“Globalization Needs a Soul”
by Fred Fortin
Thanks to Salon’s Andrew Leonard I’ve been following some blog commentary on recent statements by Pope Benedict XVI on globalization. The Pope argues, not surprisingly, that while globalization has benefited many millions of people, it has also led to growing inequities in the world that are fueling significant unrest. Other principles that need to guide the economy are justice and charity, the Pope explained. He calls for a globalization “characterized by solidarity and without marginalization of people”, values, which, together with sound economic policies, he says, could go a long way in finding solutions to the ethical challenges in a globalized world.
Leonard who besides generating a discussion on whether socialism was the favored economic system of the Catholic Church opined:
“. . . any way you slice it, the pope’s basic analysis is, well, pretty infallible. Globalization has created opportunities for hundreds of millions of people to escape poverty, and it has contributed to widening gaps between rich and poor in both the developed and the developing world. Addressing that contradiction requires that societies make value-laden choices. The pope believes in the sacrament of Jesus Christ. Others might settle for universal healthcare and wage insurance. Either way, globalization needs a soul.”
