WE the People all as our next witness in this trial, Pope John Paul II.
“Pope John Paul II in 1981 issued an encyclical called “Laborem exercens,” or “Through Work.” He attacked the idea, fundamental to capitalism, that work was merely an exchange of money for labor. Work, he wrote, could not be reduced to the commodification of human beings. Workers were no impersonal instruments. they were not inanimate objects.
work was about more than wages and profit. It was essential to human dignity and self-fulfillment. It imparted a sense of purpose, empowerment, and identity. It allowed workers to bond with society and contribute to social harmony and cohesion.
”The pope castigated unemployment, underemployment, inadequate wages, automation, and a lack of job security as violations of human dignity. These conditions, he wrote, were forces that destroy self-esteem, personal satisfaction, responsibility, and creativity. The exaltation of the machine, he warned, reduced human beings to the status of slaves.
He called for full employment and a minimum wage large enough to support a family. He called for women to stay home with children and for the disabled to receive a living wage. He advocated for universal health insurance, pensions, accident insurance, and work schedules that permitted free time and vacations to build strong families. He wrote that every profession should be represented by unions with the right to strike.”
note: the above quotes from Pope John Paul II courtesy of Chris Hedges, “America. The Farewell Tour”]
With Justice For All 