Capitalism and the Family

I found a blog where the conversation is just beginning on Capitalism and the Family, and I thought some of you might like to head over there and join in the conversation.

Reader Needs Our Help

If you can help Rich, please e-mail me ASAP.

Hi Nancy,

It's Rich. Can I ask you for a favour? Would you post a question on the ACS blog for anyone who could help?

The book is almost done. I am annotating it as we speak and soon I will have a complete manuscript on the distributist anthology of G.K.'s Weekly. I've run into a snag and maybe your readers can assist.

I came across a name Chesterton gives to the private big business owner named Moses Miggs. I'm assuming it is a fictitious name because I could not find the name online anywhere. Do you know or do your readers know if they have seen the name of Moses Miggs in any of Chesterton's fiction? I'm trying to find out if this is a real person or not (I assume the latter).

Here is the context and thanks in advance!

"But if Mr. Moses Miggs, who has a shop next door to the Post Office, buys up all the pens, ink, and paper, from all the shops miles round, so that nobody can write a letter except by coming to terms with him, then Mr. Miggs does in fact obtain exactly the same power as the Post Office..."

Anyone know?

Mutual Admiration Society

More Practical Distributism

OK, we've heard some things you can do as a consumer distributist. But what about a living & working distributist? One commentor made reference to this: you start doing your hobby, and work it gradually into a home business or self-employment opportunity. But what about some practical advice on how to do this? We have debts to pay off, children to raise; how does one get from corporate job to self-employed safely with a family? How many years is it practical to say that it takes to actually do it? And what if you're scared to leave the so-called security of a job that pays health benefits (and you have children or yourself with health problems or pre-existing conditions)--and you feel tied to the job that will pay the hospital bills?

Practical Distributism

Had an interesting conversation last night with a Chestertonian who wants to know how to put the principles of Distributism into practical action today.

I know you all are much more informed about distributism than I am, so tell me, how do we "do" distributism in this culture, in this world today?

God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science

I had a letter from Mr. James Hannam, and I'm passing along his request. Here is his note:

"My continuing efforts to find a publisher for God's Philosophers have taken a new turn. While many publishers think it's a good book, they are not convinced there is a market for a work, however assessible, on medieval science.

So, I want to prove them wrong. I've set up a new web site where you can download chapter one of God's Philosophers. If you like what you read, then please also use the new site to register your interest in purchasing a copy when it comes out. This doesn't commit you to anything, it just allows me to show that a market exists. The resulting database will only be used to send a single email when the book comes out. It won't be used for any other purpose although it's just posssible that publishers will want to send of a few emails to verify the list is bona fide.

Also, it would be fantastic if you could point any like-minded friends towards jameshannam.com. Nothing succeeds like word of mouth recommendations. So if you want to see the historic myth that Christianity blocked the progress of science debunked, we need to get this book out and read.

Thank you all of you who register!

A hot Friday night..

Someone suggested beer, but we've been loading up a truck with art to take early tomorrow morning to an art show, which is something we've done for 10 years, and this year, we've done one every weekend since the beginning of June, and continuing till the end of September. Art is our 4 arces and a cow. We keep a lot of frame, mat, glass and supplies people in business, too. And we pray for the people who buy our work, because they allow us to live this way, which is a good life.

Loading up a truck is hot work, and since we leave early in the morning, now I've got to be off to read to my daughter before she goes to sleep.

I hope you all enjoy this summer weekend.

Chesterton and Dorothy Day

Chesterton Stuff on the Web

I wanted to let you know that Rich is putting up some GK's Weekly articles on his website for those interested in seeing some Chesterton that's nowhere else on the 'net. Here are the articles:

Wanted - More Homes
On Direct Action
An Excerpt From the Horror
More Hints On Free Speech
On Mr. Wells And Mr. Belloc
The Fortress of Property

Click on the link and scroll to the right side bar and down a ways, and you can read any of the above articles. Rich is also working on a book about Chesterton and distributism, doing research over at Christendom where the copies of GK's Weekly have a home.

Using Modern Technology...

The link above takes you to a slide show put together by the The ChesterBelloc Mandate Distributist Blog. Good job, guys.