Power Analysis Paralysis

I ranted about the lack of power analysis in mainstream econ a little bit in my personal mini-manifesto. It's probably an issue that many of us have thought about when taking a critical look at econ, because of its myriad implications, but I digress. A couple nights ago I was reading Populorum Progressio, which, as you CST junkies may know, was a big social encyclical that had to do with economic development in developing countries. Pope Paul VI, the commissioner/author of the encyclical, actually seemed like he was showing some understanding of the impacts of power disparities. In talking about trade relations, he noted that,

"[free trade's] advantages are certainly evident when the parties involved are not affected by any excessive inequalities of economic power...But the situation is no longer the same when economic conditions differ too widely from country to country" (para. 58).

However, he seems to glaze over what the solutions to these power disparities are. Obviously he does not take the laissez-faire approach to say "that's a shame" and move on. However, he seems to go a completely different direction and utterly rely on the good will of those in power to change things. While he supports change from below in line with subsidiarity, he ultimately appeals to altruism to provide "aid for the weak".

At least in my opinion, this approach is unrealistic and destined for failure. Unlike real organizing, as exemplified by Cesar Chavez, CST's answer to economic injustice seems to rely on top-down charity. It is too bad that an encyclical with potential to delineate the power dynamics of economic and social inequality does not carry the project all the way through. Paul VI even goes so far as to allow violent revolution as an asnwer to tyranny (para. 31), but for some reason does not endorse non-violent, organized revolution to the more subtle forms of economic tyranny. Rather than writing to inspire the poor with hope to make their own futures better, he ultimately speaks to the rich, only some of whom embrace the altruism that Paul VI promotes. In doing so, he ultimately affirms their power and in some respects legitimizes it.


Nick