Milbank's Understanding of Conservatism

To me though it is stumbling block for any conservative and Christian Postliberalism to continue to believe in capitalism (as opposed to the market). I continue to think that real conservatism, as Ruskin saw, requires a commitment to mutualist socialism in some guise.

— john milbank (@johnmilbank3) August 26, 2021

For Labor Day...

A Labor Day Without Jobs
Charles Eisenstein, We can't grow ourselves out of debt, no matter what the Federal Reserve does

Related:
Mish, German Manufacturing Declines Again, New Export Orders Fall at Fastest Pace Since April 2009 and Asia Export Machine Cracks Wide Open: South Korea Production Falls at Fastest Rate in Eight Months; Taiwan Exports Deteriorate Sharply; Global Recession Call Revisited


Thomas Hodgskin, The Natural and Artificial Right of Property Contrasted [1832]
Arthur Ranc, Anarchy (1869)

C4SS:
Big Government, Big Business — Conjoined Twins
Big Government, Big Business — Conjoined Twins, part 2

A Mutualist Justice System

Or "anarchist": Darian Worden, Justice Without the State

The criminal enterprises of the state should not be replaced, but instead displaced, by cooperative alternatives. This may seem like nitpicking, but to me it emphasizes the differences between authoritarian and anarchic functions. Authoritarian systems command obedience to those on top through force, threats, denial of alternatives, and encouragement of conformity. This is their primary function, and anarchists do not intend to create anything to replicate this function.

Instead, anarchists tend to believe in the ability of people to establish rules as equals, to work out consensus and compromises, and use violence only as a last resort. This is how social relations work on a basis of mutual benefit rather than power politics.

Does this borrow too much from a certain kind of liberalism or the liberal understanding of the state? The author proceeds with an example from the medieval period:

This is not the place to fully theorize about anarchist justice systems or fully describe precedents, but I’ll scratch the surface. A precedent Gary Chartier mentions in his excellent book The Conscience of an Anarchist is the merchant’s law of Medieval Europe. Courts established voluntarily within the merchant community made decisions based on standards that had evolved over time. Another precedent is found in Terry Anderson and P.J. Hill’s work on how American settlers handled disputes in the Western frontier, which was not nearly as violent as Hollywood would have you believe.

An argument for subsidiarity and the guild system, not for anarchy?

More on mutualism.