Posted on 04/01/2012 3:14:31 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
My wife and I went to watch the blockbuster movie “The Hunger Games”. Before going to the movie I already understood that the ruling class, so expertly portrayed in Hunger Games, does in fact exist here in America.
Hunger Games is not science fiction; rather it is an eerie reflection of our “new American society”.
In Hunger Games the citizens of twelve fictional colonies do not govern themselves but rather are kept in a perpetual state of hunger by a “new upper class” that has arisen from the ashes of a nuclear war. In the book there are rumors of a thirteenth colony, sound familiar? The rational for their totalitarian policies is to prevent another war (rebellion). Citizens of each colony are allowed to produce a unique product (e.g. food, fuel, and clothing), which is then redistributed to the other colonies under the strict control of the new upper class. Annually children are selected from each colony for sacrifice upon the alter of the central government called the Hunger Game.
I read two books recently that describe a new American society not unlike that portrayed in The Hunger Game: Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010 by Charles Murray and The Ruling Class: How they Corrupted America and what we can do about it... by Professor Angelo M. Codevilla.
Charles Murray describes two fictional neighborhoods called Belmont and Fishtown to describe the “new upper class” from the “new lower class”. He uses these fictional neighborhoods, which are based in reality, to track key indicators in white America, from 1960 to 2010. He calls these indicators “the founding virtues” of America: industriousness, honesty, marriage and religiosity.
This new upper class is well educated, wealthy and powerful. Murray writes, “[W]hile there is no such thing as an ordinary American, it is not the case that most Americans are balkanized into enclaves where they know little of what life is like for most other Americans. ‘The American mainstream’ may be hard to specify in detail, but it exists."
"Many members of the new upper class are balkanized,” states Murray. They live in large and modern cities much like Belmont described in Murray’s book. Murray identifies the new upper class as “overwhelmingly white and urban”. This mirrors the capital city in Hunger Games.
Murray analyzed where the “new upper class” lives in the United States by zip code. He found they are clustered primarily in four key centers or capitols: Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In these four communities, and smaller ones across the nation, the new upper class controls the money, high level jobs, political power and policies in their areas. You can easily identify them in your own community. You may also identify those at the opposite end of the spectrum known as the “new lower class”. Here in Sarasota County, Florida we have the communities of Longboat Key and Newtown which parallel Belmont and Fishtown respectively in Murray’s book.
Professor Codevilla in his book describes the “ruling class” as, “formed by an educational system that exposed them to the same ideas and gave them remarkably uniform guidance, as well as tastes and habits.” According to Professor Codevilla, “What really distinguishes these privileged people demographically is that, whether in government power directly or as officers in companies, their careers and fortunes depend on government.” Both Charles Murray and Professor Codevilla are describing the scenario in Hunger Games. As professor Codevilla writes, and as we see in Hunger Games, “For our Ruling Class, identity always trumps truth.”
In Hunger Games "the truth" is the upper class is killing children for entertainment. Killing children becomes an annual event with sponsors, pageantry and rewards to the lone survivor. It is the Roman gladiatorial arena taken to a new level of high technology.
Frances Grund, the seventh son of a German Baron educated in Vienna, who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1825 wrote, “No government could be established on the same principle as that of the United States with a different set of morals. The American Constitution is remarkable for its simplicity; but it can only suffice a people correct in their actions. Change the domestic habits of the Americans, their religious devotion, and their highest respect for morality and it will not be necessary to change a single letter of the Constitution in order to vary the whole form of their government.” [My emphasis]
As Patrick Henry wrote, “Bad men cannot make good citizens.” Self-governing requires individual citizens govern their own behavior first and foremost.
The Hunger Games are coming to a community near you!
Altar.
“Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010 by Charles Murray”
A must read.
The main thing I took away from The Hunger Games, is that in the future, everybody is going to look like Lady Gaga.
Reading both The Hunger Games and Coming Apart at the moment.
Both are excellent.
Oh yea when i read the books i took them for a parable of where our society is headed.
I think "Idiocracy" is more accurate.
With the millions of kids aborted in the U.S., we already have a version of the Reaping. How far away are we from having them in an arena hacking each other up for show?
Of course I did like the movie better, back when it was called, “The Running Man.”
Rats, I was hoping for a future based on Ziggy Stardust. Bowie was 40 years ahead of the curve.
Not far....UFC.
From the previews, it looks like the Hunger Games is very similar to “The Lottery.” If anyone has seen it, was that the case?
The Hunger Games were, BY FAR, the worst dystopian society novels I have ever read. The plot holes were so big I could drive a darn planet through em.
Atlas Shrugged is a much better and mature comparison to our society today and the Hunger Games should be viewed in the light in which it was written: As a little girl’s romantic heroine fantasy.
IMO, the Hunger Games is so popular because the majority of today’s Society cannot comprehend Ayn Rand’s masterpiece and this trilogy presents a dystopian tale on a 4th grade level. It truly is an insult to anyone with a modicum of intelligence.
Theres Washington a few large liberal states forever in their corner and the rest. The book mirrors that.
President Snowbama dreams of a place like the one depicted the Hunger Games.
In fairness the Hunger Games novels were of the “young adult” genre.
I’ve read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, and although prescient, they’re tough sledding.
I have not read the "hunger games" books on which the movie was based, nor seen the movie. YET. Nor have I read the books cited in this article. Nonetheless, I think the movie is probably a good one to spark discussion about the future of our nation among young people. (Dear reader, hopefully you realize that I am thinking something like "...compared to Iron Man, or anything by Michael Moore or Al Gore, or Freddie Looks in the 13th Nightmare Basement or whatever...").
Anyway, I hope to go see it soon, or when it is released to DVD / Netflix.
I do NOT think that young people are taught to "think in a straight line" (my shorthand for using logic, good judgement, analyzing, and drawing conclusions). In fact, I don't think they think much at all. Just my opinion. I was no exception to that rule. Growing up, having a family, being in the military, etc is just as good as getting mugged for turning a liberal into a conservative.
As far as I know, third world tyrrany / tribal-centered-control and safe efficient distribution continue to be the main problem in solving "world hunger". We have the capacity to feed the world!
Seems to me that the fascism / communism we have witnessed throughout history are always ready to make the "hard decisions". Like Stalin(?) said: "One death is a tragedy; a thousand deaths is a statstic." So, although for many, the shocking view of the future portrayed in the movie would be relatively far-fetched. However, for the academia and other liberal intelligentzia in the audience, I bet the reality-show-lottery by the elite ruling class would seem to be a kinder, gentler form of eugenics.
I find it very interesting that controlling the lives of the masses and "killing children for entertainment" are main elements in this movie (at least from what I have heard and read).
Flyover thought in summary: "Bread and Circuses" leading up to the fall of Rome.
Interesting, almost a mirror of today’s society. IMHO, Corporations control the rank and file workers through various means like layoffs, forced relocation like you either move or get laid off, the stress of work you are assigned like political games, petty rules (incl. unwritten) and depending your status, how you are dealt with when you break them. The “penalty” can vary from nothing happens to outright fired or put on probation like a “performance improvement plan (PIP). The PIP can be designed where failure is a guarantee.
My impression, companies have gotten mean and they make sure you know it since the job market is pretty bad.
I've read Atlas Shrugged and loved it. I've seen the Terminator TV series. And of course, some of the other books and movies in that typology. As a fan of the genre, I would love to hear your opinion on what is worth reading / watching. I can add it to my "to be read list" or whatever. Note: I am speaking of fiction; although I am not ~allergic~ to non-fiction....
By the way, I purchased Travis McGee's 99 cent Kindle book he had on special a couple of weeks ago, but have not read it yet.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.