Fiscal Obesity
It is a rare thing to see a paradigm shift take place on a world scale, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. But I think that is what we are starting to see with Pope Francis as he exerts leadership over the Catholic Church. I’m certainly no expert on the Vatican, but like so many others around the world, I can’t help seeing what he is doing.
From the outset he made dramatic statements through his personal example as he declined lavish papal quarters and settled into a humble apartment. And he has adopted a similar lifestyle. But what strikes me the most are things that he says in this Apostolic Exhortation, such as:
Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills.
and
The worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money
I’ve seen online comments in response, that range from “he’s a communist” to “let’s see the church give everything away” and everything in between. There is something about human nature that makes us want to see things as one extreme or the other, but the reality is that for a complex system to remain in equilibrium, there must be a constant dynamic balance. In other words, beyond a certain point, by taking an inordinate amount of wealth, the super rich end up damaging the “body” of the economic system (including themselves). It’s a systemic imbalance that is far more complex than any one person.
More than that, though, it really isn’t about economics or even politics, but rather the core mindset that global societies have taken on. And I think he is spot on. Analogies work because in real life, there are consistent patterns that hold true across disparate settings and situations. So by way of analogy, it’s not a stretch to say that consumption of wealth is quite similar to consumption of food.
Just as those sitting at a feast can choose how much to eat, those at the top who take in most of the wealth DO have a choice of how much to take. Just how much of a bonus is enough, and how much becomes just too much? Consumption, beyond what one needs, leads to obesity. So at what point does fiscal gluttony lead to what I call Fiscal Obesity?
I hope, as I introduce this term, that more of us start asking ourselves that question.