The Rise of Global Feudalism

Will citizens become serfs to national and supranational governments and corporate elites as they consolidate ownership over finance, factories, pharmaceuticals, and farmland?Commentary Is “global feudalism” on the horizon? It sure looks that way. I use the term “global feudalism” because it describes what seems to occur with the rise of the technocratic state and the undeniably powerful influence of political and industrial elites over the lives of the average person. Feudalism 101 Feudalism, you may recall, was the militarily-imposed economic system and social structure of medieval Europe from mainly the 10th through the 13th centuries, but began as early as the late 8th and early 9th centuries in France under Charlemagne. Royalty and nobility owned all the land—which was divided into fiefdoms—and whatever it produced. (It also had its form in China, Japan, and other societies throughout history.) In essence, feudalism involves concentrating all social, economic, communications, and military power (that would include handguns and rifles) in the hands of the few, and a life of serfdom and non-autonomy for the many. By that definition, you could also include totalitarian systems such as communism and national socialism (for example, fascism) into that bucket. Deconstructing Economies Today, under the banner of “Build Back Better,” elites are deliberately deconstructing economies, and food sources are being destroyed or nationalized. Abundance is being replaced by scarcity. As a result, food and energy prices are rising as a recession looms over Western nations. This is coupled with power and control over people’s lives rapidly shifting from the average citizen to political and industrial elites that extend to virtually every part of society via the institutionalization of the technocratic state. And it’s occurring at a rapid pace. Increased Tracking and Control of the Middle-Class Herd For example, just like China’s totalitarian regime, democratically elected national governments now track everyday citizens’ locations throughout the day via their cellphones. Also, like China, if citizens’ behaviors or even opinions are deemed unacceptable by the state, it can and will censor violators for voicing their opinion or engaging in peaceful protests. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed us just how easy it is to do, with minimal (if any) response from the people. Worse, Trudeau is just the tip of an iceberg that goes way beyond political elites, including the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world. Not to be outdone, President Joe Biden recently signed a new law that will bring 87,000 more new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents into service. President Joe Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act as Democrat lawmakers look on at the White House in Washington, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Who’s the target of this new and improved IRS force that was part of a so-called “climate change” law? It’s not big businesses; they can take full advantage of tax laws and their political influence. Does anyone think Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos are the targets of the new law? Not a chance. Instead, it will most likely be the millions of American small businesses. Pandemic Concentrated Power Into Hands of Elite Speaking of Gates, as we discovered in the pandemic, the Microsoft founder wields enormous influence in the world. His power is almost unchallenged in the pharmaceutical industry, in national health policy, in the World Health Organization (WHO), in our nation’s food supply, in the global media, global academia, information technology and culture, and of late, in acquiring vast amounts of farmland in the United States. It’s no exaggeration to say that Gates’ power is still growing. Gates routinely confers with the most powerful heads of state in the world and is often treated as one. He has been a major advocate of COVID-19 vaccination for the world and an influencer of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s an unprecedented level of power and influence for one man to have in what we like to think of as a free society. What does Gates seek to accomplish with all that power? Philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates attends a press conference on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on May 25, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) In a word, control. It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that he seeks as much power and control over you and me as possible. But it’s not just Gates who wields such far-reaching power in society. With his deep influence in global retailing via Amazon, and his ownership of media assets, including the prestigious Washington Post, Whole Foods, and many more companies across key industries, Jeff Bezos isn’t far behind in his political and economic influence. Is it surprising that like Gates, Bezos has invested in massive farmland purchases? Or that both Gates and Bezos a

The Rise of Global Feudalism

Will citizens become serfs to national and supranational governments and corporate elites as they consolidate ownership over finance, factories, pharmaceuticals, and farmland?

Commentary

Is “global feudalism” on the horizon?

It sure looks that way. I use the term “global feudalism” because it describes what seems to occur with the rise of the technocratic state and the undeniably powerful influence of political and industrial elites over the lives of the average person.

Feudalism 101

Feudalism, you may recall, was the militarily-imposed economic system and social structure of medieval Europe from mainly the 10th through the 13th centuries, but began as early as the late 8th and early 9th centuries in France under Charlemagne. Royalty and nobility owned all the land—which was divided into fiefdoms—and whatever it produced. (It also had its form in China, Japan, and other societies throughout history.)

In essence, feudalism involves concentrating all social, economic, communications, and military power (that would include handguns and rifles) in the hands of the few, and a life of serfdom and non-autonomy for the many. By that definition, you could also include totalitarian systems such as communism and national socialism (for example, fascism) into that bucket.

Deconstructing Economies

Today, under the banner of “Build Back Better,” elites are deliberately deconstructing economies, and food sources are being destroyed or nationalized. Abundance is being replaced by scarcity. As a result, food and energy prices are rising as a recession looms over Western nations. This is coupled with power and control over people’s lives rapidly shifting from the average citizen to political and industrial elites that extend to virtually every part of society via the institutionalization of the technocratic state.

And it’s occurring at a rapid pace.

Increased Tracking and Control of the Middle-Class Herd

For example, just like China’s totalitarian regime, democratically elected national governments now track everyday citizens’ locations throughout the day via their cellphones. Also, like China, if citizens’ behaviors or even opinions are deemed unacceptable by the state, it can and will censor violators for voicing their opinion or engaging in peaceful protests.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed us just how easy it is to do, with minimal (if any) response from the people. Worse, Trudeau is just the tip of an iceberg that goes way beyond political elites, including the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world.

Not to be outdone, President Joe Biden recently signed a new law that will bring 87,000 more new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents into service.

Epoch Times Photo
President Joe Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act as Democrat lawmakers look on at the White House in Washington, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Who’s the target of this new and improved IRS force that was part of a so-called “climate change” law?

It’s not big businesses; they can take full advantage of tax laws and their political influence. Does anyone think Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos are the targets of the new law?

Not a chance. Instead, it will most likely be the millions of American small businesses.

Pandemic Concentrated Power Into Hands of Elite

Speaking of Gates, as we discovered in the pandemic, the Microsoft founder wields enormous influence in the world. His power is almost unchallenged in the pharmaceutical industry, in national health policy, in the World Health Organization (WHO), in our nation’s food supply, in the global media, global academia, information technology and culture, and of late, in acquiring vast amounts of farmland in the United States. It’s no exaggeration to say that Gates’ power is still growing.

Gates routinely confers with the most powerful heads of state in the world and is often treated as one. He has been a major advocate of COVID-19 vaccination for the world and an influencer of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That’s an unprecedented level of power and influence for one man to have in what we like to think of as a free society.

What does Gates seek to accomplish with all that power?

Epoch Times Photo
Philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates attends a press conference on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on May 25, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

In a word, control. It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that he seeks as much power and control over you and me as possible. But it’s not just Gates who wields such far-reaching power in society.

With his deep influence in global retailing via Amazon, and his ownership of media assets, including the prestigious Washington Post, Whole Foods, and many more companies across key industries, Jeff Bezos isn’t far behind in his political and economic influence.

Is it surprising that like Gates, Bezos has invested in massive farmland purchases?

Or that both Gates and Bezos are closely aligned with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)?

Or that Gates, in particular, favors surveillance to enforce vaccine compliance?

There are certainly more examples of billionaires colluding with heads of state, the WEF, and vice versa, but you get the idea.

In short, a relatively small group of billionaires and elites with unimaginable power across governments, industry, healthcare, media, and food supplies are collaborating on how to institutionalize that power on a global scale. That’s happening as financial institutions and governments gain more control over our financial assets, and wealth continues to move out of middle-class hands and into the hands of the elite.

It should surprise no one that much of this wealth transfer took place during the pandemic. Small business owners and middle-class workers saw their living standards fall as their livelihoods vanish, while big businesses and billionaires saw their wealth expand greatly.

As a result, billionaires’ power and influence over political leaders and policies have increased. In many contexts, representative forms of government are in the rearview mirror. Government without representation is becoming the norm.

Think not?

Recall how businesses and churches were forced to close, deemed “non-essential.” Remember how rental payments by tenants to landlords were stopped, but mortgage payments on the same properties were not?

All of this happened not by congressional vote but by decree, from unelected organizations and supranational entities such as the CDC, the WEF, and the WHO that had no right to do so.

Does anyone believe that power won’t be exercised under the next pandemic, which, according to Gates, is just around the corner? (And he should know, since he told us the last one was coming before anyone else knew about it.)

Where does that leave average citizens?

It would seem that we face the loss of our individual freedoms and economic autonomy to an emerging, top-down rule, two-class feudal system where the elite own everything and the rest of humanity is little more than serfs without recourse.

We’ll live on bugs, not meat, per Gates, and own nothing, per WEF leader Klaus Schwab.

But at least we’ll feel good about climate change.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.


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James R. Gorrie is the author of “The China Crisis” (Wiley, 2013) and writes on his blog, TheBananaRepublican.com. He is based in Southern California.