In 1649
To St George's 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 land in common
And to make the waste land grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it can be
A common treasury for all.
The sin of property
We do disdain
No one has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Rise up at their command.
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
We work, we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow 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 cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed -
Only the vision lingers on
You poor take courage
You rich take care
The earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The order came to cut them down
Leon Rosselson
The World Turned Upside Down
c. 1975
The Diggers were a radical movement in England during the 1600's. Led by William Everard and Gerrard Winstanley, the Diggers proposed to farm in common untenanted or unused property in the name of the people. Ultimately the Diggers were dispersed, their houses, grain and livestock destroyed or seized, and 14 of the leaders were tried on charges of tresspass.
The significance of the movement historically is the writings of WInstanley, who was one of the originators of modern libertarian communism. Social equality, communism, nonviolence, civil disobedience, reverence for mother earth... all these derive in part from the Diggers.
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiDIGGRS;ttDIGGRS.html
To St George's 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 land in common
And to make the waste land grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it can be
A common treasury for all.
The sin of property
We do disdain
No one has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Rise up at their command.
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
We work, we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow 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 cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed -
Only the vision lingers on
You poor take courage
You rich take care
The earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The order came to cut them down
Leon Rosselson
The World Turned Upside Down
c. 1975
The Diggers were a radical movement in England during the 1600's. Led by William Everard and Gerrard Winstanley, the Diggers proposed to farm in common untenanted or unused property in the name of the people. Ultimately the Diggers were dispersed, their houses, grain and livestock destroyed or seized, and 14 of the leaders were tried on charges of tresspass.
The significance of the movement historically is the writings of WInstanley, who was one of the originators of modern libertarian communism. Social equality, communism, nonviolence, civil disobedience, reverence for mother earth... all these derive in part from the Diggers.
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiDIGGRS;ttDIGGRS.html
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
llouys:
Interesting. What do you think of Hernando De Soto? He's a capitalist, obviously, but not a run of the mill capitalist...
shiva8:
aw...shucks 