It’s tempting to say, “Nothing to see here, move along,” but there might be something in the Same Old Thing that makes people realize things could be different by adopting the Economic Democracy Act:
The Panic of 1893
• Rate Cuts! Recession Unlikely! Take it for what it’s worth (i.e., nothing-zip-zilch), but the Federal Reserve is considering implementing three incremental interest rate cuts this year. This, it is believed, will prevent a recession . . . meaning a continuance of the Great Depression which has continued with occasional intervals for rest and refreshment since 1893 . . . yes, 1893, when fundamental changes occurred in the global economy with the end of easy availability of capital in the form of land with the closing of the American frontier. Of course, if anyone in power really wanted to bring the country out of the more than century long Great Depression, it would make it possible for people to become productive with both capital and labor, and this could be done by adopting the Economic Democracy Act.
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| 1920s Russian Famine |
• Russia is Eating Itself. Due to the war of conquest Russia is carrying out in Ukraine, the Russian economy has turned essentially cannibalistic . . . which has happened before, a little more graphically. According to an article in Fortune magazine, “The reality of Russia's economic situation is far more complex and concerning than some would have you believe. The productive core of the Russian economy has been severely compromised, with the government's spending spree bearing a striking resemblance to Keynes’ famous metaphor of digging trenches and filling them with dirt — a superficial attempt to prop up GDP figures without creating genuine economic value, improving the lives of the Russian people, or improving Russian productivity. Financial, production, and human resources have been redirected en masse to the defense sector, leaving the civilian sector struggling to meet growing consumer demand. This imbalance — cannibalizing the rest of the Russian economy to fund Putin’s war — has fueled inflation, further exacerbated by the depreciation of the ruble and rising import costs.” What’s the solution? Adopt the Economic Democracy Act.
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| Conservative values |
• How Do You Define “Liberal”? Putin has decided to make Russia a “safe haven” for everyone who rejects “liberal values” . . . evidently neglecting to realize he is himself a radical liberal of the European type, and he is merely outraged at other radical liberals whose self-realized principles differ from his. Russia “has designated itself as a ‘safe haven’ for citizens of Western countries looking to escape ‘destructive neoliberal ideas’.” Why all this confusion? Aside from the fact tyranny thrives on chaos, they evidently don’t know the meaning of liberal, which is detailed in the book, Economic Personalism. If Russia really wants to champion “conservative” values, it should adopt the Economic Democracy Act.
• Dangerous for the Market. This one has something of a built-in conflict for us. According to Seana Smith, “Trump’s proposed policies — including across-the-board tariffs and an extension of the 2017 tax cuts — are a ‘highly dangerous’ mix for both the economy and the market and could ultimately lead to elevated prices.” Why not adopt a policy, the Economic Democracy Act, that will make the economy work for everyone?
• The Quest for Limitless Energy. As the article states, “Fusion is a holy grail for the energy sector, theoretically offering abundant, essentially zero-pollution power in a small physical footprint, without the need to use regional natural resources.” Evidently, there has been a breakthrough, and if so, the Economic Democracy Act would be the way to finance the transformation.
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| Jobs Market |
• Federal Reserve Uneasy About “Jobs Market”. The annual retreat from reality at Jackson Hole is raising speculation about what the Federal Reserve is going to do. One item is the so-called “jobs market” and its effect on the economy. The whole idea of a “jobs market” questions the whole idea of an economy in the first place. An economy deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services — or is supposed to. What the Federal Reserve should be concerned with is providing adequate liquidity for the private sector, not controlling the economy to create jobs. They should be pushing to adopt the Economic Democracy Act, not trying to figure out how to control people.
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| Goes the other way, too . . . |
• Russia Stops Subversive Dating in Kursk. With an estimated 15% of eligible men in Russia being removed from the gene and reproductive pool and Putin urging women to have eight or more children each to re-stock his cannon fodder inventory, it seems counterproductive to urge people to stop using social media dating apps in Kursk. It makes sense, however, as Ukraine Intelligence may be able to use the information on dating apps against Russia by being able to identify who and what is where and why. If Putin is really concerned about the coming demographic meltdown, he would pull out of Ukraine and immediately adopt the Economic Democracy Act. On the other hand, if he is only concerned about the demographic crisis he has caused because it interferes with his plans for world conquest by reducing available cannon fodder.
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| Cowboy economics? |
• Playing it Safe. The experts are pontificating that Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell will “play it safe” in what he proposes in the annual retreat from reality at Jackson Hole. Translation: he will stick to tried-and-failed Keynesian prescriptions that have never really worked and by their nature never will. Powell wants to “avoid market shocks,” meaning he doesn’t want to upset the economic and financial powers-that-be who protect and defend the status quo. Of course, this assumes that it’s a good thing that things stay exactly the way they are with the same people or types of people in charge and controlling their lives. Why, after all, should “the market” be the determining factor in setting economic or financial policy? Shouldn’t these things be determined by what benefits actual people rather than looking good on economic reports? Why not push for adoption of the Economic Democracy Act.
• 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.
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