The American Spectator

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The Public Policy

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The ongoing creation of sustained new wealth that lifts millions of previously poor people into the middle class or higher is a relatively modern development mostly unique to Western market economies governed by the rule of law and the protection of private property. But that history is largely ignored by clerics advocating "economic justice." Some of these clerics also forget too easily the words of Jesus that the "poor ye shall have with you always." Poverty, like disease, war and crime can and should be fought and reduced. But like sin itself, it cannot be "eradicated" in our fallen world.

The enormous transfers of wealth from Western governments to Global South governments that liberal clerics advocate may reduce some poverty. But such transfers will also feed corruption and reduce accountability by Global South governments to their own people. Why should regimes more dependent on Western donors than their own taxpayers worry about democratic reforms? Unless prodded by those Western donors, these regimes are even less motivated to provide internal economic reforms or financial transparency, which are far more likely to lift their poor out of poverty than any amount of Western charity.

Indeed, the Forum's bulletin seems to criticize Western pressure for free-market reforms, alleging they foster "inequality" and "undermine pro-poor policies of local governments."

The clerics who bundled off to London to issue their manifesto doubtless were full of admirable intentions and Christian charity. And their bulletin is mostly free of the neo-Marxist jargon that has cluttered too many such statements in the past. But their proposals still sound more like preachy nagging than constructive counsel for truly helping the poor.

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