Some new ideas this week . . . at least, new to recent events or dressed up in semi-new clothes. The more we get “into” the Just Third Way of Economic Personalism, the more frustrating it seems to become that so many people in positions of influence don’t seem to “get” it. In any event, it would help assuage our feelings of frustration if those who could would adopt the Economic Democracy Act as soon as possible:
• Meeting with James Kalb. Early this week, members of the CESJ Core Group had a meeting with Jim Kalb, a lawyer, independent scholar, and Catholic convert who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is the author of The Tyranny of Liberalism (ISI Books, 2008), Against Inclusiveness: How the Diversity Regime is Flattening America and the West and What to Do About It (Angelico Press, 2013), and, most recently, The Decomposition of Man: Identity, Technocracy, and the Church (Angelico Press). The meeting was very productive with many points of agreement between Jim’s position and that of CESJ. He expressed interest in the organization of what we are calling the Initiative on Economic Personalism and asked to be kept up to date. He is one of the growing number of people who are expressing interest in the Just Third Way of Economic Personalism, of which one application is the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
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| Bill Gates |
• I, Human. The war between humans and robots is starting to heat up. Again. Now Bill Gates has weighed in with his “three key takeaways” regarding what to do about the situation. As reported in the Business Insider, 1) Although AI has mostly affected mostly “white collar” jobs” (you know, the jobs in which workers wear blue “power shirts”), they will soon start taking away “blue collar” jobs (you know, the jobs in which workers wear khaki shirts or white tee shirts when they wear shirts) as well. 2) There may be some jobs reserved for human beings . . . such as giving people the news they are dying from an incurable disease. Of course, that would program people to know with absolute certainty that something is horribly, terribly wrong if suddenly a human being starts talking to them . . . 3) Taxing AI and robots that take human jobs. Obviously, there are serious problems with all these “key takeaways” — all of which could be solved by figuring out some way ordinary people could own the robots that are taking their jobs . . . something like the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
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| Ottawa, Canada |
• The Canadian Invasion. A news report from a local ABC affiliate is pondering what effect Trump’s latest Canadian phobia will have on the economy of Virginia. We refer to the tariffs, not the taxonomy. As the news report states, “As a high-stakes trade war escalates between the United States and Canada, local economists and state leaders are warning that Virginia is positioned directly in the blast of the fallout. With new 50% tariffs imposed on Canadian imports taking effect, and retaliatory tariffs from Ottawa expected by September, experts say the disruption will economically claim victims across the Commonwealth.” We’re starting to sound like “Johnny One-Note” (that really dates us), but this would not be an issue if Congress would get its, er, act together and adopt the the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) as soon as possible.
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| Real entrance to fake amphitheater |
• Real News About Fake Views. If you can’t beat ’em, cheat ’em. According to a report from CNN, a fellow in Italy wanted to make a few bucks (or Euros) by showing people an ancient Greek amphitheater. The problem was he didn’t happen to have one . . . so he made one . . . and wrecked a world heritage site in the process. If he wanted some extra money, maybe he should have pushed for Italy to adopt the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
• Unwoke Washington. People have been warning for years that the U.S. Social Security system is going bankrupt and benefits are either going to be cut or reduced in some fashion. According to an article in Politico, the chickens are finally coming home to roost. As the article states, “A sudden cut to Social Security checks — long seen as a far-off doomsday — is now an imminent problem for the next president and whomever voters send to Congress in the coming years. The trust fund that bankrolls monthly checks to retirees is set to be drained of reserves in late 2032. That means tens of millions of Americans age 62 and older, as well as children and widowed spouses who get survivor benefits following the death of a family member, would see their monthly payments shrink by more than 20 percent — or an average of about $500 a month — unless Congress and the president act.” Naturally, lawmakers are scurrying about trying to find a solution when it has been before them for years: the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
• Panem et Circenses. In ancient Rome, the Caesars kept people in line by offering them panem et circenses (“bread and circuses”), at least according to the Roman poet Juvenal around A.D. 100. So long as people got free or low-cost food and entertainment, the idea was they would keep their pie holes shut and let the government steal the country blind. Tammany Hall ran New York City on the same theory for generations, from the 1850s to the 1930s. High priced food and boring entertainment. According to a report from CNN, however, the Republicans are afraid President Trump might not have learned from history and is dooming himself to repeat it. As the mid-term elections approach, food prices continue to rise, and the entertainment, from the 250-year “State Fair” on the Mall, the Fight Club exhibition on the White House lawn, the road race through DC, and the upcoming two-day “Trumpapalooza” convention have been or are threatening to be a complete bust. It puts one in mind of “Mister Burns the New God” episode of the Simpsons. As the article states, “President Donald Trump has touted his one-of-a-kind midterm convention as the spectacle his party needs to reenergize voters and alter its political fortunes ahead of the midterms. But as the two-day extravaganza approaches, Republicans are privately questioning if it strikes the right tone amid the electorate’s tightening budgets — and the wisdom of diverting candidates from their districts just weeks out from Election Day. Further compounding concerns: expensive entrance fees for lawmakers, competing events like the start of the NFL season and 9/11 commemorations and some state parties struggling to drum up enthusiasm with their members.” Translation: BORING AND INSENSITIVE. What’s the solution? Instead of trying to put on extravaganzas, Trump & Co. might want to try bringing good government and adopt the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
• Hitting the Fan. Yet again the United States is facing a toilet paper shortage . . . and this time the shtuff is really getting ready to hit the fan. As reported in The Guardian, (in which the headline worked in “Wiped Out”) “Using the bathroom or having a cry is about to become more expensive for North Americans as the US and Canada enter a full-fledged trade war that threatens to flush away decades of peaceful trading between the two nations. . . . Paper products are among the hardest-hit sectors, with Canada threatening to put tariffs of between 25% and 50% on "toilet paper or face tissue stock" from 8 September in retaliation for a 50% hike from Washington DC.” Of course, the question is “Why?” since the only person who seems to have a grudge against Canada is President Trump, but there are other, more substantive issues as well, such as how he keeps getting away with levying taxes without the consent of Congress. And we do NOT want to hear the MAGA crowd telling us to “Suck it up.” On top of other questionable actions, this causes a bit of worry. The only thing we can say is that we need to adopt the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) as soon as possible.
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| Trump Hole, Wyoming |
• Clarifying the Hole Thing. One of the things the powers-that-be are hoping to come out of the Jackson Hole meeting (aside from an announcement that it will be in the future known as “Trump Hole”) is some clarity on what the Federal Reserve calls “the central bank's strategy to bring down inflation and rebuild confidence in the Fed itself.” As reported in an article in Yahoo! Finance, “This year's gathering takes place against a challenging backdrop as inflation remains well above the Fed's 2% goal for the sixth consecutive year after a series of shocks. The latest inflation data offers conflicting evidence, fueling arguments for both patient policymakers who favor holding rates steady and hawks who want to hike rates as soon as possible. Officials are deeply divided on whether to hold rates steady for now to see if inflation will come down on its own, or to act immediately. This internal tension — the ‘good family fight’ that [Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin] Warsh desires — resulted in three dissents at the last policy meeting.” Of course, from a Just Third Way perspective, there is no reason for the Federal Reserve to have anything to do with setting interest rates, which should be set by the market. Further, adopting the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) would likely eliminate today’s prevalent demand-pull inflation, which is artificially induced by manipulating the money supply.
• 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 (now with an imprimatur), 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., 52 or more copies) at the wholesale price, send an email to info@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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