What is Distributism and How Does it Work? w/ Dr. Alex Plato

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Alex Plato talks to Matt Fradd about investing, distributism, and money. They use the practical example of a locally owned grocer in Steubenville, OH.
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[@cdiz765]

Please do a deep dive on Distributism (Localism)

[@jeffcokenour3459]

Wonderful! I thought the only three people in history who were distributors were Belloc, Chesterton and me!

[@westockfarmsltd6339]

I’m a farmer. I know the marketing systems. And work with other producers to help the land and to better our farms. Based on that… I know we have to stay away from these happy go lucky ideas. They are not based in reality

[@thepalegalilean]

It's not that I doubt you.But you're also not actually explaining where this theory is going wrong. Unless you can articulate why this is a bad idea. People have very little reason to agree with your dictum.

[@westockfarmsltd6339]

@@thepalegalilean. It’s not based on the world around you. If you were to farm this way…. Well. Guys like me would destroy your system. Property should come naturally! Well. I’m a better farmer than you. So naturally I should have your land to feed more people.

[@thepalegalilean]

@@westockfarmsltd6339 Once again, you're not actually making an argument. What do you actually have against this kind of system? And why would you want to destroy it in the first place?

[@kinsmarts2217]

Yep, these theories tend to come from people who ha TOO much money who never entertained real life usage, flat hierarch for example, is a complete horror show when implemented.

[@westockfarmsltd6339]

@@thepalegalilean I’m sorry me drive tractor and sell commodities. To simple minded to argue you. How about you implement this theory and see how it works. Just do it on your dime and do it without taking my land

[@ferric6796]

My fiancee is a city girl, and loves it, but as we've continued dating, she has become more and more excited about joining me in my lifelong dream of homesteading with a group of likeminded christians in a sort of localist way. My parish literally this weekend had a talk by Dr. Colin Miller about forming intentional Catholic communities and his experience within kind of the Catholic Workers' Movement, and many of the parish families are meeting today for further discussion on what we can do. And you drop this today. I can't speak on whether or not this represents a larger undercurrent in society right now, but if three different, unrelated sources all within one week are bringing up this topic to me, I can't help but wonder if God is moving in this. I'll be sharing this with my fiancée and my parish group for sure, to see what they think.

[@christopheryoder8292]

Would distributism work well with subsidiarism. The latter being a school of political thought down to the most local government possible (sovereign individual -> municipal government -> state -> national)?

[@europanacht]

Subsidiary is a main part of distributism

[@PLA5207]

Go with our/we local folks!

[@janetbaker1945]

I have advocated for distributism all my life, but I want to say that I used to think it cannot work unless the society makes Christ King. Do you consider that essential? Or could an atheistic society like America grow distributism effectively?

[@Eirik_Jarl]

No system without Christ at the center will ever see real, long-term success. That's a hill I will die on.

[@shibasaurus322]

@@Eirik_JarlI think Pope Leo explicitly states that without inclusion of the church if not the centering of Catholic social teaching, all of these theories would be in vain.

[@fragwagon]

It's a valid point. Without Christ and his Church, home, altar, and crown all slip into distortions of what they were meant to be.

[@dillonb3527]

You skipped over how property would actually be redistributed. Sounds like totalitarian action for a more Catholic end. The ends never justify evil means.

[@rafaelbastos8713]

It's basically communism rebranded in a catholic frame. There is nothing more satanic than this....

[@bradleymarshall5489]

the distributists always emphasized subsidiarity. Big difference between redistribution in a local community as opposed to a bunch of bureaucrats thousands of miles away who as Thomas Sowell would say lack "consequential knowledge." Belloc repeatedly argued that direct democracy only works in small states, like the city-states of the ancient Greeks or in the medieval communes

[@dillonb3527]

@bradleymarshall5489 so essentially the local polity needs to be built up on a distributist model? I'd be much more open to that. There's freedom and choice, and no big government like you say miles away dictating who gets what.

[@bradleymarshall5489]

@@dillonb3527 ya the real problem of modern politics isn't economic it's scale. If we just listen to Aquinas, Augustine, and others and the American founders and just have things decentralized as much as possible, politics will become far more approachable and capable of solving problems

[@meRickard]

It's more of an attitude shift on the part of everyone, but especially consumers -- they have to see themselves as more than consumers. If the highest priority is merely the bottom line then of course big box mart always wins, but if you have other things you value more than the price, then more is possible because you invest in it.

[@snalemsnolek1539]

Maybe it’s my bad English- but here the simple question: how exactly does distributism work??

[@makedisciples8653]

Distribution is not redistribution That makes sense and makes sense of one’s life. We are blessed to be a blessing to others. Redeem your money don’t hoard it. There are greedy and stingy rich and poor people. There are generous rich and poor people. It’s a matter of the heart. It will all be revealed

[@janetbaker1945]

If you are familiar with the steps Russia is taking to integrate some of the economic features of sovietism into modern Russia's capitalistic society, what do you think? They are for families--housing benefits, wage benefits, all kinds. At the same time, Russia integrated Orthodoxy into Russian civic structures. There are Orthodox priests assigned to schools, hospitals, government buildings, and Orthodoxy is a formal part of the Russian governing body, with voting rights. The majority of Russia is still atheist. I do not know if faith is making a dent in it.

[@christopheryoder8292]

Plato....well that is a tough name to live up to.

[@RoryVanucchi]

👍

[@angelal1687]

Distributism sounds great in theory, but I'm reality it would involve redistribution of property to start with, correct? Also, I've heard that inheritance is not permitted? (Passing on your land to your children)

[@theoe354]

Distributism is based. It would be awesome if you talked about it again.

[@rafaelbastos8713]

Distributism is a Modernist Ideology. Sadly, the devil speaking though catholic thinkers...

[@theoe354]

@@rafaelbastos8713 ??? Do you even know what distributism is? I know the name might sound like something socialist, but it isn't. It's far more traditional than capitalism or collectivism (socialism, marxism, etc.), which I'm assuming you're an advocate of one or the other. Read "Barren Metal: A History of Capitalism as the Conflict between Labor and Usury" by catholic writer Dr. E.M. Jones if you don't believe me about the history of these ideas (esp. capitalism vs distributism).

[@DavidLopez-gv8mo]

Who (re)distributes?

[@Caltex2010]

It's just another utopian idea. Human talent is pareto distributed. You could perfectly even the distribution of wealth today, and if people are allowed freedom and not kept down by the thumb of a totalitarian government, wealth would be vastly unequally distributed within a single generation. Wealth will never be distributed widely, it will always concentrate because some people are better than others. Some people are hellbent on self-destruction and will squander whatever is given to them, and will end up with less than nothing under any system that allows them even a modicum of freedom.

[@rafaelwilks]

You obviously don't understand distributism. Educate yourself.

[@Caltex2010]

@@rafaelwilks I understand it perfectly. It is literally impossible. Capital cannot be distributed widely. It will concentrate. People will not donate their hard earned wealth to counteract the differences in ability that manifest in the real world. It’s a system dreamed up by economic illiterates.

[@Joker22593]

Big businesses come in because they are more efficient, which means they help the poor better. The only way to help the poor efficiently on a wide scale is to have prices be as low as possible compared to median income. Past that, one-on-one charity at a local level is very good and needs to happen. It can't be made any bigger than local.

[@aboutwhat1930]

I don't disagree entirely but point out that big business also depresses median income and limits local spending -- the biggest beneficiaries of the profitable enterprise are elsewhere and their excess is typically far greater than their willingness to spend it (that's how most long-term big business billionaires made their businesses successful after all). Local's benefit is that workers there might make $50K and the owners 3x to 10x that -- which is far more in their ability and willingness to spend near to where they made that money. I think that the most important national decision would be to block local governments from granting favors (lowered property taxes, income taxes, subsidiaries, etc) to multi state and international businesses. Efficient businesses don't need additional incentives and granting these favors damages local businesses (restaurants, boutiques, and independent retail especially). When's the last time you went to an independent shoe store? An independent sports store? An independent bookstore? Clothing store? Electronics? Furniture? Etc

[@dylanrunner2001]

Peter Sonski 2024!

[@Tybourne1991]

It's Distribut- *ism* , not Distribut- *ingism* ! "Localism" speaks of subsidiarity but not so much of solidarity. Beautiful to hear about Distributism happening naturally in Steubenville. We all need to do the same where we live!