The God of the Machine - Tranche 24
Chapter XI, Excerpt 3 of 3
The Meaning of the Magna Carta
The serfs got next to nothing in the Charter, beyond the reservation of their farming tools from fines. The nobles, the merchants, and the yeomen got their positions on record with the means to make a stand so they could persist in opposition to royal power until they did forge the necessary instrument of the mass-veto. In the course of that long struggle, serfdom was abolished, bought out piece-meal. Money, kinetic energy, washed it away.
The king still had his money revenue to support his private army. The merchants had grown strong enough to fight for themselves, and thus represent the contract society. The kinetic energy first destroyed feudalism, then it turned directly against the church as a landed institution. The effective veto was in the Commons; and the law was above the crown. When Charles I failed to perceive this distinction, it was imparted to him with the edge of an axe.
England’s invisible exports were law and free trade. The greatest misfortune of the productive worker is that when he is dropped by the weakened current, he falls into the same category as the habitually non-productive. While England ruled the seas any man of any nation could go anywhere, taking his goods and money with him. The true cause of Fascism is the structureless state . . . the whole energy of the nation thrown into the repressive mechanism of centralized government, with status law.
The Meaning of the Magna Carta
The serfs got next to nothing in the Charter, beyond the reservation of their farming tools from fines. The nobles, the merchants, and the yeomen got their positions on record with the means to make a stand so they could persist in opposition to royal power until they did forge the necessary instrument of the mass-veto. In the course of that long struggle, serfdom was abolished, bought out piece-meal. Money, kinetic energy, washed it away.
The king still had his money revenue to support his private army. The merchants had grown strong enough to fight for themselves, and thus represent the contract society. The kinetic energy first destroyed feudalism, then it turned directly against the church as a landed institution. The effective veto was in the Commons; and the law was above the crown. When Charles I failed to perceive this distinction, it was imparted to him with the edge of an axe.
England’s invisible exports were law and free trade. The greatest misfortune of the productive worker is that when he is dropped by the weakened current, he falls into the same category as the habitually non-productive. While England ruled the seas any man of any nation could go anywhere, taking his goods and money with him. The true cause of Fascism is the structureless state . . . the whole energy of the nation thrown into the repressive mechanism of centralized government, with status law.
I would say that in our current conditions, productive workers that find themselves unemployed don't stay that way for long. My daughter lost her job, stopped on the way home and applied for another, had a message on her machine when she got home that she was hired. Not as good a job, and making less money, but she was working, and looking for other opportunities WHILE WORKING.
Those who stay unemployed for years, are CHOOSING to stay unemployed. Our welfare system encourages it.
In most cases, and in today's economy especially, I think there needs to be a distinction between the two groups.
I know such a person who has been 'unemployed' since the 90's and has taken no welfare or unemployment payments.
Good for him!