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The Social Dividend

The Reinstatement of Personal Rights

The following excerpts are from a talk by Louis and for no other reason.
Even at the “Vers Demain” and MICHAEL congress Does legislation guarantee the fundamental right
held at Three Rivers, Quebec, on September 1, 1957. of each person to make use of the goods of the earth?
Social Credit would see the reinstatement and Our souls can be saved in whatever prison, dreadful
restoration of personal rights. People are unique and misery or poverty in which we might find ourselves.
each has a destiny to fulfill. While on earth, we must God gives His grace there also, but salvation is more
have an environment amenable to the fulfilment of difficult in such settings. We do not have the right to
each person’s destiny. This is our work by definition! impose such conditions upon people. A Christian can-
Our work consists of establishing the political, eco- not settle for disorder.
nomic and social environments to facilitate the human What does Social Credit teach? Do we ask that
person’s development toward their destiny. What are property be taken from those who have it? Not at
a person’s rights? According to Pope Pius XII in his all. We do not ask that a farm be taken away from a
radio message on June 1, 1941, they are as follows: farmer nor a factory taken from its owner. But we ask
“Material goods have been created by God to that all people and each person be allowed access to
meet the needs of all men, and must be at the dis- the products made in the factory and on the farm. The
posal of all of them, as justice and charity require.” owners of the factory and the farm will be the first to
“All” means that no one is to be left out. If some applaud when their products are found in every home.
people will have nothing to do with Social Credit, which Social Credit stands by the principle of private
says that goods are meant for each and every person, ownership but would nevertheless ensure that every-
let them offer a different formula which will allow for one has access to the great capital created by God and
the inclusion of everyone. Trying to solve social prob- cultivated by people. Laws exist to protect the rights
lems through employment takes people on the wrong of money, but there are none to protect the right to
track as wages cannot provide everyone with an in- earthly goods. It is high time there were!
come. Let those who insist on everyone having a job Instead of distributing the earthly goods to the
tell us how a child will be put to work so that his rights population, “real credit”, that is, the capacity to pro-
are honoured. How will the elderly find a job? duce, is instead often diverted toward destruction.
Technological advances result in a form of We hear: “We must take up arms! We must take up
progress that decreases the need for salaried workers. arms!” Conflicts are fomented everywhere. Conflicts
More leisure time should allow us to take better care about oil or any matter can lead countries to war.
of our cultural life and to prepare for our eternal life. What is the answer? What is the remedy for these
Instead, we are told that we need to work more. problems? The solution is the distribution of earthly
Pope Pius continued: “Every man indeed, as a rea- goods so that all might have their share, whatever
son-gifted being...” Reason sets us apart from animals. their age, sex or intelligence; and whatever a man’s
The Pope did not say “as Christians” or “as Catholics”, virtues, be he good or bad. Does the sun not shine on
he said “as a reason- gifted being”. These are the words everyone, whatever the colour of their skin and what-
of a humanist. All human beings have a fundamental ever their nationality? “Material goods have been cre-
right to earthly goods, simply because they are human ated by God to meet the needs of all men.”

The Social Dividend and

Commonly-Owned Capital

1. What is a dividend? members of society and each owns an equal part of
A dividend is money given to a capitalist in recog- the commonly-owned real capital.
nition of an investment which resulted in a profit. The 3. What is the “commonly-owned real capital”?
dividend is a share of the profit and is a reward. Note It is a capital, or asset, that is both real and com-
that dividends are not based on work performed by monly-owned. Natural resources fall into this cat-
the investor. egory: forests, lakes, rivers, water falls, minerals and
2. You have defined a capitalist’s dividend. Can you oil are examples.
define a Social Dividend? Natural resources are not the fruit of any one per-
A Social Dividend is a share of a country’s pro- son’s work. Their development might be but not their
duction that is given to each citizen. All citizens are existence. Natural resources are a gift of the Creator u

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