Word: feudality
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...themselves or their people from what was widely assumed to be God's vengeance. By lowering the value of land -because there were few workers left to till it-and raising the price of labor, the death toll also helped bring to an end the old system of feudal villenage...
...mistresses and some fashionable adultery. But at some stage something went sour. Was it when his father came back from a campaign with a medal for gallantry on his chest? It turned out that the deed that won the medal was actually performed by father's batman. The feudal father saw nothing odd about this. It was his man, wasn't it? explained the gallant old prince...
...right to keep pigeons and bitches, takes a 13th share of the price paid for any property, and governs the tiny islet 20 miles off the coast of France with the traditional whim of iron. Last week Dame Sibyl Hathaway, 85, one of the Western world's last feudal rulers, was furious. "I can no longer publicize this island as a haven of rest when there are 42 tractors, few of which obey the traffic laws," she said. "I am also tired of having to call on Guernsey police every few weeks because of complaints and utter disregard...
...class because the regime's economy more and more depends on it-just as, in Western countries, politics and the economy depend more and more on professional knowledge. If anything, Djilas suggests, Communism will disappear with less resistance than anybody could have foreseen. Earlier dominant classes-whether feudal lords or capitalists-cemented their power with durable institutions that reflected economic realities. Relying on power alone, the Communists, says Djilas, have notably failed to develop stable institutions. When their power vanishes, so will all their works...
Arrayed before Don Vito like vassals at a feudal court are scores of coarsegrained characters who provide the sub-and sub-subplots that enable Puzo to illustrate the broad reach of the Godfather's influence. It is a mark of his power that he commands fierce loyalties because he treats his petitioners with respect-though they range from an obscure paisano seeking revenge for a damaged daughter to a famous Italian-American crooner who needs help to branch out into acting and producing...