A Second Letter, on Politics, to Grandchildren: Subsidiarity

Since you are now learning and thinking about politics, I want to share some important Catholic principles with you. (One of SO many things I love about being a Grandfather.) Subsidiarity. This tricky word means: the smallest community possible should take care of the problem. More central authority should be "subsidiary" or "helpful" for the more primary units. If Grandma is sick, hopefully she will be taken care of by the immediate family, or the extended family, or the community...not the federal government, certainly not the United Nations! Another good example: police reform. This should be done first of all at the local level of each city. If that does not suffice then the state or federal government may intervene...but only as necessary. Small is better...generally, and when possible. Sometimes this doesn't work: classically, the Jim Crow segregation in the South was so strong in the 1960s that the federal government had to step in. But ideally, the localities and states would have taken care of it. So let's get back to socailism and capitalism: the problem with both is that they tend to be large, impersonal systems, without a tender face. We cannot get away from government and free markets and these can always be levened by charity. My own experience: 25 years in UPS, a quintessential capitalist enterprise, were a blessing in providing for our need, working in solidarity with others, meeting challenges, serving the society and much more. There are dysfunctions in such organizations, but it is mostly to the good. At Magnificat Home we interact always with governmental bureaucratic inspectors as well as police, medics and fire department...they are overwhelmingly helpful, respectful, collaborative. So, I have very positive experiences of state and market. But, a major problem in our world today is the expansion of huge global corporations and of the state that together tend to dissolve smaller, local, concrete communites and institutions. What we desperately need are more "intermediate organizations" by which we interact with and care for each other. For almost 100 years we have seen the concentration of power in the hands of the federal government and immense, global corporations. This makes for technological advancement and many economic efficiecies, but is catastrophic for the smaller communities and organizations. With power concentrated in Washington and corporate management we ordinary folks lose a sense of agency, freedom and initiative; we can feel powerless, victimized, impotent. So for so many reasons it is essential that we build stronger small and intermediate organizations and communities in which we exercise our freedom and face a tender, human face. (If you learn a new word you need to use it three times to really remember it. Challenge: use "subsidiarity" three times. See if you can sneak it into conversation with your friends and family!)