Far too many are leery of cooperatives. Not just from lack of familiarity, but from their way-too-close association with the darkness of Socialism. When a co-op's members or a co-op itself is involved in anything illegal, it only stains it's reputation for their entire movement.
Three recent examples will show why this vital part of a Distributist economy and state must be wary of all taint. (All reports were dated February 23.)
1: According to an article from the “progressive” newspaper Seattle Weekly, the state of California allows co-operatives for the buying of so-called “medical marijuana”. Even though the negative effects of marijuana are well-known, those pushing to legalize this drug are using these type of co-ops for such a purpose.
2: According to a report from the news website allAfrica.com, the deputy head of the Zambia Cooperatives Federation warned of fake co-ops getting government provided fertilizer. He demanded total obedience to legal guidelines for operating co-ops, and not cheat it's members of their dividends and benefits.
3: According to an article from The Jakarta Post of Indonesia, police on the island of Bali had to shut down a co-op suspected of running a Ponzi scheme. The police chief said the co-op was illegally running an investment firm, promising members a 150% rate of return. The Post reported that 62,000 investors could get at their money when police shut the co-op down.
As the old saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” As part of a Distributist State, co-operatives have the power to change an economy and social structure for the better.
But bad actions on a co-op's part will only hurt their image. It will give ammunition for it's rivals in the Capitalist and Socialist camps. So it must continue to weed out those that would break the law and blacken it's reputation. Let the co-operative movement be a model of both innovation and moral righteousness.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Decentralize The Grid Now!
A non-negotiable tenet of Distributist Thought is decentralizing ownership of the means of production to as many as possible. One of those means of production is electricity generation.
With the continuous advances in developing low-level technology over the years, it's now possible to generate your own power. This is true for individual homes and local communities. Not only does these advances help homes keep the lights on during emergencies, but it also makes the overall electricity supply safer from terrorist attacks. For the more power generators there are, and the smaller they are, the less tempting a target for sabotage they are.
With this in mind, there are some links from a Cambridge, MA man active in promoting energy conservation and both solar and "micro-power" generation. This link HERE talks of three projects he'd love to get people involved in, promoting more public acceptance of solar power.
And this link HERE from the - alas - rabid pro-Democrat website Daily Kos speaks of employing parked cars or trucks as auxiliary generators. There's also a link HERE on how both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford did a joint project creating an electric house powered with "on-site generators". And all before World War One!
We can do this now to ensure a more pro-Distributist energy policy where we live. At the same time, we can get on both Congress' and Big Energy's case. Demand they get out of the way of average folks making and promoting alternative energy for themselves and their neighborhoods.
Stick it to the Socialists and Capitalists ruining America's energy future. Promote this today! Act on this today!
With the continuous advances in developing low-level technology over the years, it's now possible to generate your own power. This is true for individual homes and local communities. Not only does these advances help homes keep the lights on during emergencies, but it also makes the overall electricity supply safer from terrorist attacks. For the more power generators there are, and the smaller they are, the less tempting a target for sabotage they are.
With this in mind, there are some links from a Cambridge, MA man active in promoting energy conservation and both solar and "micro-power" generation. This link HERE talks of three projects he'd love to get people involved in, promoting more public acceptance of solar power.
And this link HERE from the - alas - rabid pro-Democrat website Daily Kos speaks of employing parked cars or trucks as auxiliary generators. There's also a link HERE on how both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford did a joint project creating an electric house powered with "on-site generators". And all before World War One!
We can do this now to ensure a more pro-Distributist energy policy where we live. At the same time, we can get on both Congress' and Big Energy's case. Demand they get out of the way of average folks making and promoting alternative energy for themselves and their neighborhoods.
Stick it to the Socialists and Capitalists ruining America's energy future. Promote this today! Act on this today!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
NEW FILIPINO CO-OP LAW SIGNED
One of the hallmarks of a Distributist economy is the preservation and expansion of cooperatives. A new law recently signed by the president of the Philippines has done just that and more.
According to the magazine BusinessWorld Online, the new law allows cooperatives to give its members better access to training, as well as better educational and financial services. It also requires more attention to detail of a cooperative's accounting practices, as well as expanding the areas of business where cooperatives may be created.
This is positive news for the Philippines, which has for many years been on the cutting edge in promoting Distributism to the Third World. Congratulations are due to the Philippine government, and may other nations follow their example.
According to the magazine BusinessWorld Online, the new law allows cooperatives to give its members better access to training, as well as better educational and financial services. It also requires more attention to detail of a cooperative's accounting practices, as well as expanding the areas of business where cooperatives may be created.
This is positive news for the Philippines, which has for many years been on the cutting edge in promoting Distributism to the Third World. Congratulations are due to the Philippine government, and may other nations follow their example.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Von Mises Is No Saint
From November of 2008, our colleague John C. Medaille at The Distributist Review writes a powerful article on Ludwig Von Mises, one of the leading figures of Austrian School Libertarianism.
In his piece called "Can Mises be Baptized?", Mr. Medaille writes on how so many influential American Catholic pundits were seduced by Mises' take on Capitalism. It is such a hard-hitting piece, it generated ninety-nine responses.
You read correctly. Ninety-nine of them!
Go HERE to read both article and comments. Hefty buy solid reading.
In his piece called "Can Mises be Baptized?", Mr. Medaille writes on how so many influential American Catholic pundits were seduced by Mises' take on Capitalism. It is such a hard-hitting piece, it generated ninety-nine responses.
You read correctly. Ninety-nine of them!
Go HERE to read both article and comments. Hefty buy solid reading.
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