Defining Economic Justice and Social Justice | Center for Economic and Social Justice

Defining Economic Justice and Social Justice | Center for Economic and Social Justice

This morning, Mabel took me on a route that goes by her Bandit, a blood hound, who is probably her best dog friend. We too, our dogs' people, have bonded over the years because we share a similar sense of humor and intellectual tastes, and because our dogs are so friendly with each other. Bandit's owner is way more accomplished professionally than I am, and is involved in "strategy" at a far higher level of leadership than I ever will be, although person-to-person he does not project himself as a "power player." I find global strategy interesting, and can discuss it intelligently since it is sort of the family business, since I was a history minor, and since I am a reader, although I feel that I am most effective operating, person to person, more on a micro level, flying under the radar, teaching 6th graders.

Neither Bandit's owner, with his chemical engineering background and high level responsibility, or I with my blue collar lumber business background, shy away from joking about politicians. Today, our conversation turned to certain politicians and the image of weakness and amorality these players project to the world, which serves as an invitation for hostile parties to attack Americans. Both Bandit's owner and I share a similar distaste for politicians, as the two of us are, by temperament, people of action instead of people who seem to worry most about our hair.

Our conversation turned to a book Bandit's owner had read recently about how difficult it was to come to any agreement at the Constitutional Convention, about how everybody hated each other, yet was able to come to an agreement within 5 weeks. I immediately made the connection to Iraq. He chuckled in agreement.

I brought up an image I saw this week of children about the same age as students I am teaching being brainwashed with a hostile ideology, being trained in operating AK47's, and chanting anti-American slogans. A favorite family story, which I did not share at the time, was how as a small child, two guests from the Soviet Embassy, and one of my dad's friends, who we all suspect was probably a CIA operative, came to dinner in Arlington, and my dad had prepared me with a secret handshake and a toast, "Up the Capitalist Revolution!" which upon my dad's cue I repeated at the dinner table. Everybody at the table roared with laughter. In the 60's, Kelso, a former World War II Naval Intelligence officer, described his theory of economic justice  as the Capitalist Revolution, although that term has since fallen into disfavor, similar to the name of Washington's football team.

Bandit's owner observed how the Kurds have been "screwed" three times recently. I mentioned that from a strategy standpoint, my dad would argue that America has "ceded the moral high ground" and needs to deliver a vision of social and economic justice to the world based on the Papal Encyclicals and Louis Kelso.

I suggested that he contact my dad, since dad always says that strategy people should understand his strategy for seizing the moral high ground. Bandit's owner needed to finish mowing. I needed to get along with Mabel's walk. Maybe an intellectual seed has been planted with someone in the position to do something about it. Who knows? You never know. If Bandit's person googles Kelso and economic justice, he will find the site I found above. Seek and you will find!