Why isn't feudalism considered an early stage in the development of capitalism?

Well Marx certainly thought it was a preceding stage (see historical materialism). But really I would go so far as to say that capitalism is just another expression of feudalism - or a thinly veiled morphing of the same thing. To wit:

Lords & Nobility in their fiefdoms = Wealthy owner-shareholders, whose only real status comes from their ownership of private property, and who routinely pass that property, wealth and status on to their offspring.

Vassals & Knights = Career politicians who defend the wealthy owner-shareholders and fulfill their agendas, and who in turn have privilege and influence because of the wealth of those corporate Lords.

Serfs & Peasants = Worker-consumers who owe fealty to their political vassals and corporate Lords, must fight and die to protect the privileges of their owner-shareholders, must demonstrate lockstep loyalty to their political party, and must provide all of the labor to their corporate Lords in exchange for subsistence wages.

Homage = The tribalistic loyalty rituals demanded of worker-consumers in service to corporations and political parties. For example, at political rallies and fundraisers, or at corporate “team building” events that indoctrinate workers with a corporate brand, or in the mandatory consumption of some product or service to maintain social status.

Freemen = Small, independent business owners who will never become wealthy, but who can maintain some independence by paying rents to the owner-shareholders instead of pledging fealty.

So capitalism is really just a slight-of-hand that allows people the illusion that “anyone can become a Lord.” In reality, that possibility is like winning the lottery: very, very few people get to become wealthy owner-shareholders. So the same, essentially feudalistic arrangement continues under a capitalistic bait-and-switch deception. Sure…the same percentage of the worker-consumers could potentially earn their way to “freeman” status as peasants could under feudalism…but moving beyond that to become a wealthy owner-shareholder…well, that blessing is in largest part bestowed on the children of those who already have the wealth.

Now there is one striking difference between feudalism and capitalism: instead of a King with a Divine Right to rule over everyone, capitalism installs the striving for profit itself as the Ruler of All, and dismisses anyone who does not honor and worship greed and mammon as a witch or a heretic, wholly deserving of persecution and a lowly lot in life. In a way, capitalism exerts the same oppression of the poor as feudalism did, only justifying it with “the Divine Right of Wealth.”

My 2 cents.

From Quora: https://www.quora.com/Why-isnt-feudalism-considered-an-early-stage-in-the-development-of-capitalism

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