It might seem a contradiction, if not an apostasy, that this pope considers the Jewish candidate a better messenger of Christian values than any of the Christian candidates running for president. But this should come as no surprise to anyone who knows anything about the basic tenets of Christianity; to say nothing of the historical symmetry Bernie represents: Jesus was a Jew, after all.
(“Pope Says Jewish Bernie Better than Any Christian Republican,” The iPINIONS Journal, February 20, 2016)
Meanwhile:
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has carried his populist message of economic inequality to the Vatican…
He said the world must direct ‘our efforts and vision to the common good’ and praised the Catholic Church’s teachings on the economy.
The visit comes just four days before a crucial state primary contest in his native New York.
(BBC, April 15, 2016)
New York might have missed the Bern for a day, but Rome was Berning yesterday. And that was a good thing.
Bernie and the pope are calling for countries to build moral economies. But they might as well call for countries to end racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia too. Because it’s going to take revolutions for countries to redress the casus belli of income inequality, which of course is highlighted by the immoral pay gap between corporate CEOs and their worker bees. This, with all due respect to serial strikes for increases in the minimum wage.
[McDonald’s] chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, brought home a whopping $7.91 million last year — a 368% raise over his 2014 salary of $1.69 million — while low-wage McDonald’s workers are striking around the country for a livable income…
He also enjoyed the use of the company’s corporate aircraft, an allowance for a company car, free financial planning services and other unspecified personal items totaling $224,235…
News of Easterbrook’s generous compensation comes as McDonald’s workers have joined other low-wage workers nationwide in their demands to raise the minimum wage [to $15 an hour].
(New York Daily News, April 16, 2016)
So here’s to revolutions, which I fear might make those that occasioned the Arab Spring look like Sunday picnics….
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