The Modern Feudal Society

The Modern Feudal Society

“However, all this came at the great expense of the common man. He gave up many freedoms for his security. The question we ask you is: Was it worth it?” - The Feudal Structure of the Medieval World

The classic image we have of the medieval serfs or peasants is that of the farmer- scratching a living on small plots of lands belonging to his lord. During harvest time, the bulk of his produce will go to his lord while leaving him with just the bare amount required to survive till the next harvest. In return for the so-called “protection” of his lord and for the “privilege” of working on the small plot of leased field, a serf or peasant was beholden to his lord. For a peasant, life was hard and in actual fact he was little more than a slave with just a little bit more rights.

We singaporeans like to think of ourselves as modern free men living in a first world democractic society. We think we own the HDB flats we live in and we are free to do with our lives as we please. But the truth is, most singaporeans are really little better than a modern day serf. The day we enter into bondage and agree to sign away the rest of our lives is the day we decide to lease a small plot of land from our overlords flat from the HDB. These days the price of a flat from the HDB can cost anywhere from $150,000 to over $700,000 for a privately built condo-like HDB flat. For most newly weds still in the spring of their lives and careers, it would mean taking a bank loan that takes anywhere from 10-25 years to repay.

So now, you’ve got no choice but to work your ass off to pay back a 20 year loan for the small pigeon hole you’ve just leased from the HDB for 99 years. A few years down the line, if you decide to buy a car, it could mean taking another 5 year loan. Since newly weds rarely have much of any savings- the bulk of which will go towards their wedding preparations anyway, any renovations would probably mean taking more loans from the bank. Now you are up to your neck in bank loans for the next 20 years of your life. How free do you still think you are? Even if you hate your job and your boss sucks, you’ve got no choice but to swallow your pride and toil away because you need to service those loans or be turned out on the street a bankrupt.

And that’s how throughout history the people in power has always sought to perpertuate that power- to create a large segment of indebted people among the population so that they can be easily be controlled and manipulated.

We might as well have someone crack the whip over our backs. Is it any wonder that we have been referred to as lesser mortals.

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