We should be working towards Localism (also widely known as Distributism).

nostr:note1gw4wk0nhauaknnetfw9am33m4h8vy5r7uplvwda3nnpcnryufyjq2qp07x

Totally agreed.

Wow excellently condensed form of presenting the differences of localism through a positivistic lens. Sometimes movements are defined by what they are not but I like that you described it in a way that it can be worked towards instead of haphazardly working away from something else.

Regarding your last point, how does momentum build to overturn or eliminate wide sweeping regulations, especially federal ones? It seems like for those there’s a ton of inertia/precedence already in place that making a push to eliminate bureaucracy can feel “revolutionary” or “forcing redistribution” which people are very much turned off of (and rightly so). In other words, how does localism really gain influence in the political sphere when it hinges on short term losses by not playing the game as the crony capitalists and corporatists want it and played?

Our will is contingent on our intellect. While we can act contrary to what our intellect knows to be true, good, or rational, what we’ve perceived in our life and continue to perceive in the moment is a big factor in shaping the condition of our will which is ultimately our ability to choose truth, goodness, and rationality.

Moments like these are the reminders of what life is all about. 🙏 Congratulations!

I’ve heard about the recent push for “Localism” as well which I think is certainly more appealing.

To make sure I understood then, you do think it’s a system to itself, separate from today’s definition of market capitalism? And when you say “freedom of trade” you don’t mean freedom in the sense that there’s no regulations, correct? More so that regulation is structured such that the incentives favor the local?

Any thoughts on distributism? Not sure if it would be considered an “alternative” to capitalism necessarily.

I should share that with my Spiritual Director, he was just sharing a gripe about how the Kindle Ereader manages backlinks which of course are super important for LOTH. Agreed with the subsequent point.

I’ve got one but haven’t found a use case for it since I switched back to analog notes. What do you use it for?

Totally agreed. It’s a beautiful thing when there’s that ease of love that stems from both freely choosing each other. The love between the two becomes so real it creates kids 😄

“Love is not an emotion; it is an act of the will.” - Ven. Fulton Sheen

Cliches like “falling in love” or “like liking someone” misplace love. They separate the intentionality that love requires and imply it’s something that happens to us instead of something we strive for. Love is not an extreme form of like. You can love and not like. That can even be a higher form of love, like mercy. That’s why no fault divorce (and divorce by its very nature) is mistaken (and I would argue, not actually possible). When one gives themself completely to someone in marriage and says “actually, never-mind, I want a divorce” then what they implicitly say is they never actually fully gave themselves over or are trying to take back something that is no longer theirs.

It gets easier with time as you habituate yourself into virtue. Keep it up!

Corporatocracy. Further evidence that bitcoin won’t “save” us. Fixing the money will not fix the world. nostr:note1xlkk5fdve98m7p42g2nfeuh26y0dmkyg49ejvqzsd7epyjdh0q7q678plh

“A good intention (for example, that of helping one’s neighbor) does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered, such as lying and calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the means.” - The Morality of Human Acts, CCC 1753

This gripping historical fiction written by a Japanese Catholic tells the story of Portuguese missionaries in 17th century Japan. Following the life of Father Rodrigues, the reader is faced with a multitude of dilemmas ranging from truth, evil, morality, duty, salvation, pride, faith, forgiveness, love, and most importantly the “silence” of God. Silence can be deafening. And yet, love is deeper than silence. In the silence of the night the second Person of the Trinity, God, who is love, entered the world in Bethlehem. We must never believe the devil when he says truth doesn’t matter, that lying can be an act of love, or that God is absent. Rodrigues believed the devil’s falsehoods and ended up no better than Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. Pride is the root of all sin and Rodrigues failed to sacrifice his ego when he was called to do so in a form of spiritual martyrdom. When the devil wants to play us one-on-one in a game of chess, we will lose no matter what. Do we have the courage to knock the board away and cooperate with God’s grace? Christ has already won and as St. Augustine once said “as an artist, God makes use even of the devil”.

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Thanks to my friend for this thought provoking recommendation!

#godstr #biblestr #christianity #catholic #catholicism

Great read, thanks for sharing!

Just finished reading “Silence” by Shūsaku Endō. Has anyone else read it before or watched the movie (by Martin Scorsese)?

Good point, it all depends on how it’s used. What I intended to convey was the notion you expressed of eschewing monetary gain for the promotion of a more just society. I think bitcoin is more conducive to that precisely because its monetary power cannot be siphoned away by the State which I think it’s fair to say is inherently unjust. But of course, there can and will be people who seek solely to profit off of the volatility by accumulating from weak hands and selling to greedy hands.

Totally agree with that last sentence in your first paragraph. The end should be the pushing out of all weaker currencies (USD as the last bastion) from the quotidian transactional economy. If the intent is instead to acquire bitcoin for the end of a larger amount of USD (or other currency), then that’s speculative and should be avoided given its inherent uncharitableness (wasn’t sure if that was a word lol).

Yes hopefully! And there needs to be a culture that promotes broader distribution of bitcoin, not to just drive up buyers for the sake of “number go up”, but for the good of our neighbor that they may benefit from sound money that can’t be debased.

I wonder if an argument can be made that Bitcoin is in line with the virtue of poverty. Poverty, not in the mistaken sense of being in a state of miserable want, but in not desiring the superfluous and in cheerfully accepting shortage or discomfort, as St. Josemaría Escrivá puts it. With bitcoin’s USD price fluctuation, it can certainly be a bit nerve wracking to depend on that for long term savings but that is the short term cost of relying on a money that can’t be weaponized for certain political agendas (especially those that are anti-Catholic) all while throwing you a bone of x% return on investment.

Linking a thread where I had a similar conversation with nostr:npub1nf9vm6uhs4j7yaysmjn9eqlf7et5t6hvrkdqgpd995vcc9yfjyas0pxa3x

https://primal.net/e/note1f73x842633u75l3sf7mee4r96jqp84nk9g8pmg9a69w2chf6k5kq0uxsel

I think I’ve reached a similar conclusion as Fr. Nick Blaha. Opting for bitcoin because of its nature as sound money for people of all nations and creeds, regardless of future price action in dollar terms, is the most moral option available. I think the key distinction to make is the principle of double effect which I mention in that thread above.

Atheism is a psyop.

That seems to suggest that God is the author of evil, of sin, which He’s not. A sort of Manichaeism it seems. Just as cold is the absence of heat, evil is the absence of good which we are the authors of due to our misuse of our free will as a result of the fall. God came to save us so that we may be made perfect in Him and as such death has been defeated, we just need to cooperate with His grace to eventually be raised again for eternal life.

1. Truth

2. Goodness

3. Beauty

4. Mercy (highest form of love which He is)

5. Justice

Surprised to see “powerless” on there. Would you mind elaborating on that?

Agreed, the only infallible human is the God Man, Jesus Christ. What I said though was that people, through the working of the Holy Spirit, can have infallible teachings. For example, we have to believe as a matter of faith that the writers of the Bible were infallible in their writings (inerrant) for it to be considered the word of God. It’s important to distinguish that of course the Pope is not impeccable (meaning sinless) and that he’s not infallible about everything all the time (such as having a favorite color). What we do take as a matter of faith however is that when the Pope speaks from the Holy See as it relates to faith and morals then he is infallible (ex cathedra). He will never and can never do or say anything ex cathedra that contradicts the deposit of faith our Lord left us with. One of those teachings being the Bible for example. It was compiled in the 4th century. The Church precedes the Bible and demonstrates that one can be Christian without the Bible. The Bible itself even says so.

I greatly enjoy our discussion! I appreciate the open nature of it. I also wish not to be antagonistic in any way. Only antagonistic towards typos 😁