Last week Pope Francis warned of "...very dangerous alliances between powers which have a distorted vision of the world: America and Russia..."
Surprisingly, I couldn't find the story at CNN, but found a number of other sources that chimed in right away: The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, RT, Breitbart, and TheBlaze.
THE RICH AMERICAN
After reading the articles, I didn't want pieces of what the Pope said, I wanted to read the whole missive. So I basically did what The Blaze did. I found the source article, then ran it through Google Translator. There were 2 items specifically that stood out, to me, in what the Pope had to say. One was a universal truth, and the other was an alarming indictment of how the Pope sees America.
First, I encourage you to read the article in its entirety below for yourself. The story is in Italian on the Website Repubblica, written by Eugenio Scalfari. It is important to note that the author obviously has a rapport with the Pope and the article is more of a conversation than an interview.
Let's start with the universal truth that has been sadly UNDER REPORTED and is of the utmost importance to defenders of Free Speech. The Pope has noticed that reporters are adding their own slant to events. "What the journalist has his own ideas and apply them to reality is not a defect, but that would be assigned other people's ideas to get more prestige, this is certainly a serious flaw."
Even the Pope recognizes that events are reported through a prism of a certain perspective. Citing the quote from above, you have to understand that that quote was not in English, it had already been translated, by a computer, so you have to get the gist of what the Pope was saying. The Pope understands communication. People take his message and twist his words to hear what they want to hear.
And now the alarming part that I'd like to flesh out a little bit. Being an American, I used to think I was one of the "good guys." I don't feel that way today. Again, from Repubblica - "You do not illusions: the poor peoples attractiveness as the continents and countries of ancient wealth. Especially Europe. Colonialism set off from Europe. There were positive aspects of colonialism, but also negative. However, Europe became richer, the richest in the world. This will therefore be the main focus of migratory peoples "
This is not the first time I've heard of the narrative that the core problems in the world today are rooted in the evils of European Colonialism. For the past 10 years, I've heard Conservatives warn of this supposed global left-wing scourge of Anti-Colonialism. Now if I was a shallow conservative, like Alex Jones, here's the part where I would be screaming GLOBAL REVERSE RACISM. The leaders of Russia, Europe, and the United States are all White and the Pope is Hispanic. But I don't believe for a second that is what's going on. Over the past year I've heard the Pope come out against Capitalism, Colonialism, and Libertarianism. I have heard whispers that this is the "Socialist Pope."
Why would the Pope advocate socialism while warning of a Russia-US alliance? (For the record, I'm done with the cold war. I think America should try to get along along with everyone except for those who advocate our destruction (Isis, the terrorist group, and Kim Jong-un, for example.))
Simple. If you listen, people will tell you exactly how they feel. Remember, Google Translator is in effect "..Christian (religion) in particular, love to the poor, the weak, the excluded, the sick, peace and justice."
The Pope just articulated his prime focus in life. It's not maintaining infrastructure, reviewing budgets, or worrying about the defense department. It's People. All People. When you think of Russia, you think of Crony Capitalism. Some get ahead, others, well, not so much. When you think of America, do you think of the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, or do you think of the Kardashians and Billion Dollar Sports Contracts? When the Pope says that America has a distorted vision of the world, I'm not sure I disagree with his sentiment. His focus is on the disparities between the rich and the poor in these countries, two countries whose friendship should be welcomed in relations to world peace, and not warned against.
The Pope also warns of Russian/American limits on immigration. Listen, right on the Statue of Liberty it says “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." But let's look at that quote closely. Immigration should be limited to what the quote says. Your tired. Your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Not those who want to come to your country and establish a caliphate.
Think I'm randomly citing stuff. Fine. I'll randomly cite the Bible. 2 John 1:8-11: Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 For whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
As for Russia, it doesn't have a statue of liberty, and after the Great Schism, they don't answer to the Pope. Their de facto spiritual leader is Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. What does Kirill think of Russian Leader Vladimir Putin? He calls the Putin era a "miracle of God."
I'm not arguing with the Pope. I don't think we should build a wall between us and Mexico. And I think we should be accepting refugees from, say, 180 of 196 countries in the World. Immigrants don't have to be Christian, they just have to attempt to assimilate.
As for Europe, the Pope infers that since they are a focus of wealth in the World, they need to accept immigrants based on their former sins of Colonialism. Ahhh, I'm not so sure that's a sound argument. What the Pope should be saying to his flock in Europe, with withering populations throughout the industrialized world, is "be fruitful and multiply." Or, at the very least, "be fruitful and sustain your population ratios."
I know it sounds like I'm being disagreeable, but I'm not.
Let me be concise. People are not doing enough to help their fellow man, so the Pope is calling on governments to pick up the slack. There is nothing wrong with that, that's his job.
What am I upset about then? I don't know.
Maybe because the Pope called out Americans and I am an American.
If the Pope doesn't like Donald Trump, well, welcome to the club.