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!
“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.”
I can see some truth in that.
http://www.scholastic.com/home The ‘Hunger Game’series was published by this company and it was written by a childrens’ author.
I think this is where I was headed with my wordy post (below).
I would add "...Snowbama and his cabal...."
Thanks in advance.
Whether “The Hunger Games” or “Lord Of The Flies”, when people cease to regulate themselves, “horrid mischief” ensues - a phrase that the Founders took seriously.
So should we.
‘Specially as Horrid and Mischief dwell in the White House as I type.
Which is my point. I am very tired of the media trotting this out as an example of an “excellent” book. It is twilight with a poorly thought out dystopian society instead of vampires/werewolves.
The media should be presenting it for what it is and any decent critic would be tearing the books apart. It’s a children’s trilogy. Not a Novel nor anywhere close to a masterpiece which is, IMO, how the media is presenting it.
I don’t go to the movies. I’ve got The Hunger Games saved in my DVD Netflix queue.
1984 was all I needed to read to know what is in store for us.
Ever read ‘The Lottery’? That was written in 1948. It’s a story. Stories come and go.
Blackie,
Consider “The Hunger Games” as Ayn Rand “trainer wheel version.” We’ve got to start the youngin’s with something, and this series is a good way to grap their attention. And from some of the younger kids where I go to church, the good ideas in it have sunk in.
They're called urban public schools.
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!
The late ruler of North Korea was a fat little bastard. The population could have been prosperous. Communist Kim reduced them to eating tree bark.
Rhodesia was a net exporter of food until Communist Jimmy Carter installed Communist Robert Mugabe. Now Zimbabwe is one of the poorest, hungriest nations on Earth.
Under Batista, Cuba thrived. Now, people will ride anything that can float to escape Communist Castro’s “Socialist Paradise.”
Anybody notice a trend? What’s the common denominator?
I disagree. This series is an excellent series for young girls who adore “Twilight” but it fails miserably outside of describing teenage romance/clothes/make-up.
Gotta disagree with you. Twilight was a terribly written masturbatory fantasy with a bland Mary Sue lead character based on a the physical description of the author being lusted over by nearly everyone, with a little smidgen of a plot tossed in as an afterthought.
In the hunger games, it’s a plot with a bit of romance tossed in. I didn’t care for the style in which it was written, but that’s just me.
‘This series is an excellent series for young girls who adore “Twilight” but it fails miserably outside of describing teenage romance/clothes/make-up.”
If that is all you got out of it, then you missed the point of the trilogy, which is seeking individual freedom that is denied by a tyrannical dictatorship that requires human sacrifice every year as a reminder to the oppressed districts that they lost the war of rebellion 74 years earlier.
I also recommend that you read the following article from “The American Thinker:”
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/03/the_unseen_message_of_the_hunger_games.html
One line from it is: “the book series’ pro-individualism, anti-socialist/communist/totalitarianism message has thus far eluded them — but the legions of children reading the books are getting the message.” And that is not the best line in the article.
Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/03/the_unseen_message_of_the_hunger_games.html#ixzz1qqBhZ4mf
I saw the movie yesterday. It is very faithful to the 1st book. There were only a few minor changes and additions, but these make several things understandable to those who have not read the book/trilogy. The Hollywood leftists did NOT get their hands on the script to give it their usual makeover. I hope the next 2 movies also remain true to the story line.
I forgot to mention that the name of the country is Panem, which my daughter reminded me is the Latin word for “Bread” and thus the “hunger games” can be seen as the “circuses.”
I got the point however where was the depth? She never expanded on the political or economic underpinnings nor was the action particularly believable.
In short, it was a terrible trilogy. Just my opinion.
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