Communism in 1640

[LeftoverAnimal]

I was wondering if anybody had ever heard of Gerald Winstanely and The Diggers, part of the levveller movement of the 1640's of England. If you read Winstanelys books and research his views it becomes obvious that Marx and Engals probably used his ideals in the writing of the communist Manifesto. Winsatnley and the Levvelers are fascinating and i advise anybody to read up on them because it resembles communism in a great way. Please resaerch it if you wish to widen your knowledge on communism and the Left.

[CommieBastard]

Marxism was an expansion and development on hegelism, so not rooted in Winstanely. It is possible, you know, for someone to come up with the same idea seperately...
i mean, i didnt even know i was a comunist for ages, i thought it was all a new idea that i'd had that no-one had thought of... and then i found out that that bastard marx beat me to it by over a century... *curses*

[Reuben]

Yes!!!

I went on th march a few years ago to commemorate the diggers. It was actually 1649 that they went to St Georges hill. Knowledge of their history has been popularized by Leon Rosselson's song The World Turned Upside Down (2)

[Rob]

I've heard of them from a Billy Bragg song.

[Reuben]

The Billy Bragg song was a cover of the Leon Rosselson song.

[LeftoverAnimal]

Reuben Was this marchwith the seald knot society per chance? Commie Bastard it is possible that Marx and Engles may have used the diggers work in the Communist Manifesto because after reading digger work and the commie manifesto there are some similarities in views, i don't know though. And why does nobody give credit to Engles he was equally important in the writing of the Manifesto as Marx was! Has anybody ever seen the film 'The World Turned Upside Down' it's very good. The director and writer of the film is my brothers god father, which is one of the things that triggered off my interest in communism aswell as my Grandmother being highly socialist (ashe worked as a social scientist and did alot for trade unions) My father reanacts civil war battles in the Seald Knot society and he was always very interested in the Diggers and Winstanely. So the diggers are very important in my views, but i shall stop boring everybody with my life story.

[Reuben]

These are the words to the leon rosselson/billy bragg song which are based on what they wrote, great group.

In 1649, to saint georges hill
A ragged band they called the diggers came to show the people's will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs.


We come in peace they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the lands in common and to make the waste lands grow
This earth divided, we will make whole
So it will be a common treasury for all.

They make the laws, to chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell
We will not worship, the god they serve
The god of greed who feeds the rich while poor men starve

The men or of property, we do disdain
No man has any write to buy or sell the earth for private gain
By theft and murder, they took the land
Now every where the walls come up at their command.

We live we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow down to masters or pay rent to the lords
We are free men, though we are poor
You diggers all stand up for glory stand up now

From the men of property, The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the diggers claim
Tear down their property
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed but still the vision lingers on.

YOU POOR TAKE COURAGE
YOU RICH TAKE CARE
THIS EARTH WAS MADE A COMMON TREASURY FOR EVERYONE TO SHARE
ALL THINGS IN COMMON
ALL PEOPLE ONE
WE COME IN PEACE THE ORDERS CAME TO CHOP THEM DOWN