I asked my colleagues at dinner a few weeks ago whether they’d like to return to a feudal society. Straightforward question, that. But judging from the uncomprehending stares and expressions of shock, not too many law students have given the question of re-establishing feudalism any serious thought.
Why not? Haven’t they ever read a George R. R. Martin novel?
Seriously; we’re indoctrinated from birth in the belief that the way things are now are the best they’ve ever been. I don’t believe it. I think some things were much better under feudalism. Such as:
1. Absence of the pernicious belief that all land (not to mention everything else as well) is fungible.
2. Absence of the belief that it’s all alienable, too.
3. More heraldry, and tapestries. Nowadays, even at the wonderfully Gothic campus here at Michigan, we call our student sections by such rich and sonorous titles as ‘EFGH’ and ‘IJKL,’ and we don’t even get to wear robes with our section’s crest on them, like the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws at Hogwarts.
4. The conviction that who you were mattered, not what you had. I know; this is often cited in terms of the greater social mobility of modern life, and the semi-permanent caste system under feudalism. But I think this story is overly biased. Social mobility today is more mythical than we like to admit.
In Feudalism the crown is the king, ans his court belongs in that place. Also, the Church would be atop him.
What kind of delusion are you living under, Dvorak? We’re ALREADY living in a “feudal” system. Only now it’s an “elected” structure. Now, the government is at the top and the people are way at the bottom. The kings are the president and governors, the barons are the legislators (fed, state, and local), the knights are the national guard, police, other law enforcement, and regulators/inspectors.
We are the lowly serfs who work, not for ourselves, but for the government. We are expected to conduct ourselves in a way that supports the government.
The constitution? Don’t make me laugh! It’s merely a decorative document here in 2K6. Even the “Supreme” Court is constitutiionally illiterate. Except for Scalia and Thomas, though. But what do they matter?
sagrilarus,
I don’t recall all my medieval history at the moment, it being far to late and me being far too sleepy to consult the oracle that is the Wikipedia. But, wasn’t Agincourt where the dismounted French Knights (don’t forget to pronounce it in the Monty Python manner — “Kuh-Ni-Guts”) got their heads handed to them by the English yeoman (close enough to unvalued serfs)? And Poitiers was where the English showed the French Knights how a long stick, when wielded by unvaluable serfs who stood firm, could stop a heavy cavalry charge cold?
I’m not defending feudalism, and I certainly don’t want to live without the freedoms that are my unalienable rights. I just think some better examples could have been chosen. (And no, Crecy isn’t a good choice either).
Bill
You said it Ivor.
Yeomen were not close to serfs.
I don’t believe going back to a feudalism is the answer but I do think the United States is in serious trouble. There needs to be a system that seperates money from politics or eventually corruption will take over. You end up with the people who have moneny having all of the control and everyone else being exploited. It is staggering how much money different industry groups pour into political parties to buy the control they need. I just saw an article where the MPAA and RIAA made $232 million in political contributions. The oil industry and telecom industry are even worse. The end result, the citizens of the United States get screwed. We can’t do what we want with the music and movies we pay for. We are forced to pay too much for fuel without being offered other choices. Soon, if industry has their way, we won’t be able to download videos without paying higher rates for our Internet connection. The only answer is find a billion dollars or so to pay these scumbags off.
There needs to be a system that seperates money from politics or eventually corruption will take over.
What makes you think it hasn’t?
Other than the fact that Feudalism was based on land not corporate stock, how is this different than what America is evolving now? Rigid classes. An empoverished surrfdom that works to feed the wealth of the nobility. Blind, jingoistic stupidity. Holy wars.
Oh, that’s right, the King is no longer expected to lead his troops into battle.
yeah dipshit keep saying that see if it sticks
Yes, I read the George R. R. Martin books, and in the first one the honorable lord got his head lopped off, and all his people killed, because he was against killing children. As the rabid bat-shit crazy queen said, “When you play the ‘Game of Thrones’, you win or you die.” Sounds really wonderful.
Absence of the pernicious belief that all land (not to mention everything else as well) is fungible…
Yes, lets go back to the idea that all lands revert to “the Crown” when someone falls out of favor with the current monarch, or the current monarch is deposed.
And people complain about “emminent domain” now…
And that the landowners were obligated to supply money & trained knights and soldiers for the King’s wars.
The conviction that who you were mattered, not what you had.
Pure BS – who you were dictated what you were allowed to have…
And it convieniently overlooks the fact that “who you were” was either based on the lottery of heredity [“The 6th Earl of Feldercarb”] or prowess on the battlefield [ “The Lion of Ipswitch”].
Reminds me I need to go re-watch some episodes of Blackadder! [grin]
Fungible: Apparently means you can buy and sell the land. Under fuedalism, apparently the only way land ownership can change is with a sword, although now-a-days the weapons are a bit more interesting.
I don’t know, I’d have to think about that.
But right now, today, here in America, the non-ruling classes are better off than the peasantry of medieval Europe. At least, we’re better pacified.
When government and the chruch are in bed together, you can say good bye to your liberties.
Quite a bit of discussion over an article written as parody and with much sarcasm.
Remember, the average serf had to work between one day in 7 to one day in 14 for his lord. How many days do we have to work to pay taxes? Who are the real serfs now??
Feudalism began to die in 1347 when the first of the black death plagues spread across Europe and into England.
Those who were left found that they were in a much better position than before and any land-owner who was looking for people to work on their land had to pay better rate or they just left and went elsewhere.
Feudalism gave way to Capitalism and workers voting with their feet.
The aristocracy was doomed from the first use of the long-bow in warfare of which the Battle of Agincourt (25th October 1314) is a good example.
If modern history can site examples for the reverse process then I would be interested to hear about them, however I doubt than many people would which to go back to those times.
Regards
Simon
Are you referring to those George R. R. Martin novels in which everyone dies an agonising death? I wouldn’t call A Song of Ice and Fire a shining propaganda piece for feudalism.
Obviously this is a typical Dvorak parody post, but I suppose the really sad thing is that the best assessment of Democracy is still the one given by Churchill.
There needs to be a system that seperates money from politics or eventually corruption will take over.
Tee hee.
I think you’re all a bunch of serfs, anyway.
Nah, we don’t have feudal system here, it’s an oligarchy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy
Read the wiki, and find out why.
Corporatism is feudalism. And we’re well on the way back.
naw not feudalism we need a form of government were it is run by one guy and his party for benefit of country nto himself and evryone contributes to the country and by country i mean military world dominance etc. and we shld work toenslave all others for our race not saying were better but if we can enslave the rest we shld
thanks