Pope Benedict XVI Unrobed 'Conservatively'

An article in the Washington Times breaks down the gushy gushy on the man robed in white. I found these ideas very interesting and something I can respect on a human level::

"The pope rightly argues that the current economic crisis was caused by rampant greed, irresponsible financial speculation and the failure of government regulation. In other words, it has occurred within a moral vacuum, where Christian love and truth have been abandoned in favor of crude materialism.

The pope is articulating a conservative humanism (needs to be coined a political status along with socialists, neo-conservatives, and tree-huggers!) characterized by individual freedom, responsible capitalism, the importance of national sovereignty and distinct cultural identity, voluntary trade unionism, decentralization of political power and moral traditionalism... He stresses that a market economy is shaped and driven by cultural underpinnings. If the culture is rotten, gangster capitalism inevitably flourishes. If it is morally healthy, a socially responsible free market takes root...The pope is pro-globalization, pro-trade and pro-scientific innovation -- even demanding that wealthier countries lower protectionist trade barriers to products from poorer nations. This will lower consumer prices and help boost exports for developing economies...Yet the pope believes in a redistributive capitalism in which wealth is distributed more equally to the poor and disadvantaged. The state has some role to play -- unemployment insurance and local charity, for example. But much of the redistribution should be voluntary and part of a mutually beneficial exchange.

In other words, he is calling us to follow Christ's injunction to take care of the weakest among us."

Is the Pope on Facebook? He could surely be my friend!!!