Distributism Against the Modern World

A round up, because of the research I'm doing into the subject. A defense of Distributism against conservative capitalist Catholic critiques. A Professor Wilbur's syllabus for a class on Distributism at Notre Dame. A program for the creation of Urban Distributism:

The original Distributist program can be reconstructed -- and it appears to have had these six stages: 1. Promote Distributist ideas in print and in public debate. That was done. 2. Start a Distributist “League” to sponsor activities. That was done. 3. Provide for model Distributist experiments (e.g., self-sustaining Distributist communities). That was done. 4. Form a Distributist political party and elect Distributist candidates. That was done. 5. Influence legislation in favor of Distributist reforms and programs. That was done, at least partially. 6. Achieve majority representation in Parliament and gradually inaugurate the Distributist State. Obviously that was not done.

Joseph Pearce (an excellent writer--highly recommended) on E. F. Schumacher and Distributism. A cool excerpt:

He opposed government policy and maintained that such a course of action was no way to run a world. In response, someone said to him 'how should we run the world then?' Good question. So he decided to study that question and with a completely open mind. He embarked upon an enormous course of reading... Then somebody said you should read the social encyclicals of the Popes of Rome. He replied, 'No, no, I'm sure that the Popes are very holy men living in their ivory tower in the Vatican but they don't know a thing about the conduct of practical affairs... But this friend... insisted that he should read the social encyclicals, Rerum Novarum and Quadragesimo Anno above all... He did so and was absolutely staggered. He said, 'here were these celibates living in an ivory tower... why can they talk a great deal of sense when everyone else talks nonsense'...