News from the Network, Vol. 5, No. 9

As the pre-campaign campaign continues to heat up as the economy continues to cool down, it becomes increasingly evident, not only in the United States but throughout the world that rhetoric, name-calling and cheerleading without substance is not going to solve anything. Despite the tendency to blame "the other guy" for our political and, most especially, our economic troubles need real solutions, not ephemeral palliative care that tries to cushion the blow rather than take the club away. What is needed is for Capital Homesteading to receive from serious consideration from the candidates. Once that happens, the advantages will immediately be obvious.

• We are saddened to report the death of James Martin Greaney, 50, brother of CESJ's Director of Research. James died this past week in Evansville, Indiana, where he lived most of his life. Born in San Francisco, California, he moved with his family to southern Indiana in 1968, where he attended Corpus Christi Grade School and Mater Dei High School. An avid reader and history enthusiast, he was active in Scouting for many years. He is survived by his parents, five brothers, and two sisters.

• This past week we had a series of meetings that advanced the "door opening" initiative significantly. There is, of course, nothing concrete as yet, but prospects were identified and specific goals clarified. The current crop of candidates and potential candidates from both parties remain primary targets, of course. It is important to realize that, whatever we might think of any particular candidate or party personally, people who hold views different from our own have as much right to hold their opinions as we have to hold ours. As long as even the worst law or judicial decision does not force us personally to do wrong, we can tolerate it for a time for the sake of the social order. That does not mean that we can allow injustice to continue, however. Very much the contrary! We are obligated to join with others and organize to persuade those who disagree with us of the errors of their ways — fully aware that we run the risk of coming around to their point of view if our arguments are not persuasive! The moral of that, of course, is to have your arguments ready, and avoid at all cost rejecting the other side's position without hearing the argument and showing you understand it. All that does is lose you the argument before it begins.

• Michael D. Greaney, CESJ's Director of Research, has been asked to contribute some articles to Inside the Vatican magazine, integrating the Just Third Way and Catholic social teaching into the various economic proposals being bruited about in the current U.S. political campaign. The growing air of desperation, despite all the talk of "recovery," may be making people more open to the potential of Capital Homesteading, as it applies the three principles of economic justice: Participation, Distribution, and Harmony.

• Preparations for the CESJ Annual Celebration proceed apace. This year's event promises to be both enjoyable and educational, as well as helping provide orientation for the door-opening push to bring the potential inherent in Capital Homesteading to the attention of candidates for political office and incumbents.

• The annual rally outside the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC, to take place Friday, April 20, 2012 should also prove to be lively and informative, with a schedule of songs, drums and poetry (not all at the same time) to highlight the need for change and to put the money power back in the hands of the people. More information can be found on the "Fed Rally Flyer," which you are encouraged to download, print and distribute, especially at "Occupy" gatherings, Tea Party events, and colleges and universities (after obtaining official permission — we're out to change the system, not buck it). Churches, synagogues, mosques and civic organizations should also be interested in this effort that addresses the vital issue of personal sovereignty and human dignity.

• As of this morning, we have had visitors from 55 different countries and 49 states and provinces in the United States and Canada to this blog over the past two months. Most visitors are from the United States, Canada, the UK, the Philippines and India. People in Venezuela, Hong Kong, Australia, the United States and India spent the most average time on the blog. The most popular postings this past week were "Thomas Hobbes on Private Property," "Aristotle on Private Property," "The Crimes of Rick Santorum," "E. J. Dionne v. Citizens United," and "Toward a False Equality."

Those are the happenings for this week, at least that we know about. If you have an accomplishment that you think should be listed, send us a note about it at mgreaney [at] cesj [dot] org, and we'll see that it gets into the next "issue." If you have a short (250-400 word) comment on a specific posting, please enter your comments in the blog — do not send them to us to post for you. All comments are moderated anyway, so we'll see it before it goes up.

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