Major Douglas in his book, "Social Credit", has written:
"A comparatively short period will probably serve to decide whether we are to master the mighty economic and social machine that we have created, or whether it is to master us; and during that period a small impetus from a body of men who know what to do and how to do it, may make the difference betweeen yet one more retreat into the Dark Ages or the emergence into the full light of day of such splendour as we can at present only envisage dimly." — P. 198 (Italics ours: Ed.)
Major Douglas was speaking of the future of society when he wrote these words. He said that mankind was rapidly approaching just such a period as mentioned in the quotation, and that at the time of this pause mankind's fate for generations would be decided.
Those of us who read either the "Union of Electors" or the French-language counterpart, "Vers Demain", — and by read, I mean read assiduously — are aware of the precarious position of society. We are producing material wealth that the people of the last century would have believed impossible. And yet we find society in the curious paradox of being poverty stricken in the midst of plenty. Yes, that is true, for though we might tend to ignore the near starving millions of other lands, and though we can avert our eyes from the poorer districts and the slums of the very cities and towns in which we live, we cannot ignore the matter of our own insecurity in a world where a man may eat and provide for his own only if he is "employed".
And in no other way is the critical state of Society more clearly silhouetted than in that twin problem of "what to do about growing and permanent unemployment", and "what to do about growing and permanent surpluses of all sort of goods". How to get enough food clothing and shelter is a permanent worry for the majority of mankind. How to get rid of surpluses of goods needed by the majority of mankind has become a permanent problem for governments. This is the paradox which can bring society down.
Those of us who know our Social Credit are well aware of from whence stems this great defect in our socio-economic system. We know that the financial system as it exists to day is primarily responsible for want and surpluses alike. For were the financial system to operate as it should, there would be no trouble getting these surpluses into the hands of the millions who so desperately need them. And were the financial and monetary principles and proposals of Social Credit legislated into existence, both want and insecurity on the one hand and surpluses on the other would vanish like snow under the warm Spring sun.
So the immediate problem of the hour is to get Social Credit brought into existence as an active and effective force in our daily life. Now we know – and our movement's publications constantly preach — that no such reform can possibly be brought about through the formation and electing to governmental power of a political party which might bear the tag of Social Credit and which might in theory support Social Credit principles. The plight of the Federal Social Credit party of Canada is a grim warning; and the do-nothing policy of the so-called Social Credit party in Alberta is another warning example — we mean "do-nothing" as far as implementing Social Credit legislation is concerned. And Major Douglas himself, the founder of Social Credit, said that he would consider the election of a Social Credit party to power, as a catastrophe. So the way to a Social Credit civilization does not lie through a political party.
How then bring in Social Credit? The answer is, legally and through the democratic procedures which are already at hand waiting to be used by us. We live in a country governed by democratic, parliamentary law. We elect representatives to parliament, the body which makes our laws. That representative is sitting in parliament waiting to do what his constituents want him to do. Naturally if his constituents make no demands on him he is more likely to do what the party he belongs to wants him to do. And as sad experience shows, the party's desires are not always along the same line as the people's welfare. So, if we have a parliamentary representative sitting in parliament awaiting our command to bring in the legislation we want, then the logical procedure for bringing in Social Credit is to have our elected representatives legislate it into existence.
That means the two-fold education of the people. They must be educated firstly in the principles of Social Credit. And, secondly, they must be taught political activity. Not the political activity so commonly associated with the manoeuvering and shenanigans which go on during an election campaign, but the political activity which embodies the principles of applying pressure upon our elected representatives — our govērnment — in order to get what we, the people, want.
This two-fold education can be gotten through the pages of the Union of Elector's two publications; "Vers Demain", if your language is French; "The Union of Electors" if you are English-speaking. Through the pages of these two papers we will teach you the principles of Social Credit; we will show you the glaring defects and contradictions in the financial system under which we presently live; we will open your eyes to the unreasonableness and the needlesness of the want and poverty which is today rampant in the midst of plenty. We will teach you what practical steps to take to guard your rights and get what you want from the government which you have elected.
There is no finer school today of true politics and true economics than the pages of these two papers. In them the Institute of Political Action, the guiding machine of the Union of Electors, will teach you all you need to know both about Social Credit and the politics and economics of today.
It is through increasing the circulation of these papers, getting them into the hands of more, and more citizens that we shall make Social Credit known and desired. When enough citizens know and desire Social Credit, then we shall have it.
But first of all there must be those who will see to it that these papers get into the hands of others. If you are a serious reader of this paper, "The Union of Electors", if you believe in the principles of Social Credit and want to see a Social Credit civilization realized, a civilization which will give to each single individual what he has a right to — then see to it that this paper gets into the hands of your friends and acquaintances.
Those active French-Canadian members of the Union of Electors, who are so desirous, spend their weekends going from town to town and door to door taking subscriptions to their Social Credit paper "Vers Demain". Some of them like Donat Boutin of Quebec City and Mrs. Helen Daigle of New Brunswick have taken as many as 200 subscriptions in the space of a few months in this way.
We do not know how many of our English readers can do this, but we do know that it is no great difficulty to get your close friends or acquaintances to take a subscription. Surely they must be interested in what you are interested in, especially in a matter which is so close to them as their daily bread and butter, their economic future.
Have you any idea of the power an idea can have over the mind? It is beyond belief how powerfully the mind can be taken with an idea. We never know when we speak of a doctrine, like Social Credit, what impact we are making upon the minds of those who are listening to us. The seeds are sown. They may not produce fruit immediately, but they will germinate and in time the flower will appear. You cannot possibly speak to as many as you might like about the doctrine of Social Credit. But if you subscribe your friends to this journal and they in turn subscribe others, it will not take long for the seeds of Social Credit to be sown far afield. And in time the harvest will appear in the form of a society of men and women who have the Social Credit outlook, who are impregnated with a Social Credit culture. Then and then only can we look with confidence for the necessary legislation which will realize the Social Credit dream.
There is a subscription blank at the bottom of this page. Why not use it to sign up some one your friends. You'll find the experience not only very satisfying but stimulating. You'll want to make others share in the knowledge and satisfaction which you have from Social Credit. And you'll be bringing closer the day when we will live in a Social Credit civilization.
Earl Massecar