Capitalism is a sin. So is Socialism and Communism. The proper political philosophy for Catholics loyal to the teachings of the Magisterium is called Distributism. I suggest you look at the life and writings of Dorothy Day and peruse a website called Distributist Review.

Does anyone think Our Lord would have approved of excessive wealth.  There is no indication in the Gospels that I can see that He would have.

Neither Jesus nor the Old Testament ever argued against the accuмulation of wealth. They simply urged the wealthy to be charitable with it.

Both Capitalism and Communism were invented by the same criminal gang and are really just two sides of the same coin.  Ultimately all the wealth and power  end up in the hands of a very few.

Very true.

Ridiculous.  When has the Catholic Church ever ONCE used the word Distributism?  

Another victim of GK Chesterton and these British Edwardian Catholics.

Capitalism is the way it has always been done in Catholic Europe.  But it is capitalism that is kept in check by a strong government.  

People here are confusing "capitalism" with "economic liberalism."  The Church is against economic liberalism; not against capitalism.

I may have spoken too soon.  I need to read up on Distributism, it might be okay.  For some reason I smell a rat, but I can't put my finger on why.

Maybe what disturbs me is the unfeasible idealism of it; just like with socialism.  I see here the opportunity for a far-too-invasive government.  Since the family is positioned as the center of everything, a huge window of opportunity is created to interfere with any business that has grown "too big" and is not "family" or "local" enough.  Yes, I think this is the link with socialism.  Because to decide these very vague matters, there would have to be an all-powerful government, wouldn't there?

I always say there should be a big government.  The government should certainly prevent companies from importing cheap goods and outsourcing labor, that is simply a crime against the state and its people.  But I think that distributism is dangerously idealistic and really paves the way for an incredibly intrusive government.  The socialistic roots are shown in that idealism, perhaps.
Who is to say when a business is not "family-centered" enough?  Is it when it employs 10 people?  100 people?  

Another problem -- how many people out there are leaders who are going to start their own companies, do their own farming, etc.?  Doesn't this destroy opportunities of employment for the unskilled who rely on those who take more initiative?  I don't think there are that many enterprising people out there.  The result, like with socialism, like with communism, could be an idealistic system resulting in mass poverty.

This may be the Trojan Horse that I'm kind of sensing.  But I don't want to commit to any position yet.  I have to keep investigating this.

I guess Ill just wait for  the monarch  :wink:

The Industrial Revolution spawned unchecked, unabated, globalized capitalism.  Ironically, this kind of globalized American capitalism pushed by the Tea Party / neo-cons / Reaganites, it's all the same, is considered patriotic, when in reality it is about to lead to megadeath, starvation and total destruction of the people under it.  Yet the thinking of these types can basically be summed up by not wanting to pay taxes.  Well, nations don't run on Flubber; they need money.

Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater; the Church never rejected capitalism.  Again, it rejected economic liberalism, which is what I described above.  Enterprise and government have to keep each other in check, have to find that delicate balance.  And the Church should be, though isn't always, above the government.  That is the perfect system.

What we are seeing now is a government entirely owned by enterprise; it is not a real government, has no power of its own.  They are just stooges of the likes of Steve Jobs.  

It is very clear to me that politicians are the biggest phonies on Earth and that almost anyone who would go into politics is already a phony because, look at it realistically:  If they told the truth about what must be done, they would not win any elections.  So they all compromise and try to cater to various interest groups, that is, they cater to various fantasies of various interest groups.  For the rabble, they say "No more taxes!"  For big business, they say "Unrestrained industry will create jobs!"  It's all a hodgepodge of total insanity; because in a democracy like this, where you rely on the mob to get elected, the leaders are not held responsible before God, but only to the mob.  So naturally it breeds the kind of blatant demagogues we see all around us, a terrifying group let it be said.