Do we still live in a feudal society

[NAE NOOKIE]

Get to the top of any of the major business or public institutions in this country and you will find a sir this, lord that or lady so & so.

Is it not clever that instead of trying to beat the masses the hereditary titled minority managed to keep the status quo by handing out titles to those of the proletariat who managed to get to positions of power or wealth.

I give you .... Sir Tom Farmer, Sir David Murray, Lord Sugar, Lady Thatcher ... The list is endless.

If that was the only thing I suppose I could live with it, but dont kid yourself, these people who have hereditary titles going back centuries can still hold power over peoples day to day lives. Buy a house in Scotland and you will have to pay a fue duty to the local laird or duke, even if he doesnt actually own the land your house stands on.

If you own a cottage in the highlands and want to sell home made honey from the end of your driveway the local landowner can stop you, even if they no longer actually own the land your house is built on ( this did happen )

Not to mention the influence these people can hold over society due to the fact that so many are prepared to bow to their point of view by vertue of the titles they possess.

Prince charles ruined a firm of architects just by the fact that he wrote a letter to that firms client saying that he didnt approve of their ideas for the developement of an area of central London. In fact PC is well known for his meddling in affairs he should keep out of, political as well as civil and the trouble is he often gets his way.

And finally. If prince Edward visited my workplace tomorrow some lacky would come round first to tell me that if the prince lowers himself to speak to me I should address him as 'sir'.

Why the hell should anybody have to call another human being sir just because he was born in a big hoose and his ancestors were better at slaughter and in breeding than theirs?

Not I would suggest in the 21st century.

[Phil D. Rolls]

No, my liege.

[RyeSloan]

I would say the answer is a clear no.

[Twa Cairpets]

No

Although the last vestiges of the class system still have influence, and the Windsors and their extended family and court are an appalling anachronism who should be restricted to a theme park, what is even worse than kow-towing to that bunch of inbreeds is what has taken their place - vaccuous celebrity and its attendant glorification of brain numbing stupidity and wilful ignorance.

[khib70]

No

Although the last vestiges of the class system still have influence, and the Windsors and their extended family and court are an appalling anachronism who should be restricted to a theme park, what is even worse than kow-towing to that bunch of inbreeds is what has taken their place - vaccuous celebrity and its attendant glorification of brain numbing stupidity and wilful ignorance.
:top marks Nail on head.

[Leicester Fan]

And finally. If prince Edward visited my workplace tomorrow some lacky would come round first to tell me that if the prince lowers himself to speak to me I should address him as 'sir'.



And what would happen if you didn't? Would you be immediately dragged down to dungeon and given 50 lashes?No. Could you be prosecuted for any crime?Pretty sure you couldn't.You might be sacked but I doubt it and if you did you could fight it in court.

Bit of a silly example really.

[Woody1985]

I know this is on a tangent but in my work canteen some of the staff refer to me as sir. Makes me feel awkward. Am only buying a packet of crisps mate!

Just cos I've got trousers and a shirt on doesn't make me any different.:lol:

[Twa Cairpets]

I know this is on a tangent but in my work canteen some of the staff refer to me as sir. Makes me feel awkward. Am only buying a packet of crisps mate!

Just cos I've got trousers and a shirt on doesn't make me any different.:lol:

Interesting point - your example is a bit of formal politeness, the Edward example is one of deference and an assumption of his superiority.

[NAE NOOKIE]

And what would happen if you didn't? Would you be immediately dragged down to dungeon and given 50 lashes?No. Could you be prosecuted for any crime?Pretty sure you couldn't.You might be sacked but I doubt it and if you did you could fight it in court.

Bit of a silly example really.

Considering that I am a government employee, where at the top level sucking up to the titled masses is an art form I am not so sure that you are right about the sacking bit.

Anyway, the point is not whether or not I would call him sir, the point is that he would expect me to.

[(((Fergus)))]

It seems that feudal society in its healthy form is just an extended family. Somebody in that family will be the patriarch/clan chief. He may have more power/rights than everyone else but he also has more responsibilities. Everybody in the family will work to help each other. One or two will be the head, many more will be the arms and legs, but they are all part of the same living economy who, in the interests of self-preservation have to care for each other (imagine if your heart didn't bother supplying the other parts of your body - it too would eventually die).

Of course we are a long way from a healthy feudalism but is that the fault of one particular part/level? I'd say we all have a role to play.

[NAE NOOKIE]

It seems that feudal society in its healthy form is just an extended family. Somebody in that family will be the patriarch/clan chief. He may have more power/rights than everyone else but he also has more responsibilities. Everybody in the family will work to help each other. One or two will be the head, many more will be the arms and legs, but they are all part of the same living economy who, in the interests of self-preservation have to care for each other (imagine if your heart didn't bother supplying the other parts of your body - it too would eventually die).

Of course we are a long way from a healthy feudalism but is that the fault of one particular part/level? I'd say we all have a role to play.

I cant see a case in modern times for any sort of power which is not based on the will of the people and is not earned.

The Americans' grasped this with the declaration of independence and written constitution.

We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Though obviously the mind set of these times did not imagine or think to take into account that these sublime sentiments should also apply to the native Americans or Black Africans until a hell of a lot later. Too bloody late some would say. The ideals set out in that document were fantastic and light years ahead of their time and should certainly apply today to all peoples.

[Twa Cairpets]

It seems that feudal society in its healthy form is just an extended family. Somebody in that family will be the patriarch/clan chief. He may have more power/rights than everyone else but he also has more responsibilities. Everybody in the family will work to help each other. One or two will be the head, many more will be the arms and legs, but they are all part of the same living economy who, in the interests of self-preservation have to care for each other (imagine if your heart didn't bother supplying the other parts of your body - it too would eventually die).

Of course we are a long way from a healthy feudalism but is that the fault of one particular part/level? I'd say we all have a role to play.

"...feudal society in its healthy form is just an extended family..."

Eh? What? Gonnae show me an example of this?

Feudalism had/has at its core an acceptance of rank on the basis of nothing other than absolute power, generally governed by birthright.

The nasty little remnants of it whereby an individual is automatically due subservient respect or deference because of a particular incidence of sexual congress is repugnant.

What you're describing sounds a lot more like communism

[lapsedhibee]

Buy a house in Scotland and you will have to pay a fue duty to the local laird or duke, even if he doesnt actually own the land your house stands on.

If you own a cottage in the highlands and want to sell home made honey from the end of your driveway the local landowner can stop you, even if they no longer actually own the land your house is built on ( this did happen )


Not sure if you're entirely right here. Feudal superiority in Scotland was abolished in a 2000 Act.
Background (http://www.hmitchell.co.uk/abolition-of-feudal-tenure.htm)

[Phil D. Rolls]

I know this is on a tangent but in my work canteen some of the staff refer to me as sir. Makes me feel awkward. Am only buying a packet of crisps mate!

Just cos I've got trousers and a shirt on doesn't make me any different.:lol:

Your canteen staff are naked? Sexxxy!!! :greengrin

[NAE NOOKIE]

Not sure if you're entirely right here. Feudal superiority in Scotland was abolished in a 2000 Act.
Background (http://www.hmitchell.co.uk/abolition-of-feudal-tenure.htm)

Didnt know that. Good to know we are heading in the right direction :greengrin