I am still trying to grasp something such as this: The economic top 1% of the population now controls more than 70% of all financial assets in the United States.
What I am puzzled by the most is that Christians often defend capitalism and the "free market" as if this economic model was God's plan from the God of Eden onward. We have figured out how to wed ourselves to the good and the bad of the creation of wealth, and we do an incredible job rationalizing it all.
I found this documentary (The One Percent) disturbing; I find some attitudes of Jesus' followers even more troubling.
Brian, I will see the movie, however I find very rich people like the one's you have concern for,are not always as happy happy as you may think,they suffer more than the middle class and the poor in the end because they cannot buy there health or youth in the end and suffer greatly! I agree there is a massive balance problem, I hope you are well! Kelly
ReplyDeleteBrian,
ReplyDeleteIts time to read some Wendell Berry then. He has some great things to say about how we should find some balance again.
But indeed your reflections are quite disturbing... esecially when we think that the republicans, who are seen this side of the pond as the Capitalists or less socially orientated are also the ones seen as more religious. I remember Bush defending economic growth as a good thing, but it just means we will run out of the earth's precious resources more quickly and tend to give more money to those who have 70% of it already.
Michael
PS i dont think i have heard many Politicians advocating turning the other cheek either..
Cheers,
Michael