Again, we are pleased this week to report the Initiative on Economic Personalism is still making steady progress. As we also mentioned last week, this could also give a boost to the related effort to push the Economic Democracy Act:
• Initiative on Economic Personalism, I. The CESJ team had another productive week with the Initiative on Economic Personalism. The CESJ core group had a very good meeting with the people of “CAPP-USA,” the U.S. branch of the Centesimus Annus ProPontifice Foundation, a Vatican registered foundation. Naturally, CAPP takes no stand on any of CESJ’s specific programs that apply (in part) natural law-based Catholic social teaching, nor does CESJ take any stand on CAPP’s (or the Vatican’s) purely religious principles, but there appears to be a great deal of congruence and agreement on the natural law-based principles of each group. Without committing either CAPP or CESJ in any way, there might be grounds for some very productive collaboration, possibly even some joint efforts and events, especially with other groups and individuals. Both CESJ and CAPP are concerned with what has been happening to the family (domestic society) as well as religious and civil society . . . neither of which would get very far without the family, which is the basic unit of society. We think CAPP’s principles fit very well into the Initiative on Economic Personalism without, of course, committing them to any specific application, which (of course) must necessarily be “prudential.” This is consistent with the “personalism” of Pope John Paul II, who founded CAPP, which holds that the substance (the principles) of what it means to be human or anything created by humans is determinable, not determinate, and thus open to debate with respect to application of principle where there is no debate on the absolute principles except to find the common ground and means of expressing them.
• Initiative on Economic Personalism, II. On Tuesday the CESJ team for the Initiative on Economic Personalism had a meeting with Brother/Deacon Denys Janiga, O.S.B. of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, who is active in social justice concerns. As with the CAPP people, we found a great deal of agreement on principle, and even a little bit on the admittedly negotiable applications of principle. We look forward to future interaction as the Initiative picks up steam.
• France on the Brink. It seems that affordability is a problem in other countries. As reported in an article in Fortune magazine, “Nationwide protests over the high cost of living roiled France on Saturday, adding to turmoil over public spending and debt ahead of a critical vote in the National Assembly. Rioting broke out in some cities as luxury boutiques and supermarkets were looted while public buildings were defaced and even set on fire. That followed mass demonstrations earlier this month, with students decrying run-down classrooms, missing teachers, and buildings that aren't equipped for rising temperatures. Protestors blamed years of underinvestment in public education. At the same time, France’s looming debt has sent bond yields to the highest levels in 24 years, flashing warning signs not seen since the eurozone debt crisis in 2011.” Not to press the point, but allowing people to self-finance capital acquisitions so they can be productive instead of having the government issue debt to finance consumption might be a better way to go. That is the idea behind the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
• Space Agent X. There is economic tokenism, and then there’s Elon Musk. It’s not clear what he is hoping to accomplish, but according to an article in Yahoo! Finance, “Kids will soon have a financial interest in the future of space. ‘Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many,’ SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said in an X post on Monday. Musk didn’t specify an age range for the proposed gift, but a Bloomberg report indicated he could use Trump Accounts as the vehicle for his stock donations.” There are so many things wrong with this scenario, but we’ll mention just one: the very high probability that the so-called shares of stock will very likely be completely meaningless, possibly even worthless. Will shares carry the vote? Will there be dividends? Could anyone do anything with the shares other than sell them? Who would buy them? Frankly, as we’ve said any number of times, it would better to adopt the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
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| Non novum sub soles |
• The Value of Voting. It appears that certain politicians are going all out to see how many votes they can purchase using taxpayer money. As reported in an article in Yahoo! Finance, “President Trump announced an $8 billion aid package on Monday to help US farmers pay for diesel this harvest season. The relief program, announced at a campaign rally in Kansas and on social media, aims to bring down fuel costs for Americans ahead of next month's midterm elections. ‘Tonight, I am also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will be launching a new “Harvest Fuel Relief Program,” providing our Farmers with 8 BILLION DOLLARS in support to offset Diesel costs during this Harvest Season,’ Trump’s account posted on Truth Social. ‘When Republicans win, we will pass even more funding for our Great Farmers, and Fuel prices will come tumbling down as soon as the Iran War is over, which will happen very quickly!’ he added.” But wait! There’s more! There is still talk about the $5,000 the president of the US and leader of the Free World wants to dish out . . . provided everyone votes as he says. As reported in an article in the Associated Press, “President Donald Trump is hoping that $5,000 checks can juice Republican turnout in November’s midterm elections — but even some of his devoted fans are doubting that government payouts would arrive. ‘I mean, I guess it’s good for some people. I really don't care,’ said Jamie Alvarez, who attended Trump’s recent Alaska rally in a red, white and blue outfit. ‘I don't feel like your vote should be bought. I feel like you should vote for who you feel is going to do the best job.’ Joseph Eatherton was attending that same rally and said he was ‘not sure if it’s necessary.’ When asked whether Trump could deliver on the promised money, he said, ‘I don’t know, and I hate being an armchair quarterback.’” One solution to vote-buying might be to adopt the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) as soon as possible.
• Alberta Separatists Still Unified. For a while the Canadian province of Alberta has had a rather active separatist movement. As reported by the Agence France-Presse, however, “Canada's province of Alberta rejected a plan to hold a binding independence referendum, results showed Tuesday, a win for unity as the country faces worsening ties with the United States. Public broadcaster CBC and leading private network CTV projected a clear win for the federalist side, with official results showing more than 76 percent support for Alberta remaining in Canada with nearly 45 percent of ballots counted. Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the result and said Albertans had made a ‘clear choice’ in favor of unity.” That is heartening news at a time when the world is becoming more divided and world leaders increasingly divisive, but it doesn’t address the underlying problem of inculcating a greater sense of solidarity so that people naturally seek union instead of separation. While it’s not the whole answer, it would be a good idea for people in Alberta — and elsewhere — to come together and adopt the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
• “Working on It.” After a while it’s easy to start wondering if the powers-that-be are in any way connected to the real-world-that-be. Take, for example, the current administration and its view of the economy. As reported in an article from the Associated Press, “President Bill Clinton famously said he could feel voters’ pain over the economy. But these days, when it comes to questions about high prices, President Donald Trump insists that the pain is his. ‘They hit me with affordability, and that’s the first time I ever heard the word used,’ he complained in Nebraska earlier this month. The White House leaves Vice President JD Vance to use a softer touch. Last month in Texas, he admitted ‘there are people out there who are frustrated by the pace of progress.’ And during a CBS News town hall on Saturday, Vance said, ‘I recognize that gas prices are too high right now’ and ‘we’re working on it.’” We are so glad they are working on it. One wonders, however, how hard they are working at solving the underlying problem by adopting the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) as soon as possible.
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| There's a better way |
• Expanding the Trump Kiddie Accounts? Readers of this blog (or at least the News from the Network) are already aware we have some issues with the so-called Trump Accounts for Kiddies. As we have said multiple times, adopting the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) as soon as possible is a much better option, as it would not take existing wealth to fund it and would apply across the board to everyone. The weaknesses are not resolved by anything reported in a recent article in Yahoo! Finance: “President Trump and his allies have floated a series of ideas for another round of changes to Trump Accounts, potentially making them available to [some] adults. ‘We’re looking at something as an alternative,’ Trump said on Tuesday when asked if the accounts could be expanded. He suggested there could be a parallel program ‘because it really is somewhat of a different thing, having to do with adults.’” It’s not necessary to have increasingly complicated and restricted programs. Just adopting the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
• California Screaming. Officials and statisticians have a habit of forgetting the numbers they toss around often have real people behind them. The stock market is booming! The economy is doing great! The bottom line is improving! . . . too bad about all those people losing their jobs. It seems especially poignant when it hits the entertainment industry, which is dedicated to making people feel better or at least amused. As noted in an article in The California Post, Electronic Arts, “amid a business restructure, is laying off 3% of its global workforce, or about 400 jobs, according to Variety. . . . ‘The past several months have strengthened our belief in what EA can become. We have extraordinary people, franchises that matter to millions of players, and opportunities to build experiences we've only begun to imagine,’ they wrote. ‘Our responsibility is to make the choices, provide the clarity, and create the conditions for our teams to do their best work. We also want to give every game we choose to build its best chance to succeed for our players and fans around the world.’” Obviously, this would not be anywhere near as bad if those “extraordinary people” they are busily getting rid of owned a piece of Electronic Arts or some other bits of the booming economy — which they could do if we were to adopt the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) as soon as possible.
• The Litigious Administration. Donald Trump has been setting records as U.S. president, notably being the first sitting president to file lawsuits as well as setting a record for the number of lawsuits filed against him. He has filed five lawsuits seeking a total of $50 billion in damages during his second presidential term, and six lawsuits filed after announcing his 2024 campaign. He has also racked up hundreds — some sources allege thousands — of lawsuits filed against him while in office during his second term . . . so far. This raises questions regarding his commitment to the First Law of Social Justice, which is that the common good must be kept inviolate, i.e., you may not use the public weal to advance your personal interests. This is an integral part of the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) which incorporates both the Kelso-Adler principles of economic justice and the Ferree analysis of social justice.
• The Keynesian God. In the economics of John Maynard Keynes, the more wealth is concentrated, the better it is for the economy. If some people don’t have enough money to meet consumption needs, then the government invents jobs and prints money to pay them for it. The size of the government debt doesn’t matter because it’s money the people owe themselves . . . which is how the U.S. national debt is upwards of $40 trillion and rising at the same time most people are having trouble making ends meet, and the world’s richest man is raking money in hand over fist and demanding more, more, more!! Aside from the complete illogic of Keynesianism, this has created a very dangerous situation, as recorded in an article in Yahoo! Finance: “Over the past decade, Elon Musk has become far more than a corporate executive or political power broker. Through his control of companies underpinning global communications, military operations, space access, and artificial intelligence, Musk has acquired a degree of influence over national security, international relations, and the global economy that few private individuals have ever possessed.” It’s easy enough to say no one should have that much power, but the problem is what to do about it — and the Just Third Way of Economic Personalism has the answer: sterilize Musk’s Money. And how can that be done? By adopting the Economic Democracy Act (EDA) as soon as possible. As Musk is phased out as a source of financing for new investment — and the ownership that goes along with it — other people will become less dependent on Musk for their livelihood and the only thing he will be able to do with his accumulated wealth is spend it.
• The Irony Never Stops. Elon Musk is reputedly the richest man in the world, but perhaps not surprisingly, he wants more. As reported in an article in Yahoo! Finance, “The moment is now for Elon Musk to dial back founder mode at SpaceX and dial back up something else he is very good at: charming visionary founder who is asking for large sums of capital from people who want entry to the Muskverse. Because judging by Musk’s commentary on his late Tuesday earnings call, he will need a lot of fresh capital to deliver on aggressive growth timelines for Terrafab, Starlink broadband and rocket reusability. Perhaps way more than most investors think.” Of course, there is a way any company that is reasonably expected to be profitable can get all the legitimate financing it wants, although it might not suit the richest man in the world since it would mean sharing ownership and thus power, although leave him with his immense accumulation intact. That is by adopting the Economic Democracy Act (EDA).
• Petition to Stop the Public Execution. As we noted last week, the petition to stop the public broadcast of the execution of Nidal Hasan has been rendered somewhat moot by President Trump’s announcement that it will not be broadcast. Nevertheless, given the somewhat mutable decisions made by the current administration, it will not be closed.
• 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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