The Distributist Review: September 2006

Fatima and the New Bush "Anti-Torture" Law

Posted on September 29th, this analysis by Alex Jones and Paul Joseph Watson from Prison Planet - the controversial news website - disturbs the mind and heart.

The new suppossed "anti-torture" bill - the Military Commissions Act of 2006 - that was passed by the American Congress contained elements that, according to Jones' research, resemble the 1933 Enabling Act under the Hitler regime.

We at the DR strongly urge you to read the analysis. For it seems, through lies and manipulation, we have become - in substance - no different than Russia, Red China, Zimbabwe and other countries.

Distributism opposes centralizing legal and political power into fewer and fewer hands. It also opposes changing laws to justify that which goes against the teachings of Christ and His Church, in this case legalising torture and criminalizing peaceful dissent to the government. This law has done so. We must pray and work to amend this law no matter how long it takes.

For we Traditional Catholics, this points to part of the prophecy that the Blessed Virgin Mary said to Sister Lucy at Fatima. Unless the Fatima Consecration is done, the entire world will be enslaved by the forces of evil and corruption - whether Communist or New World Order. The need to carry out Our Lady's command for this Consecration is now - in light of this act of the Bush Administration - even more imperative. Go to this link to find out what you can do to make this happen.

Education and Co-ops Go Together

This brief essay, written by Patrick Kiconco, comes to us from The New Vision, Uganda's largest daily newspaper.

Mr. Kiconco advocates cooperative leaders in his country to make sure their members are up-to-date on co-op workings, as is required under Uganda law.

This also touches in part on what Distributism teaches. We must remain educated in what we believe and why we believe it, as well as how to promote it to the general public.

Housing Co-ops Defy Naysayers

This brief report, written by Valryn Warren, comes to us from Ohio's Dayton Daily News.

During World War Two, the US government built a group of houses in a part of this industrial city to house factory workers and their families. During the mid-Fifties, a group of these workers bought some of these houses to run them as a cooperative called "Overlook". Conventional wisdom thought the project would end up as a disaster.

The cooperative celebrates it's 50th year this year and is flourishing. Many families there are second and third generation residents.

Cooperative action between neighbors is one of the threads of Distributist Thought. This is a positive example of it's viability and durability. If it can be replicated, modifying it to local circumstances, it should be done. Happy birthday to Overlook!

Distributist Primer Continues

Our new neighbor Deep Thought continues with Part Three of his Distributist Primer, this time concentrating on guilds, how to update them for the 21st Century, and the purpose of economic activity.

Please comment and thank you.

South Korea Defends Small Markets

Thanks to the blog The Western Confucian (formerly Katholik Shinja), we have a report from the Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh of September 26. It is a brief article about Koreans shopping at traditional markets for their daily needs, as well as a growing rebellion against chain-stores there.

Mnay thanks to the Confucian for the article.

Deep Thought's Distributist Primer

Thanks to our fellow poster Jovan Weismiller, here is a two-part primer on Distributism by the Atlanta-based blogger "Deep Thought".

Part One of the primer presents a brief background on the people and writings that have made up Distributist Thought over the decades. He also presents ten key ideas making up the core of such Thought.

Part Two of the primer explains in detail each of these ten ideas. He especially gives much thought on the problem of usury and how to deal with it.

And as a prelude to the primer, "Deep Thought" has an essay on Catholic Social Teaching, which undergirds much of Distributist Thought. It is called "We're All In This Together".

I know you will be educated and informed more fully than before about what we stand for and against. And then you'll put it into practice wherever in the world you read this. And many thanks to "Deep Thought" for writing this.

Toward a "Family Way" Economy

This article was transcribed from a 1996 talk given by Dr. Allan Carlson at the Vatican's North American College. It is archived at the website of The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society, based in Rockford, Illinois.

This talk is about the economic and societal ills that plagued the Twentieth Century and still plague us today. Dr. Carlson talks of various responses to it, including Distributism. He ties in the response of the Popes of the past to these problems, as well as concrete general solutions to reduce their effects on neighborhoods and society.

A solid read by a gentleman long a friend to Distributism and it's friends. Read and act on what you read. Have an excellent weekend.

The Neglected Tradition

From the Australian news magazine News Weekly of July 3, 2004 is this article by Damian Wyld, vice president of the Thomas More Center of South Australia.

It is a short article about the history of Distributism, with a link to the Mondragon cooperative movement. A good, brief refresher for us to know why we hold true to what we hold true.

Mongolian Credit Co-ops In Trouble

This report, dated September 21st, is written by Patricia Cheng of Bloomberg News for the pro-globalist International Herald Tribune.

Ever since Soviet Russian troops left Mongolia in the 90's, this land-locked nation has been selling state-owned assets - like Red China did under Deng Xaiopeng - as well as attract foreign capital for investment. As Cheng reports, the banks in this country charge higher interest for loans to small and micro-businesses. The savings and credit co-ops do not, but many are suspected of over-extending themselves.

The report also claims many credit co-ops have become rife with corruption. The government set up a commission this year to oversee these finance co-ops, as well as insurance companies. The first commissioner was murdered in June by a director of one of these suspected corrupt co-ops.

A Distributist economy and society is only as good as the morals of the people who run it. It is sad that the government in Ulan Bator, where one-third of all Mongolians live, must now step in and reign in these corrupt and failing co-ops. But the good ones who remain can only strenghten the nation's economy, and keep both Marxism and big business from making a mess of things.

"Funny Business" on Chesterton

Originally written on September 9th, the humor and opinion blog Funny Business had some nice things to say about Chesterton's view of concentration of private property. Although the blog is pro-capitalist, it is sympathetic with chesterton in pointing out some of the flaws of Adam Smith's thinking.

Many thanks to that blog.

Rwanda Youth Encouraged to Begin Co-ops

From the leftist news and opinion website allAfrica.com comes news that a mayor of one of Rwanda's cities is advocating the unemployed youth of her country to form co-operatives to reduce poverty in her nation.

This is very good news from that country devistated by genocide and turmoil. Rwanda can recover if it rejects socialism and multinational capitalism both, in favor of Distributism.

May Rwanda's youth listen and act.

Mississippi Farmers Want Supply Co-op

This report, written September 20th, is by Wesley Steckler, of the Mississippi-based Natchez Democrat.

A group of farmers, tired of driving around to buy supplies needed to keep their farms running, are planning to start a co-op and grain elevator to be built in Natchez.

This is another good sign that the state's citizens, which has been crawling back up from the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, will get back on it's feet using Distributist ideas and ideals. May such good news continue to spread for that state.

FCC Ordered Hush-Hush On Media Study

This report, filed September 17th and posted on the controversial news website Rense.com, is written by John Dunbar for the pro-globalist Associated Press.

A law professor at Michigan State University, who co-wrote a report in 2004 for the FCC, wrote to leftist Senator Barbara Boxer (Dem.-CA) that the agency ordered the destruction of every copy of the report. In it, the report found out that allowing media monopolization would only hurt local news coverage, among other results found.

De-centralizing ownership of the means of production and distribution - including information and entertainment - is a key tenet of Distributist Thought. The news that the FCC didn't want the public to know the study's results only adds fuel to the fire of calls for fighting monopolization of the media, whether by big government or big business. With media monster Clear Channel looking to possibly sell 72 of it's 1,200 owned stations, thanks to dwindling revenues and listeners, this should give the FCC seconds thoughts about it's past policies.

We should continue all efforts to decentralize ownership of all media outlets no matter what.

"Crown of Martyrs" Commentary

This article, posted August 28th, comes from the Sedevacantist weblog and internet forum Crown of Martyrs.

The unknown writer, who at the end advocates Distributism, also sites how current levels of outsourcing American jobs overseas has hurt the working class and the economy. He further notes that - contrary to what some others wrongly allege - Distributism does not advocate or promote a Socialistic egalitarianism. As this writer points out:

"The point here is not to give everyone an equal amount of money or of anything else. The purpose is to allow for everyone to provide for himself and his family in the way he is best suited to do. There has always been an aristocracy and there always will be. But this upper class should stay at the top fairly, not by taking away another man’s means of sufficiency."

Well put.

Germans Jail Homeschooling Mom

Originally posted via the weblog The New Crusade, posted by our DR collegue Jovan Wiesmiller, comes a report from the Canadian pro-life news website LifeSite.net.

A German law in effect since the Nazi era bans parents from homeschooling their children. The current government has invoked this law to arrest a Baptist woman exercising her right to teach her children. Her husband fled to Austria along with her children, seeking asylum. Austria's law are more family-friendly regarding homeschooling.

This is dictatorial, to say the least. This law must be repealed NOW, EU or no EU. As Jovan and the LifeSite links requests, send your polite but firm letters and calls of protest to the Germans embassies of your countries to demand justice for homeschoolers.

And we encourage our German readers to begin the process to repeal this Nazi-era law for good, no matter how long it takes. Thank you.

"Let Pubs Go Co-op" Says Author

This article, written by the British-based publication The Publican, is written by Hamish Champ.

Roger Protz, author of the Good Beer Guide, advocates small breweries under threat of takeover by huge companies to form either employee or community-owned co-ops to survive.

Excellent idea, and right in line with Distributist Thought.

"Disaster Capitalism" Is Bad For America

This article, dated September 1st, is written by William Norman Grigg on his weblog Pro Libertate. Mr. Grigg is also senior editor of the John Birch Society's bi-weekly magazine The New American.

Grigg notes that four suburbs of Virginia surrounding Washington, D. C. are the "second wealthiest community in America". And yet, they produce no value-added goods for the local or national economy. They don't grow things, mine things or make things. They are mostly Federal government employees, with a median household income of $98,000 a year.

And they need to either keep tabs on potential disasters or threats to the government and the "public welfare" or create some out of thin air. Otherwise, they risk not getting the income they need to survive. But the average man and woman in this countries suffers as a result of such "protection". Read Grigg's article to find out more about it.

Distributism believes in small, localized government fixing problems when they need to be fixed, and opposes Big Government intrusiveness. Grigg's article is more evidence that it needs to be fought along with it's counterpart in Big Business.

The 9/11 Tragedy: Homemade or No?

Our collegue, Stephen Heiner of TrueRestoration, has some thoughts on the tragedy of 9/11, in which today is the 5th anniversary. He raises some disturbing questions on the events surrounding it, as does the ever-controversial Alex Jones and his fellows at Prison Planet. And the British opinion website The Truth Seeker raises further questions about that dark day.

Whatever the answers are or where they may lie, let us agree on one thing:

Let us pray for the dead of 9/11, as well as their families, that God grant them all His unending peace and love.

"Argent" on Gilbert and Hilaire

Usually, we don't post a blog on Sundays, so as to honor the Divine command to "keep the Sabbath and make it holy." So here is a link to an article by Fr. Ralph McInerny on Chesterton and Belloc, posted to the weblog Argent by the Tiber. Many thanks go out to Stephen Heiner at Stephen's Replies for bringing this to our attention. Enjoy.

Hard Times Still Ahead For Jamaica

This press release, dated September 6th, was written by Michale Sheckleford from the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, and was posted on the New Zealand-based website Scoop.

Like so many other nations, Jamaica suffers from high inflation (12.9% as of 2005), a terrible trade balance, massive unemployment and a huge amount of foreign debt. As Mr. Sheckleford notes in his press release, Jamaica is predominately a service-based economy, accounting for 60% of it's yearly income.

From the Distributist perspective, this is a disaster. A nation cannot maintain itself on a mostly service industry basis. America, both by government and corporate design as well as the bad habits of her consumers, is heading down the same path. A nation can only remain stable and prosperous if it's economy is not dependent on one major industry. Ideally, it should be one-third agricultural, one-third industrial, one third high-tech and service sector.

Further, thanks to borrowing from overseas, the servicing of the national debt only eats away further at the health of the country. It is feared among the international banking community, one of the powerhouses advocating a World State run by the likes of them, that Jamaica would follow Argentina and renounce her debts altogether. Thanks to globalist machinations, and the on-purpose interconnecting of national economies toward a World State, any massive defaulting on foreign loans by a nation would affect other nations for the worse.

Sheckleford advocates an increase of educational efforts to help begin turning the tide for the majority of Jamaicans. But from a Distributist perspective, this doesn't go far enough.

As an island economy, Jamaica must import much of what it needs to keep it's economy going, especially oil and gas. Part of resolving her energy crisis should be to begin building small-scale alternative energy projects, in order to de-centralize the electric grid. Implement more small-scale intensive agriculture projects, so as to increase food self-sufficiency. If they have the resources to do so, begin small-scale light industrial factories to meet the needs of the nation.

These are only a few suggestions on how to aim Jamaica in a Distributist direction. But they are necessary steps in order to break the shackles this island nation finds itself in. In order to reduce the temptations to gang violence, terrorism and Marxist villiany, Jamaica should look to the insights of Belloc, Chesterton and their legitimate successors. And then act on what they learn.

Pray for Jamaica.

Alternative Power From the Sea

This report, dated August 24, comes from the website Web-Japan.org.

Japan as a nation has comparatively few natural resources. It imports much - if not most - of it's oil from overseas. It is also on the cutting edge in research for alternative energy.

So a group of scientists are developing a fermentation process that can use shore-dredged seaweed as fuel for electricity. The project's goal is to have the world's first seaweed-run power plant in operation by the middle of 2007.

Distributism encourages self-sufficiency as much as local circumstances and resources allow. Research such as this can only help Japan to reduce dependence on foreign oil. True, it is only one part of a total energy mix, but any progress in this area is to be encouraged. We can only hope that such power plants will remain de-centralized in ownership and management, so as to conform to the Distributist milieu.

Western MA Begins Local Currency Project

God is merciful!

An organization in the southern Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts is promoting an joint effort with community-based banks, local small business and co-operatives. This effort is to promote and sustain the local economy through the use of "local currency", good within that area.

The group is call BerkShares, Inc. Read up about it at the website. If this effort works, both short-term and long-term, then this will be a major step for Massachusetts in achieving a vibrant Distributist economy. And if you contact them, please let them know you heard about it through The Distributist Review. And thank you.

Now if only the MA state and local governments would follow suit. Alas for us they don't, acting too much like their fellow corrupt Socialist bureaucrats in the rest of the US.

Worker Co-op Conference in NYC

Part of the tenets of Distributist Thought is promoting and sustaining worker-owned and managed co-operatives. This helps the local community to get more involved in uplifting it's economy, and without the interference of either big government (Socialism) or big business (Capitalism).

The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives is holding it's "Second Conference for Workplace Ownership and Workplace Democracy" on the weekend of October 13-15th. There will be speakers and workshps on all aspects of worker co-ops, including how to start one's own in one's local neighborhood. Registrations, however, must be sent in by September 10th. So if you're interested in learning more about this, click on this link here.

And if any DR readers will be going there, please let them know you read about it in The Distributist Review. This will be a good opportunity to teach interested souls about Belloc, Chesterton and Distributism, as many who attend will be blinded to the evils of Socialism and Marxism. Thank you all in advance.

(Note: For Traditional Catholics, October 13th is the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, Portugal. Please continue to pray that the Pope and all the Bishops will carry out the Fatima Consecration soon.)

Can Small Farms Produce All Year Around?

From the left-wing environmental magazine Grist comes an essay by staff writer Tom Philpott, a farmer and cook at the North Carolina-based Maverick Farms.

In the essay, Philpott calls for the some of the masses of US government funding that goes to "conventional agricultural research" to go more to promoting "sustainable agriculture research". Specifically, he calls for more research to enable local small farms - especially in America's northern regions - to produce food year-round without using as much fuel and energy as their "corporate farm" counterparts.

This is a great field of research that Distributists should support. We believe in keeping the food supply local and de-centralized as possible. Promoting such research as extending small farms' food-growing seasons cheaply will go a long way to achieving such a goal. And such lessons learned can be adapted to other parts of the globe, to aid localizing the food supply there. Kudos to Mr. Philpott.

Small Business Lifts Up Third World

This article from the left-wing website WorldChanging is written by Robert Katz. It focuses on how "micro-businesses" are aiding the poor in Third World countries to raise their standard of living.

Distributism believes in developing the small entrepreneur sector and worker-owned and managed co-operatives over the dominance of either big business or big government, especially in the poorer nations of the world. This essay is good news and encouragement to continue such progress where we find it.

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