Welcome to Medieval Britain

It’s clear that the current government has been doing it’s worst to take Britain backwards to pre-1948 (i.e. pre Welfare State.) Others have suggested that they’ve taken us back to the Victorian era and that’s certainly true with regard to their renewed keenness to lay the blame for poverty and unemployment upon the 'idleness' of the individuals concerned. Their ideological standpoint certainly is that regressive, because by the 1940’s that attitude - the attitudes of politicians and the public towards social welfare - had changed dramatically. 

For it to have returned to the hideously cruel and backward ideas of the Victorian era … I have no words. Oh, actually I do. Three: Evil. Greedy. Bastards.

Meanwhile, it dawned on me that the regression is going WAY further back.

Whilst researching something totally unrelated (as you do), I came across this explanation of life in the middle ages, The Manorial System & Common People. Common people. Yes, that’s us! We’re still viewed with the same distrust, disrespect and disgust. Not because of anything we’ve done, but because they judge us in reference to their own standards of behaviour. Still.

Anyway, as an example:

“A serf's job was whatever the noble told them it was, carpenter, blacksmith, baker, farmer, and tax collector, serfs did it all. A serf could buy their own freedom if they could get the money, but where could they get the money?”

Doesn’t that sound familiar, when you compare it to anyone with a low-paid job these days, anyone on zero-hours contracts, forced onto workfare … and no way out except overpriced payday loans? You can read more here. Oh, and it’s for kids, so it should be simple enough to understand, even for right-wingers.