Equestria as a Mode of Production · 4:53pm Nov 21st, 2013
Hello everyone. I am someone who has been enjoying the show for about a year and a half now and Fimfiction for about a year (my user account is new because I never felt the need to really contribute before). As the name might imply, I also consider myself a Communist...go figure. This was my non-political zone for a while, but, after reading a number of authors who insert political commentary into their work like Reality Check, I began to consider the way it was shaped within the context of the show and the society which made this show.
My personal hope is to expand this into some sort of Communist Manifesto (I only write it like this because no one seems to care about Das Kapital at the CPE) for the series. This will definitely be a very nerdy project, one that I hope others can work with me on and I would love to get references from all over fimfiction to fill in the gaps and make it a better read (something that I could not really do on my own). I also want this out here so I can start taking some general criticism and build my work to be stronger (hint, comment with all your hate and/or love, but be constructive regardless). With that said, here is my essay:
Equestria as a Mode of Production
The Neutrality of Friendship is Magic
If you were to watch almost any given episode of Friendship is Magic, it does, in a sense, appear as progressive, perhaps even revolutionary. A show that is built on good female characters (i.e. that can be both role models and flawed) with a focus on teaching children how to be good friends definitely comes off, in this day and age, as something worth celebrating. To many, this can make the show appear as liberal and worth celebrating (or denouncing) simply because we have a show that is, at its core, built for all audiences despite its predominately female cast, general art direction and insistent use of very catchy musical numbers.
While the show definitely is progressive in this sense, when it comes to the sphere of political economy, it tries to remain neutral. This neutrality, of course, has to be read against the human society in which Friendship is Magic was made. If the show were to say anything that directly attacks the capitalist system which gave it birth, there would be hell to pay on the part of DHX. I mean, sure, I probably wouldn’t care as much about children being taught a critical understanding of what capitalism is, but, this would probably become a big negative for many parents.
Fortunately for DHX and Hasbro, what we get is a pony society that is dynamic enough. What I mean by this is that while the mode of production of Equestria is established as capitalist on some level, it also has mechanisms buried within that allow for those on the left and the right to re-interpret Equestria (and perhaps its imagined political revolution) as conforming to their own ideas. This is a result of the general setting of Equestria combined with a rather basic understanding of modern economics which creates a false utopia that both left and right wish to preserve on some level and blame the other side for not ‘getting it’ when they claim that Equestria represents the opposite.
Feudalism and Capitalism
It should be mentioned before we get too deep into this that my understanding of Equestria as a mode of production is based on what we have seen in the show thus far. Slavery could be taking place off screen or socialist revolutions could have been launched and subsequently defeated five times over throughout the land, but without a means of seeing it in show, I cannot assume anything of that nature. Assumptions will be most likely be made here, but they will only extend what we already know about the show. Because of that, this section could see revisions if I ever sit down to write this again.
With that in mind, we can start by looking at the ways in which a feudal mode of production is presented in the show. We can see an aristocratic class based on titles that seems to sit above the rest of society lead by a diarchy. The ownership of titles is, based on historical circumstances, most likely due to the ownership of large portions of land. This group in question has begun making itself ready for a new mode of production, one based on capital, via the accumulation of bits and their subsequent spending on industries based on luxury like Rarity’s business. Since serfdom isn’t mentioned (and we will assume it is absent in order to keep with the show’s general tone), the accumulation of bits is either taking place through the selling of land, the use of wage workers to work the land for products to sell or taxing those who live on it [1].
Capitalism, meanwhile, is also on display in this world. As noted previously, there is the general existence of bits which implies that an economy based on buying and selling or supply and demand is present on some level. We see a general market in Ponyville which implies that the ponies there make products that are not for their own personal consumption (with the possible exception of Pinkie), but are instead made so they can be sold for money. This implies a simple level of circulation in which ponies produce commodities to trade for money which is then spent on new commodities that the pony needs.
It can be noted that the presence of wage labor is rather limited in this world. While the presence of large trains would most likely imply a factory somewhere in Equestria, there is also the possibility of all the parts moving from one small business to another in a manner that is highly unrealistic for us, but could work here.
An Aristocratic Paradise vs. Petty-Bourgeois Utopias
We are basically left with two modes of production. Capitalism is something that, at least in some form, is thriving in today’s human world while feudalism has deteriorated into practically nonexistence. As far as Friendship is Magic goes, the existence of feudalism goes very well with the general magical setting of the show, but the show can never present feudalism as superior to capitalism in areas not concerning magic. Capitalism must be shown as the basin of political and economic freedom in contrast the feudalism and this is exactly what the show does.
When it comes to the show’s portrayal of feudalism, we are usually shown a very negative picture. We see a group of nobles and dukes who seemed to have obtained their positions through birth, not hard work or cleverness. At the same time, this group is shown as seeing itself above the ‘commoners’ that fill places like Ponyville. This group is shown as extravagant in its tastes and spending habits in a way that both most ponies and most humans are likely never to obtain. From looking at this group of aristocrats this way, we are lead to believe that any advantages they got were based on trickery and violence enacted in the past by their ancestors. These advantages are then preserved through various means like holding onto the state or mobilizing their vast amounts of money and/or land to crush the everyday hardworking pony.
Against this aristocratic paradise that sits in Canterlot, we have Ponyville. One thing of interest to note when looking at the town market or four out of six of the Bearers of the Elements is that most ponies seem to own their own means of production. They have a business they both own and work on in order to make a living and possibly a profit. In Marxist terminology, this would make them part of the petty-bourgeoisie and, because Ponyville seems to be organized economically around this, we are left with a petty-bourgeois utopia. Any wage workers that exist in this community have a direct relationship with their employer as well as the benefit of most other potential wage workers working on their own means of production, thus limiting the supply of “proletariat” which can mean higher wages and better working conditions.
This means we are left with two modes of economic organization with feudalism based around inequality from the past being carried into the present and capitalism which seems to create a new environment for liberty and equality. We are presented with Ponyville as a utopia that seems to preserve our likeable characters that is contrasted against the potential horrors of unregulated nobles. It is this basic understanding of what Equestria is as a mode of production that influences discussion of what shape it should take when observed through the eyes of those who can insert human ideas of political and economic organization into the mix.
Magic and State Intervention
One interesting area to look into when it comes to human discussions on pony economics is the question of magic. When one looks at the feudal side of the economy, one inevitably runs into the existence of the diarchy of alicorns as well as the Elements of Harmony that seem to support the continued survival of feudalism. However Celestia herself might feel about the nobles, to throw their titles out could very well mean throwing out her own as well. This is why, when one tries to put class struggle at the center of an analysis of Equestria, one will usually lump Celestia, Luna and Cadence into that aristocratic class.
What we are left with is a large concentration of magical power within the hands of the aristocratic class which can preserve it continued existence through the use of that power. In contrast to this, the petty-bourgeois utopia can appear as anti-magical in nature. It is built on hard work, creativity and the market forces of supply and demand, not the larger control of magical forces. Because we are talking about a group of individuals rather than the state, while magic still exists within all of these ponies in some form, its effects are seen as minimal and thus it is the work of the market that regulates liberty and equality.
At one level, this can create the general position of being anti-magic. Since the vast majority of magic is concentrated in the hands of the elite, there must be something defective with magic that causes such an inequality. The only logical solution to those who hold such a belief is that those without magic (i.e. usually earth ponies) should overthrow those who have magic (i.e. pegasi, unicorns and alicorns) and then reclaim that magic to reshape society into the one they (or the party leaders) envision.
Even if one isn’t anti-magic in this sense, there will generally be a call to infuse the petty-bourgeois utopia with magic relative to that which the aristocratic paradise partakes in. Since the feudal state sits in the center of said magic reserves, one would require that the state be modernized to capitalist standards in order to redistribute that magic. The state would have to intervene in the affairs of the economy whether it came to just establishing some ground rules as a capitalist democracy or to taking over the running of the whole thing in the form of state capitalism.
A Hierarchal Theory of Magic
The concentration of the diarchy, the Elements and past conquests into the hands of the feudal state creates a very lopsided distribution of power in society. This not only encourages literary attempts to modernize the state, but also can create a strange theory on the nature of magic in pony society. Because magic appears to be concentrated in the state, one might conclude that all magic trickles down from a larger source.
What I mean by this is that one might believe that some abstract source of all magic exists, or existed at one point, that created the MLP universe (Faust alicorn, spirits of the Elements of Harmony, Discord’s right pinkie etc.) which then descended down into the feudal state in its various forms like the Elements as well as Celestia and Luna. We then descend further to common ponies that either have some basic form of magic (i.e. soul) according to anti-tribal theories or we divide between those who hold magic like unicorns and pegasi with extra features beyond the basic body against those with no magic like earth ponies. Whether the majority of ponies have some or no magic within them, what they do have in and of itself won’t have a major influence on this original abstract source. In this set up, the feudal state must act as a mediator between the two in some form. This, in turn, encourages the attempts to modernize the state as talked about previously so that this link wouldn’t be abused by tyrant Celestia/Luna, troublesome aristocrats or any number of other problems.
Because magic is structured in this way, it will always require the division of those who can only represent their own individual interests (particular magic) and those who represent the social side of things (abstract magic) in the form of the state. Any attempt by the individuals who make up society to truly influence this abstract magic would fail because they are not in tune with it on the level of those who run the state, feudal or modern.
What we are left with is stories that attempt to unite the abstract source of magic with the state. Perhaps we have an authoritarian police state which contradicts the notions of peace and love of abstract magic, or perhaps abstract magic needs to be replaced with an alternative as it is the source of evil. This could be some sort of Discordian negative magic, someone to replace the bitter dying Faust alicorn or simply the end of magic itself. This latter option, of course, could only be entertained in the mind as to actually impose it on the MLP universe would mean the ending of the ‘original source’ that would destroy everything outside itself if it were to end…at least that is where my literary mind wanders.
Hierarchy and Utopia
Finally, we should take a quick look at the relationship between the petty-bourgeois utopia and the abstract source of magic. Considering that the bearers of the Elements live in this said utopia, we could conclude that some connection exists between the two. The notion of Harmony, it seems, would aim for the ideal that is Ponyville and the way our heroines interact with one another. Perhaps one might challenge the ideals of Ponyville, but this would be represented in the form of saying that the Elements (or another abstract source of magic) do not truly represent the harmony of Ponyville, but something else like Chaos.
When we really begin to look at Friendship is Magic, we can see that it is built on certain assumptions, but these assumptions are built in such a way that they can be interpreted in multiple fashions. The conflict of the ideals of Ponyville, a community of hard working, humble and largely self-sufficient ponies, against that of the aristocratic paradise in Canterlot can fuel both left-wing and right-wing visions of how Equestria is and should be. Any attempt to spread this idea then becomes dependent on the intervention of the state and/or an abstract source of magic. The question then turns into one of state intervention versus a minimalist, but modern state or that of Harmony versus Chaos as the ultimate source of abstract magic.
It is this trinity of petty-bourgeois ideals, the state and an ultimate source of magic that allows its fan base to be very dynamic about what the MLP universe could be in their own heads, but those notions can only really fall within the range of this trinity.
Notes
[1]: One thing worth considering is the general relationship of ponies to grass. If we assume that the aristocratic class holds a general claim to the land and that labor goes into maintaining nature as grass, flowers, trees and the like, grass could very well be worth something to this aristocratic class. Perhaps it is a product that is worth something (who would watch over all of it?…magic) or perhaps it acts like food stamps. It is worth mentioning that the grass itself never seems to overgrow, so perhaps it is cut, bagged and quickly sold (with magic preservatives for late sellers).
There we go. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you will comment on it so I can figure out how to make it better.
My plans for right now are to get into reading the work of the Communist Party of Equestria and providing a general critique of their work. Said critique is embedded into parts of the essay above, but I hope to highlight that more with concrete examples at a later date.
Wait a second, so the original source of magic (I'm taking a guess that It's the Tree of Harmony) trickles down to all? I'm so confused!
1593588 This was written and put up a few days before the Tree of Harmony came into being. Until that point, many authors made it a part of their universe to fill in that original source with something.
So, we get stuff like Faust-alicorn being the center of the universe or the Elements having a conscious of their own running the show. Other times, it comes down to an origin story involving the battle between Chaos and Harmony or other abstract concepts. The show had hinted at a larger mythology and with it an original and/or ultimate source of magic, but until the Tree of Harmony we were left to speculate which being or artifact was the closest to it (Celestia/Luna, Discord, the Elements etc.).
With an original source defined, we can then ask questions about what kind of qualities allow one to become closer to the source. Considering their magical power, Celestia and Luna are usually shown to be close to the source compared to the average everyday citizen. These two could greatly influence of the course of Equestrian society, but the common citizen can't. The average citizen doesn't have the kind of magic needed to interact with the original source, not like those who run the state.
That makes sense. I was just really tired that day.
Confusion: Resolved.
You see, Marx said societies overthrow monarchies when they become industrialized in favor of Libertarian Capitalism.
Look any Ponyville, it's barely industrialized and the worship the goddesses. There is no such thing as Labour in Ponyville as it is filled with the Petty Bourgeois of farmers and shop keepers. True they may despise the nobles, but they wouldn't be all for state intervention as well. Canterlot isn't really modernized and there are a ton of nobles who likely exploit their workers if their general tones in the show are valid for all. Nobles may look down on the peasants in Ponyville, but the two are still Bourgeois and would take offense at the technocentric, atheist and regulative policies of Marx.
Now look at Manehatten. That town is essentially a modern day city. Now look at their attitude towards Twilight. She's an ALICORN and no one cares. My theory is that Manehatten is entering a post feudal society where they don't care about royalty. Also, Manehatten looks like a place with an industrial labour force where white collar and blue collar workers likely sell their labour to their CEOs. However, we do not know if the relationship is Social Democratic in the sense labour is content and capitalists aren't exploitive and abide by state intervention, or if it is classic corporatism. If it is the latter, I can expect some sort of socialist reform in the city. Although this obviously wouldn't happen in a kid's show. This paragraph is really just theory, but one this is for clear, seems like the Feudal and Petty Bourgeois lifestyle of Equestria is behind Manehatten.
Plus, the show has hinted at a Stalliongrad.
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On the question of state intervention my argument is that people are imposing their own individual political theories that assume capitalist social relations on a pre-capitalist society. The question is not whether people think that capitalist democracy or state capitalism will solve the problems of Equestria (and subsequently the world that they hope to marginally influence through a story on ponies), but on what basis do they impose that idea onto Equestria. The argument that I present above is that people see it as a conflict between the hardworking members of Ponyville and the arrogant parasites of Canterlot which turns everything into a moral argument of who should own more money and wealth in society. In this way the stories of Reality Check the Libertarian become the same as a number presented by the Communist Party of Equestria i.e. as a conflict between these two forces with the petty-bourgeoisie becoming a revolutionary force against the feudal lords.
As for Rarity Takes Manehatten, I didn’t think it presented that much more when compared against The Cutie Mark Chronicles in which the existence of Manehatten implies the organization of living conditions based on the considerations of industry. Perhaps the communal atmosphere of the city could stem from the rise of some collectivist ideology (not necessarily Marxist or Communist), but I am not willing to bet on that at this time because we have no exposure to how this atmosphere might be maintained. While it could be said that the taxi dismissing Alicorn Twilight is the result of a modern city just not caring about princesses (or the death penalty for ignoring one’s princess at their hour of need
), I personally see it as the writers not thinking that one through.