Not too much new this week, and most of it could be resolved by adopting the Economic Democracy Act:
Calm discussion on Social Security
• Social Insecurity. It was never intended as anything other than a supplement and last-ditch safety net, but Social Security has become a way of life for many, which is why any intelligent discussion about it is off the table. Still, it grabs headlines, as in this article analyzing proposed changes in the Social Security system. It’s interesting in a technical way, but the real importance is the underlying assumption that no one can live without Social Security, so the thing to do is tweak the system until it works . . . which it really can’t. What’s the solution? You guessed it. Adopt the Economic Democracy Act, not to replace Social Security, but to return it to its place as a supplement and safety net.
• Stop Saving, Start Investing. As is the case with the Social Security system, the whole orientation toward retirement is to save for retirement, then spend what you saved after retirement. Thus there is an obsessive focus on how much people have saved, as in this article on the average balance people have in their 401(k) accounts. There is not a word in the article (or, if there is, we missed it) about how much income the account generates. It’s all how much is available to spend. This orientation needs to change if people are to regain control over their own lives and put government in its place, and that means we need to adopt the Economic Democracy Act, and reorient retirement thinking from saving to investment.
 |
| Cost of not having children may go up. |
• The Cost of Living Child-Free. Unthinking people who believe themselves to be conservative are touting Putin’s Russia as family friendly and defender of traditional values. As a case in point, Russia is considering imposing colossal fines in the thousands of dollars on couples who choose not to have children. Aside from the couples who really want children and can’t have them, why should the government be involved in such a decision? It’s as much interference in people’s lives to force them to have children as to punish them for having them. Why is Russia even considering such a move? In one word: Putin. His war against Ukraine has turned Russia’s demographic problem into a catastrophe, a situation insoluble except by getting rid of Putin and adopting the Economic Democracy Act.
 |
| Stuff, not wealth |
• Assets But No Wealth. For too long Americans have been brainwashed into thinking their homes are investments. No, housing is a consumption expense, not an investment. That’s why it is a very bad sign when people are borrowing on the equity in their homes to pay down other consumer debt. Talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul. The solution is to cut expenses and work to enhance income, not to maintain your lifestyle by cashing in on necessities to pay for luxuries. That’s a short-term solution, however. For the mid- to long-term, the solution is to adopt the Economic Democracy Act so people can generate sufficient income and build investment assets that really are investments instead of mortgaging (literally) their futures.
• Nudge Theory. According to the experts, the easier it is to spend money, the more likely you are to spend it. That’s why “nudge theory” — that small changes in behavior have big results . . . for good or ill — can be useful in the short-term to start getting America’s personal debt problem under control. And government’s as well; if government had to tax to get its money, it wouldn’t spend anywhere near as much (nor could it) as it does when it can monetize deficits by emitting debt. On the plus side, making it harder to spend your money can stop the cash hemorrhaging until new revenue sources are found . . . such as adopting the Economic Democracy Act, and then teaching people how to spend.
 |
| Everything under control . . . |
• Powell Pledges Pecuniary Prudence. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has declared he will do whatever is necessary to put and keep the U.S. economy on a solid footing. And if you believe that, we have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in. In reality, Powell will do whatever he can get away with inside the Keynesian framework which will keep the politicians and gamblers on Wall Street happy and the economic indicators up . . . and to [bleep] with ordinary people who actually have to live with the results of decisions by experts living in Keynesian Lalaland. If Powell were truly willing to do whatever it takes, he would push for the adoption of the Economic Democracy Act and put the economy on a genuinely sound basis.
• Bus Stations Disappearing. Ever since Greyhound Bus was purchased by a German investor, the company has been selling its bus stations, many of which are located in prime locations in major cities. This is “bad,” as it effectively precludes low-income people from being able to travel, and cuts smaller towns lacking airports and access to rail out of passenger transportation networks altogether. It seems no one has bothered to consider the possibility of putting in multi-purpose buildings that retain the bus station on the ground floor, and offices and other functions on the upper floors.
• Greater Reset “Book Trailers”. We have produced two ninety-second “Book Trailers” for distribution (by whoever wants to distribute them), essentially minute and a half commercials for The Greater Reset. There are two versions of the videos, one for “general audiences” and the other for “Catholic audiences”. Take your pick.
• The Greater Reset. CESJ’s book by members of CESJ’s core group, The Greater Reset: Reclaiming Personal Sovereignty Under Natural Law is, of course, available from the publisher, TAN Books, an imprint of Saint Benedict Press, and has already gotten a top review on that website. It can also be obtained from Barnes and Noble, as well as Amazon, or by special order from your local “bricks and mortar” bookstore. The Greater Reset is the only book of which we’re aware on “the Great Reset” that presents an alternative instead of simply warning of the dangers inherent in a proposal that is contrary to natural law. It describes reality, rather than a Keynesian fantasy world. Please note that The Greater Reset is NOT a CESJ publication as such, and enquiries about quantity discounts and wholesale orders for resale must be sent to the publisher, Saint Benedict Press, NOT to CESJ.
• Economic Personalism Landing Page. A landing page for CESJ’s latest publication, Economic Personalism: Property, Power and Justice for Every Person, has been created and can be accessed by clicking on this link. Everyone is encouraged to visit the page and send the link out to their networks.
• Economic Personalism. When you purchase a copy of Economic Personalism: Property, Power and Justice for Every Person, be sure you post a review after you’ve read it. It is available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble at the cover price of $10 per copy. You can also download the free copy in .pdf available from the CESJ website. If you’d like to order in bulk (i.e., ten or more copies) at the wholesale price, send an email to publications@cesj.org for details. CESJ members get a $2 rebate per copy on submission of proof of purchase. Wholesale case lots of 52 copies are available at $350, plus shipping (whole case lots ONLY). Prices are in U.S. dollars.
• Sensus Fidelium Videos, Update. CESJ’s series of videos for Sensus Fidelium are doing very well, with over 155,000 total views. The latest Sensus Fidelium video is “The Five Levers of Change.” The video is part of the series on the book, Economic Personalism. The latest completed series on “the Great Reset” can be found on the “Playlist” for the series. The previous series of sixteen videos on socialism is available by clicking on the link: “Socialism, Modernism, and the New Age,” along with some book reviews and other selected topics. For “interfaith” presentations to a Catholic audience they’ve proved to be popular, edging up to 150,000 views to date. They aren’t really “Just Third Way videos,” but they do incorporate a Just Third Way perspective. You can access the playlist for the entire series. The point of the videos is to explain how socialism and socialist assumptions got such a stranglehold on the understanding of the role of the State and thus the interpretation of Catholic social teaching, and even the way non-Catholics and even non-Christians understand the roles of Church, State, and Family, and the human persons place in society.
Those are the happenings for this week, at least those 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 well see that it gets into the next “issue.” Due to imprudent and intemperate language on the part of some commentators, we removed temptation and disabled comments.
#30#
