A Catholic Counter-Capitalist Manifesto?

[militantsparrow]

Originally Posted by Kropotkin

I’m not a big believer in manifestos myself; they tend to become seen as sacred texts (The Communist Manifesto for example), the Bible and the Catechism are the only manifestos I can ever truly rely on.

However saying that, are there some things we can all agree on? For me, any counter-capitalist movement that conforms to Catholic morality must have a number of elements.

1)Non violence

2)Obedience to the Pope

3)Some degree of respect for existing private property (however unjust)

4)Some degree of respect for earthly authorities (however unjust)

5)Direct Democracy (no “representative” or authoritarian government), not even in the initial stages of a revolution. History has proven that these transitional governments never give up their power.

For me everything else is debateable. Any thoughts?

You've give some great points. Here are some points I would like to add.

Every decision should consider the dignity of God's creation (humans) and God's gifts to us (the rest of creation).

Family should be the foundational unit of so society.

[Peter Burke]

I to am against the prevailing economic system. Capitalism, and Socialism for that matter, are both systems that lead to widespread dispossession of the common man. As a Distributist I hope to one day have a society that is more open to the possibility of widespread distribution of ownership and an economy that stands in solidarity with itself and remains local and small, building up the community. I any here are interested in an idea based in the roots if Distributism, and other quite counter cultural principles, I invite you to take a look at my group "Building a Better Country".