Distributism

[Matto]

This is Catholic social teaching in action, it was started off by a Catholic priest.

I don't know how much you know about it Keith, but it is working system, unlike raw capitalism or socialism.






The unions can't move in on these businesses and pit workers against owners, because the workers are the owners.

The big predatory private equity firms can't move in and buy up controlling interest and sell off assets for profit, because the workers are the controllers, with equal votes.

[KeithE]

[Haruo]

Wikipedia has an interesting of what it says are worker-run cooperative businesses, though I'm not clear that this is always true; in some cases I think they are member-run, and while the workers may be (and perhaps are required to be) members, so are a lot of customers who don't work there.

[Matto]

[KeithE]

[Matto]

[KeithE]

[Matto]

[Matto]

You can see the degeneration in the book The animal farm. The noble idea that all animals were " equal " turned into some animals are more equal than others. Then it turned into some pigs are more equal than others.

It's an insight into human nature more than anything.

I don't like secular centralized authorities, they have always degenerated, there are countless examples throughout history.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, this is the corrosive effect that happens with greater centralization, until self determination is choked out.

[KeithE]

[Dave Roberts]

[Matto]

[Matto]

[Matto]

I don't know if you have heard of this before Keith, but it gives a guiding principle about the public purse. Once it is opened up for charity, no end of corruption occurs.

[KeithE]

[Dave Roberts]

[Matto]

[Matto]

Greece has been a socialist country for years, most people looked to the state to provide jobs, and welfare and it grew. Now the state is broke because too many people used the state as a charity, that is the end result of socialism.

A story that has just come out shows people are being turned away from hospitals because there is no medicine to give them. Things like insulin are no longer available to the poor, and this is essential for their survival.

Hospital workers haven't been paid in months, but they are forced to work for nothing.

Some people have tried to barter for medicines ( eggs and clothes ) but are turned away from hospitals with nothing.

Socialism piles more and more expenses on the state not caring how much is borrowed, and it eventually collapses in state bankruptcy.
Cyprus just declared bankruptcy.

Socialism bankrupts nations, it has been proven time and time again. People never seem to learn.

[Dave Roberts]

[Haruo]

The pope's "absolute" power (whether temporally in the Vatican City State or spiritually in the Roman Catholic Church) is severely circumscribed by the power of the College of Cardinals as well as other limitations, and in any event at least the spiritual power is indeed exercised as Christ's Vicar on earth. But the days are long gone when the people of Milan could raise a layman to be their bishop by acclamation.

[Dave Roberts]

[Matto]

[MJ Willett]

[Dave Roberts]

[MJ Willett]