Merry Christmas!

On behalf of Jovan and myself, we at the Voice wish you all a Merry Christmas!

May the Holy Family keep you safe and well all the New Year!

Cry For Madagascar

As I wrote in The Distributist Review slightly over two years ago, Madagascar had the potential to become a Distributist state and still does. Recent events have put that possibility farther away than it should.

Daewoo Industries, one of South Korea's largest and most influential, has signed a deal with the island's government that appalls. The multinational conglomerate signed a 99 year lease with the Tananarive government for millions of acres of arable land. How many millions? They're equal to half – literally half – of all the arable land in the country. The size of which is equal to the entire nation of Belgium! The BBC reports on it HERE. And the influential South Korean blog The Marmot's Hole goes into further detail on it HERE.

Why? Thanks to the idiotic rush to speculate on world food prices – and the disaster it inflicted on world food supplies – nations like South Korea want to protect itself from any similar calamity. So it has turned to Africa to use it's largely untapped mineral and agricultural wealth to feed it's people. The Communist Chinese are doing similar projects regarding the Dark Continent's mineral wealth, especially with its fellow Marxist counterparts in Zimbabwe.

This is neo-colonialism returning to Africa, albeit under a more economic-oriented disguise. And such things must not be allowed to continue. Like all the other nations of the world, the people of Madagascar must be taught of Distributism. The God-given insights of Belloc, Chesterton, Schumacher and Solzhenitsyn and those who come after them have a desperate need to be applied.

South Korea and Madagascar could have a better economic relationship than what they've settled upon now. And that would under Distributism, not neo-colonialism.

DEFEND LIFE IN LUXEMBOURG!

According to this report HERE from the BBC, the Parliament of Luxembourg is planning to cut power from the sovereign, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke Henri. The London Times also reports on this horrid bill HERE. And why?

Because he won't sign a law that allows the evils of euthanasia to rum rampant in that tiny country.

An alliance of Socialist, Liberal and Green deputies pushed through this bill by a 30 to 26 margin. And the Christian Social party, though it opposes this evil bill, will not do anything to stand in the way of this bill's implementation. So they will “trim” the power of the Grand Duke instead.

His Royal Highness, who's family is descended from St. Louis IX – the greatest of all French kings, opposed the euthanasia bill for "reasons of conscience". Then the Grand Duke's conscience is well-formed indeed on this issue. For euthanasia is part of the typical eugenics agenda that both Globalists and Sexual Revolutionaries demand for every country. And so-called “mercy killing” is anything but merciful, for it treats the life of the elderly, mentally ill and sick as less than human.

Belloc and Chesterton, in the early days of the Distributist League, fought similar measures brewing in the British Parliament. Chesterton in his work Eugenics and Other Evils thundered against this revival of the crimes of Herod the Great in the Twentieth Century.

Protecting the traditional family and the sanctity of life is a key tenet of Distributist Thought. And like subsidiarity, it is non-negotiable.

What can we do to push this back? Along with prayer, which is the necessary beginning of all good action, contact the Luxembourg Parliament by e-mail, postcard and letter. Be brief and polite. But demand they leave the Grand Duke and the Constitution alone. And don't put the euthanasia bill into law...ever! And spread the word to pro-lifers worldwide and get them to do the same!

Don't let the Socialists and their allies triumph in Luxembourg. Defend the defenseless and defend the Grand Duke!

NO AUTO INDUSTRY BAILOUT!

Do you remember when Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca came to the U.S. Government, hat in hand, to ask for Federal bailout money? Even though it went against Constitutional laws, Uncle Same approved and gave Chrysler said money. Iacocca was hailed at an economic hero and a business genius.

What did we, the American public, get out of this? The “K” Car.

For years, many Americans have complained of not-so-good quality and worse out of American-made cars. The usual reasons get trotted out like old horses from some dilapidated barn.

The unions are blamed, thanks to their high salaries and health and pension plans.

The chairmen and governing boards are blamed, thanks to their sky-high salaries and bonuses.

Engineers and lower level executives are blamed, sitting on discoveries that could increase fuel efficiency and safety for reasons of greed or power or both.

All of these have their places in the growing demise of American car manufacturing, no doubt about it. But there are also another reason why more Americans have turned to foreign models. And that is lack of domestic competition.

Smaller rivals like AMC, Nash, Studebaker and Checker were eliminated, one by one, thanks to the Big Three and Big Government joining together to squeeze them out. Especially upstarts like Tucker and his Torpedo, incorporating then unheard-of features like safety belts and the engine in the rear, were squished before they got off the ground. The DeLorean sports car is another good example.

If Washington and the Big Three in the auto industry would get out of the way, we could have more domestic competition in the marketplace from smaller rivals. More and more bailouts, as is proposed for the auto industry like it was for the banking industry, does nothing for the market economy in this country.

So from a Distributist perspective, several things need to be done.

One, the Congress must vote NO on the proposed auto industry bailout. It is unconstitutional, and won't guarantee that the Big Three automakers won't make the same mistakes that brought them to where they are now.

Two, the auto unions should not only fight for worker ownership in their companies, but also worker management of the same. There should be worker-representatives on the governing board of the auto makers, giving the working man and woman a say on how the company should be run.

Three, the Big Three should be broken up into smaller companies, so as to reduce the specter of domestic monopoly in this industry.

Four, any Federal restrictions on smaller car manufacturers – written in favor of the Big Three – should be repealed.

The American auto industry, like so many others in the manufacturing sector, must be rebuilt on a foundation that favors smaller scale production, built on a cooperative basis, eliminate Socialist micro-management and over regulation, and promotes worker ownership and management of these companies.

The Voice asks our readers to call their Congressmen and Senators, and demand they vote NO on any proposed Federal bailout of the Big Three automakers.

Twenty Tips To Survive The Next Depression

Our colleague Bob Waldrop from the Oklahoma Food Cooperative has put up a list of twenty things you can do NOW to prepare for the economic hard times ahead.

These are general strategies that you can start doing today, as well as teach any willing neighbor interested in this. Go HERE to learn more about them.

Solzhenitsyn, Distributist

From our colleagues at The Distributist Review, here is an excellent essay by Richard Aleman about the late Russian author and dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn. It talks of his reaching the same conclusions about BOTH Socialism and Capitalism that many others have taken, whether or not they read Belloc and Chesterton.

You can read the essay HERE.

Swedish Localist Speaks To South Koreans

Thanks to our colleague Joshua Andreas at The Western Confucian, we have this article on the Swedish-born activist and pro-Distributist speaker Helena Norberg-Hodge.

She is the founder of the International Society for Ecology and Culture.

As Joshua noted, her talk was very encouraging, as she advocated a return to small farms and businesses fueling a nation's economy. She called it "bottom-up economics".

And as Joshua noted, unlike many in the Western Decentralist Left, she railed against the myth of "overpopulation". Good for her!

Please go HERE to read Joshua's article. Then do what you can wherever you live to put what you read into practice. It will help to build a Distributist Earth where you are.

FDA Bullies Small Natural Vitamin Companies

This disturbing article, dated October 21, is written by Mike Adams for the alternative health news and information website NaturalNews.com. Mr. Adams is the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center in Tucson, Arizona.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had a terrible reputation with the natural and so-called "alternative" health sector. There has been documented cases of FDA legal harassment and worse, as Mr. Adams notes in his essay, which you can read HERE.

He calls for all small vitamin and natural supplement companies in America to join together in a lawsuit against the FDA. There is also a bill filed in the U.S. Congress by the intrepid Dr. Ron Paul of Texas, called the "Health Freedom Protection Act". You can read more about it HERE. The Voice supports such actions, and encourages our readers to do likewise.

What the FDA is doing violates a core principle in Distributist Thought - subsidiarity. That is, taking care of things at the lowest level possible. The Federal government is wrong to persecute small health and vitamin companies like these. Both restrictions on the FDA and unified action between these companies will repel these immoral and Socialist actions by this agency.

Do what you can to help these noble efforts succeed, and tell your neighbors about it. Thank you.

Bill Powell Article On Distributism

Freelance writer Bill Powell has written an excellent brief article for the Neo-Catholic and Neo-Conservative website InsideCatholic.com on Distributism. The article leans more toward the economic side of what we hold true, not as much on the political side. You can read the article HERE.

This is a good introduction to give anyone you know who is curious about what Distributism is. If they are, give them the article or the link to it.

For the first step in building a Distributist Earth starts with YOU.

Bernanke's Stimulus Plan Not Good Enough

According to a report today from Jeanne Sahadi of CNNMoney, the current Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is calling for a second "economic stimulus package". The aim is to restart the economy by encouraging spending. You can read the report HERE.

But such a plan is stupid when the nation's economy is mostly rebuilt on a service industry basis. As my colleague Prof. John Medaille at The Distributist Review pointed out, one can grow an economy only by growing, mining or making things. Thanks to pro-"free trade" fanatics running both parties in Washington, D.C., big businesses were given incentives to relocate outside the U.S.A. So with any stimulus monies given, they would only flow out of the country, not circulate within. The money would go to buy foreign-made products, not domestic ones.

Whatever form such a stimulus plans takes, whether Democrat or Republican, it will not help in the long run if current situations still apply.

Which means we Distributists have to encourage a rebuilding of the country's manufacturing base...but on a small business and worker-owned and managed cooperative basis. And the politicians in D.C. need to renounce "free trade" policies that have helped to bring us to the economic nightmare we're living in now.

Tell your Congressman and Senators to vote "NO" on the second stimulus plan until they put in policies to bring the factories home NOW.

BALLE Co-Founder On Changing The Economy

From The Sun Magazine of August, 2008, there is an interview with Judy Wicks, co-founder of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). There are one of the links we have here on the Voice. You can read the interview HERE.

In this interview, she speaks of her work in promoting the strengthening of local economies over the nation one. In light of the engineered fiascoes from the so-called "Bailout Bill" and the international credit crunch, it is encouraging to read about people working toward a Distributist future.

One neighborhood at a time.

Be warned, however, that Ms. Wicks tends to promote the "progressivist" worldview on international affairs. That is, rightly criticizing American and Western foreign policy measures, but ignoring similar ones from the Communist and Socialist nations like Russia and Red China.

This is what we Distributists have to face and deal with when promoting endeavors like BALLE. It is our duty to teach those who are "progressivist" that real social progress stays in line with the Church's Social Teachings, common sense and logic.

For real social progress won't happen if they are abandoned for a poisonous dystopia that folks like the late John Lennon put in his song "Imagine".

As St. Paul told us in the New Testament, "Test everything, hold fast to what is good."

The Remnant On The "Bailout Bill"

Brian McCall, who writes for The Remnant - the oldest Traditional Catholic magazine in America - pens a powerful essay on Catholic Social Teaching and the current economic crisis. You may read his essay HERE.

The second paragraph alone deserves special mention:

"St. Thomas Aquinas predicted such a collapse of an economic system like the one under which we have been toiling. In Lecture IX on the Ethics of Aristotle, he commented that eventually all exchange transactions will cease in a society which continually violates the principles of commutative justice in economic exchange transactions."

To put it in simpler terms:

If you eat too many fatty foods, you'll clog up your arteries and die of a heart attack.

If you hear too many rock songs at full volume, you'll damage your eardrums and risk going deaf.

If you stare at the sun for even a short time, you'll damage your retinas and risk going blind.

If you pour sugar into the gasoline tank of your car, it will gum up your engine and your car won't run anymore.

So if you continually break God's laws regarding running a nation's economy - allowing usury for loans, fractional reserve banking, speculation, fiat currency and so on - you'll damage your economy and run your nation into the ground. McCall goes into greater detail on this, especially relating to the current housing crisis that led to this series of fiascoes in Washington DC and elsewhere worldwide.

In Distributism, such things as usury, fractional reserve banking and so on are rejected from the outset. For it is based on the sound foundations of Divine Law and common sense.

Or put another way, if you want to keep an economy robust and alive, don't do the things that will make it sick or kill it. Don't base your national currency on just the say-so of the government. Don't allow loaning on unproductive loans. Don't build your national economy on a mostly service industry basis. Don't concentrate economic and political power into the hands of a self-proclaimed "elite few".

Read and ponder Mr. McCall's essay. Break it down into a way your neighbors can understand and talk with them about it. Work with them in your neighborhood and region to change any law defending such economic crimes.

You will then help your society become more Distributist and, thus, saner and healthier.

Athanasius on the "New Ali Baba"

Our colleague "Athanasius" of the web log Athanasius Contra Mundum has written a hard-hitting piece for our allied blog The New Distributist League. It is on the results of the so-called Bailout bill, known by it's euphemism as the "Economic Rescue Plan". Click HERE to read his powerful analysis.

The bailout was a fraud. The way it was rammed through the Congress was a fraud. The song-and-dance routine the government leaders do to defend this plan is a fraud.

But what can one expect when our Congress is dominated by Globalists and Socialists - whether Marxist, Fabian or Corporate? The elites who conjured up this curse, both Republican and Democrat, did it to rescue their allies on Wall Street. Not us.

What does this mean for Joe and Jane Average in America? For the short term, as I've read from the "mainstream" and alternative media experts is:

1) Stock up on essentials like food, drinkable water, soap, gasoline and the like.

2) Get out of debt as quickly as your means will allow. The economist Dave Ramsay has a good plan which has worked for thousands, and can been read on his website HERE.

3) Keep a good reserve of cash on hand for emergencies.

For the long term, what shall we do?

Don't expect any real help from either Washington or their Big Business allies. We will have to rebuild our economy ourselves with God's grace and mercy. It will have to rebuilt from the bottom-up with our pooled resources, with the poor and middle classes working together.

It means rebuilding our agricultural and industrial sector on a pro-small business and cooperative basis.

It means targeting the needs of the local and regional economies over the state, the state over the nation, the nation over the world.

It means the creation and maintenance of locally-based inflation-proof currencies to help stimulate the local and regional economies. One of the best plans for that is the BerkShares plan in Western Massachusetts, which you can read about HERE.

It means teaching the general public about Distributist Thought, how it is practical and how it can be implemented where they live. It won't be easy, but nothing worth while ever is.

And it means starting all this TODAY! Do what you can where you are to start it.

Introduction

And I'm Jovan Weismiller, also a former (sporadic) contributor to The Distributist Review. I have promised Mr Moore that I will try to be more active in posting here. I hope that we can make a contribution to the ongoing struggle to establish a just economic order based on the Social Magisterium of the Church.

Greetings To You All!

Laudetur Jesus Christus et Maria Virginae!

Hello everyone. This is Roy F. Moore, columnist for Gilbert Magazine and former contributor to The Distributist Review. Welcome to this new news and opinion web log promoting Distributism and a pro-Traditional Catholic worldview.

What is Distributism?

It is a literal alternative to BOTH Capitalism and Socialism, especially it's Communist and Fascist variants. For a more detailed explanation, please go to the Wikipedia entry on it HERE.

It was co-founded by the great English authors and journalists Hilaire Belloc and Gilbert Keith Chesterton, or GKC to his fans. It has been refined by other great minds over the decades worldwide.

On the American political spectrum, we are neither "liberal" nor "conservative". Chesterton, one of the world's most prolific authors, had this to say about this political divide long ago:

"The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected."

In the upcoming weeks and months, this web log will report on events in America, Canada, Russia and elsewhere from this unique worldview. Plus there will be social and moral commentary ground in the traditional teachings of Catholicism, both Latin and Eastern Rites.

May the Voice help spur you on to work and pray for positive change wherever you live. Thank you for your time and attention.