FREE THE POOR

THERE'S NO CHANCE A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CAN BE DISSUADED FROM A STRONGLY HELD, RELIGIOUS NARRATIVE OF WAL-MART BASHING. AS A CONSERVATIVE CATHOLIC I TURNED OFF PBS RADIO YEARS AGO AFTER THE REALIZATION THAT IT WAS JUST THE LEFT ARM OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. A RECENT ESSAY IN MY MAILER, THE CATHOLIC TIMES, HOWEVER, WAS A TURN-OFF AGAIN.

A LIBERAL WRITER DEPLORED THE "COST OF HUMAN DIGNITY," FOR SWEAT SHOP WORKERS. THE OPPOSITE SCENARIO IS TRUE. THE DENIAL OF WORK FOR "SWEATSHOP LABORERS" IS A DENIAL OF THEIR DIGNITY. "DEPLORABLE" IS THE WORD THAT SHOULD BE ATTRIBUTED NOT TO THEIR WORKING CONDITIONS BUT TO POLITICAL CONDITIONS IN OPPRESSIVE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES. GOVERNMENTS WITH REACTIONARY AND/OR "OPPESSIVE" LEADERS SQUASH HOPE AND BLOCK PROGRESS FOR THEIR CITIZENS. THEIR COLLECTIVISTIC AND COMMUNISTIC SYSTEMS OF EQUALITY ALWAYS FAIL.

MY LIBERAL REMINDED ME OF VATICAN II DOCUMENTS WHICH CONDEMN PRACTICES THAT TREAT PEOPLE AS "MERE TOOLS FOR PROFIT RATHER THAN FREE AND RESPONSIBLE PERSONS." TRUE. BUT ARE NOT EMPLOYED WORKERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TRYING TO BE RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE OFTEN NOT POLITICALLY FREE? ABSENT THE CHOICE OF "SWEAT LABOR", THEIR CHOICE IS NO LABOR AT ALL.

MY LIBERAL ALSO PULLED AT MY HEARTSTRINGS WITH ERRONEOUS AND MISLEADING DATA. WHERE DOES SHE GET HER FACTS TO SUPPORT HER ALLEGATION THAT MOTHERS "CAN'T BUY MILK FOR THEIR CHILDREN? SHE FORGETS THAT MOTHERS IN POOR SOCIETIES OFTEN NURSE THEIR CHILDREN. IT WAS HUMOROUS, HER SUGGESTION, THAT WE ORDER GOODS FROM NON-PROFIT COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE JOBS FOR POOR WOMEN AND MEN. WHO ARE THESE ENTITIES WITHOUT PROFITS OTHER THAN COMPANIES OBVIOUSLY SUPPORTED BY CHARITY? CHARITY IS GREAT, BUT LIBERALS, STATISTICS PROVE, ARE HIGHLY REMISS IN CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.

JOHN PAUL II CORRECTLY DENOUNCED THE RICH AND POWERFUL FOR MANIPULATING SYSTEMS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR, BUT THIS IS NOT HAPPENING WITH REGARD TO THE WORKING POOR. AMERICA IS NOT INTENTIONALLY SUPPORTING SYSTEMS THAT "OPPRESS" THE POOR. ELIMINATING A FREE MARKET OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS ELIMINATES POOR PEOPLES' ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS. IF IT WEREN'T FOR WAL-MART AND OTHER LARGE CORPORATIONS, WORKERS WOULD HAVE NO LIVELIHOODS AT ALL.

FREE, OPEN MARKETS WITHIN A CAPITALISTIC SYSTEM ARE THE BEST WAY OF DOING THE LORD'S WORK BY PROVING EMPLOYMENT FOR THE POOR. AMERICANS, GIFTED WITH SELFISHNESS AND DESIROUS OF LOW PRICES, ARE PURCHASING MULTITUDINOUS GOODS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. MY LIBERAL WOULD CONDEMN HER WORKERS TO THE VERY POVERTY THAT SHE DEPLORES. IT'S AS PESSIMISTIC A MESSAGE AS CHRISTMAS IS A POSITIVE ONE.