Introduction
Introduction to:
The Agrarian Chronicles of How The Land Question Evolved... And What We Do Next
“If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.”
- Baruch Spinoza
We are all in this together. Today's world is the summary of billions of people's lives: the result of the collective actions of everyone who came before you. And as such, you are a valuable part of the “Royal We.” We are all human, and we are all on the same planet, just as we share life’s trials, and when we enjoy the benefits of each others' work. And since we, as individuals, live within a larger community, we all have a shared history that we also all inherit. We all share in what is produced in this world, in ways that are both good and bad. And so, we are all the descendants of the Agrarian heroes that came before us.
So as a matter of fact, then, we must congratulate you for your noble heritage! And while there's still so much yet to do with your potential, “We” are here to help. To summarise the premise: this is a storybook of human history, laid out chronologically, for the sake of painting a greater picture. Our aim is to establish a few certain cases: 1) almost anything can be a renewable resource, 2) production of value is a vital part of the human experience, 3) when people or nations gain any kind of advantage, they thrive; 4) societal problems stem from an imbalance of advantages, so 5) these problems can be solved through distributing advantages, which, 6) is something that modern technology has made a whole lot easier, affordable, and powerful. And so, to understand our potential for the future, we will be examining history for context, perspective, and inspiration. The overall concept we are trying to convey is that once the cost of producing something is removed, or paid for, it creates abundance, which creates prosperity, and becomes the fountains of wealth and bastions of power that build empires. The proposal therefore, ultimately, is to use that same process to create wealth for the public, because the “modern means of production” are now unimaginably powerful, mobile, and affordable.
To this end, we will make a case for revitalising ‘Agrarianism,’ which is a little-known philosophical belief that sprang up in the early 20th century as a response to Industrialisation, Modernism, and Capitalism. Its two central tenets are to decentralise power and to enact change through land reforms. So as we look back through history, we will examine the times when social movements and technologies reformed the world, and try to judge whether some of the people that took advantage of them made the world better, or worse. We call this the King of the Hill Paradox: because revolutionary administrations almost always become just as corrupt as the people they overthrow, and new technologies or ideas are often misused for a period before their best applications are established. And above all, we will see how the societies that pull off a successful upgrade flourish, while those who fail are often ruined. So, in order to move forwards, in order to make the world what we really want it to be, we must know how to upgrade ourselves successfully. At the heart of every story, as we will see, is a timeless debate over what to do with our shared, natural, and abundant resources. It is the question of “who decides?” and how it influences our notions of right and wrong, our politics, our rivalries, and our yearnings as individuals, businesses, collectives, and nations. Therefore, vital to our understanding of the big picture, is observing how the efficient adoption of technology has two equally important yet paradoxical functions: the production of power, and the production of prosperity - for both nations and individuals. What’s good for you is good for the community, and vice versa.
So, let's talk about something called “The Agrarian Question,” also known as “The Land Question.” That's Agrarian, as in agriculture – and the social, political, and economic implications of the question of what exactly should be done with land. It might seem simple at first – ‘just farm the land already,’ right? But this question has become the subject of countless debates throughout history, and sparked revolution after revolution all over the world, as the way each civilization answered the question became a core aspect of their identity. As such, this question must be reviewed continuously, in order to maintain direction, vision, and order as we move forward. And with the rise of interest in ecological as well as economic sustainability, it merits once again to have a proper discussion in review of our current use and appropriation of land, our common resources, the means of production, and the excess value and advantages they create. We can then understand that every new development of renewable resources, policies, and technology requires a new Agrarian Answer. Keep in mind, then, that while we analyse some Ideologies, such as Communism, which attempted to answer our question in the past, our own proposal is rather a Methodology: a simple shift in personal perspective, that might allow one to direct resources more effectively, in order to produce their own advantages.
We’ll see how the Agrarian Question has affected us more than we can possibly know: from its role in Capitalism vs Communism, to its impact on Democracy, Class Divisions, taxes; the role of the worker in society, the general implications on ownership and property, of freedom and liberty and Divine Right – of the very value of a human life and what is worth doing with one – the Agrarian Question has touched every aspect of our existence. So, this is going to take some unravelling; but, it makes for one hell of a story when it's all laid out. Hopefully, by the end, your mind will be spinning with your own potential, and revelling in that oh-so-sweet form of optimism called “hope for the future.”
Furthermore, by knowing how the Agrarian Question has impacted the world, and how it evolved through history, we can examine the way in which past leaders used the excess economic value produced by their people - the way they directed the resources of their nations - and consider what has worked and what could work better. We can juxtapose the wielding of power to its personal benefits and what it offers the world. And while doing so, we can understand where we come from, where we should be going, and what to do with our lives. We can also get a good broad picture of the matter: the development of tools and technology, the overall quality of life, art, longevity, health, happiness, literacy, wealth distribution, value of worker production, product value, freedom of citizenry, the representation of the people in politics, stable economic growth, freedom from oppression, freedom of speech, freedom of religious practice, and so many more. And we can understand that everything that might be put in that list was once a revolutionary idea which took uprising and rebellion to become standardised. Heads literally rolled for it. Over and over. So many heads.
So, we will examine the way that people turned technology into renewable advantages, and how those in turn became vessels for empires and kings, heroes and villains, for our class divisions and warfare, religions and inventions, the science and arts and wonders of this world – and we will find that these are all merely inevitable symptoms of the natural universe. And in this, we may finally find our part to play. What it truly requires to answer the Agrarian Question with certainty, then, is to take all the lessons of history, to consider the evolutions of technology and innovation, and see if there exists a common thread that could grant you, personally, with the incredible fortune; to be the one of the few people in the entire universe, since the beginning of time, who has the necessary tools and perspective to answer: “What should we do with our lives, our lands, and our futures?” For that is the heart of our inquiry.
By understanding how others have gained advantages in the past, we can figure out how to gain advantages for ourselves, find our own way to make our mark on this world, and in doing so, find meaning and live better. Our only true intention, then, is to inspire your own potential. So what you should be thinking of as you read along are the endless possibilities of how you can find your own advantages from sources of recurring value - or renewable resources - in life, as the characters in this story have done. Our tale is therefore presented in a series of short, generalised overviews of historical events, which are meant to provide context to guide your further reading. As such, we have only attempted to describe history in an entertaining way, to convey the morals of the stories as we build our case, and most of the narratives are intended to represent contemporary perspectives, such as they are stated in literature. So, keep in mind, there are expressions of bias and views that might be considered flawed, polarising, or outdated - but that is just part of the conversation. It takes all kinds to make a world, and in our view, as we take the good with the bad, both credit and criticism are equally due where owed. You can decide for yourself which is which.
With the right advantages, and a little direction, inspiration, support, love and encouragement - people really can work all kinds of wonders. So, above all, we only hope you will find something wonderful here, and manage to produce it for yourself.
