Reign of Terror

As with most generic whiteys in America, I have a mixed heritage. A bit of this, a bit of that, British, French, German, if it’s white and European, I can probably claim some heritage. I don’t often think about it though. I am removed from it. I am a white male American—that IS my ethnicity—and that is the ethnic identity that I most closely identify with. I am not a German-American or any such thing.

However, it is important sometimes to remember where we came from—not for the sake of some cultural-feel-good square dance or as a means of inflating my sense of social standing and superiority. Sometimes, it’s important to look at the past and realize how you got to where you are.

One of the most interesting stories from my family history is on the French side. My French family thread came from a spool of wealth and title. The old family had been doing well for itself, huzzah! We had land, money, servants, who knows what all—it was goodtimes to be sure: cheese, wine and maids in sexy outfits.

However, like most good things, it had to come to an end. In the late 18th century the French Revolution started brewing. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting hungrier. The French society had been built upon a Feudal, aristocratic system powered by a strong religious segment. The common folk worked for the wealthy few, and it was, overall a symbiotic relationship—though the wealthy remained wealthy and comfortable, the poor were given enough to survive and sustain.

A pleasant Slave Morality built up among the workers. They went to church to hear that the “meek shall inherit the earth” and that they should “take joy in your toils, for all else is chasing after the wind,” and thus they created a moral justification of their place in society—and peace was kept

This wouldn’t have been so bad, if it weren’t for a series of droughts and famines in the middle-late 18th century. The French workers got hungrier, but the rich kept on as they were. The moral lessons of the nobles and the landholding church began to feel as hollow as the peasantries stomachs—and revolution followed. The rich had kept on as they were, Louis the VXI and his folk did not tighten their belts—they were the landowners, they and their families had worked hard for their station, and they were deserving of their comforts. After all, they had not caused the famine—but they were the driving force behind the country’s economy.

My family had to run. They were mid-level nobles, living a life of comfort, but not one of absurd wealth. They may not have had a great palace, but they had their land and their good, sturdy stone walls. When the desperation of the starving poor grew, so did their fury—and they started taking heads.

So my family ran to Canada. They probably weren’t the cause of the problems. I mean, surely they did not cause the drought and the famine. They, like the poor working class that fell into starvation, were victims of the system. The system concentrated the wealth in a small segment of the population, and bred a climate of entitlement—for the rich and for the poor. The poor felt entitled to having their needs provided, and the wealthy were entitled to extra comforts for working hard to keep their lands efficient and functional.

French Society was functional—in ideal conditions. However, sometimes, shit happens. Be it in the form of droughts, famines or economic collapse—sooner or later, the shit will hit the fan. And the society’s success or failure depends on their moral metaphysics.

The French Feudalism failed because neither segment (the wealthy or the poor) were willing to concede that famine is famine—the rich blame the poor, the poor blame the rich. And, when it comes down to it, the poor ALWAYS outnumber the rich.

They both forgot the symbiotic nature of their economy. The poor forgot that the economy was driven by the organization set in place by the nobility, and the nobility forgot that their prosperity was built upon the backs of the workers. The nobility kept on living their typical lifestyle of excess, Louis the XVI was famous for it. The other nobles, like my relatives, though not as ridiculously wealthy as the King, probably followed his example and kept on as they always had.

Revolution and death followed.

The Crux?

Would it have been different if the wealthy would have acted on empathy? If the king would have trimmed down his lifestyle, cut corners, shared his wealth with the people—would it have helped the nation weather the storm intact?

Who knows. Bill Gates seems to think so.

And what happened to my relatives? They once enjoyed French nobility, the remains of a family castle were once in National Geographic. In the face of the Reign of Terror they were forced to flee to Canada, some of them found their way to South Dakota and became dirt farmers.