The New World Of Corporate Feudalism History Does Repeat Itself!
Feudalism is back! Feudalism was the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. [See Source]
Feudalism has returned from its grave with a vengeance. All one has to do is look at all the " Right to Work" states. Currently, 25 states and Guam have given workers a choice when it comes to union membership. Labor unions still operate in those states, but workers cannot be compelled to become members as a requirement of their job. Wisconsin became the 25th right-to-work state, with a bill that was signed into law on March 9, 2015.[See Source]
The Resurgence of Feudalism In America Is a Disaster In The Making.
People who work in "Right to Work" states make less money. They receive inadequate health benefits and they're more likely to die on the job. The supporters of this modern day form of Feudalism proclaim it will boost their state economies and rebuild the middle class. However, in reality, and there is a track record to fall back on since 1935 the exact opposite happens with these feudalistic labor laws. Right to work laws bring capitalism closer to its major goal of being unregulated. In turn, unregulated capitalism leads to massive levels of inequality. [See Article] The levels of inequality we are seeing now in America and a major focal point of the Sanders campaign mirrors the times of Feudalism in the European middle-ages.
At the top, there is this very select few who in the middle ages represented the nobles and monarchs
of the day. In today's world, they are the one-percent Koch Brothers and they are in fact the present day monarchs of our times. Just below these Oligarchs are the so called professional class. Doctors, lawyers, CEO's, and some business owners. The main function of this group is to keep things running for the super-rich. They function as the nobles in a capitalist society. Then at the very bottom of the spectrum is this huge population of the working poor modern day peasants. Most have no real monetary wealth most are in debt most of their lives and barely can make ends meet living from paycheck to paycheck. In natural unregulated capitalism, there is no such thing as a middle-class.What has become the default options to this modern day corporate feudalism is wealth inequality. This inequality has manifested itself as a direct result of deregulation propagated by the political establishments of both the Democratic and Republican parties. They both have played a part in the dismantling of the New Deal and a thriving middle class that resulted from it. [New Deal]
What we have before us today right now mirrors exactly what was the order of the day in medieval Europe under Feudalism.!
The only way a true middle class can emerge in today's world of unregulated capitalism is by massive social upheaval, or by government intervention. Historically our government [We the People] has been the only mechanism for keeping Feudalism in check. It's what we used here in the United States since the founding of our Republic until the Reagan Revolution to fight the Plutocrats and build a middle class from the ground up.
Our government has used all of these mechanisms to restrain the natural tendency of unregulated capitalism that creates inequality: Tariffs, workers’ rights legislation, Glass-Stegall Act, and higher taxes on the rich. All of which, on balance, helped create the middle class. However; ever since Reagan and the Nazi-like brainwashing job he pulled on the American people - proclaiming government as the problem, not the solution - we have gutted regulation, busted up the unions and reverted capitalism back to its natural dog eat dog state. What has been the result? Record Inequality!
Now the richest three percent of the world population now controls half of all the wealth. "Middle-Class" incomes have become stagnant and if that is not bad enough the "child-poverty rate" in America is one of the worst in the entire developed world. Things have gotten worse since the "Bush Recession," and the Obama administration promise for "Hope and Change" never came. What gains that have appeared during the Obama years have been absorbed by guess who, the top one percent. So much for hope and change.
The Kings and Noblemen of the monarchs of medieval Europe may be long gone but in the here and now in the United States the Plutocrats and their corporate feudalism reign unmatched and corporate feudalism is the name of the game. We have Ronald Reagan and "Third-Way Democrats" to thank for it. What is the most severe side effect to all of this? The loss of our true democracy that has become nothing more than an Oligarchy? This new world corporate Feudalism is the image of the 14th century, not the 21st century which once again proves " History Does Repeat Itself In Politics."
The Kings and Noblemen of the monarchs of medieval Europe may be long gone but in the here and now in the United States the Plutocrats and their corporate feudalism reign unmatched and corporate feudalism is the name of the game. We have Ronald Reagan and "Third-Way Democrats" to thank for it. What is the most severe side effect to all of this? The loss of our true democracy that has become nothing more than an Oligarchy? This new world corporate Feudalism is the image of the 14th century, not the 21st century which once again proves " History Does Repeat Itself In Politics."