Neofeudalism

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Neofeudalism is a pejorative term used by some critics to describe the policies of various right-wing politicians. The justification is that government policies are allegedly instituted with the specific intent, or at least the effect, of radically increasing the wealth gap between the rich and the poor while increasing the power of the rich and decreasing the power of the poor (also see wealth condensation). This effect is considered to be similar to classical feudalism. However such historical feudalism maintained caste outside of consideration for capital, where wealth divides could only make merchants out of common men, and class gaps of aristocracy were unbreachable even by private wealth until the late stages and breakdown of feudalism. To that extent, the labeling of monopoly capitalism as neofeudalism can be seen as a misnomer.

Others would argue, however, that the prefix "neo" is distinctly meant to separate modern feudalism from the old kind and that use of the term only means that it mimics many of the effects of the old feudalism: an entrenched, fabulously wealthy elite, held in place by low taxes on capital and no taxes on estates; and a large and growing class of unedcuated, unskilled labor brought in by unchecked immigration (both legal and illegal), and kept in check by high levels of personal debt, and high taxes on earned income (payroll, income, sales, property, etc.)

Among the concerns of those who use the term are class stratification, globalization, multinational corporations, and "corporatism."

Feudalism was a form of socioeconomic organization prevalent in medieval Europe and pre-industrial Asia, whereby political and economic control was maintained by a small group of feudal lords within a decentralized state. The vast majority of the population living in feudal Europe was legally bound to provide farming, husbandry and other agricultural services on land held by the nobility either directly or as appanage. In return, the lord offered protection and some measure of localized stability. One specific and alternative application of the term neofeudalism alleges that corporate and government policies make workers dependent on the corporations, as well as making the economic power of the corporations greater than the power of national governments. This, detractors say, leads to a situation where workers are dependent on private interests that are more powerful than government, resembling the situation that prevailed during historic feudalism. Although it should be noted that in feudal law localized prerogatives were considered government. Some critics link these processes to neoliberalism.

The argument over neofeudalism is part of the controversy over income redistribution born out of massive societal shifts during the industrial revolution. At the time the issue was wealth disparity between classes, landholders, entrepreneurs, peasants, workers, and other economic and social groups. Neofeudalism encompasses the current debate over globalization to include entire societies, countries, regions ("North" versus "South," "Western" versus "non-Western"), and supra-national non-state actors. Unlike other geopolitical issues such as environmentalism and security, the charge of "neofeudalism" largely focuses on economics.

One of its applications to current politicians, especially by conservatives who wish to distance themselves from the policies of President George W Bush, is that it explains the support of some Republicans for both high levels of nearly uncontrolled immigration and of reduced taxation on the rich. Such politicans are also frequently opposed to minimum wage laws, claiming they would reduce job opportunities for the poor and the young, even though their support for open borders is based on the claim that the economy is already producing too many jobs. These policies, traditionalists say, would continue to devalue the labor of the working class while creating a wealthy elite that is permanently entrenched. They also use Bush's family history (being the son of a president and grandson of a US Senator) as proof of an aristcratic bent in President Bush.