay about half. My parents paid around 15%. Affordability as a political/moral issue is a problem for rich people who don’t what to pay a living wage. Providing something like the ACA is only a problem for people with money; they don’t want to give in to the common good. Here is a clue – when we keep people healthy, it actually costs us less than when we have to pay for ER trips. When we make sure healthy food is affordable, we contribute to the common good. Jesus spoke about rich people a couple of times, and I think He understood that they are afraid to lose what they have. They forget that they got rich off of the sweat and labor of their workers, and taking care of them isn’t socialism – it’s moral and good – and practical. We are responsible for one another, to a degree. Greed is a poison, and it is slowly killing the American dream. Supply and demand – market forces – are realities, but that doesn’t mean they are all that matters. Goodness and empathy matter too.
Prayer – Holy God, thank You for the chance to do good, hard work. And thank You for reminding us of our connection to each other. Amen.
Today’s art is a statue of Adam Smith on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland.