Perspectives of a Wanderer

While over at my usual haunt on the Distributism Yahoo Group, a link to a blog entry was made and the person had some interesting comments when the subject of Distributism came up:

I have heard of distributism. Certainly, in theory it sounds like a superior alternative to either capitalism or socialism, and a much better method for placing the proper dignity on human labor and endeavor. Were a serious distributist movement to arise in the U.S., I would gladly get behind it and support it wholeheartedly.

At present, though, such a movement does not exist in this country, or indeed anywhere in the world that I’m aware of. By this I mean that the quantity of people supporting distributism is simply far too small to establish the infrastructure and re-regulation that would be needed to give it a proper try. Until such time as a serious distributist movement arises, I continue to give Austrian economics my full support as the best of all available, viable alternatives.

And

As a quick addendum, I’d be more than happy to be proven wrong about the viability of distributism in the current social environment, if evidence to that effect exists. Or alternatively, if there is a way to practice distributism even without widespread social acceptance of it, I’d be quite interested in studying that.

I agree, we distributist are very disorganized right now, but there is a growing group of us who are trying to change that. I am relatively new to the concept myself, but I am learning.

There is an incestuous relationship between Global Capitalism and Socialism where it is really now Capitalistic Socialism or Socialistic Capitalism.

What we need is multifaceted. First is a Practical Guide (or Roadmap) for the implementation of Distributism. Second, we need to get politically active with the creation of Advocacy Groups and PAC’s to further our agenda.

Right now, our government is fixated on Globalism and Socialism and that addiction must be obliterated before it obliterates civilization.

Take the following headline:

Russian gas flow halted through Ukraine to Europe

This is proof that we must move away from “globalization” and back to local economies when possible.  Whether it is food, energy, or other necessities, we must develop and maintain a local supply of goods.

Most necessities can be produced locally once the infrastructure is in place.   This includes energy due to the emerging technologies (i.e. Fuels from algae, waste, wind, and the likes). This  does mean that we will have to go without certain things during parts of the year, but that is how it was done in the past.

Another advantage is that local economies will be more insulated from the wild swings caused by the “global economy”.

This does not mean we cannot import goods.  Far from it.  What it means is that those goods should be considered only after local sources are exhausted or for certain luxury items.

Materialism is one of the main ravages of civilization.  Global reliance on goods only fuels this plague.  We must move away from globalism when all possible and go back to a simpler way of life.  Yes, it will be hard at first. But, we will be better off in the long run.

If one thing has come out of the current situation is that Materialism is not conducive with the goal that one should have in life. That goal is that we should live our lives in accordance with God’s Natural Law based on the teachings of Our Lord.

The greed of Materialism, along with its cohorts Relativism and Liberalism, has all but destroyed today’s society. We must look long and hard on how we live our lives and make changes that will not only bring us closer to God, but also hopefully help mend society.

Although I have not been caught up as much as some in the cult of Materialism, I still am guilty of participating in it and I do not like it. In the next couple of months, I will personally be looking at how I live my life and make changes that will not only wean me further away from many of the trappings of Materialism but also, hopefully, bring me closer to God. Some of the things I am looking at:

1. Look at what I have and get rid of anything I absolutely do not need.
2. Not eating out as often and, when I do, stay away from the more expensive restaurants (which I only eat at once or twice a month as it is). This includes taking my lunch to work instead of eating at the Cafe that is in the building where I work.
3. Taking less expensive vacations and even not going anywhere or doing personal retreats when I take time off.
4. I was looking at buying a new car in the next year or so, but I will look at keeping my 7+ year old compact a little longer and, if I need to get a car, look at use cars first.
5. Instead of going to the mall, bookstore, etc., spend time in prayer (including Eucharistic Adoration), going to Mass, and/or spending time at home reading.

I know, some of this look like I am cutting back due to the economy. However, I have been debating a lot of his for quite awhile. In addition, the above list is not, by all means complete. There are some things I have probably forgotten and more things I will think of.

The goal is to make Materialism a thing of the past and God the most important thing in my life.

This is a brief follow up on the post “Rejecting The World”.

WorldNetDaily has an article titled: Record 259 corporations honored for ‘gay’ support.  In it there was a link to the companies that made the list.

Part of rejecting the world is to avoid (if possible) those who knowingly support and advance the perversions of the world and are so inflexible of their support that it is doubtful that they will never change that position.

While I am not saying we need to immediately boycott these companies, we need to be careful on how we do business with them.  At some point in the future, we may have to cease doing business with them until they change.

It may even come to the point were we will need to set up a separate societal/economic structure separate from the perverse one we now live in.  That is a topic of a thread/poll that I have opened over on Catholic Answers Forums.

Awhile back I asked the question whether speculation in the commodity markets is immoral. Since then I have kept tabs on the commodity markets and am convinced more than ever that the commodity market have indeed become immortal.

Oil and food prices are rising on the mere hint of trouble (real or imagined) in those markets and there are hyped reports daily of further rises further fueling the rise. Just a few years ago, a threat of a hurricane or inclement weather would not of caused a ripple in oil and fuel prices. Now they cause wild swings to the upside of the market. The only persons this wild speculation benefits is the speculators. Everyone else loses.

One bright note, I expect that, like the housing market, the commodity markets may be in for a crash.

There has been a lot of press lately about how using corn for ethanol has been driving up crop prices. However, I see a few benefits that come from this (and one is already starting):

1. Farmers are starting to pull land that the government has been paying them to not plant back into production. This has been reported, surprisingly, by the NY Times: As Prices Rise, Farmers Spurn Conservation Program. It is only a small drop. Even if they keep it as “grassland”, it can become a material source for biofuels by planting grasses like switchgrass which takes little tending to.
2. The possibility of replacing undesirable crops with ones that can be used for food or biofuels. One that comes immediately to mind is tobacco. Many crops (including corn) can be planted in the same area as tobacco. Some of these even have more potential (i.e. higher yield and lower cost) than corn for use in biofuels.
3. A third, and least likely is the rethinking of the ban on hemp (the “industrial” kind not the “other” type which I do not, in any way, advocate the use of). Hemp can be used for many purposes including food, clothing, and biofuels.

What is happening is capitalism correcting the inefficient programs of government management of sectors of the economy. Hopefully more of this will happen.

One thing that I have found out is there is no real good source of companies that have policies that are not in opposition to Catholic teachings. Yes there are Mutual Fund (2 family of funds that I can think of), but even there, no individual companies are listed.

We are suppose to be responsible stewards, but how can you was resources are limited.

Growing up, a home was not an investment tool to get rich. It was a place to live.

That all changed with the excesses of the 90’s and came to a screeching halt in the past year. Insane speculation has cause the housing market to spiral out of control. First to the upside and now to the downside.

In addition, builders concentrated on the high end of the market while ignoring the middle and lower end of the market. Bigger was better was the theme.

All of this cause people to go into markets where they were not financially able or prepared to be. They got in just on the speculation (and hype) of getting rich from the market appreciation.

This “housing crisis” is not a crash. It is a correction to get back to where the market should be, a home before an investment of gain.   Hopefully the builders will also realize there is a market that has been too long ignored.

In recent months, I have come to the conclusion that speculation in the commodity markets (i.e. Futures, Options, and other instruments) is no longer a good thing. In the past it was used to lock in prices by being a hedge against inflation. These days, people are using it to prey on people fears to get rich.

The oil market is one good example. In recent months the speculators have been a major part of the rise in oil prices by bidding up the price. I have seen reports where analyst have said that speculation is pricing oil as much as $30 to $40 over where it should be. Just in the last couple of days, though, the price has dropped dramatically when these same “investors” dumped their positions. This speculation, in my opinion, is one reason why gas prices have been fluctuating wildly.

The same thing is starting to happen in food prices. With the talk of alternative fuels driving up prices of certain grain prices, people are panicking about food prices. You never hear about the research and use of non-food materials for the alternative fuels.

Has speculation turned into something immoral?