Anarchists in London

CBC News reports:

Protesters rallying ahead of the G20 economic summit in London smashed windows of bank buildings Wednesday as thousands gathered in the capital’s financial district.

Officials estimated that at least 4,000 people have jammed into the area, with many chanting “Abolish Money” as they marched down the clogged streets.

Paul T., who sent the item, writes:

Reminds me of something out of Hieronymous Bosch, or the Wat Tyler scenes in Henry VI. I have to wonder, how many of these protesters are university-educated? Many of them, I’d bet.

LA replies:

Are they wearing T-shirts saying, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the bankers”?

I changed the line from Shakespeare’s, “let’s kill all the lawyers,” because the idea of killing bankers fit with the protesters’ demand for abolishing money.

However, as I just found out from this article explaining the scene in Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 2 where the line is spoken, I didn’t need to change it from “lawyers” to “bankers,” because the line about killing lawyers was in response to the rebel Jack Cade’s promise to abolish money. Jack Cade is modeled on Wat Tyler who led the Peasant’s Rebellion of 1381.

JACK CADE:

I thank you, good people:- there shall be no money; all shall eat and drink on my score; and I will apparel them all in one livery, that they may agree like brothers, and worship me their lord.

DICK THE BUTCHER:

The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.

JACK CADE:

Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled o’er, should undo a man? Some say the bee stings; but I say, ‘tis the bee’s wax, for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never my own man since.

Here is further commentary on the meaning of the line:

In fact [lawyers insist], the famous quote from Shakespeare is not a criticism of lawyers, but actually is the greatest possible compliment. The scene from “Henry VI” (Part II) concerns the planning of an evil revolution—a takeover of power by Cade and his companion, Dick the Butcher, for their own greedy purposes. Dick the Butcher, recognizing the one group of people that might save the citizenries’ property and rights, says: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” The lawyers, in other words, were the potential enemies of the despots.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 01, 2009 12:25 PM | Send