> How come this Protestant Reformation thing didn't happen in Italy and
> France?
>
> Ya know, in the Middle Ages the Church stood outside of the feudal system
> and coexisted with it very uneasily. Witness the constant struggles between
> the Church and various kings. I'm also not clear on what means of production
> the Church controlled.
Has there ever been a society where the people at the top weren't engaged in a vicious struggle with each other? Obviously the Christian Middle Ages (or parts thereof) stand out as particularly violent, but you also have the attempt by capitalists to seize each others' markets, the struggles among the grey bureaucracy in communist countries, the famous troubles of the Roman Republic, &c.