Britain is an outlier, and the only nation that continues to give those with titles privileges and special rights. Other European nations abolished privileges back in 1850s.
As Rhona Meek writes in the Sunday National Scottish island Tiree, “we continue with a “landlord economy” approach to modern life – whether it is the monarch, a large landowner, or the tech oligarchs, that we hear form on a daily basis – is essentially a remnant of feudalism.”
Most of us are aware of these gross inequalities, but ignore them and shrug their shoulders – despite taxpayers supporting the monarch with over 400 million a year. The president of Ireland only costs £4m. Feudalism is a pyramid with the king at the top, nobles and lords, next knights and then at the large bottom layer the peasants and serfs who work the land, usually with no rights. Feudalism was supposedly ended. .
(8 men own as much wealth as half the worlds population, Oxfam 2017)
There’s the modern day rural clearances, with second homes. Without rebalancing “we risk turning our places once again into nothing but sheep farms for rich men of old, ..dressed in modern suits and titles.”
On Tiree, one of the many Scottish islands – the Duke retains all mineral, shooting and hunting rights. Consulted all foreshore matters. Crown estates control all matters below the waterline. Rent is paid to the estate to host essential community services – such as internet masts.
