[af_vet_rr]

Simple, you don't get to dystopia unless you first purge society of all traces of religion.

The writer of the article totally missed a huge part of the 20th Century and totalitarian regimes: Religion competes with the government. If the government wants total control, it either purges religion altogether, creates one that it controls to replace established religions, absorbs it into the government, or relegates it to a small corner until it can be purged.

Look at Nazi Germany - parts of the leadership were trying to replace established religions with a made-up religion that touched on the occult and a bunch of other crazy beliefs.

Look at the Soviet Union.

Look at China.

Look at Cuba - right now the Cuban government is walking on eggshells because of the Pope.

The author of the Hunger Games books is playing coy and claiming that she wasn't trying to do certain things with the books, but I saw the movie this weekend based on the advice of some FReepers and was pleased I did. What I saw was a very savage criticism of Big Government and the MSM. I saw somebody show Big Government at its worst - expressing its total control by removing children from parents, and trying to dictate the lives of all of the citizens.

I believe the author maybe trying to avoid talking about those issues, because the moment she comes out and says it was about destroying Big Government and about the power and depravity of the MSM, Hollywood and the media will immediately try and pretend she and her books don't exist. I am still very surprised that Hollywood would make such a movie. I've heard that the citizens revolt against the government in the latter books and look forward to seeing the movies or reading the books or both.

[alrea]

If the government wants total control, it either purges religion altogether, creates one that it controls to replace established religions, absorbs it into the government, or relegates it to a small corner

or subsidizes immorality