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We
shall not obtain Social Credit through politicians
by Louis Even Two contradictory terms Question — Could Social Credit be used
as a platform for a political party? The first obvious answer is: “This
question does not make sense.” It doesn't for whoever really knows, on
the one hand, what Social Credit is all about, and on the other hand,
what a political-party platform is. Would you ask: “Could the multiplication
table be used as a platform for a political party?” or “Could the
existence of the St. Lawrence River in Canada, the Mississippi River in
the United States, the Alps in Europe, be used as a platform for a
political party?” Social Credit, as Douglas presented it, as
the “Michael” Journal strives to present it better and better to its
readers, cannot be linked to a political party, and even less be used as
a label for a political party, without prostituting the meaning of words. “Social
Credit” and “party” are two contradictory terms. The first term
implies an association that includes every member of society; the latter
implies a division, a group that fights against other groups for power.
The aim of a party is to come to power to run the country, whereas the
aim of Social Credit is to distribute to each individual a power that
will free him more and more from state interventions. As for the platforms of political parties,
after all that has been seen in less than a generation, more than blind
faith is needed to attach importance to them. Only one point in their
platforms is sincere: to try to win the election, in order to come or
remain in office. A truth like Social Credit cannot be
subjected to the criterion of a majority of votes. Nothing of course can prevent politicians
— whether in office or not, and whatever their political allegiance
— from being personally convinced of the excellence of Social Credit,
of proclaiming it objectively, and not out of political self- interest.
But to make of Social Credit a party's platform, and to promote the idea
that bringing this party to power is enough to implement the Social
Credit principles, is to lie and hinder the progress of the Social
Credit Cause. Social Credit is a living idea; it lives in
the minds of the people who welcome it and become its apostles. To make
of it a simple question of vote in favour of a man or a party is to
reduce the meaning of the words “Social Credit” to a lifeless thing
that implies no personal responsibility whatsoever. Human powerlessness Question — Supposing a government in
office would wish the well-being of the people, could it adopt and
implement Social Credit, or would a referendum be needed? This
question implies that until now, no government has ever wished the
well-being of the people, but that such a well-meaning government can
come out of a future election. This is quite a severe judgment for the
present and past governments, and one must be quite optimistic to
suppose that, from the same tree, a completely different fruit could be
picked. But let us admit that supposition: a perfect government is now
in office. Can it adopt and implement a Social Credit economic system? The answer is NO. With or without a
referendum: NO. It is humanly impossible in front of the present power
of the financial monster. (Please note the word “humanly”.) The
financial monster, the super- power of the global controllers of money
and credit, is more powerful than all the governments in the world; it
dominates them all! This subjection of governments to the lords
of Finance is no secret. More than a century ago, Disraeli, who was
several times Minister of Finance and even Prime Minister of mighty
Great Britain, publicly complained about this state of affairs, but
could not free himself from it. Other statesmen spoke alike. Besides,
one just has to look at the situations that follow one another in our
times: a ten-year money shortage (the 1929-1939 Depression), followed by
six years of war with plenty of money, then cyclic credit squeezes,
perpetual and ever-increasing public debts, concerted austerity measures,
whereas nothing diminished in the production capacity of the countries
in question. These plain facts show that the controllers
of money and credit “hold our lives in their hands” (Pope Pius XI),
and that with banks at their service, they “direct the policy of
governments, and hold in the hollow of their hands the destiny of the
people” (Reginald McKenna, one-time Chancel- lor of the Exchequer, and
for a long time Chairman of the Midland Bank, England's largest
commercial bank). Governments, reduced to the state of lackeys of this
super-power, are unable to free themselves from this bondage — even if
they wanted to! Does it mean that any hope is in vain, and that any effort to promote the Social Credit Cause is useless? Oh,
no, not at all! But it means that one must not rely on governments, on
changes of parties in office to overcome a power that is superior to all
the governments in the world: to do so would be a waste of energy; it
would be like wanting to knock down a fortress with cotton balls. The Lord's anointed
Quite a lesson is being taught to us here.
The Social Crediters of the “Michael” Journal are often reminded of
this lesson, and they endeavour to take it into account. Only a
celestial power can triumph over the most powerful terrestrial powers.
Heaven wants us to do our part, and do it the best we can, just the same,
but we must not rely on our action only. Young David did not say: “I
will do nothing! What would be the use of facing a powerful warrior who
laughs at my weakness?” No, he did his little part. He used the
weapons he had — a staff, a sling, and five stones — doubtlessly
held up to ridicule and called a fool — and God did the rest, the
bigger part. The Social Crediters of the “Michael”
Journal do not stop, even despite their own weakness, in front of an
enemy power that is humanly invincible, despite years that succeed each
other without noticeable successes, despite mockery, criticisms, or
betrayals. They know that every step made for a just cause, every
testimony borne to a truth, every ray of hope communicated to
demoralized people, every elevation of a soul, or every conversion
brought about by their example and by the message they carry, is a
benefit. Only the angels know all the good this message, these prayers
and examples have done. If the apostles realize this, they can be
delighted about it, but they must also give thanks to God for it. If
they ignore all the good they have done, if they do not see the seed
that they have sown grow, they continue just the same to sow, to plow,
to work hard, in the inner joy of unselfishness, in the sole search for
the glory of God and the well-being of their brethren. The hour of conversion As for Social Credit, the apostles spread
it through the “Michael” Journal, which is the vehicle of Social
Credit. They are convinced that an economic organism that adopted it
would favour distributive justice for the welfare of everybody, every
family. But, without diminishing their own efforts, they rely above all
on God, just like David. The main intentions of their daily rosaries,
their weekly holy hours of adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament,
always mention “The coming of a Christian and Social Credit
society”. A Christian society first of all, because without that
condition, it cannot be a Social Credit society. On that point, the
present aspect of the world is certainly not favourable to the coming of
an economic system so similar with the Christian spirit. The hour of
conversion must precede the hour of Social Credit, as we conceive it. However, if the financial dictatorship has
lost nothing of its power of control yet, the Social Crediters
nevertheless notice that their constant demand for the right of every
man to the necessities of life has won many minds over, to such an
extent that even within the context of the present financial system, the
lawmakers must take it into account, and the controllers of Finance
partly grant, to a certain social security, what they had granted on a
large scale for the war. Besides, just as for the war, they do it
without losing any of their supremacy. Today's social security, just
like the war, is financed by debt and tax increases, but it is at least
a relief for the poor. It is a little bit the underlying philosophy of
Social Credit that is gaining ground, but without having Douglas's
efficient and liberating technique at its service. Douglas noticed soon enough the reaction of
the banking monopoly to his proposals that were so logical, so brilliant,
and so efficient. And as the conspiracy of silence could no longer
stand, the monopoly strengthened its own positions, using the powerful
means at its disposal to unite against the Social Credit idea the
professional politicians, professors of political economy, financial
advisers of governments, trade unions, certain members of the clergy,
influential newspapers, and other makes of public opinion. Douglas grasped the situation clearly: as
early as 1924, he said that if nothing was changed in the financial
dictatorship that “holds in its hands the destiny of the people,” a
second world war would take place before 1940. He was right! In the years that followed this second world
war, Douglas expected nothing from any state action to bring the
necessary reform in the financial system. He rather predicted that the
present system would eventually become unbearable, and would bring about
its own collapse. He wrote that the action to be taken by the supporters
of the Social Credit light was to spread it, so that when that situation
would occur (the collapse of the present financial system), the minds of
the people would be prepared, and it would be just as easy to inaugurate
right away a financial system in keeping with modern civilization as to
try to do it with partial reforms. The Social Crediters of the “Michael”
Journal have made up their minds on the orientation of their activities.
They consider as a waste of time, of energy, of money, and as a source
of frustration, any activity that tries to implement Social Credit with
a change of government, whether with an old or a new party. They do not
take a rest for that. They maintain, along with Douglas, that as regards
Social Credit, the efficient work to do is to enlighten the population
on the monopoly of financial credit, attributing to it the bad fruits of
which it is the cause in the lives of people, of families, of
institutions, and, in front of these bad fruits, to expose the doctrine
of genuine Social Credit, which is so brilliant and in keeping with
common sense. They also endeavour to develop within themselves, and to
also radiate, a Social Credit spirit, which is clearly in keeping with
the spirit of the Gospel: a spirit of service, and not of domination,
not of an insatiable pursuit of money or material goods which is of the
same nature — with a less powerful means — as the spirit of the
lords of High Finance. Whether the collapse of the present
financial system, under the weight of its own enormities, or events that
have been foretold many times by privileged souls — events one
certainly cannot doubt of when one sees the present decadence of moral
standards, apostasy, the paganization of affluent nations that used to
be Christian — occur soon, in either case, the living or the survivors
of those events won't be without a light to establish a social-economic
system worthy of its name. Whether this hour is at hand or distant,
this is an unknown element, which therefore cannot be taken into account
in our decision. Louis Even This article was published in the March-April, 2003 issue of “Michael”.
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Oh!
One day it happened that a young man, a simple shepherd without military
training, and with no other weapon but a staff, a sling, and five smooth
stones in his shepherd's wallet, faced and slew, with a single stone, a
nine-foot tall (three metres) giant, trained to arms from his youth,
clothed with brass from top to toe, his coat of mail weighing 150 pounds
(75 kilos) of brass, and the head of his iron spear weighing 18 pounds
(9 kilos). But it is quite another power than the sling of David that
gave him the victory over Goliath the giant. David — not a king yet,
but already anointed by the Lord — had put all his confidence in God,
knowing well that “with the strength of His arm, God drives the proud
astray in the conceit of their hearts.”