Reconsidering Distributism
12th August 2026
Is it time—or already past time—to consider something that was once called distributism as an alternative to what has long been called capitalism, or what is still being called socialism? Distributism was the name given to this alternative better than a century ago. The idea was to get property and some measure of economic independence distributed into the hands of as many people as possible.
Here we are in 2026, and long-discredited ideas of socialism are making a comeback. Suddenly forgotten are its past failures, as well as Margaret Thatcher’s great line that the trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money. Nonetheless it’s still being sold, and sold as the next logical, even inevitable, step taken in accordance with something called the arc of history.
Also forgotten are the long-ago efforts of Democrats like Harry Truman and Hubert Humphrey to separate socialists, fellow travelers, “no enemies to the left” popular fronters, and yes, even communists from their party. And today? Today those very same forces are being welcomed into today’s version of a “big tent” Democratic party.