Brain Dead Version of Dystopia....
A dystopia is generally accepted to be a utopia with a fatal flaw. 1984, Farenheit 451, Brave New World, Harrison Bergeron, Minority Report and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep are all good examples of dystopia literature..particularly within the SF genre. I happened to pick these because I've read them and with a couple of exceptions, I really, really liked them. Dick isn't my favourite author and, discounting his personal life and views, Minority Report was reasonable and well - we all know what Blade Runner was based on! I've read two new dystopian books lately by two new favourite authors - The Last Centurion by John Ringo and The Caliphate by Tom Kratman.
The Caliphate, like its predecessor 1984, isn't subtle. In fact, it isn't even disguised - this is a novel (highly entertaining) with a rough and disturbing message...and if you were too thick to get Kratman's message originally, there's an Afterword that spells it out for you...although Kratman doesn't use little words in order that the soft-hearted, fuzzy brained sheeple of the Left might actually understand it. The Last Centurion, however, is somehwhat more subtle. Yes, I know, sublte and John Ringo in the same sentence is probably an oxymoron - but this is my blog and my opinion so I can say whatever I want. Phht! Really though, TLC is more about a dystopia - created by the same soft-hearted, fuzzy brained sheeple that are currently trying to run all of our lives....with varying degrees of success. Here in Canada, they've been somewhat more successful...south of the 49th parallel...they're trying really, really hard!
This brings me to why I really wanted to vent. I watched the 4 hour - 2 part series The Andromeda Strain (2008). I didn't really do it willingly because I was reasonably certain the bastardization of the original 1971 movie and 1969 book by Michael Crichton would be painful to watch. It was. Not because it wasn't entertaining...because according to my wife, the movie is worth watching again because it's an action/adventure flick and she really likes them - but because the message of the producers and.or writers was absolute crap. Where to start? As with the original - the sub-text is that the military is evil and devoted to killing as many of their fellow humans as they possibly can, no matter what the civilian government tells them to do or not to do. OK - standard liberal fare...expected even - especially when one looks at Crichton's publish date for his book - 1969. Of course the military is evil.
Next piece of sub-text in the original...science is evil and will work hand-in-hand with the military. The 1971 original movie downplayed that one somewhat...science can be bad but with proper oversight, preferrably by the wise and all knowing government, science can be controlled. OK - once again - given the time...that's an understandable, if completely bone-headed premise. In 2008 - they shot the hell out of that statement. Government is evil, military is evil , science and environmentalism is good because it will save us from ourselves - but - it has to be PC science...can't be real science - can't be the science of denial. In other words, science of political theory is wonderful and science of fact, like the military, like the government, is evil. And that, friends and neighbours is what makes this a dystopia.
What bothered me most about it was that my spouse, who is an extraordinarily intelligent lady, couldn't see beyond this. She kept telling me - "yes, the message sucks but the movie was great". Now, I'll be the first to admit that I can jump to conclusions with FTL speed - and my conclusion was that the message was the movie and to continue watching it - or to continue to call it a good action/adventure flick was to give the message credence. Maybe I'm wrong...in a sense, I hope I am - makes for more harmonious spousal relations.
At any rate...I've now had a taste of what the liberals believe to be a dystopia and it's frightening. Simply because these are the same people who wouldn't see Animal Farm or 1984 as cautionary tales, but as instructions on how to build the perfect society. Of course, these are the same people who will, if not burn books, ban them because they aren't politically correct or suitable for examples. Keep in mind, I'm not talking the typical religious rightwing nutjob that is normally portrayed as burning/banning books - but the liberal elites who are banning books.
I am well and truly annoyed with the members of the human race right now....stupidity is the last thing humanity can afford.
The Caliphate, like its predecessor 1984, isn't subtle. In fact, it isn't even disguised - this is a novel (highly entertaining) with a rough and disturbing message...and if you were too thick to get Kratman's message originally, there's an Afterword that spells it out for you...although Kratman doesn't use little words in order that the soft-hearted, fuzzy brained sheeple of the Left might actually understand it. The Last Centurion, however, is somehwhat more subtle. Yes, I know, sublte and John Ringo in the same sentence is probably an oxymoron - but this is my blog and my opinion so I can say whatever I want. Phht! Really though, TLC is more about a dystopia - created by the same soft-hearted, fuzzy brained sheeple that are currently trying to run all of our lives....with varying degrees of success. Here in Canada, they've been somewhat more successful...south of the 49th parallel...they're trying really, really hard!
This brings me to why I really wanted to vent. I watched the 4 hour - 2 part series The Andromeda Strain (2008). I didn't really do it willingly because I was reasonably certain the bastardization of the original 1971 movie and 1969 book by Michael Crichton would be painful to watch. It was. Not because it wasn't entertaining...because according to my wife, the movie is worth watching again because it's an action/adventure flick and she really likes them - but because the message of the producers and.or writers was absolute crap. Where to start? As with the original - the sub-text is that the military is evil and devoted to killing as many of their fellow humans as they possibly can, no matter what the civilian government tells them to do or not to do. OK - standard liberal fare...expected even - especially when one looks at Crichton's publish date for his book - 1969. Of course the military is evil.
Next piece of sub-text in the original...science is evil and will work hand-in-hand with the military. The 1971 original movie downplayed that one somewhat...science can be bad but with proper oversight, preferrably by the wise and all knowing government, science can be controlled. OK - once again - given the time...that's an understandable, if completely bone-headed premise. In 2008 - they shot the hell out of that statement. Government is evil, military is evil , science and environmentalism is good because it will save us from ourselves - but - it has to be PC science...can't be real science - can't be the science of denial. In other words, science of political theory is wonderful and science of fact, like the military, like the government, is evil. And that, friends and neighbours is what makes this a dystopia.
What bothered me most about it was that my spouse, who is an extraordinarily intelligent lady, couldn't see beyond this. She kept telling me - "yes, the message sucks but the movie was great". Now, I'll be the first to admit that I can jump to conclusions with FTL speed - and my conclusion was that the message was the movie and to continue watching it - or to continue to call it a good action/adventure flick was to give the message credence. Maybe I'm wrong...in a sense, I hope I am - makes for more harmonious spousal relations.
At any rate...I've now had a taste of what the liberals believe to be a dystopia and it's frightening. Simply because these are the same people who wouldn't see Animal Farm or 1984 as cautionary tales, but as instructions on how to build the perfect society. Of course, these are the same people who will, if not burn books, ban them because they aren't politically correct or suitable for examples. Keep in mind, I'm not talking the typical religious rightwing nutjob that is normally portrayed as burning/banning books - but the liberal elites who are banning books.
I am well and truly annoyed with the members of the human race right now....stupidity is the last thing humanity can afford.