Décès d’Eric Butler d’Australie

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Eric Dudley Butler, on June 7, 2006, at the age of 90 years. Eric was one of the main advocates of Social Credit in Australia; he was also the founder of and the national director of the Australian League of Rights for 47 years. Here are a few excerpts from the eulogy given at the funeral by Jeremy Lee:

Every so often ~ probably once a century on average ~ a man or woman comes along whose wisdom, integrity and talents are so pronounced as to affect the times in which they live. Such a one is the man we honour today. . .

In 1935, at the height of the Great Depression, came the experience which was to change and focus his life. In one afternoon he read C.H. Douglas’s book, Economic Democracy, which was the first foundation stone of the Social Credit movement He left his farm on foot the next morning and reported to the small city office of the New Times, a group headed by the Catholic writer and editor T.J. Moore, and said, “I am reporting for duty, and prepared to give the rest of my life”. And so he did. . .

Here are excerpts from Eric Butler’s book Realeasing Reality, subtitled “Social Credit and the Kingdom of God”, which was produced in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of the birth of C. H. Douglas.

The push for a totalitarian State

Not until I read Douglas, who indicated a more realistic approach to history, did I completely grasp that the excessive centralisation of power over individual initiative was the major cause of civilisation collapsing and that the creation and control of money was a major instrument of power.

In one of his many profound observations, Douglas said that history was not merely a series of disconnected episodes concerning the birth of Kings, wars and other events, but was "crystallised politics." And policies are manifestations of underlying philosophies.

While the development of policies may from time to time, be influenced by what Douglas described as "unrehearsed events", they are in the main the result of conscious effort by individuals organised to pursue policies reflecting philosophies.

Douglas's vital contribution towards an understanding of real history was to show how the money system has over centuries been a major instrument through which power has been centralised.

The basic flaw in the system

Douglas described how when he first made his discovery about the basic flaw in the present finance-economic system, he thought that all he had to do was to tell those in control of the system about the flaw, that they would thank him, and then proceed to correct the flaw. But he soon discovered that so far from wanting to correct the flaw, those in control of financial policy were determined to resist any suggestion of correcting a flaw which made the progressive centralisation of power appear inevitable.

The Marxists and other will-to-power groups also strongly resisted any corrective policy which would remove the conditions they require for revolution.

As Douglas said, he soon realised that he was embarking upon a project which would not only absorb the whole of his lifetime, but many lifetimes to come.

If the present state of the world is not the result of policies fashioned by individuals who are organised to advance those policies, but is the result of blind forces and mere chance, then clearly there is nothing the individual can do about averting further disasters. This is the village idiot theory of history and naturally it tends to produce a passive attitude towards events. It cripples individual initiative.

Christianity did not develop by chance

But the absurdity of the theory can be demonstrated by asking did Western Christian Civilisation develop over nearly two thousand years by "mere chance?"

The development took place because sufficient individuals strove, sacrificed, many died, to advance a concept of how individuals should live together in society. The retreat from that Civilisation has taken place because individuals with an anti-Christian view of how men should live, have used instruments of power and influence to strive to create a world in which their philosophy prevails. They must be described as conspirators…

“Practical Christianity”

Douglas shed a blinding light on much of what had appeared obscure or irrelevant concerning Christianity. His presentation of the vital importance of the Doctrine of Incarnation was a revelation to me and I have long come to the conclusion that Social Credit is, as Douglas said, "practical Christianity," and that the very future of genuine Christianity now depends upon Social Credit and the Douglas revelations.

It is relatively easy to criticise the alleged disastrous effects of Christianity on the human drama, but G. K. Chesterton was right when he said that so far from Christianity having failed, it had not yet been tried. To the extent that it had been tried, it has resulted in a tremendous advance for mankind.

L’Eglise a un savon…

Allocution de Jean-Paul 1^er, 13 septembre 1978 :

Un certain prédictaeur MacNabb, anglais, discourant à Hyde Park, avait parlé de l’Eglise catholique. Quand il eut fini, quelqu’un demanda la parole et dit :

— Un beau discours, le vôtre. Toutefois, moi je connais un prêtre catholique qui a commis telle chose, et des catholiques qui ont commis telle chose… Cette Eglise, faite de pécheurs, elle ne me plaît pas.

Le Père lui répond : Vous avez quelque peu raison, mais puis-je faire une objection ? — Oui, je vous écoute…

Et le Père continua : Excusez-moi, mais je me trompe, ou le col de votre chemise est plutôt gras ? L’homme répond : Oui, je le reconnais.

— Est-il gras parce que vous ne vous êtes pas servi de savon, ou bien parce que vous avez employé du savon et que cela n’a servi à rien ?

— Non, dit l’homme, je n’ai pas employé de savon.

— Voilà. L’Eglise aussi a un savon extraordinaire : l’Evangile, les sacrements, la prière. L’Evangile lu et vécu, les sacrements célébrés de la manière voulue ; la prière bien utilisée, tout cela serait un savon merveilleux capable de faire des saints de nous tous. Nous ne sommes pas tous des saints, parce que nous n,avons pas assez fait recours à ce savon. Essayons d’améliorer l’Eglise en devenant meilleurs nous-mêmes.

Man must follow God’s Law

It was the basis of Douglas's philosophy, of which Social Credit is the policy, that there is running through the warp and woof of the Universe the Law of Righteousness - Divine Law - which he termed the Canon. He must seek it actively, and to the extent that he finds it and conforms to it, he will achieve harmony with the Universe and his Creator. Conversely, to the degree that he ignores the operation of the Canon and flouts it, he will bring disaster upon himself."

To the extent that Western Civilisation still continues is only possible because the spiritual and moral capital of the past has not yet been completely exhausted. But one only has to consider the plight of the disorientated youth, victims of an insane policy of "full employment" at a time when the computer has given an even bigger impetus to the industrial revolution than did the introduction of solar energy via the steam engine, to realise what the future must be.

Cut off from their own heritage it is not surprising that large numbers of the youth of Western nations are recruited for political violence, or turn to drugs and other forms of escapism. Disintegrating Rome also had a youth revolt problem.

Douglas observed that a problem correctly stated is already half solved. The starting point for solving the problems of human beings must be to ask the question, "What is the purpose of man himself, and of his activities?" The basic problem is, therefore, philosophical.

Dividends to individuals

Douglas said that the proper role of the State is to distribute dividends to individuals. The individual must be free to decide how best to use his own credit.

During the Great Depression of the thirties, when Marxism was making an enormous appeal to large numbers of desperate people, Stalin's colleague, Molotov, made the comment to the "Red" Dean of Canterbury, Dr. Hewlett Johnson, that the Soviet leaders knew all about Social Credit and that it was the only movement they feared. Relating a revealing experience he had with the famous Fabian Marxist leader, Sidney Webb. Douglas said that after he had effectively disposed of all the arguments against the practicability of his proposals, he was confronted with the real objection to those proposals: Webb said that he did not like the purpose of the proposals, the purpose being to free the individual from the domination of those exercising power over him.

What Douglas did was to bring a new strategy and tactics to an age-old problem, the struggle by the individual to defend himself against all manifestations of the will-to-power. With the precision of the trained engineer he analysed the basic defects in the finance-economic system. Some of his most brilliant comment deals with the true purpose of man and the threat to that purpose by the advocates of centratised power using financial, economic and political institutions to enslave.

One of his most brilliant revelations was that the true purpose of production was consumption, and that the policy of "full employment" was in defiance of the progress of the industrial arts, which made it possible for the genuine requirements of the individual to be provided with progressively less labour.

Nothing caused so much bitter opposition to Douglas than his observation that so far from labour creating all wealth, the major factor in modern production was the use of solar energy in various forms to drive automatic and semi-automatic machinery, and that as the individual was an heir to a cultural heritage, he was morally entitled to a type of dividend. Such a policy was contrary to the carefully-fostered view that the individual could not be trusted with the type of freedom which Douglas had demonstrated was both practical and desirable. Opposition to the principle of a dividend based upon an inheritance was a manifestation of the will-to-power philosophy.

"FULL EMPLOYMENT" DENIES ACCESS TO KINGDOM

The overriding policy being used to deny man access to the potential real security and expanding freedom which is his birthright. is that of "Full Employment." Although the policy blatantly contradicts every advance in technology, it is promoted persistently as the most important objective towards which man can strive.

The underlying philosophy is materialistic, treating the human being as so much raw material to be fed into an expanding mass production system, and anti-Christian because it denies that the major factor in modern production is inheritance.

When Douglas first put forward the policy of a National Dividend for the individual as a right reflecting the reality of inheritance, it was scathingly denounced as "something for nothing."

Life itself is a gift, as are the most important factors which sustain life- water, air and unlimited solar energy. The falilure to accept God's gifts with proper respect is a manifestation of man's false pride, a refusal to accept the truth that man is not self-sufficient, that he does depend upon God and His abundant Universe, abundant in materials and the laws which, if discovered and applied, provide both security and freedom.

The tendency to worship science as some type of God is but further evidence of man's false pride. Science cannot create anything. It is but an orderly method of discovering and using that which already exists. Formulae are but man-devised instruments which man has invented to increase his effectiveness in arranging associations which result in natural action.

Each new generation inherits knowledge built up by previous generations. Even ideas are inherited. as pointed out by that great scientist, Isaac Newton: "If I have seen further than other men, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants."

As Douglas said, every generation of mankind receives contributions from two sources, the effort of human beings applied to instruments which have been created by previous generations.

Douglas summarised: "We have an association between the present and the past yielding an increment which is present; and relatively to one another, the past is enormously the most effective element in this association."

One of the most shallow statements by those who endorse the 'Full Employment' policy, is that "hard work never hurt anyone." So far from being true, much hard work has had a brutalising effect on the individual. And activities which can be seen to be unnecessary, except to obtain a monetary income, are soul-destroying. Human drudgery is not conducive to man seeking the Kingdom of God.

The major contributions to Civilisation have come from those who have enjoyed relative security and freedom. But in defiance of the facts, many Christians support the policy of 'Full Employment' on the authority of St. Paul's statement that if a man did not work neither would he eat. That statement was generally true when Paul made it. There was a time when human energy was the only means of production. But St. Paul had never seen or even envisaged a computer-controlled automated production system.

Extrait de Quadragesimo anno de Pie XI:

Les socialistes nient toute propriété et tout revenu qui ne sont pas le fruit du travail, quelles que soient par ailleurs leur nature et la fonction qu'ils remplissent dans la société humaine. Observons à cet égard combien c'est hors de propos et sans fondement que certains en appellent ici au témoignage de l'Apôtre : " Si quelqu'un ne veut pas travailler, il ne doit pas manger non plus. " (Saint Paul, 2e Epitre aux Thessaloniciens, 3, 10).

L'Apôtre, en effet, condamne par ces paroles ceux qui se dérobent au travail qu'ils peuvent et doivent fournir ; il nous presse de mettre soigneusement à profit notre temps et nos forces d'esprit et de corps, et de ne pas nous rendre à charge d'autrui, alors qu'il nous est loisible de pourvoir nous-mêmes à nos propres nécessités. En aucune manière, il ne présente ici le travail comme l'unique titre à recevoir notre subsistance

Il importe donc d'attribuer à chacun ce qui lui revient et de ramener aux exigences du bien commun ou aux normes de la justice sociale la distribution des ressources de ce monde, dont le flagrant contraste entre une poignée de riches et une multitude d'indigents atteste de nos jours, aux yeux de l'homme de coeur, les graves dérèglements.

A much greater authority than St. Paul, Christ, said something much more fundamental and of permanent value:

"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? . And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field; how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin . . . Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven shall He not more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith?"

Christ said that He came in order that the individual might enjoy the life more abundant. He did not say, as a former Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Montagu Norman said, that poverty was, good for people.

The great Christian. philosopher, St. Thomas Aquinas, said that "Spiritual danger ensues from poverty when the latter is not voluntary... no man ought to live unbecomingly."

Increasing freedom from compulsory economic activity does not presume growing idleness. Such freedom would place the individual in the position where he could participate in the type of activity which appealed to him. There would be a flowering of creative activity with individuals employing themselves. It can be predicted with certainty that an intensification of the policy of 'Full Employment' can only hasten the growing disintegration of what is left of Christian Civilisation. Regeneration depends upon that and associated policies being opposed and rejected.

Le plein emploi est «dépassé et inutile»

Paul VI à l’Organisation internationale du travail, Genève, 10 juin 1969 :

«Nous avons le droit et le devoir de considérer l’homme non pas en tant qu’il est utile au travail, mais d’envisager le travail dans sa relation avec l’homme, avec chaque homme, de considérer le travail pour autant qu’il est utile ou inutile à l’homme.»

Le 18 novembre 1983, Jean-Paul II recevait au Vatican les experts participant au congrès national organisé par la Commission pour les problèmes sociaux et le travail de la Conférence épiscopale italienne, et leur a adressé un discours dont voici un extrait :

«Le premier fondement du travail, c’est l’homme lui-même… Le travail est pour l’homme, et non l’homme pour le travail… Nous ne saurions, en outre, ne pas nous préoccuper des opinions de ceux qui, à notre époque, considèrent comme désormais dépassé et inutile le discours sur une plus intense participation et demandet, à ce qu’on appelle le ‘temps libre’, la réalisation de la subjectivité humaine. Il ne semble pas juste, en effet, d’opposer le temps consacré au travail au temps libre de travail, du fait qu’il faut considérer tout le travail de l’homme comme un merveilleux don de Dieu en vue de sa globale et intégrale humanisation. Je suis tout de fois convaincu que le temps libre mérite une particulière attention parce qu’il est le temps durant lequel les personnes peuvent et doivent d’occuper de leurs devoirs familiaux, religieux, sociaux. Mieux, pour être vraiment un moment de liberté et être socialement utile, ce temps libre doit être vécu avec mûre conscience éthique dans une perspective de solidarité qui s’exprime également sous des formes de généreux volontariat.»

(Tiré de L’Osservatore Romano, édition hebdomadaire en langue française du 27 décembre 1983, p. 9)

On November 18, 1983, Pope John Paul II received in audience the participants in the National Conference sponsored by the Italian Episcopal Conference’s Commission for Social Problems and Work. Here are excerpts from the Pope’s address:

“The primary foundation of work is in fact man himself…Work is for man and not man for work… Furthermore, we cannot fail to be concerned about the opinions of those who today hold that discussion of a more intense participation is now passé and useless and demand that human subjectivity be realized in so-called free time. It does not seem just, in fact, to oppose the time dedicated to work to the time that is free of work, in so far as all man’s time must be viewed as a marvellous gift of God for overall and integral humanization. I am nevertheless convinced that free time deserves special attention because it is the time when people can and must fulfil their family, religious, and social obligations. Rather, this time, in order to be liberating and useful socially, is spent with mature ethical awareness in a perspective of solidarity, which is also expressed in forms of generous volunteer services.”

(Taken from L’Osservatore Romano, weekly edition in English, January 9, 1984, p. 18.)

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