Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Time For A Reminder)

tnellen.com ^ | 1961 | Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[devane617]

Link to story: Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.

[devane617]

Everyone needs to read this story once in a while....

[fhayek]

Gotta love Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[FrdmLvr]

Is this the story with the “Wrecks and the Reaks”, where one group of public workers would tear up the roads and the other group would come along and repair them?

[reg45]

There is a DVD available that is based on the short story. 2081 is the title.

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Great great story by my favorite author Kurt Vonnegut, who sadly passed away recently...

Also read Cat’s Cradle . Wonderful book.

[dfwgator]

Whoever did write this doesn’t know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut.

[MarkL]

It was also a good movie that is rarely on TV late at night, starring Sean Astin.

Reminiscent of the classic distopian novel, “This Perfect Day” by Ira Levin.

Mark

[catnipman]

This short story is a must read for anyone who hasn’t read it. It’s on a par with 1984 and Atlas Shrugged, though it’s message is much simpler than the latter two novels. After all, it is just a short story.

[devane617]

i don’t understand?

[irishjuggler]

Is this the story with the “Wrecks and the Reaks”, where one group of public workers would tear up the roads and the other group would come along and repair them?

No, I'm pretty sure that was the novel "Player Piano."

[dfwgator]

I guess you never saw the movie “Back to School” where Rodney Dangerfield hired Kurt Vonnegut to write his paper on Vonnegut’s novels.

The quote I used was the teacher’s response to the paper.

[FrdmLvr]

I like the logo for that movie, the American eagle holding the scales with 1 weight being equal to three weights on the scale. Were those money bags? Back in the day, literature that raged against totalitarianism was taught in high schools and universities but those works are no longer on my kids’ reading lists for college because the powers that be have become what they were warning us about.

[reg45]

Is this the story with the “Wrecks and the Reaks”, where one group of public workers would tear up the roads and the other group would come along and repair them?

Don't give them any ideas, that could be the 0bama Stimulus Package for the lame duck session.

[reg45]

After all, it is just a short story.

And Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was just a short speech.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks devane617.

[FrdmLvr]

As a matter of fact, i think they’re doing that on the expressway in our town this summer. There’s big signs “Your stimulus dollars at work” or something. They’ve closed down lanes of the expressway making it a huge headache for everyone.

[TheOldLady]

Hubby and I watched 2081 a couple of weeks ago. It was prophetic. Vonnegut was one of my favorite authors, and I have always loved science fiction since I read my very first issue of Amazing Stories about 50 years ago.

Kurt Vonnegut, RIP.