How is the CPP different May 8, 2008
0%, to levels commonly found in Latin America, where feudalism is often the culprit. The increase in inequality confirms the United Nations report in 2006 that Ghanas Human Development Index (HDI) had declined from 0. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Sid Blumenthal, Busted May 2, 2008
" If the economy changes (i.e. if small town Pennsylvanians get well-paying jobs) then the superstructure will change (Pennsylvanians will feel less intensely about their religion).Actually this isn't simply Marxism--it's what, when I was in college at least, was called Vulgar Marxism. More sophisticated Marxists hypothesized various ways the cultural "superstructure" could interact with the economy or take on a life of its own. Less supple Marxists (Engels, if I remember) hew to the crude... (Slate)
Predicting Pennsylvania Apr 22, 2008
Less supple Marxists (Engels, if I remember) hew to the crude base/superstructure idea--with feudalism you get feudal beliefs, which give way to bourgeois beliefs once capitalism takes over. I've sniped at Obama for the condescension implicit in his argument that Pennsylvanians will stop their 'clinging' once Democrats like him start delivering jobs from Washington. (Slate)
Japanese Religious History Apr 19, 2008
This Restoration Shinto is given credit for helping to create the environment necessary to end Tokugawa feudalism and for helping to lead Japan in the creation of itself as a more modern nation-state. Also a part of this period of renewal were the New Religions, established in large part by founders outside of organized religion and adhered to by millions of followers, developing over time into vibrant religious forces in contemporary Japan. (Suite101.com)
Connecting Hitler and Darwin Apr 18, 2008
Oh that mine head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears," runs the lamentation in Jeremiah 9.1, that I might weep day and night for the slain daughters of my people. And yet if anti-Semitism has been the white noise of European history, to assign it causal powers over the Holocaust is simply to ignore very specific ideas that emerged in the 19th century, and that at once seized the imagination of scientists throughout the world. What is often called social Darwinism was a malignant force... (Human Events Online)
International journalist group says concerns remain over reporter safety in China Apr 16, 2008
They say news outlets have unjustly criticized Beijing in its crackdown, ignored the region's history of feudalism under the Dalai Lama and its economic development under Communist rule. Numerous Web postings, YouTube videos and Facebook groups have criticized the Tibet news coverage, including a Web site called anti-cnn. (International Herald Tribune)
Do homeschool teachers need certificates? Mar 25, 2008
Home-schooling and private education are the preferred forms of education in feudalism and absolutist societies. Both are undemocratic idiodicy was the Greeks term. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
A new democratic era in Malaysia Mar 15, 2008
The UMNO, meanwhile, has in many voters' eyes become synonymous with mediocrity, feudalism, racism and patronage. The party's young rising stars were expected to adopt a more progressive approach, but to many they have become indistinguishable from the old guard, which in turn has eroded public confidence in the UMNO's ability to reform itself. (Asia Times Online)
Ghana's Chieftaincy Debate Jan 27, 2008
The element of feudalism and labour control as a basis for power is relatively non-existent because national resources are intended to benefit all. In West Africa, Evhes demonstrate a good example of the priestly tradition of chieftaincy. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Bhutto's legacy; Interference in Pakistan; Obama now or never Jan 9, 2008
Bhutto's legacy; Interference in Pakistan; Obama now or never - International Herald Tribune (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Pakistan's way forward Jan 8, 2008
But despite the feudalism of a still predominantly rural society and abysmal literacy levels among women, political awareness runs high and with it, a desire to vote. So the country should now get an elected prime minister even if the durability of the democratic regime is in doubt. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
A WARNING FROM THE PAST Jan 7, 2008
" With the United States mired in a disastrous conflict in Iraq, which is a colossal distraction from the real imperatives of the fight against Islamist terrorism, there is a critical need for a clear strategy that will counter this threat. Yet the oft-touted solution of shifting our efforts from Iraq to Afghanistan will also end in disaster unless the true nature of our putative ally, Pakistan, and its historical culpability in the rise of Islamic radicalism, are correctly perceived - and our... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Martyr Without a Cause Jan 6, 2008
Pakistani democracy is really a form of elective feudalism. Bhutto nominated her feudal friends and allies for seats, and these landowners made sure their peasants voted them in. (Time.com)
North-south ties Jan 2, 2008
The principal economic influence in Quebec, he said, was the feudal nature of its farms: "Agriculture in francophone Canada had its roots in the seigneurial system - that is, in 17th-century French feudalism. Because it was feudal, New France experienced a slower rate of growth than that experienced under the embryonic capitalist institutions of New England." Quebec didn't go "continental" until the early 20th century, when it began to export aluminum, asbestos and electricity to New England.... (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Bhutto's true colors Jan 1, 2008
According to Amnesty International, Bhutto's particular brand of democracy while in office - in the words of historian William Dalrymple, "elective feudalism" - brought some of the world's highest numbers of extrajudicial killings, torture, and custodial deaths. Transparency International characterized hers as one of the world's most corrupt governments. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Dynasties, democracy and dictatorship Dec 31, 2007
Of course, the usual explanations: a South Asian penchant for political dynasties and the hold of feudal values if not feudalism itself, provides part of the answer. But there is much more to the political history of the Bhuttos and this succession than a feudal personality cult masquerading as democracy. (CNN -- International)
William Dalrymple: Flawed princess Dec 30, 2007
Today, Benazir is being hailed as a martyr for freedom and democracy, but far from being a natural democrat, in many ways, Benazir was the person who brought Pakistan's strange variety of democracy, really a form of 'elective feudalism', into disrepute and who helped fuel the current, apparently unstoppable, growth of the Islamists. For Bhutto was no Aung San Suu Kyi. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Mishra: Pakistan Under Military Capital Dec 14, 2007
For example, in spite of the drama of carrying out land reforms, feudalism has gained in strength. The media too were compliant during the days of Ayub and Zia. (Zmag.org)
The Gentle Dragon Dec 12, 2007
Only 30 years ago, Confucius was reviled as a symbol of feudalism and entrenched power structures in society. Now, Confucius is a symbol of the cultural diplomacy goal to unite ethnic Chinese around the world. (YaleGlobal Online Magazine, CT)
* Cameraman injured at memorial clash Dec 7, 2007
"I think a few people who are stubbornly upholding feudalism should wake up," he said. Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey () called on Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (qsy) and other pan-blue politicians to stop resisting the changes to the plaque. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
We owe much to labor unions Dec 3, 2007
Stephen wrote on Dec 2, 2007 9:23 AM:" Working Americans have been protesting corporate feudalism since the start. The Boston Tea Party was the first example of a collective revolt against corporations (the Atlantic Trade Company in that case) that exploit the population-at-large. To work against unions is down-right unAmerican, perhaps closer to the role of Judas in the famous Easter story. Most union opposition that you hear or read is paid for by action groups that are themselves supported by... (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
'Arok of Java': A coup d'etat and a snotty heroine Nov 18, 2007
The work involved digging deep under social history, to identify the forces that might explain the lagging "revolution" that first president Sukarno called for -- likely signs of remaining feudalism. But take heart if you never can manage those novels spanning 900 years, losing your bookmark and losing trace of the characters and the plot in the process of reading and rereading them -- before giving up. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
White paper on political party system issued Full text Nov 15, 2007
China has had a long history of feudalism. From 1840 on, when the Western imperialist powers launched aggressive wars against China, the corrupt and weak feudal ruling class buckled, and China was reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society. (People's Daily Online, China)
Post a comment Nov 15, 2007
After all, how can it be a democracy when feudalism exists throughout rural Pakistan, and the feudal landlords (Nawaz and Benazir) themselves are running. Posted by: Fahad Khan 14 November 2007. (International Herald Tribune)
Chieftaincy and the development of Ghana Nov 12, 2007
Somewhere in continental Europe and England, Feudalism had to end for land to be administered by a central authority. That is why I get amazed that the national authority plays second fiddle when it comes to the question of land instead of the other way round. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Street: Leading Democrats Nov 10, 2007
But you sounded ready to embrace feudalism there. I mean. (Zmag.org)
Full text of Constitution of Communist Party of China Oct 26, 2007
Under the guidance of Mao Zedong Thought, the Communist Party of China led the people of all ethnic groups in the country in their prolonged revolutionary struggle against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism, winning victory in the new-democratic revolution and founding the People's Republic of China, a people's democratic dictatorship. After the founding of the People's Republic, it led them in carrying out socialist transformation successfully, completing the transition from New... (Xinhuanet, China)
Your say: Howard calls a November 24 election Oct 15, 2007
The Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: News Blog. Welcome to Sydney Morning Herald Online. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Street: Bin-Laden's Critique of Capitalism Oct 13, 2007
This is why I tell you: as you liberated yourselves before from the slavery of monks, kings, and feudalism, you should liberate yourselves from the deception, shackles and attrition of the capitalist system. If you were to ponder it well, you would find that in the end, it is a system harsher and fiercer than your systems in the Middle Ages. (Zmag.org)
The conundrum of indigenous rights in the era of regional autonomy Sep 18, 2007
Cultural revival is often associated with ethnic strife, communal tension, feudalism and exclusionism. Those interested in dispelling such harmful assumptions should address some key questions. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Editorial)
An African millenium| Sep 4, 2007
The country has not been able to shrug off the effects of decades of feudalism under autocratic emperor Haile Selassie followed by 17 years of totalitarian Soviet-style rule under Mengistu Haile Mariam. Some human rights organisations have warned that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who has held his position for 12 years, should not use the lavish millennium celebrations to divert attention from widespread abuses. (iAfrica.com)
Gen. Petraeus' Pivotal Report Aug 29, 2007
Iraq is thus a radical experiment in modernity in a vital region afflicted by economic failure, tribal factiousness and oil-dollar powered feudalism ... Iraq is thus a radical experiment in modernity in a vital region afflicted by economic failure, tribal factiousness and oil-dollar powered feudalism. (Townhall.com)
Wish You Weren't Here Aug 26, 2007
Casablanca "has combined the charm of French heavy industry with the efficiency of Moroccan feudalism to create an ugly, smelly, noisy hybrid that only a resident could love.". - the authors of the 1986 edition of "Let's Go: Europe". (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
Lebanon Votes To Replace Assassinated Pols Aug 6, 2007
Aoun has said the Metn elections are "to liberate the country from political feudalism, sectarian intolerance and political bribery," a reference to the Gemayel family's role in Lebanese politics since the 1930s. The rivalry between Aoun and Gemayel could further divide the Christian community and is generally seen as a battle of wills between the ruling coalition and the opposition, weeks before parliament is to elect a new president. (CBS News -- World)
Deeper than religion Jul 21, 2007
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Religious divide two women pass a billboard in the Turkish capital, Ankara. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
'The challenge of imperialism' Jul 16, 2007
And if we helped Algeria to win its sovereignty, as he urged, we might see that "a new nation, with an Arab heritage, can establish itself in the Western tradition and successfully withstand both the pull toward Arab feudalism and fanaticism and the pull toward Communist authoritarianism.". Kennedy-bashers -- and there is no shortage of them -- would argue that he showed none of these insights during his own presidency, approving an invasion of Cuba and deepening the US presence in Indochina. (Boston Globe)
Constitution Jul 3, 2007
But the Chinese people had yet to fulfil their historical task of overthrowing imperialism and feudalism. After waging hard, protracted and tortuous struggles, armed and otherwise, the Chinese people of all nationalities led by the Communist Party of China with Chairman Mao Zedong as its leader ultimately, in 1949, overthrew the rule of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism, won the great victory of the new-democratic revolution and founded the People's Republic of China ... The state... (People's Daily Online, China)
Mishra: New Maharajas in India Jun 28, 2007
This happened in England in the 17th century and in France after 1789 when capitalism began pushing out feudalism. During the feudal era it was the various strata of lords, ranging from kings and princes to lowly landlords that occupied the positions of power at various levels. (Zmag.org)
The Grub Street years Jun 16, 2007
As war progressed, Marx and Engels were to predict correctly that the North would be able to exert industrial power as against Dixie feudalism, that ironclad ships would play an important role, that the temporising union generals such as George McClellan would be fired by an impatient Lincoln, and that an emancipation proclamation would be required as a war-winning measure. For good measure, Marx helped organise a boycott of southern slave-picked cotton among British workers, and wrote and... (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Plavsic Replies to Grubacic on Balkans May 23, 2007
At the time, the greater part of the Balkans languished in desperate poverty and backwardness under the oppressive tyranny of an Ottoman state feudalism incapable of adjusting to, and competing with, an increasingly capitalist world. In this concrete context, one absent from Andrejs historical survey, the myriad of Balkan polycultural identities he looks back to fondly was above all a reflection of this feudal, pre-capitalist world. (Zmag.org)
Cromwell/ Edwards: 'Anti-Americanism' pt. 2 May 14, 2007
"The notion 'anti-Americanism' is a revealing one. It is drawn from the lexicon of totalitarianism. Thus people who think that the US is the greatest country in the world are 'anti-American' if they criticize the acts of the Holy State, or join the vast majority of the population in believing that the corporate sector has far too much influence over government policy, or regard private corporate institutions created by state power and granted extraordinary rights as 'a return to feudalism' (to... (Zmag.org)
Illegal or not, people are people May 10, 2007
Mike Honcho wrote on May 9, 2007 4:18 AM:" Duncan most 9th grader know that 'Native Americans' immigrated to America from what is now Eastern Russia. Maybe you shouldn't be giving history lessons. What makes their immigration from Asia any more valid than the subsequent immigrations from Europe? What makes them the only "real" Americans? Are you suggesting that by virtue of arriving here first a system of feudalism is justified? Doesn't that contradict the point you're now trying to make i.e.... (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Casualty of War May 3, 2007
Historians routinely teach and write about a great many subjects absent from their own experience: slavery, plague, feudalism, industrial labor, human sacrifice. Why should war be different. (Ocnus.net)
Turks protest amid fears of `secret plan to overturn secular state Apr 21, 2007
Hundreds of thousands of Turks took part in two days of protests hoping to persuade the Prime Minister against running for president, amid concerns that his election would put at risk the separation of religion and state in the predominantly Muslim country. Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to decide this week whether to stand for president next month. (Yahoo News -- Turkey)
Why Fast-Changing China is Turning Back to Confucius Apr 18, 2007
The ancient sage has been politically resuscitated as well, by a Communist party that under Mao Zedong only a generation ago attacked him as a symbol of backward feudalism and dispatched red guards from Beijing to destroy the Confucius temple built in his honour in his hometown of Qufu. "There has been a complete turnround in the official attitude towards Confucius," says Zhou Guidian, of Renmin University, an adviser to the government on new programmes to teach Confucius in schools. (Ocnus.net)
A man for all ages Apr 14, 2007
But he also addressed the conflicts of his own historical moment: the transition from Catholicism to Protestantism and feudalism to modernity, the formation of national identity, trade and immigration, the encounter with new worlds overseas, the shadow of foreign powers. He was restricted by the customs of his age, notably when it came to the subordination of women, but at the same time he was prophetic of future ages. (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
Senate Judiciary Set To Vote On Subpoenas For Rove And Miers... Mar 15, 2007
The Crypt's Blog - Politico. Senate Judiciary Set To Vote On Subpoenas For Rove And Miers. (The Drudge Report)
Currawong is still oriented towards family - the union family Feb 20, 2007
But anyone wanting proof the political spectrum is circular, making feudalism and communism all but bedfellows, need look no further. The common factor, besides the fact the sultan and the unions are locked in battle with a Sydney businessman, Michael McGurk, is family. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Democracy Comes To Sark, Centuries Late Jan 7, 2007
Tiny British Isle Throws Off 400 Years Of Feudalism For An Elected Assembly. News Tools. (CBS News)
Lendman: Tom Paine's Spirit Jan 7, 2007
He thought inherited wealth would be exploited by those having it and would be used to corrupt governments and allow their heirs the ability to create dynasties that would result in a new feudalism. He promoted progressive taxation believing everyone should pay them acccording to their income. (Zmag.org)
Skiing Baqueira-Beret Spain: Day 3 Dec 8, 2006
This family was affluent and influential, but because feudalism had never taken hold in Val d Aran, commonality prevailed and they were duty-bound to share. Indeed, that influence remains today. (Suite101.com)
Brevity brings reward for Chinese-born author Dec 6, 2006
The background events that shape the people she writes about are the imperial centuries of feudalism, Mao's communism and cultural revolution, Tiananmen Square and the plunge into capitalism. In their speech, new half-poetical sayings mix with old proverbs: "a dew-marriage before the sunrise" (a one-night stand); "There is always a road when you get into the mountain" [see extract]; and, poignantly, in the same story, "The happiness of love is a shooting meteor. The pain of love is the darkness... (Guardian Unlimited)
Mountains witness Chinese history Nov 13, 2006
Mao used "mountains" as a metaphor for imperialism and feudalism which block the Chinese people from founding a bright and brand new country. The legend, written in "Liezi" during the Warring States Period (B.C. 475 - B.C. 221), was listed in primary school textbooks after 1949 as an analogy of the Chinese people's unwavering determination. (Xinhuanet, China)
China marks 140th anniversary of birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Nov 13, 2006
Dr. Sun is known in China as a "great revolutionist and statesman" who fought against feudalism and imperialist aggression and for the independence and freedom of the Chinese people. Local people and tourists visit Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Nov. 11, 2006. (Xinhuanet, China)
The Anatomy of Destiny: Nov 4, 2006
The journey itself is Shakespearean, a Tempest-like encounter between people not yet free of feudalism and a world whose largeness they can hardly grasp. James has aged into an oppressive superfluity, lamenting the loss of his native land with the same bitter passion he once brought to overpraising America. (Slate)
Ex-PNDC man wants JAK removed Oct 31, 2006
The one-time fiery member of the PNDC who fell off with the man who led the 1981 coup, Jerry Rawlings, also tore into the Ashanti kingdom describing persons who threatened some journalists over their alleged comments about the Asantehene as belonging to a bye gone era of feudalism and have no place in modern Ghana. As a member of the Royal family of the Bantama Stool, I wish to make this humble submission that it is not the Golden Stool which has come under attack but the occupant of the... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
A Maoist Democrat Oct 31, 2006
" advertisementHe blamed the monarchy for Nepal's status as one of Asia's poorest countries, with a per capita annual income of around 140. "We are not fighting for socialism," he said, claiming that his party had drifted to the centre. "We are just fighting against feudalism. We are fighting for a capitalistic mode of production. (Ocnus.net)
- Marina Hyde Oct 28, 2006
It is difficult to say whether Charles's obsessive fascination with the past is born of a yearning for the certainties of feudalism, where he would have topped the tree and the idea of a few peasants demanding to know how he disposed of their tithes would be quite unthinkable. But there is a definite irony in a man famously above the effort of applying his own toothpaste to the toothbrush embarking on such a determined drive to conserve a grindingly poor village, where potatoes are still dug... (Guardian Unlimited)
Lendman: Hartmann's Book Oct 16, 2006
He also believed inherited wealth needed to be curbed to avoid creating a new feudalism. Otherwise, it would corrupt government because heirs could create dynasties with the power to co-opt a ruling body to use for their own purposes. (Zmag.org)
A QUEEN FOR THE MODERN AGE? Oct 9, 2006
" The Marie Antoinette saga presents daunting problems to any adapter. Where should our sympathies lie: with the plucky, fun-loving 14-year-old girl torn from her home at the Habsburg court in Vienna to serve as a broodmare for French royalty -- or with the impoverished French proletariat whose taxes underwrote the ostentatious luxuries of a parasitic aristocracy? For two centuries, views of Marie Antoinette have been sharply polarized: She was either a saint and martyr or a monster and a... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Sagar: Paradox in Paradise Sep 28, 2006
The justification given by these 'leftists' for jumping into bed with a monopoly capitalist was to fight 'remnants of feudalism and imperialism by allying with the national bourgeoisie' in Thailand. New Clothes, Old Fashions: While the Thaksin phenomenon was certainly something new on the Thai political scene at the core were values and motivations not very different from the past. (Zmag.org)
Column: Let city administrator do job -- Heaven knows he’s being paid enough Sep 26, 2006
If anything good comes out of this latest chapter of feudalism in government, it will be a commitment on the part of the city council to let the city administrator do his job. Heaven knows, we re paying him enough. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
PAGLIA: Why Marie Antoinette is back in vogue... Sep 20, 2006
Medieval feudalism lingered in France as it did not, for example, in England, which was already in the first stages of the Industrial Revolution. And the French resistance to banking reform depressed its economy until the 19th century. (The Drudge Report)
A new walk for the Swedish model Sep 20, 2006
Unlike other European states, Sweden's history wasn't marked by feudalism, and Swedes had a trusting relationship with a state whose civil servants were efficient. Theirs was a small, homogenous, and well-educated population with a strong work ethic. (Christian Science Monitor)
Mishra: Theft of the Commons Sep 1, 2006
That is why, to distinguish it from European style feudalism, Marx called it Asiatic mode of production. The British rule converted land into a commodity and private ownership was established on it. (Zmag.org)
