America... The Land Of The Slaves. Medievil England 2.0...

So the wifey and I were having a discussion and a few valid points were brought-up as to the condition of our country and what has happened in the past... especially the similarities between the US and good ol' England...

---

- In England, if the serfs didn't pay their annual duties (taxes) they were kicked-off the noble's land or imprisoned, and his family was left to starve. In America, if you don't pay your taxes, they lock you up and leave your family to fend for themselves.

- In England, if you spoke ill of the king, you would be locked-up in the tower for a few months/years. In America, if you speak ill of our government, they can label you a terrorist and lock you up indefinitely with no trial needed.

- Serfs that could not eat in times of famine were legally obliged to be fed by the lord of the manor. America has Welfare and Food Stamps.

- Serfs were not allowed to leave the land they worked. In America, you need a passport to travel, and the government can deny you travel for any reason they deem fit.

- The Crusades. The Crusades were a campaign to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim control. Look at our military involvement in the Middle East for the last 25 years.

Have anything to add? I know there are many other similarities that haven't been touched on...

Drafts vs Knight/Squire servitude, etc...

She was called-in to work, but I can't wait to continue the conversation when she gets home..

Anything else you can think of I can point out to her?

Why would you consider it to be 2.0? Didn't America have it's hands wet inside the slavery trade? I thought that slaves were killed if they could read and limbs cut off if they ran away, and this happened in America. So it seems that America was dealing with slaves harsher than the UK. Shouldn't this be a second age of slavery? Or perhaps a modern version, lol.

reply to post by ImaMuslim


Yes, but that just proves the point that the Manorialism and Feudalism were never left behind.

That's another good comparison though, plantations vs manorial society.

reply to post by YouAreLiedTo



The 13 Colonies wanted independence from Britain because of the "Tyranny" of King George III. So what happens when the 13 Colonies get their independence? They embark upon their own form of tyranny on the true ownes of the land they live on..........The Native American Indians.

Originally posted by alldaylong
reply to post by YouAreLiedTo

 

The 13 Colonies wanted independence from Britain because of the "Tyranny" of King George III. So what happens when the 13 Colonies get their independence? They embark upon their own form of tyranny on the true ownes of the land they live on..........The Native American Indians.

"Tyranny" is not the word for what we did to the NAs...

Systematic genocide maybe... "tyranny" just doesn't do the events justice.

But then again, all they want to teach you in history class these days is about the first Thanksgiving and how pilgrims and "indians" were so happy-go-lucky together.

Written by the victors, as they say...

reply to post by YouAreLiedTo


Hmm, lemme put this in another perspective for you.

- In England, if the serfs didn't pay their annual duties (taxes) they were kicked-off the noble's land or imprisoned, and his family was left to starve. In America, if you don't pay your taxes, they lock you up and leave your family to fend for themselves.

Actually, in America, you get a tax lawyer that argues for you and you get your taxes reduced and put on a payment plan. But good try.

- In England, if you spoke ill of the king, you would be locked-up in the tower for a few months/years. In America, if you speak ill of our government, they can label you a terrorist and lock you up indefinitely with no trial needed.

Uh, no, that doesn't happen, but nice fear mongering. By your logic, FOX News would be in GITMO by now. lol Right now, you are speaking ill of our government, and I seriously doubt that you are going to be locked up for being a terrorist. Actually, the Patriot Act makes it pretty clear what defines someone as a domestic terrorist. And from what I have read on this forum, little of this crap actually could be considered terrorism. (This doesn't include those idiots who try and get other people to start shooting their fellow countrymen) If you are one of those people who think that killing other human beings shouldn't be illegal, there's something seriously wrong with you, and perhaps you should be put away.

- Serfs that could not eat in times of famine were legally obliged to be fed by the lord of the manor. America has Welfare and Food Stamps.

Because starvation is the preferred way to deal with the poor? I'm guessing by your standards Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Confessions, "let them eat cake" is too good for em. How dare people think that they should be able to at least eat while being destitute. I guess by your logic, they should do the honorable thing and starve to death so that we as a society don't have to shoulder the burden of these dredges of society.

- Serfs were not allowed to leave the land they worked. In America, you need a passport to travel, and the government can deny you travel for any reason they deem fit.

This isn't the only country on Earth. Yes, you do need a passport to travel to other countries. And actually, you're wrong, in medieval England, if you escaped as a serf to London, and were able to survive for a year and a day you would be considered a free person.

- The Crusades. The Crusades were a campaign to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim control. Look at our military involvement in the Middle East for the last 25 years.

Yea, I can't really argue against this one.

Wanna argument for your point of view? Try divorce in the US. If you are a male in this country, divorced from his spouse and have a child, you will get your drivers licence taken away if you don't pay your child support. If you get too far behind, they will lock you up, garnish most of your wages, if you can find a job, and basically keep you pretty screwed for the rest of your life.