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Written by Lee Brobst
lee.eagleeye.brobst@gmail.com
Updated July 30, 2010
Communalism Raises Its Ugly Head
The world has always been filled with people with good intentions. Unfortunately, it
seems that the majority of those well-intentioned individuals end up trying to
convince the rest that their idea is the best. The extreme in some countries results
in a dictator, while in the United States there developed democracy with its ever
present special interest groups dictating the conscience of the masses. Yes, more
problems are caused when good intentions become compelled performance. As
many are aware, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." The result is
always a loss of individual liberty of conscience.
In the beginning, America was a free Republic with vast unsettled wilderness open
for anybody who had the courage to take up its challenges. Thus, America became
the melting pot for religious and social ideals and experiments. Of the many social
theories espoused throughout Europe then, there were three theories that fit the
mold for America, all three were communitarian (communistic) in nature. The first
communatarian idea was set up by the religious sects made familiar by the
Puritans, Quakers, Shakers, Rappites,1Zorities, etc.. The second
communitarian idea was established by Robert Owen of Great Britain who was
born in 1771, and the third communitarian idea was of Charles Fourier of France
who was born in 1772. Both Owen and Fourier experienced the vast upheavals
that accompanied the French Revolution from the onslaughts of Napoleon. As a
result of the slaughter, Owen and Fourier came up with communitarian plans to
transform the crises-warped society of the 19th century into a more humane order.
In 1812, Robert Owen published a paper titled: "A New View of Society".
His treatise discussed the formation of the human character, and he proposed
ways of changing society from what he called the poor working classes:
"... the society of the poor were trained to commit crimes' the later resulting in
punishment. The rest of the population was instructed to believe, or at least to
acknowledge, that certain principles are unerringly true, but to act as though they
were grossly false. The result was filling the world with folly and inconsistency
making society a scene of insincerity and counter action. In this state the world has
continued to the present time; its evils have been and are continually increasing
and if we longer delay, general disorder must ensue."
Owen suggested that the governing powers of all countries should establish
rational plans for the education and general formation of the characters of their
subjects. Plans must be devised to train children, which would be taken from their
parents at the age of two years, to prevent them from acquiring false-hoods and
deception, and their labor must be usefully directed upon the communatarian view
rather than the individual. One of his favorite phrases was "train the young
collectively."
Owen deplored private property and he blamed the world's problems of ignorance
and selfishness on it. He also disliked commercial competition. "It creates civil
warfare, it exploits the many and gives to a few favorable individuals which is
injurious to the mass."Owen said, "Without equality of condition, there can be no
permanent virtue or stability of society." Owen
laid plans for Associations of All Classes of All Nations with a purpose of
"founding as soon as possible, communities of United Interest." Owen wanted to
terminate the distinction between the rich and the poor, thereby creating a
millennium. Owen proposed not only a national system of education, but also public
works projects designed to guard the unemployed against the mis-educative effects
of enforced idleness. He was determined to set up a commune he envisioned, and
he decided America was the ideal location.
Owen's ideas were put to the test when he established his commune called "New
Harmony" in 1825. In a letter to a Quaker leader, William Allen, Owen reveals
more of his ideals.
"The United States, but particularly the States west of the Allegheny Mountains,
have been prepared in the most remarkable manner for the New System. The
principle of union & cooperation for the promotion of all virtues & for the creation of
wealth is now universally admitted, to be far superior to the individual selfish system
& all seem prepared or are rapidly preparing to give up the latter & adopt the
former. In fact, the whole of this country is ready to commence a new empire upon
the principle of public property & discard private property & the uncharitable notion
that man can form his own character as the foundation & root of all evil."
Owen had a lot of problems from the start. A major problem was poor production.
The low level of production was caused by the lack of trained and competent
foreman, supervisors and skilled craftsmen. His plan for equality was failing from the
start because those who were trained could go work in the open market and receive
more pay. The first Constitution that was drawn was short lived because of a crisis
of morale. The land of milk and honey that Owen promised did not materialize.
Equality for all was running into trouble.
"No one is to be favored above the rest as all are to be in a state of perfect equality,"
wrote a wife of one of the members of the society, but she said;
"Oh if you could see some of the rough uncouth creatures here, I think you would
find it rather hard to look upon them exactly in the light of brothers and sisters ... I
am sure I cannot sincerely look upon these as my equals and that if I must appear
to do it, I cannot either act or speak the truth."
Social distinctions and religious differences had never been as sharp as they
became in the months following this brief experiment in forced and premature social
unity. As the problems mounted, Owen and the people disbanded one Constitution
and drew up a new Constitution.
In April, 1827; the New Harmony experiment came to a end. However, Owen's
influence in communatarianism continued to spread from the east as far west as
Texas.
In addition to Robert Owen's ideas, Charles Fourier was developing and
spreading similar concepts. Fourier differed from Owen in that the former believed
in religion and private property,/2 where the latter had an opposite view.
Fourier's work was largely conditioned by an unfortunate event that took place
early in his otherwise uneventful life. His father, a wealthy merchant, died and left a
fortune of nearly a quarter of a million francs. However, the whole of Fourier's
inheritance was lost in the French Revolution. Because of this event, he set
himself to invent system of society that would prevent the recurrence of revolution,
preserve his own petit-bourgeois class, and abolish the appalling conditions of labor
prevalent everywhere. (Has a familiar "New World Order" feel)
Charles Fourier never set a foot upon American soil, but his theories did. Albert
Brisbane was a young American of liberal education and at the age of eighteen, he
went to Europe to study social philosophy. Eventually Brisbane found what he was
looking for in Fourier's treatise on "Association,"/3 and he promoted Charles
Fourier's ideas and wrote extensively upon the subject.
However, if we can organize the townships rightly, so that unity of interests, concert
of action, vast economics and general riches will be attained, that in spreading
these rightly organized Townships, and rendering them general, a Social Order will
be gradually established, in which peace, prosperity and happiness will be secured
to all. The great and primary object which we have in view is, consequently, to effect
the establishment of one Association, which will exhibit practically the great
economics, the riches, the order and unity of the system, and serve as a model for,
and lead to the founding of others.
Democracy and Communism
It is interesting to note that Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles were devoted
students of Robert Owen. Communism of the Bolsheviks was nothing new. It was
incubating and maturing in non-violent form right here in the (u)nited States of
America almost 100 years before Russia ever knew about it.
Today communism is believed to have been defeated as the world has turned to
democracy. However, is there any difference? In the case of Smith v Allwright,4
the courts said, "the United States is a constitutional democracy." In other words,
the court said the United States (as distinguished from the (u)nited States of
America, a Republic) is a democracy that is allowed by the Constitution, but
operating outside of it.
This court case is substantiated by the following:
"What is futile is to puzzle ourselves as to whether the American or Russian use of
`democracy' is the true or correct one."/5
"... the first step in the revolution by the working class, is to raise the proletariat to
the position of ruling class, to win the battle for democracy."/6
"A government of Russia could not terminate its existence either by dissolution or by
merger, for it was a corporation formed under our laws, and its corporate life
continued until the law of its creation declared that it should end."/7
Here we see the real meaning of democracy and its communal governing system. A
democracy is the opposite of a republic. More on this latter. However remember,
unknowingly you have been participating in a communal government to the loss of
absolute liberty, but it can be restored!
1. George Rapp's commune in Harmony PA. was moved to Evansville, Indiana.
After a time was sold to Robert Owen, when George Rapp moved to Economy
PA, just north of Pittsburgh. The physical remains of both communes have been
converted to historical sites today.
2. Private property as meant by Fourier was in reality Quasi private (seemingly but
not really) and not allodial as was established in (u)nited States of America.
3. "An Association is an assemblage of persons (from four to eighteen hundred)
united voluntarily for the purpose of prosecuting, with order and unity, the various
branches of Industry, Art and Science, in which they engage; and of directing their
efforts, energies and talents, in the best way for the happiness and elevation of the
whole."
4. Smith v Allwright, 321 U.S. 649, 88 L.Ed. 987, 64 S.Ct. 757, 151 ALR 1110, reh
den 322 U.S. 769, 88 L.Ed. 1594, 64 S.Ct. 1052.
5. Weldon, T.D., "The Vocabulary Of Politics," 1953. Weldon was a Fellow of the
College and Tudor in Philosophy, Rhodes Scholar.
6. Karl Marx, "Communist Manifesto" of 1848.
7. Sokoloff v National City Bank of N.Y., 239 N.Y. 158, 145 N.E. 917 [1924].
lee.eagleeye.brobst@gmail.com
Updated July 30, 2010
Communalism Raises Its Ugly Head
The world has always been filled with people with good intentions. Unfortunately, it
seems that the majority of those well-intentioned individuals end up trying to
convince the rest that their idea is the best. The extreme in some countries results
in a dictator, while in the United States there developed democracy with its ever
present special interest groups dictating the conscience of the masses. Yes, more
problems are caused when good intentions become compelled performance. As
many are aware, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." The result is
always a loss of individual liberty of conscience.
In the beginning, America was a free Republic with vast unsettled wilderness open
for anybody who had the courage to take up its challenges. Thus, America became
the melting pot for religious and social ideals and experiments. Of the many social
theories espoused throughout Europe then, there were three theories that fit the
mold for America, all three were communitarian (communistic) in nature. The first
communatarian idea was set up by the religious sects made familiar by the
Puritans, Quakers, Shakers, Rappites,1Zorities, etc.. The second
communitarian idea was established by Robert Owen of Great Britain who was
born in 1771, and the third communitarian idea was of Charles Fourier of France
who was born in 1772. Both Owen and Fourier experienced the vast upheavals
that accompanied the French Revolution from the onslaughts of Napoleon. As a
result of the slaughter, Owen and Fourier came up with communitarian plans to
transform the crises-warped society of the 19th century into a more humane order.
In 1812, Robert Owen published a paper titled: "A New View of Society".
His treatise discussed the formation of the human character, and he proposed
ways of changing society from what he called the poor working classes:
"... the society of the poor were trained to commit crimes' the later resulting in
punishment. The rest of the population was instructed to believe, or at least to
acknowledge, that certain principles are unerringly true, but to act as though they
were grossly false. The result was filling the world with folly and inconsistency
making society a scene of insincerity and counter action. In this state the world has
continued to the present time; its evils have been and are continually increasing
and if we longer delay, general disorder must ensue."
Owen suggested that the governing powers of all countries should establish
rational plans for the education and general formation of the characters of their
subjects. Plans must be devised to train children, which would be taken from their
parents at the age of two years, to prevent them from acquiring false-hoods and
deception, and their labor must be usefully directed upon the communatarian view
rather than the individual. One of his favorite phrases was "train the young
collectively."
Owen deplored private property and he blamed the world's problems of ignorance
and selfishness on it. He also disliked commercial competition. "It creates civil
warfare, it exploits the many and gives to a few favorable individuals which is
injurious to the mass."Owen said, "Without equality of condition, there can be no
permanent virtue or stability of society." Owen
laid plans for Associations of All Classes of All Nations with a purpose of
"founding as soon as possible, communities of United Interest." Owen wanted to
terminate the distinction between the rich and the poor, thereby creating a
millennium. Owen proposed not only a national system of education, but also public
works projects designed to guard the unemployed against the mis-educative effects
of enforced idleness. He was determined to set up a commune he envisioned, and
he decided America was the ideal location.
Owen's ideas were put to the test when he established his commune called "New
Harmony" in 1825. In a letter to a Quaker leader, William Allen, Owen reveals
more of his ideals.
"The United States, but particularly the States west of the Allegheny Mountains,
have been prepared in the most remarkable manner for the New System. The
principle of union & cooperation for the promotion of all virtues & for the creation of
wealth is now universally admitted, to be far superior to the individual selfish system
& all seem prepared or are rapidly preparing to give up the latter & adopt the
former. In fact, the whole of this country is ready to commence a new empire upon
the principle of public property & discard private property & the uncharitable notion
that man can form his own character as the foundation & root of all evil."
Owen had a lot of problems from the start. A major problem was poor production.
The low level of production was caused by the lack of trained and competent
foreman, supervisors and skilled craftsmen. His plan for equality was failing from the
start because those who were trained could go work in the open market and receive
more pay. The first Constitution that was drawn was short lived because of a crisis
of morale. The land of milk and honey that Owen promised did not materialize.
Equality for all was running into trouble.
"No one is to be favored above the rest as all are to be in a state of perfect equality,"
wrote a wife of one of the members of the society, but she said;
"Oh if you could see some of the rough uncouth creatures here, I think you would
find it rather hard to look upon them exactly in the light of brothers and sisters ... I
am sure I cannot sincerely look upon these as my equals and that if I must appear
to do it, I cannot either act or speak the truth."
Social distinctions and religious differences had never been as sharp as they
became in the months following this brief experiment in forced and premature social
unity. As the problems mounted, Owen and the people disbanded one Constitution
and drew up a new Constitution.
In April, 1827; the New Harmony experiment came to a end. However, Owen's
influence in communatarianism continued to spread from the east as far west as
Texas.
In addition to Robert Owen's ideas, Charles Fourier was developing and
spreading similar concepts. Fourier differed from Owen in that the former believed
in religion and private property,/2 where the latter had an opposite view.
Fourier's work was largely conditioned by an unfortunate event that took place
early in his otherwise uneventful life. His father, a wealthy merchant, died and left a
fortune of nearly a quarter of a million francs. However, the whole of Fourier's
inheritance was lost in the French Revolution. Because of this event, he set
himself to invent system of society that would prevent the recurrence of revolution,
preserve his own petit-bourgeois class, and abolish the appalling conditions of labor
prevalent everywhere. (Has a familiar "New World Order" feel)
Charles Fourier never set a foot upon American soil, but his theories did. Albert
Brisbane was a young American of liberal education and at the age of eighteen, he
went to Europe to study social philosophy. Eventually Brisbane found what he was
looking for in Fourier's treatise on "Association,"/3 and he promoted Charles
Fourier's ideas and wrote extensively upon the subject.
However, if we can organize the townships rightly, so that unity of interests, concert
of action, vast economics and general riches will be attained, that in spreading
these rightly organized Townships, and rendering them general, a Social Order will
be gradually established, in which peace, prosperity and happiness will be secured
to all. The great and primary object which we have in view is, consequently, to effect
the establishment of one Association, which will exhibit practically the great
economics, the riches, the order and unity of the system, and serve as a model for,
and lead to the founding of others.
Democracy and Communism
It is interesting to note that Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles were devoted
students of Robert Owen. Communism of the Bolsheviks was nothing new. It was
incubating and maturing in non-violent form right here in the (u)nited States of
America almost 100 years before Russia ever knew about it.
Today communism is believed to have been defeated as the world has turned to
democracy. However, is there any difference? In the case of Smith v Allwright,4
the courts said, "the United States is a constitutional democracy." In other words,
the court said the United States (as distinguished from the (u)nited States of
America, a Republic) is a democracy that is allowed by the Constitution, but
operating outside of it.
This court case is substantiated by the following:
"What is futile is to puzzle ourselves as to whether the American or Russian use of
`democracy' is the true or correct one."/5
"... the first step in the revolution by the working class, is to raise the proletariat to
the position of ruling class, to win the battle for democracy."/6
"A government of Russia could not terminate its existence either by dissolution or by
merger, for it was a corporation formed under our laws, and its corporate life
continued until the law of its creation declared that it should end."/7
Here we see the real meaning of democracy and its communal governing system. A
democracy is the opposite of a republic. More on this latter. However remember,
unknowingly you have been participating in a communal government to the loss of
absolute liberty, but it can be restored!
1. George Rapp's commune in Harmony PA. was moved to Evansville, Indiana.
After a time was sold to Robert Owen, when George Rapp moved to Economy
PA, just north of Pittsburgh. The physical remains of both communes have been
converted to historical sites today.
2. Private property as meant by Fourier was in reality Quasi private (seemingly but
not really) and not allodial as was established in (u)nited States of America.
3. "An Association is an assemblage of persons (from four to eighteen hundred)
united voluntarily for the purpose of prosecuting, with order and unity, the various
branches of Industry, Art and Science, in which they engage; and of directing their
efforts, energies and talents, in the best way for the happiness and elevation of the
whole."
4. Smith v Allwright, 321 U.S. 649, 88 L.Ed. 987, 64 S.Ct. 757, 151 ALR 1110, reh
den 322 U.S. 769, 88 L.Ed. 1594, 64 S.Ct. 1052.
5. Weldon, T.D., "The Vocabulary Of Politics," 1953. Weldon was a Fellow of the
College and Tudor in Philosophy, Rhodes Scholar.
6. Karl Marx, "Communist Manifesto" of 1848.
7. Sokoloff v National City Bank of N.Y., 239 N.Y. 158, 145 N.E. 917 [1924].