55 years later, 'A Clockwork Orange' is becoming a policy blueprint

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[E. Pluribus Unum]

Transcript Summary

The text draws parallels between Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971 film, based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel) and perceived real-world trends in criminal justice, particularly in Canada under Liberal policies, and extends to the UK.

Key parallels claimed:

• Dystopian society with rampant youth violence, yet government favors "rehabilitation" over punishment, including lenient bail, short sentences, early transfers to lower security, and a "hug-a-thug" approach that avoids deterrence.

• In the film, the Ludovico technique uses drugs and forced exposure to violence to condition aversion to it; the author likens this to Justin Trudeau's 2017 stance against revoking citizenship of returning ISIS fighters ("a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian"), favoring rehabilitation over incarceration. Specific rehabilitation included poetry classes for some (sarcasm about ineffectiveness, e.g., potential "drag queen story time").

• Film's minister notes need to reserve prison space for "political offenders" rather than common criminals; author suggests Canadian early releases of violent offenders create space for political prisoners (e.g., Freedom Convoy's Tamara Lich), amid upcoming censorship bills criminalizing "wrong thought."

• Film shows government hiring ex-criminals as police (Alex beaten by former gang members now officers); author cites a January 2026 Sky News report on the Metropolitan Police relaxing vetting to meet recruitment targets (part of UK's 20,000-officer uplift), leading to over 130 wrongly hired/retained officers committing misconduct/crimes, including serial rapists David Carrick (serving multiple life sentences) and Cliff Mitchell (life sentence for rapes, including child; initially rejected but overturned partly to reduce ethnic disproportionality in vetting refusals).

Overall argument: Elements of the film's satirical dystopia—soft-on-crime policies, forced "reprogramming," reserving prisons for political dissenters, and integrating criminals into law enforcement—are allegedly manifesting in modern Canadian (and UK) liberal governance, prioritizing ideology (e.g., DEI, cultural sensitivity, gun control on law-abiding citizens) over public safety and deterrence. Canada trails UK policies by ~5 years.

[Salamander]

Tortures of the damned, sir….tortures of the damned.

[Salamander]

As a teen I read it and memorized Nadsat and annoyed everyone by randomly speaking it all summer.

I was lucky no one tolchocked me upside the gulliver.

Good times.

Right horrorshow, even.

[rustyboots]

I got lucky and saw the X rated version. Thirty seconds was the difference between the X-rated and R-rated. And it was obvious. I agree with you, never thought we would get to the point we are at today when it comes perp concern over victim concern.

[struggle]

>Burgess’ “The Wanting Seed” was also extraordinarily prophetic... As far as I know, he was, by far, first out of the gate to predict government promotion of homosexuality.

Yeah, that and Forever War.

[gymbeau]

Indeed!

[Salamander]

It was a bolshy raskazz!