by Jeb Smith Capitalism began to emerge during the 14th century, as towns and the merchant class became prominent economic and political forces. During that period, the bulk of the people lived very localized lives in agrarian, self-sufficient, small villages. In this setting, the extended family and like-minded individuals, “united wholes,” as Thomas Aquinas referred … More Capitalism and the Family
One thing that distributists are often asked is how we can begin to move toward a more distributist society. What are things that we can do now, in our current political and economic environment, to at least nudge society in what we consider to be a better direction. A lot of our response has been … More Addressing your Local Community: An interview with Chattanooga Civics
Distributists emphasize personal and local economic independence as the foundation of personal, political, and economic freedom. For nearly one hundred years, we have been saying that society overall needs to move away from our dependence, not only dependence on big government, but also on big business. As long as we continue to accept these things, … More Distributism and "Preppers"
Not long ago, a cargo ship blocked a canal, causing international shipping to get backed up and a consequent shortage of supplies in many countries. As I write this, many cargo ships are gathered in the Pacific Ocean, waiting to get into the harbors for Los Angeles and Long Beach California. Apparently, there is a … More The Breakdown of the Supply Chain
I am happy to announce the publication of my new book, Distributism Basics: Foundational Principles. This is an exploration of some of the core principles underlying the distributist idea. My previous Distributism Basics series of articles[1] was a very generalized introduction to the historical background of the modern distributist movement, with some explanations of how … More Distributism Basics: Foundational Principles
People all around the world have been in a quarantine lock down due to the Covid-19 virus outbreak for about a month. In some areas, families can go for walks, while in other areas people are only allowed to go outside for things like getting food. This crisis imposed isolation, called “social distancing,” is raising … More Reflections on the Quarantine
Practical Distributism 