bdouglass Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I want to know who claims to be living under a distributist system? Where do you live? The problem with the "show me distributism working" question is that no state has really ever implimented it. The High Middle Ages followed a system that is very similar, however, it wasn't intentionally distributist and there were still some flaws in the system which Belloc and others worked out in their theory (like the impact of technology). I would call that proto-distributist, though. We can, however, look at companies and organizations which operate on the distributist model. The Catholic Worker Movement (at least originally) was distributist. Catholic worker farms were supposed to be agricultural universities. I think the movement was/is a success where it remained orthodox. The Guild of St. Jospeh and Dominic in Ditchling, England lasted from 1907 until 1989 and was quite fruitful operating on the distributist model. Small is Still Beautiful: Economics as if Families Mattered by Joseph Pearce shows some examples of distributism in practice. I remember a chapter about breweries. I don't have the book with me in the UK, so sorry I can't be more specific. I think the best example of the distributist model even working in an industrial setting is the Mondragón Cooperative Corporation in Spain. [url="http://www.mcc.es/"]http://www.mcc.es/[/url] They are the 7th largest corporation in Spain and also have a university. MCC was inspired by a priest who took the Church's Social teaching as a starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didacus Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 [quote name='Socrates' post='1449862' date='Jan 23 2008, 11:28 PM'][snip] And when most people say "Communism," they are referring to Soviet-based Marxist-Leninist Communism, a thoroughly godless system which has been responsible for more murders and attrocities in its 90+ years of existence than any other system of government in the world. [snip][/quote] *cough* *cough* Crunch the numbers against communism against the Mao regime of China. *sniff* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dismas Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 [quote name='Didacus' post='1450265' date='Jan 24 2008, 06:52 PM']*cough* *cough* Crunch the numbers against communism against the Mao regime of China. *sniff*[/quote] Mao didn't have a Ukraine to starve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socrates Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 [quote name='Didacus' post='1450265' date='Jan 24 2008, 07:52 PM']*cough* *cough* Crunch the numbers against communism against the Mao regime of China. *sniff*[/quote] The Mao regime was Communist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dismas Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 [quote name='Socrates' post='1450325' date='Jan 24 2008, 09:00 PM']The Mao regime was Communist.[/quote] In fact, Mao is viewed by some as a more "pure" Communist than Stalin. As for my perspective: Begin with a Laissez-faire Capitalism. Hold a hard line to the gold standard in regards to monetary policy, establish an independent banking system, enforce strict usury and fraud laws, etc. And no, Laissez-faire Capitalism is not immoral, but rather amoral. From there, the socially conscious Catholic is free to use his wealth and property as he sees fit, including establishing a "sub-economy" nested within the greater economic framework of Laissez-faire Capitalism. This limits the abusiveness of central planning by balancing it with volunteer activity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenchild17 Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) snap this was an old thread... I still believe distributism is the best possible model and no I don't currently no much more about economics than I did and no I don't think it wrong to present defenses for something even if I don't understand it fully. That said, I was a jerk and hopefully I've been able to improve on my tone and apparently thin skin since this thread first got started. peace Edited January 26, 2008 by goldenchild17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenchild17 Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1449956' date='Jan 24 2008, 04:46 AM']This is a tough thread.. I want to root for Socrates but I also want to root for goldenchild... I'll root for whoever is due for a post. goldenchild: w0000t! I'm wooting for you dude! Post, post, post![/quote] haha. appreciate it bro, but I'm afraid I'm no competition for Soc at this point. I still have a lot of reading to do... Not really sure where to go from here after such a hiatus from this thread. Though I'd be glad to start it up again if the interest is there. If only for a learning experience as I'm sure I can't provide much of a convincing defense right yet. Edited January 26, 2008 by goldenchild17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdouglass Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I was informed about the Democratic Labor Party of Austrailia as an example of a distributist party in real life. Anyone know much about them. [url="http://www.dlp.org.au/"]http://www.dlp.org.au/[/url] Something similar might work in the US. It would be interesting, at least. Something to work for along with my distributist village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socrates Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 [quote name='Alycin' post='1449958' date='Jan 24 2008, 07:32 AM']But weren't a lot of people technically communists that had no choice in the matter? (Curious... again, this isn't my topic so I'm always willing to learn.)[/quote] I'm not sure what you're talking about. Do you mean people drafted into Communist armies, or forced to work for Communist governments? Obviously, people are not morally responsible for what they were forced into against their wills - just as young Joseph Ratzinger was not morally responsible for being forced to join the Hitler Youth. However, such cases do nothing to diminish the evil of the Communist ideology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laudate_Dominum Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 [quote name='Socrates' post='1451602' date='Jan 27 2008, 05:57 PM']I'm not sure what you're talking about. Do you mean people drafted into Communist armies, or forced to work for Communist governments? Obviously, people are not morally responsible for what they were forced into against their wills - just as young Joseph Ratzinger was not morally responsible for being forced to join the Hitler Youth. However, such cases do nothing to diminish the evil of the Communist ideology.[/quote] Man of the hour!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didacus Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 [quote name='Dismas' date='24 January 2008 - 08:53 PM' timestamp='1201226031' post='1450321'] Mao didn't have a Ukraine to starve. [/quote] They didn't need it. The mao regime killed more people than Stalin. And yes, Mao was communist as well. *back to you Bob* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King's Rook's Pawn Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 This thread... [img]http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/green12-zombie-hand-0409-10162228.jpg[/img] ...just won't stay dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winchester Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 If we have no government, everyone will magically behave. Commercial entities will not gain and then abuse power, strong men will not subjugate the weak through force and everyone--everyone--will have a PS3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laudate_Dominum Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 [quote name='Winchester' date='04 January 2010 - 01:52 PM' timestamp='1262631134' post='2029527'] If we have no government, everyone will magically behave. Commercial entities will not gain and then abuse power, strong men will not subjugate the weak through force and everyone--everyone--will have a PS3. [/quote] I want a PS3. But srsly, old thread! I remember it well. Where is Aloysius when u need him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommas_boy Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 My question on distributism: what's to prevent the acquisition mentality of modern corporatism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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