Distributism and Knute Rockne


Well, actually, they don't call it distributism. They call it The Third Way. But there's some distributism, some social credit, and some other ideas.

But to begin at the beginning. You will notice over to the left side of this internet edition of the Skibbereen Eagle*, the contact information text refers to "sources for good reeds". Michael Greaney of the ominously titled "Center for Economic and Social Justice" took that opportunity to drop me a note with the subject line "Good Reed" but which instead contained information on a "Good Read". In this case the good read is a novel, apparently a "boys book" as this sort of thing used to be known, by Knute Rockne. (Yes, of course, that Knute Rockne. How many of them could there be?) The rest of his note appears to be, um, shall we say, intended for a multiplicity of recipients. But the well-placed pun saved it from the virtual dust bin.

He included a link to a website. This one. Now, in fact, I can't find any reference to The Four Winnners: The Head, The Hands, The Foot, The Ball by Knute Rockne on that website. However, he did say I could find it on Amazon and the other usual suspects. And so I did.

But the website itself: what a treasure trove. All sorts of interesting ideas. I haven't read even 10% of it yet. But there is much good stuff, ecumenical, but founded on the papal teaching in the social encyclicals of the last 150 or so years. Some distributism, some social credit, and various other ideas. Take a look.


*Oh, and the Skibbereen Eagle. It was a local newspaper in the west Cork town of Skibbereen. It acquired its claim to fame in the middle of the 19th century when the British Empire was at loggerheads (again) with the Russian Empire. In a thunder-from-Olympus opinion piece, the editor warned Lord Palmerston and the Czar to mind their manners, ending "The Skibbereen Eagle has its eye on the Czar of Russia." And so does The Inn at the End of the World have its eye on Presidents and Cardinal-Archbishops. Caveate, domini mei, caveate! else all 100 (on a very good day) of The Inn's readers shall learn of your misdoings.