Free enterprise

I am just as enamored with the new Pope as most but there seems to be a misunderstanding of what he is preaching. The Pope wants each of us as individuals to reach out and help our neighbors. We can do this best by sharing our talents, experience, and knowledge and of course our financial aid when we are able. What many people fail to understand is that greedy American consumers have done more to help others than churches and charities could ever hope to accomplish. It is the free market capitalist system that provides profits to private companies and tax revenue to governments. Much of this money is used for innovation and research and development. The industrial revolution first in agriculture and then other industries have allowed us to feed billions of people who would otherwise not have survived. It is research in the medical field that produced vaccines that eliminated diseases like polio and provided help to millions of AIDS victims. It is entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs that provided whole new industries that led to millions of new jobs. When business comes up with new ideas they are financed by profits that are provided by consumers. When government comes up with new ideas they are financed by individual and corporate taxes. The Pope has modeled his life after Jesus and that is something we should all strive for but Jesus was all about people helping people on a voluntary basis. I don’t believe He ever advocated that the government should take money from some to give to others and do it under the force of law. The is even some disdain toward Matthew the tax collector.