Dystopia
My granddaughter has me hooked on a Netflix series called "Stranger Things". We exchange comments on each episode and I'll have to admit it's a pretty good show. Good plot line, relatable characters, lots of action.
I don't usually get involved with Netflix or Hulu series except when my granddaughter recommends one. She is my screener and reviewer.
The last series she recommended was "Handmaid's Tale" based on Margaret Atwoods book about a pseudo-religious dystopian society here in a theocratic America, a new ultra-conservative nation called "The Republic of Gilead.
I won't go into details, but it is glaringly suggestive of the direction this country is taking with regard to fundamentalist influences being brought forth with the issue of abortion and religious inspired rhetoric of never-ending war.
Although the series is billed as a "cautionary tale", the author herself calls it "speculative fiction", and much of it can be very disturbing.
Edge of your seat stuff.
Anyway, the fifth season debuts Wednesday night and a season opener party is being held with my granddaughters and friends at my house and it looks to be a weekly event.
What better way to inspire more frequent visits with my loved ones?
So, what are your thoughts on separation of church and state?
The floor is open.
Comments
Like so many other things 'enshrined' in our constitution
The original intent has been altered, adjudicated and re-interptreted by various factions over
the years to satisfy increasingly radical elements. The right to arm bears has become a
national slaughtering field. A well regulated militia has become a domestic occupation
force. Taxation without representation? Freedom of speech? Right to assembly?
Not all are constitutional rights, but more and more are becoming rhetorical fantasies.
It is the same with separation of church and state. Remember when Bush the younger
pushed for 'faith based initiatives', doling out federal funds to religious organizations to
provide social services the fed no longer cared to offer. Later, Obamber slid the school
voucher program into place. More federal funds for religious institutions. In god we trust
has almost become a parody of the government can not be trusted.
The pundits try to push the idea that this is a 'christian' nation. Trump tried to kick
the muslim phobia to an extreme. Hell, even all of the so-called christian churches
can't agree which is right between all their factions.
Believe in any supernatural force you want or none at all. Good luck keeping it out of
politics, or keeping politics out of religion
Thanks for the OT
truth is considered foreign influence, world peace is a threat to national security
Another great work
on that topic has to be Robert Heinlein's "If This Goes On-", which I've mentioned a number of times. It is well worth a read, or a reread. Written in 1940, it foresees a religious dystopia in the US as a backwoods preacher is elected president (in 2012- we're overdue!) and sets up his own theocracy.
For a number of years now, I've been trying to figure out who is going to become Nehemiah Scudder. My money's still on Tom Cotton, FWIW.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Pence is still breathing
And it's his turn isn't it?
Thanks for the post.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
We did have
a peanut farmer preacher from Georgia for four years.
But he had a knack for separating church and state.
Heinlein had a very conservative bent but he was still one of my favorite SF authors.
Thanks for stopping by.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Our grandfathers' evil
Evil will always be with us, so a certain manifestation of evil will always plague us, but evils wax and wane with the times. When an evil becomes a mainstay in action entertainment its time - at least for that generation - has passed. Racism will always be evil, but the racism of the MLK generation has waned. It is no longer the threat it was. It is safe for television writers to use as villains. Trump is not Lester Maddox, he is a petty little man stirring the coals of his father's racism for his own benefit. He is a different evil and must be recognized as such. Vladimir Putin is not Hitler, but the Ukranian Nazis are not the SS. The threat is 2022's, not 1939's.
On to Biden since 1973
When I was growing up
the indians were waning as the evil ones.
All those cowboy and indian movies dominated the books, radio, and early silent movies with Tom Mix and Roy Rogers working the talkies.
Then came nazis and nips and a parade of war movies with all our favorite movie actors in uniform fighting for the American way.
Commies and Russians followed with countless evil villains through the James Bond franchise that morphed into evil doctors and bled into the cartoons (Boris Badenov).
Next up were the various terrorists (or freedom fighters, depending on which side you were on).
The next moneymaker evil is shaping up to be the MAGA crowd, or the Deplorables, attacking our Democracy and threatening Mom and apple pie.
Thanks for the post.
And, of course, Russia as a backup villainy with China waiting in the wings.
If only the American people would realize the most pressing evil is right here.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
the most pressing evil is right here
Brilliant!
So now we switch the meme to ...
We fight the evil ones here so we don't have to fight the other ones over there.
Own-up 'murcans.
truth is considered foreign influence, world peace is a threat to national security
Good one QMS!
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
I'm a fan of both shows
I've watched every episode Stranger Things and Handmaid's Tale.
Although neither holds a candle to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Breaking bad was another good one, gjohnsit
Unusual premise and a character you could sympathize with.
Thanks for reminding me.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
You could sympathize with Walt for the first few seasons
but by Season #4 you will find yourself saying "I used to love this character, but now he needs to f*ckin die".
Better Call Saul, the spinoff to Breaking Bad, was nearly as good.
In case you don't believe me, consider this one brilliant scene.
Heisenberg
gets his own narco corrida:
I like stranger things
I think the concept of it is great as is the acting, but last season dragged on and on with 11 becoming so unsure of herself and trying to find her mojo again. For 3 seasons she was strong, but then it was week after week of her being weak and insecure. Too much focusing on what happened in the past too while others were great. It felt like season 4 was a place holder for season 5.
And talk about the biggest let down of any series was season 8 of game of thrones. Blehh and yuck. Hopefully one day they will refill it and not rush everything through to get to the weak ending. That Dani became the tyrant she fought against becoming was the biggest sellout IMO. I read the books long before they made it a TV show but lost interest after book 4. We just left the Red Wedding in book 3 and then Martin added all new characters and another country. And instead of finishing the series he started writing a new one. Has he finished it yet?
Another great series ruined by both the death of the author and dragging it out and then the woke TV show is the Wheel of Time series. I started reading it decades ago and then Jordan died and Sanderson finished it by dragging it out even more. Good grief!
I’m trying to watch the new ring series based on Tolkien but the reviews are is that it’s horrible because it too is too woke.
“When out of fear you twist the lesser evil into the lie that it is something good, you eventually rob people of the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.”
~ Hannah Arendt
Last tv series I watched with dedication
was The X Files.
Earthling1, a good show is good opportunity for good family gatherings. How fun!
I do not have time to to watch much tv, do not even have cable, but I do watch old tv shows my husband has on his server. Don't wall your eyes at Gunsmoke. We didn't watch it when I was growing up. Parents watched something else that aired the same time, iirc. Now that I am seeing it for the first time, I am amazed how the show treats "Injuns" with dignity. For that reason alone, the show was way, way ahead of its' time. Oh, and maybe the portrayal of Miss Kitty, running a saloon, which also looked like a whorehouse. She and her "saloon waitresses" are often portrayed as women desperate to get married and live respectably, rather than live their lives as prostitutes. Not typical of tv at the time.
Keep us informed about what dystopia is gonna look like. Great OT. Thanks so much.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I hear you, OTC
I missed an entire decade when the family and I moved up into the Angeles National Forest in the early 80s and had no TV or radio until the satellite systems of the 90s became available.
We missed out (I'm told) on MTV, Mannix, and the A Team.
I'm sure there were many others. I just see reruns now and wonder; How did I miss that?
I've been on antenna TV for two decades now.
But I can stream Hulu, Netflix, and others.
Thanks for checking in.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
When I was a kid,
we had 3 channels. NBC was strong. ABC and CBS not so much. They had static during certain hours. Could not be viewed.
Wow. Changes.
Memories. Your OT triggered many.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981