Pope: ’Not to share wealth with poor is to steal’

In a scathing report on European and American style capitalism -- calling it the "new tyranny" -- Pope Francis bluntly stated:

Pope Francis has taken aim at capitalism as "a new tyranny" and is urging world leaders to step up their efforts against poverty and inequality, saying "thou shall not kill" the economy. Francis calls on rich people to share their wealth.


The existing financial system that fuels the unequal distribution of wealth and violence must be changed, the Pope warned. 

"How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?" Pope Francis asked an audience at the Vatican. 
 
The global economic crisis, which has gripped much of Europe and America, has the Pope asking how countries can function, or realize their full economic potential, if they are weighed down by the debts of capitalism. 
 
“A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual, which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules,” the 84-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation, said. 
 
"To all this we can add widespread corruption and self-serving tax evasion, which has taken on worldwide dimensions. The thirst for power and possessions knows no limits", the pope’s document says. source

In an era of unfettered greed combined with unfair access to capital, the Pope hits the nail on the head. Even more confounding: The 1% of the population that controls over 40% of the wealth is relentlessly and unscrupulously fighting to acquire even more control by making our economic system more exclusive.

Take for example the Koch brothers:

Each brother is worth about 26 billion dollars -- and this is still not enough wealth for the brothers. Hence, they have launched their greed on top of greed agenda that includes (source):

THE GREED AGENDA

The oil tycoon Koch Brothers, and other mega-billion special interests have spent decades funding dozens of front groups in pursuit of their agenda. These front groups seek huge tax breaks for these special interests, while making it harder for middle class Americans to achieve the American Dream. This multi-year effort is called THE GREED AGENDA.

1. Give More Tax Breaks to the Super Rich
2. Privatize Social Security and Medicare
3. Suppress Voting Rights for Working and Middle Class Families
4. Cut Funding for Public Schools In Favor of For-Profit Education
5. Roll Back Consumer Protections and Important Regulations On Wall Street and Big Banks
6. Lower Wages for Middle Class Families
7. Eliminate Workers’ Rights
8. Block Pay Equity and Health Care Equity For Women.
9. Continue Special Giveaways to Super-Rich Oil Companies
10. Privatize Firefighting and Important Public Services
11. Cut Funding for Veterans’ Services
12. Protect Special Interest Polluters From Common Sense Regulations, Even If It Increases the Risk of Cancer and Other Fatal Illnesses

As the Pope stated:

"As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and by attacking the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be found for the world's problems or, for that matter, to any problems"  source