The Distributist Review: November 2004

Ukraine Torn Between Two 'Empires'

This article, along with a collection of links, is from the controversial news and analysis website Prison Planet.com.

The introduction and links relate to the current tempest flaring up in Ukraine. Two candidates - one backed by the so-called "former KGB" head of Russia, Vladimir Putin, the other backed by Western big businessmen and neo-conservative think tanks - are fighting over who won their nation's elections.

In either case, both men are no prize. Neither support policies that Distributists could sign their names to. Both are tearing Ukraine apart.

Who suffers? The Ukrainian people.

What will help? Some person or group not connected to either would-be New World Order, Washington/Brussels' or Moscow's. Some person or group who would implement Distributist policies tailor-made to fit that country's needs.

For now, it is batten down the hatches for Kiev and her domains. There are thunderclouds ahead, and the seas look choppy. May God have mercy on Ukraine.

Cricket and Dying Zimbabwe

This small article, written by Cathy Buckle, is from the controversial news website Rense.com.

This dear lady, living in the Marxist dictatorship of Zimbabwe, has been suffering with her family. Her past letters to this website's readers make for heartbreaking reading.

In her latest letter, she relates that the regime of Robert Mugabe - now over 20 years in power - has been playing tit-for-tat with England over her national cricket team. The team was to play Zimbabwe's team, many of her players persecuted for protesting the mad plans of the regime. While the bluff and bluster goes on, there is 80% unemployment, 209% inflation, and AIDS and tuberculosis run rampant. Hospitals have no money to treat patients, who have no jobs to earn money to pay for treatment.

And still, Mugabe's thugs continue in power. Neither the West nor the Sino-Russians will do anything to get rid of him and his cronies. The West because they fear the charge of racism and "re-colonization". Moscow and Beijing because they don't attack their fellow Marxists.

That sad country's fate will seem forever dark unless they find out about Distributism - with a generous helping of Divine Intervention. But with God, nothing is impossible.

Short Column Defending Organic Farming

This column written by Karen Beth Pike hails from the generally right-wing news and opinion website American Partisan.

This excellent column is a good follow-up to the article we sited earlier on the Review from the left-wing site CorpWatch.org. Ms. Pike enjoys promoting the good of organic farming and buying food locally when possible. We here at the Review agree wholeheartedly with her, and encourage the readers to let her know we support her promoting it.

Red Regimes Do Trade Deals

This article, from the left-wing Associated Press, was put up on the neo-conservative news website NewsMax.com.

The Communist regimes of Red China and Cuba, once foes during Round One of the Cold War - Cuba backing Moscow-style Marxism over Beijing's version - signed huge trade and investments deals on November 23rd. Red Chinese dictator Hu Jintao, who recently succeeded Jiang Zemin as head of that suffering nation, signed a deal with the Castro tyranny resulting in a half-billion US dollar investment in Cuba's production of nickle.

Agreements were also signed to increase electronics trade with the Beijing regime, which is Cuba's third largest trading partner. Money was donated for Cuban hospitals, along with plans to teach Chinese to Cuban students.

Castro, in a ceremony with Hu on Tuesday, proclaimed "Socialism will definitively remain as the only hope for peace and survival of our species."

To which Chesterton would have replied, "BOSH!"

As has happened in the past, these Red fiends continue to promote their "dictatorship of the proletariat". They continue to strengthen economic and political ties with deals like this, so as to build their version of a New World Order, rather than support their rival Order builders in Washington, Brussels and others. All the while, Marxist materialism continues to crush the Cuban and Chinese peoples.

Both Cuba and China will be safer and saner societies when they renounce their alliegance to Marx and Lenin (and Mao in China's case), and heed the common sense solutions of Belloc, Chesterton and their legitimate successors.

Multinationals Threaten Organic Foods Takeover

This article, written by Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero, is from the left-wing big business watchdog news site CorpWatch.org.

As more people in North America and Europe are eating organic foods, there is greater demand for their availability. All well and good. However, global food conglomerates are growing more of that food, while watering down strict guidelines on what can and can't be considered "organic". Worse, too many "certified organic" products are owned by companies bought out by subsidiaries of multinational giants like General Mills, General Motors, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and Pepsico.

Distributism opposes such backdoor ownership and control of organic food production. It would be just as wrong if any level of government (state/provincial, national) set up a similar scheme. It is better if these farms, markets and companies were owned and managed by the workers themselves, NOT by either big government or big business.

Further, Distributism advocates de-centralized and localized food production. Not only will folks get fresher food in season from local growers, but the money they spend will stay in the local economy. Also, de-centralized food production makes the national food supply a less tempting target for terrorists to disrupt.

All in all, consumers and producers should be more aware of where their organic food comes from, who produces it, and how to change things for the better in this area.

US Economic Doom On the Horizon?

This article is from the business section of the neo-conservative Boston Herald.

The chief economist at investment banking giant Morgan Stanley is saying - in private - that America has a "10 percent chance of escaping economic Armageddon". Why? America is in a "debt bubble", which must be deflated lest the country crumbles.

Usury, taking interst on unproductive loans, is the power behind this "debt bubble". This is against traditional Christian, Jewish and Islamic teaching. (Perhaps this is also against Buddhist thought, but I am not as knowledgable in that subject.) Hilaire Belloc, co-founder of Distributism, wrote on this in his 1937 book The Crisis of Civilization.

Belloc also did a small pamphlet on this curse, but thought it could not be changed on the macro-economic level overnight. But we can do what we can on a micro-economic level, and that by getting out of debt as quickly as possible. And making do with what we have, and making do with less.

One good website with workable tips on how to practice the "romance of thrift", as Chesterton called it, is "The Dollar Stretcher". Comes highly recommended by us at the Review.

Another Merger Cursing the Market

This report from Truthnews.net reports on two of America's largest retailers, Sears and K-Mart announcing they will merge to become one company. Their stores will continue to operate under separate names, but combine their economic forces to battle monsters like Wal-Mart. It will become the nation's third-largest retailer.

Oh brother, this is all we need. Another mega-merger.

In a Distributist society, there would be no chain store giants like a Wal-Mart, Sears or K-Mart to begin with. There would be a multitude of small and medium sized individual stores, either family-owned or worker-owned and managed. If there are chain stores, they will be small ones, and regulated at the lowest level of government, so as to not expand at other's expense.

And, alas, like with other mega-mergers, there will be layoffs. America needs no more unemployment. The quicker the US and the rest of the world become Distributist, the less we will see of either big chain stores and mega-mergers like this one.

Russia On the Move Again

This editorial from India Daily, sent via the new site Prison Planet.com, tells of the current Putin regime in Russia planning to create what the Daily calls "the most powerful superpower coalition in the world."

This would combine Russia, Red China, India and Brazil into a quartet, countering American and European Union influence in the world, according to the Daily. They also hope to increase their influence in the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

This is a new grouping of nations trying to impose their own version of a "New World Order", rather than the one sought by the Bush administration, or that of the EU. In either case, it is still a move toward a World State, rightly condemned by Belloc and Chesterton back in their day. Whether it is the UN, US, EU or a Russian-led coalition, the end result is centralizing economic and politicla power into fewer and fewer hands.

It is the ordinary folk of the world - American, Russian or otherwise - who will suffer as a result. Which is why Distributism must be spread globally, so as to stop such mad, maniacal schemes as these.

Kupelian on Kinsey

This essay is from the upcoming Whistleblower magazine for November 2004. The magazine is published by the folks behind the neo-conservative web news giant WorldNetDaily. It is written by David Kupelian, and is called "Selling sex in the U.S.A.". There is a good Chesterton quote in the bottom third of the essay.

This is one of THE most powerful non-Chesterton essays I have yet read. In light of what the UN recently demanded of Poland, as well as the upcoming Hollywood whitewash film of the infamous Dr. Kinsey starring Liam Nielson, this essay demands to be read and meditated on. If any wish to know why we in Distributism - and her founders, Belloc and Chesterton - are committed to destroying the Sexual Revolution worldwide, then read this essay and save it.

Two Steps Back

One of the more intelligent NPR showsThis American Life has a great audio story about school reform reversing. Over ten years Irving Elementary went from being one of the worst elementary schools in Chicago to one of the best by letting individual teachers decide how best to teach their students rather than follow centralized plans from the Chicago school district. The story is really two parts. First how the school became great and follows the best teacher in the school. The second part is how that same teacher is now thinking of quitting now that the school board is starting to micromanage the school. A great example why even decentralism is such an important concept. Schumacher would understand why this school's spirit is starting to die.

A Call To Defend Local Economy

This is a hale and hearty commentary on the right-leaning commentary website Etherzone.com. The writer, Bob Strodtbeck, calls for American state and local officials to be more pro-active in defending their economies from national and international conglomerates.

Well written commentary from an - alas - pro-capitalist stand, rather than a Distributist stand. But at least he is on the right track here. Enjoy.

UN Attacks Polish Pro-Life Laws

This article from the neo-conservative web news giant WorldNetDaily tells of the UN's "Human Rights Commission" demanding the Polish government "liberalize" their abortion laws. It also argued in the report, released November 4th, that Poland should promote contraception and classroom "sex education", as well as fighting "discrimination" against sodomites.

As also reported by LifeSiteNews.com, a spokesman for the Polish Federation of Pro-Life Movements called this report "an UN attack on the sovereignty of Poland". There is already before the country's Constitutional Commission an omnibus bill that would legalize all the UN's Commission is promoting. Though it has little chance of passing, it may be the nose under the camel's tent for other things to get through.

Those persons and groups pushing for a World State and the ills of the Sexual Revolution never rest in their efforts to demand total surrender to their agenda. Even if the Poles reject the UN demands, they could still face similar threats from Brussels, thanks to their membership in the EU.

It is vital that Poland spit in the eye of both the UN and EU, along with their anti-family agendas. We urge Poland to permanently leave both the UN and the EU, cost what it may. For there are higher goals to be sought after other than "economic prosperity".

Like protecting the land of Chopin from a militant global sexual hedonism.

Home Generated Power

This report from Wired magazine tells of a project in California where hundreds of homeowners are generating their own electricity. This is through both low energy using appliances and solar panel power generation.

This is one way of de-centralizing the electric grid. Doing so makes it a less tempting target to terrorists or a foreign enemy. It is less demanding on power supplies. It creates more, albeit smaller, power supplies in a neighborhood or region.

This is a step in the right direction. This is applying Distributist Thought to a nation's energy supply. Bravo to California for doing something right.

Crucified Between Two Thieves

"Then were crucified with Him two thieves: one on the right hand, and one on the left."
Gospel of St. Matthew 27: 38

Whoever wins tonight's American presidential election, Bush or Kerry, the American people will lose.

Why?

From the Distributist stance, neither candidate will benefit the USA.

Both men believe in "free trade" and "free trade zones".

Both men believe in expanding the power of government, albeit in different directions.

Both men would make some type of deal with big businesses, since both candidates have received contributions from them.

Both candidates believe in remaining in the UN, the WTO and the World Bank.

Both refuse to get the US out of NAFTA.

Both would do nothing to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the US.

Both believe in abortion at some point in a pregnancy.

Both support one form or another of the Sexual Revolution.

Both refuse to protect family farms, and ease the burden on small businesses and co-operatives.

Both refuse to cut big government control over public schools.

Both refuse to shore up the military by cutting corruption.

Both refuse to put the dollar back on the gold standard or better.

Both refuse to stop all foreign aid whatsoever, especially in these times of record budget and trade deficits.

Both are committed globalists, having no quarrels with the US swallowed up into a future "world government".

Both belong to the evil Yale University-based secret society, the Order of Skull and Bones.

With all this in mind, we say again, whoever wins the White House for the next four years, the American people will lose. It breaks a Distributist heart to say it, but it is true. "Hudge and Gudge" are still in control in Washington, D.C.

Miserere nobis, Jesu Domine. Mater Misericordiae, oremus. Sancte Josephus, oremus.

Uruguay Falls to The Left

This report from the French news agency AFP, via the website Turkish Press, tells of the socialist candidate for Uruguay's presidency winning elections in the South American nation.

The nation, suffering from 20% unemployment and one in four citizens in poverty, kicked out the Colorado and National Party coalition. It has governed the nation since independence in 1825.

Unfortunately, a socialist-ruled Uruguay will not bring that struggling nation out of its doldrums. Like Brazil under Lula da Silva and Venezuela under Hugo Chavez, this country under Tabare Vazquez will not make true progress under the Red Banner.

Only a Distributist economic and political structure will lift Uruguay - and all South America - out of the mire. Nothing less.

Our Grateful Thanks

WE at the Distributist Review want to thank all of you who have stopped by since we started, in July of this year, to report and comment on events and issues pertaining to Distributism. Though we are - for the moment - a tiny blog, we are averaging 8-10 hits a day. The majority of our readers are from the USA, but we've also had visitors from:

United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, Argentina, Iceland, France, Jordan, Brazil, and Mexico.

We hope you are informed and stimulated by the reports and such on this blog. And we invite and encourage you to leave your comments, in order to further discussion and dialogue, as well as to help improve this weblog.

Again, to all readers and visitors, thank you so much. May God Almighty bless you and your loved ones richly.

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