Distributism and the “Global Economy”

One of the charges I have heard against distributism is that it is “isolationist,” and that it fails to account for the “realities” of the “global economy.” The truth is that these terms are thrown out in order to dissuade people from even considering our views. They invoke a twisted view the population at large has been taught to have regarding these terms and unjustly associate those views with distributism.

Is It Practical to Start Living According to Distributist Principles Right Now?

I often see two things in my perusing of various distributist discussion sites: calls by fellow distributists that we actually start living and conducting business in a distributive manner, and criticism by non-distributists that we are not doing so. It is high time that we start responding to these calls.

How Do We Achieve the Wider Distribution of Land?

This will undoubtedly be considered very controversial by modern capitalists. While there are other aspects of our economic society that must also be addressed, land is the foundational component of all means of production. Under capitalism, as practiced in the modern world, there is practically no limit on the accumulation of land. A single person or company can accumulate vast amount of land, thereby gaining a disproportionate control of the primary means of production. Some may argue that smaller businesses can always rent land, but the requirement to do this puts them at the mercy of the land owner being willing to rent the land for their business. The distributist ideal would allow as much economic independence, and corresponding freedom, as possible. Therefore, we prefer that land ownership be as widely distributed as possible. It is better for the small proprietor to own the land on which he conducts his business, than to be dependent on the willingness of another to allow the use of the land. Therefore, in order for distributism be implemented, some means of establishing the wider ownership of land must be established. We must have a means of getting us from where we are to where we want to be.

Distributism vs. Capitalism

There is a great deal of uninformed “analysis” and commentary being made about distributism. Die-hard capitalists in the present day U.S. accuse distributism of being nothing more than a new form of socialism. Distributists accuse capitalism of being immoral, but often fail to explain exactly what makes it so. There are also some learned philosophers, such as Dr. Rafael Waters (with whom I would loathe to disagree), who argue that capitalism is not immoral. Therefore, in order for a practical discussion of distributism to exist, there must also be clarity regarding these terms and what is meant.