Distributism
Any economic philosophy espoused by G.K. Chesterton can't be all bad. It seems to be an application of Jesus' command to "sell your possessions and give to the poor" and the early church model of Acts 4:
Below copied from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributism
Distributism, also known as distributionism and distributivism, is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Roman Catholic thinkers as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc to apply the principles of Catholic Social Teaching articulated by the Roman Catholic Church, especially in Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum[1] and more expansively explained by Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quadragesimo Anno[2] According to distributism, the ownership of the means of production should be spread as widely as possible among the general populace, rather than being centralized under the control of the state (socialism) or a few large businesses or wealthy private individuals (capitalism). A summary of distributism is found in Chesterton's statement: "Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists."[3]
Essentially, distributism distinguishes itself by its distribution of property (not to be confused with redistribution of property carried out by socialism). Distributism holds that, while socialism allows no individuals to own productive property (it all being under state, community, or workers' control), and capitalism allows only a few to own it, distributism itself seeks to ensure that most people will become owners of productive property. As Hilaire Belloc stated, the distributive state (that is, the state which has implemented distributism) contains "an agglomeration of families of varying wealth, but by far the greater number of owners of the means of production."[4] This broader distribution does not extend to all property, but only to productive property; that is, that property which produces wealth, namely, the things needed for man to survive. It includes land, tools, etc.[5]
Distributism has often been described as a third way of economic order opposing both socialism and capitalism. However, some have seen it more as an aspiration, which has been successfully realised in the short term by commitment to the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity (these being built into financially independent local co-operatives and family owned, small businesses).
Below copied from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributism
Distributism, also known as distributionism and distributivism, is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Roman Catholic thinkers as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc to apply the principles of Catholic Social Teaching articulated by the Roman Catholic Church, especially in Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum[1] and more expansively explained by Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quadragesimo Anno[2] According to distributism, the ownership of the means of production should be spread as widely as possible among the general populace, rather than being centralized under the control of the state (socialism) or a few large businesses or wealthy private individuals (capitalism). A summary of distributism is found in Chesterton's statement: "Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists."[3]
Essentially, distributism distinguishes itself by its distribution of property (not to be confused with redistribution of property carried out by socialism). Distributism holds that, while socialism allows no individuals to own productive property (it all being under state, community, or workers' control), and capitalism allows only a few to own it, distributism itself seeks to ensure that most people will become owners of productive property. As Hilaire Belloc stated, the distributive state (that is, the state which has implemented distributism) contains "an agglomeration of families of varying wealth, but by far the greater number of owners of the means of production."[4] This broader distribution does not extend to all property, but only to productive property; that is, that property which produces wealth, namely, the things needed for man to survive. It includes land, tools, etc.[5]
Distributism has often been described as a third way of economic order opposing both socialism and capitalism. However, some have seen it more as an aspiration, which has been successfully realised in the short term by commitment to the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity (these being built into financially independent local co-operatives and family owned, small businesses).
Labels: Distributism, economic theory, G.K. Chesterton, Jesus
posted by Steve Kimes at 5:25 AM
1 Comments:
Why Don't You Hedge Your Economic Future?
The Economy? They Paint It Black.
Let's Paint it Green, Will You?
What Are They Offering Except to Wait, Suffer and Be Patient Till, On the Long Run, The Crisis is Over?
A milder avatar of the present crisis started in Japan in 1993. Its consequence was called "Japan Lost Decade". It is 15 years old now.
Believe us they tried everything available: Keynesian Fiscal Policy, Zero Interest Rate Policy (ZIRP), Quantitative Easing... You Name It!
DIE ZEIT: Can the right monetary and fiscal policy keep the US out of a recession?
Master Conductor Alan Greenspan:
"Probably not. Global forces can now override most anything that monetary and fiscal policy can do. Long-term real interest rates have significantly more impact on the core of economic activity than the individual actions of nations.
Central banks have increasingly lost their capacity to influence the longer end of the market.
Two to three decades, ago central banks were dominant throughout the maturity schedule.
Thus, the more important question is the direction of long-term real interest rates."
Sir Alan 'El Maestro' Greenspan
The Great Irony of Success
© ZEIT online, 30.1.2008
"The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead.
Economists set themselves too easy, too useless a task if in tempestuous seasons they can only tell us that when the storm is past the ocean is flat again."
Sir John Maynard 'Invisible Hand' Keynes
A Tract on Monetary Reform (1923) Ch. 3
We Can't Afford to Wait That Long. Or Can You?
"The decadent international but individualistic capitalism, in the hands of which we found ourselves after the war, is not a success. It is not intelligent, it is not beautiful, it is not just, it is not virtuous—and it doesn’t deliver the goods.
In short we dislike it and are beginning to despise it. But when we wonder what to put in its place, we are perplexed.”
John Maynard 'Invisible Hand' Keynes
1776 - Annuit Cœptis Offers Its Solution,
Dynamic on the Short Run & Stable on the Long Run:
A Credit Free, Free Market Economy
1776 - Annuit Cœptis Not Only Offers a New Idea,
It Propose Its Practical Implementation,
Its Exit Strategy.
"The composition of this book has been for the author a long struggle of escape, and so must the reading of it be for most readers if the author's assault upon them is to be successful, a struggle of escape from habitual modes of thought and expression.
The ideas which are here expressed so laboriously are extremely simple and should be obvious.
The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds."
Sir John Maynard 'Invisible Hand' Keynes
The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,
December 13, 1935 Preface
"At the present moment people are unusually expectant of a more fundamental diagnosis; more particularly ready to receive it; eager to try it out, if it should be even plausible.
But apart from this contemporary mood, the ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood.
Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.
Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back. Emperors and armies come and go; but unless they leave new ideas in their wake, they are of passing historic consequence.
I am sure that the power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas. Not, indeed, immediately, but after a certain interval;
for in the field of economic and political philosophy there are not many who are influenced by new theories after they are twenty-five or thirty years of age, so that the ideas which civil servants and politicians and even agitators apply to current events are not likely to be the newest.
But, soon or late, it is ideas, not vested interests, which are dangerous for good or evil."
John Maynard 'Invisible Hand' Keynes,
The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money,
13 December 1935, p. 383.
Quoted by Master Conductor Sir Alan 'El Maestro' Greenspan.
Adam 'Defunct Economist' Smith
At the Adam Smith Memorial Lecture, Kirkcaldy, Scotland
February 6, 2005
On Friday 19th, December 2008, 1776 - Annuit Cœptis has elected its Master Conductor Sir Alan 'El Maestro' Greenspan.
In the Age of Turbulence We Want an Adventure in a New World Economic Order.
To be sure he will launch our economy as soon as he thinks it is feasible.
✔ Protect Your Economic Interests.
✔ The Numbered Account: A Ticket to Ride.
✔ The Credit Free Currency.
✔ Assets Transfer: The Exit Strategy no one Can Afford to Refuse, or Can You?
✔ A Specific Application of Employment, Interest and Money:
Why We Got Here and Why Our Exit Strategy is Credible.
In order to keep the public informed about the development of its actions, of the "catastrophic event" and avert the suicidal behaviours that are known to take place during periods of Great Economic Depression 1776 - Annuit Cœptis sponsors a Discussion - Support Group
Consider your economic environment, print and give a wide audience to this document.
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