The New Dark Ages: The Employment (Peasant) Class

Sir Brian, a small land owner stepped out of his house to check on the work. “Giles,” he shouted. “Get that wagon packed. Success in the market depends on timely arrival.” Giles nodded.

He stepped over to Mary’s table where she was looking over the crop situation. She had to figure out what went to various overlords in taxes and tithe, what went to the owner, what got divided between the workers and what, if any, might be left over to save for the proverbial rainy day.

“It is barely enough to make ends meet,’ she said. Sir Brian smiled to encourage her. He knew it was barely enough.

He stepped to the field where the workers, tools in hand were hard at it. They looked up at him when he spoke. “Do a good job, people. We will need the winter harvest to make it to the other side of spring.

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Brian, a small business owner stepped out of his office to check on the work. “Giles,” he shouted. “Get that box packed. Success in the market depends on timely arrival.” Giles nodded.

He stepped over to Mary’s desk where she was looking over the financial situation. She had to figure out what went to various governments in taxes and regulatory fees, what went to the owner, what got divided between the workers, and what, if any, might be left over to save for the proverbial rainy day.

“It is barely enough to make ends meet,” she said. Brian smiled to encourage her. He knew it was barely enough.

He stepped to the room where the workers, tools in hand were hard at it. They looked up at him when he spoke. “Do a good job, people. We will need the Christmas sales to make it to the other side of spring.

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Welcome to the New Dark Ages.

The employee (peasant) class comes in many forms: middle and lower management, small business owners, merchants, accountants and bookkeepers and workers (not far from serfs). People need to work, and to be sure, some do well enough and perhaps very well. Most, though, just make a living, and many of them only if both spouses are working. Children are more on their own these days than ever – apart from the middle ages.

Some workers have to belong to unions – not unlike the guilds in the first dark ages. If you were not a member of the local but did that work, your property would be vandalized and threats would be made against your person and maybe even your family back then, too.

True, there is theoretically more movement these days. People are not tied to their companies the way they were tied to the land, but the truth is many feel they are tied, especially in poor economic times when they feel lucky to have a job. For those who do make a move, it is generally lateral movement and only some rare upward mobility. Auto mechanics, burger flipping, used car selling, assembly line work are all valid skills, but where can you really go with them?

These days, the better paying jobs require education, certification, even licensing that puts them out of reach of most people. While licenses and certifications might help protect the public from average cranks, it makes it hard to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or any profession. The cost of the education alone is prohibitive for most, so the numbers have not increased significantly for the population and it will not be long before certain professions will be lean or wanting in a variety of times and places, just like the first time the dark ages came around.

Yes, promotions still happen up to a point, but even in the first dark ages if a serf showed the right skills and some leadership qualities, they could get promoted out of the fields as well.

For our Dark Ages there are two things to consider which in some ways will make our Dark Ages worse that the first time around. They will have to wait until the next post, however, when we talk about the Beggars: the Permanent Underclass.


-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/

The New Dark Ages: The Bureaucratic (Church) Class

The Baron sat on his throne and spoke openly to the Archbishop. “We are agreed, then. We recommend Charles to the King for appointment to the Bishopric.”

“Charles will do well.” The Archbishop nodded. “The Bishopric really controls nothing but a few insignificant parishes and a monastery. He won’t be able to screw anything up.”

“Of course, Rome will have to approve.”

“But that is a given. Rome never seriously objects on these lesser positions.”

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The CEO sat behind his desk and spoke openly to the Cabinet Assistant Secretary. “We are agreed, then. We recommend Charles to the President for appointment to the department.”

“Charles will do well.” The Assistant Secretary nodded. “The department controls nothing but a few insignificant offices and a technology center. He won’t be able to screw anything up.”

“Of course the Senate will have to approve.”

“But that is a given. The Senate never seriously objects on these lesser positions.”

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Welcome to the New Dark Ages

The Owner class – those elected to power – will appoint ministers, cabinet secretaries and heads of departments out of their own ranks like the Nobility of old appointed Bishops, Archbishops and the like. Sadly, like their Medieval counterparts, these appointments are and will be more concerned with enriching themselves than they will with seeing to the system. The reasons will be the same as before.

For one, the government departments, like the Bishoprics will be too large and unwieldy to get everywhere and examine everything. The idea of visiting every office (parish) will be too time consuming to be worthwhile. The “head” will not even know all of the work for which his people are responsible until some other department (bishopric) tries to take it away . Then there will be a fight for territory.

For two, the bureaucrats, like parish priests will be lifetime positions (especially as the unions exert more and more hold on the work). Even if a “head” becomes aware of utter incompetence in some office, it will be impossible to get rid of the person or persons. They may be shifted around, but that will just spread the incompetence elsewhere.

To be fair, many bureaucrats, like many a priest of old, will do their best to do a credible job in the position. But their hands will be tied by the very rules and regulations they are to uphold and enforce. They will not be able to do anything about something that even they see as an injustice without being branded a rebel (heretic) – and then they can be gotten rid of…

One of the chief occupations of the bureaucratic (church) class, of course, will be to keep the coffers full. There was always a poor box, and the peasants (employment class) were and will be told over and over to consider the poor and destitute. Some of it will go up the ladder and enrich the upper bureaucrats and department heads, but some of it will be used to actually help the poor: by which I mean the needy, yes, but also thieves, beggars, prostitutes, and the terminally lazy even as it does now. Still, the bureaucratic class will harp on the poor and destitute because they understand that much of their power, not to mention many of their jobs, will be directly tied to this permanent, non-productive underclass. The peasants (the employed) will be squeezed for their money. Oh wait, we already are.

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-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/

The New Dark Ages: Servants of the Nobility (Owner Class).

“I know.” The Baron had a thought and grinned because of it. “I’ll take the King’s representative out on a hunt in the game preserve. I’ll get him riding all day, and then have a banquet in his honor with plenty of wine. Make sure there is plenty of wine. When he is in the right frame of mind, we can feed him the information we want him to take back to the King. Do you think?”

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“I know.” The CEO had a thought and grinned because of it. “I’ll take the assistant treasury secretary out on the golf course. I’ll get him walking all day, and then take him to the club house for dinner with plenty of wine. Call the club and make sure they have plenty of the kind he likes. When he is in the right frame of mind, we can feed him the information we want him to take back to Washington. Do you think?”

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Welcome to the New Dark Ages.

So, the Barron had his jester, treasurer, court magician and astrologer, physician and chamberlain. So also the owner class has its entertainers, accountants, lawyers (to cast spells or spins to keep off the dreaded bureaucrats and the tax man), the best medical care money can buy, and a personal secretary to keep track of it all.

As the government or bureaucratic (church) class strives to take over more and more of the private sector, the owner class will strive to resist. There will be and already are massive compliance departments in the corporations, not to be sure the company is in compliance with all the oppressive rules and regulations of the bureaucratic class, but to find ways to get around those rules and regulations. Compliance lawyers, accountants and public relations (spin) people will command premium prices in the New Dark Ages to defend and build up the company the way engineers, architects and military experts in the Middle Ages commanded premium prices to defend and build up cities.

What is important for the owner class to understand is when their people of a liberal or socialist perspective are elected, like the days of a weak monarchy and weak nobility, the bureaucratic class (church) will grow in power, thus further eroding the owner class’s ability to resist. Conversely, when owner class people of a more moderate or conservative perspective are elected, like the days of a strong monarchy and strong nobility, the power of the bureaucrats (church) will be limited and the power of the owner class will be strengthened.

NOTE: No matter which end of the political spectrum is elected, the employment (peasant) class will not be helped. Wait, that is already true.

Ultimately, the owner class’s ability to appoint ministers, cabinet secretaries and department heads, like the monarchy and nobility of old appointing Bishops and Archbishops, and sometimes even Cardinals and Popes will have little effect on the daily grind of the Bureaucratic class. Next time…..


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-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/

The New Dark Ages: Nobility or the Owner Class.

Once upon a time, a Baron brooded in his hall. “Lord,” the Chamberlain spoke up, but the Baron just shuffled his papers.

“I don’t get these accounts,” the Baron complained. “The harvest is in and our sales have been made, plus the taxes have been collected, but it doesn’t make any sense.” He waited for an explanation, but the Chamberlain wisely remained silent. “Send for my treasurer, and while you are at it, send in my court jester. I could use some entertainment.”

“Lord,” the Chamberlain tried again and spoke when the Baron looked up. “The Archbishop has come for the tithe.”

“Tell him to wait.”

“And the bishop is with him.”

The Baron blanched. “Tell him to sit on it.”

“And the King’s representative is coming here in the morning with a group of priests to check the books for the taxes.”

The Baron jumped to his feet. “Quick. Get my court magician, my sage, my court astrologer. I need a spell against these dreaded men. And while you’re at it, cancel my jester and get my physician. I have a headache.”

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Once upon a time, a CEO brooded in his office. “Sir,” the Secretary spoke up, but the CEO just shuffled his papers.

“I don’t get these accounts,” the CEO complained. “The product is in port and our sales have been made, plus the taxes have been collected, but it doesn’t make any sense.” He waited for an explanation, but the secretary wisely remained silent. “Send for the CFO, and while you are at it, turn on some music. I could use some entertainment.”

“Sir,” the secretary tried again and spoke when the CEO looked up. “The EPA has come for the carbon credits.”

“Tell him to wait.”

“And the FDA is with him.”

The CEO blanched. “Tell him to sit on it.”

“And the Treasury assistant secretary is coming here in the morning with a group of accountants to check the books for the taxes.”

The CEO jumped to his feet. “Quick. Get my lawyers, accountants and PR people from the compliance department . I need a spin against these dreaded men. And while you’re at it, turn off the music and get my doctor. I have a headache.”

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Welcome to the New Dark Ages

In our day, the owner class might not actually own anything outright, but they run things. They function as chief officers in the corporations, sit on each other’s boards as directors, and make money from having money. What they own are investments and with interest and dividends they constitute the top one or two percent or so of wage earners (covering maybe two to three million people in the United States).

Curiously, like the medieval lords, the harder you and I work, the more money they make in bonuses and increased stock values. Too bad we don’t (generally) make more as well. Also, in case you haven’t noticed, when one of these people does such a terrible job they ruin a company, they don’t stay unemployed for long. They get another CEO or CFO or COO job quickly.

Now, these are the people who could retire after working only one or two years. They would have enough money to buy a modest house, travel when they want, buy a new car every year, pay all their own medical expenses as they age, and still have some left to leave to their descendants – and after only one or two years of work. Of course, these people don’t think this way. And they will tell you, honestly enough based on what they consider “work” that they have worked hard for all they have gotten. Then comes the fib: “And you can too.”

Sure. I mean the son of a serf can join the army and through good service be granted lands, be knighted, maybe even given a real title, and though appropriate marriages perhaps see a great-grandchild on the throne…but not likely. These days, these things are more by blood than you might think, and they are also by networking: who you know, not necessarily what you know. And most of all, the old adage is true. It takes money to make money.

True, an entrepreneur might have the greatest idea in the world, but they still need financing. If you ever saw that show “The Shark Tank,” you might have noticed that the people with money can command a controlling interest in the product or service. Then, with success of those products or services, the children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren of those sharks might not have to work a day in their lives; but as I said, these people don’t think this way.

The Owner Class is appropriate because these people make so many decisions about the products and services available to us they affect all of our lives. This is even more true when they are elected to office. And don’t be fooled, most of the people who run for “public office” are part of the Owner Class. And, once in office, they can appoint people to head various departments and such, like the nobility of old appointed second sons and the like to various high church offices. The point of that, however, will have to wait, because first I need to explain about the various servants of the Owner Class.

The Barron had his jester, treasurer, court magician and astrologer, physician and Chamberlain. Owners have entertainers, accountants, lawyers and physicians at their call as well. Next time…


-Michael
The Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/