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On The One Hand

We have a lot to think about in economics with respect to markets, human dignity, and meaningful economic self-determination. On the other hand, I really enjoyed this comment someone posted:

"Catholics are notoriously bad at economics, so I'm not at all surprised to see one advocating for leftist policies."

Sue me.

For the record, we are not as Catholics supposed to "split the middle" on the issues of the day; we are supposed to apply the principles of Church teaching to whatever we happen to be doing. I would rather say, "This particular market set-up takes insufficient account of the human dignity of one or more of the participants, or is not ordered to the common good" than I would say, "Markets are not the answer."

Markets give you what you ask for, no more and no less. We should stop blaming our tools for the flaws in ourselves. And frankly, asserting that one is acting in the common good is not necessarily sufficient grounds for intervention into economies. If the term is well-defined, it could be a good start. But here's the key: A good intent isn't sufficient, either. To paraphrase a famous aphorism, "The road to economic disaster is paved with good intentions."

I believe in free markets. But free markets require free people. And "free" has a lot more in it than, "not being coerced by something external".

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