News from the Network, Vol. 1, No. 16

As the holidays approach, we spend more time setting up opportunities for the New Year and completing routine annual tasks than we do "accomplishing" definable tasks. In light of deteriorating economic conditions, this could be considered an accomplishment in itself — but it is clearly not enough if we are to succeed in bringing the Just Third Way to the attention of political leaders and policymakers. For that reason, each of you might want to consider how, in the New Year, you can make the effort to open at least three doors, create three opportunities, or carry out three discrete tasks directed toward advancing understanding, acceptance, and implementation of Capital Homesteading and other Just Third Way programs.

• Early this week we reconnected with Dr. Damian P. Fedoryka, a past president of Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Dr. Fedoryka wrote an in-depth review of CESJ's 1994 compendium Curing World Poverty: The New Role of Property, that was published in the July-August 1994 issue of Homiletic and Pastoral Review. We are meeting with Dr. Fedoryka later in December to discuss ways in which he might be able to use his contacts to help advance the Just Third Way — and perhaps do another review, this time of Michael D. Greaney's book, In Defense of Human Dignity. If you have entry into any newspaper or other periodical, you might want to consider writing a review. You can obtain a .pdf review copy by sending an e-mail to CESJ at thirdway [at] cesj [dot] org. If you are a blogger, you are especially encouraged to take advantage of this, particularly if you have as much trouble as I do in coming up with interesting postings on some slow news days.

• Project "Celtic Cornucopia" begins its first outreach effort today with e-mails sent to each member of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann (the Irish House of Representatives and Senate, respectively). The e-mails will contain links to the .pdf version of Capital Homesteading for Every Citizen and other descriptive material. Regular bound copies along with some other Just Third Way enclosures will be sent to the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and some of the major party leaders, as well as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein to show that there is an economic program available that will solve the current financial crisis as well as provide a sound foundation for building a lasting peace and eventual unification through common interests.

• Eventually the Irish — north and south — might want to look into our latest book, In Defense of Human Dignity. Sales remain steady, although not spectacular. While the book is written from a Catholic perspective, it seems to be resonating with people from other faith traditions, reinforcing the fact that the natural law is the common denominator and provides the universal principles on which society must be restructured. The book can be ordered from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

• CESJ friend and supporter Walter Fauntroy is still working at introducing the Just Third Way to the future movers and shakers in the new administration. Walter thereby demonstrates Number 17 in the Code of Ethics in an exemplary manner.

• Speaking of persistence, persistence, and persistence, the Washington Post's otherwise excellent writer and analyst Steven Pearlstein is continuing to chastise the powers-that-be (good), but without offering anything substantive to correct the situation (bad) ("Just One Real Leader, and We Could Have Avoided This Mess," Washington Post, 12/12/08, D1). Assuming we get the time today, we'll send off (another) letter to the Post and Pearlstein reminding both of them that neither of them has given serious consideration (or any consideration at all, for that matter) to our Just Third Way solution.

• As of this morning, we have had visitors from 27 different countries and 37 states and provinces in the United States and Canada to this blog over the past two months.

As usual, there are a great many other news items that we haven't heard about because you haven't submitted them. If you're tired of reading about what we're doing, let's hear from you. If you have a SHORT item about how you are advancing the Just Third Way, send us a note about it at mgreaney [at] cesj [dot] org.

Donations to CESJ support our Capital Homesteading projects and Just Third Way initiatives, and are tax deductible in the United States under IRC § 501(c)(3).