Free Republic

The mantra of progressivism over the past century has been the unstoppable 'progression' of human society, government, and technology towards a supposed utopian future free from war, disease, and poverty - a future where humans are masters of their own universe, unshackled from anything and everything holding us back and united as citizens of the world. Yet no "progressive" (be they communist, socialist, technocrat, or humanist) stops to ask if this is a possible or even worthwhile goal.  No one of that political persuasion questions whether their philosophical outlook is the right one to have nor why it is justifiable...

Admittedly, they don’t seem to be having a lot of trouble finding out what love is, but the futuristic dystopian society they live in where all emotion is supposed to have been eradicated probably doesn’t approve. We’ve already seen a brief glimpse of Drake Doremus’ creepy scifi romance movie, but this fresh new trailer gives us a lot more insight into the horrifying world Nia (Stewart) and Silas (Hoult) live in, where people who feel anything get taken away and pumped with drugs to genetically alter themselves back into calm, emotionless citizens.

When listing all the ways humanity is going to ruin the future, one that doesn’t often come up is the sun being blocked out by a horde of drone advertising blimps. But that hasn’t stopped one Swiss firm from working hard to make it a reality. Skye Aero is a project to build 10-foot helium-filled balloons, with small propellers attached to give better control than your average blimp. The benefits are a much bigger aircraft—useful when you want to advertise to people—and one that won’t crash the second it loses power, or bumps into anyone.

In many ways, Donald Trump's political talking points are Orwellian at best. His constant insistence that the U.S. is not "winning" is being repeated with such pneumatic regularity that voters believe it. Or if they don't yet, they may soon. Whether we are getting killed on trade or being flooded with illegal immigrants, Donald Trump has been making arguments that were, in part, true thirty years ago, but most certainly not today. The "INGSOC" slogans in Orwell's epic dystopian novel, "1984": "War is Peace" "Freedom is Slavery" "Ignorance is Strength" Would fit nicely among Trump's litany of incongruous phrases: "The...

The city that pioneered “broken windows” policing is retooling its longtime strategy of trying to reduce serious crime by cracking down on people who commit minor offenses, like public drinking and littering. […] Change can’t come fast enough for people like Manhattan resident Jamal Williams. The 28-year-old was cited by the police two years ago for spitting on the ground outside his East Harlem public housing building. The offense was as minor as they come, but when he forgot to show up for his court date, he became a wanted man. […] But critics say the softer touch will threaten...

There's been another slashing on a New York City subway, and terrified riders are calling for protection. This, as Police Commissioner Bill Bratton insists the subways are safe. As CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, a 30-year-old man is recovering after being slashed with a knife while on a No. 3 train Monday around 12:40 p.m. "SNIP" "Every night I see a different slashing," one woman said. "It does concern me because I have to take it every day. So it's kind of scary," another woman said.

When dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange came out in 1962, few thought it was a plausible imagining of the future. But, according to Malcolm McDowell, who stared in the novel's 1971 adaptation, it was in fact a chillingly accurate forecast. Speaking to the New York Daily News, McDowell explains how the Stanley Kubrick film shows a 'world in which all older people stay indoors with televisions on'. [...] The novel's central theme follows a group of violent 'droogs' - or gang members - who seek to illicit 'ultra-violence', mayhem and sexual depravity. The four young men pursue their pleasures after...

Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) was a great jurist and counselor to the notorious King Henry VIII, who was beheaded because of his insistence that the Catholic Church was his supreme religious authority, and not King Henry. . . . More earned a prominent place in the history of world literature because of his classic work, Utopia. In this work, More imagines the ideal society, one that is perfectly just and fair. Indeed, More coined the word "utopia," which has become part of our everyday parlance. . . . the philosopher John Stuart Mill, preferred the term "dystopia." It is Mills'...

Six rather relatively well known dystopian themed movies. Excerpts taken from IMDB. If you like dystopian themed movies you've probably seen all 6. My favorite is Rollerball. Which one do you think the world is striving for? --- THX1138 -- Set in the 25th century, the story centers around a man and a woman who rebel against their rigidly controlled society. Director George Lucas. Logan's Run -- An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback: life must end at 30. Director Michael Anderson Roller Ball (1975) -- In a corporate-controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world,...

FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury This one, with gratitude, is for DON CONGDON. FAHRENHEIT 451: The temperature at which book-paper catches fire and burns PART I IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BURN IT was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With...

In 1949, George Orwell received a curious letter from his former high school French teacher. Orwell had just published his groundbreaking book Nineteen Eighty-Four, which received glowing reviews from just about every corner of the English-speaking world. His French teacher, as it happens, was none other than Aldous Huxley who taught at Eton for a spell before writing Brave New World (1931), the other great 20th century dystopian novel.

Humorous short video portrayal of the utopian society of the future. Click link to watch.

Our dishwasher broke just after Christmas. The timer stopped working, and a new one costs about $100. My wife suggested that since the dishwasher is nineteen years old, we should buy a new one. Up until now it was working very quietly and efficiently, washing and drying a full load in about an hour. We visited the appliance shop where we had recently purchased a new clothes washing machine a few months earlier. I mentioned to the salesman that our new washer was very slow, taking nearly two hours to finish a large load compared to our old one, which...

SD Unified gets armored vehicle City schools police have obtained their own military-grade Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle through a federal grant. Known as an MRAP, the armored mobile will be converted into a victim rescue vehicle that will be stocked with thousands of dollars in advanced medical supplies and be able to take heavy fire in case of an attack on campus, the San Diego Unified School District Police Department said Tuesday. The MRAP, valued at more than $700,000, was acquired at no cost to the district. The vehicle is expected to be operational in October. “We recognize the public...

“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be,” as Yogi Berra once said. If you want to understand what this means, go see The Giver. The Giver is in the great dystopian tradition of Animal Farm and 1984, Brave New World, Atlas Shrugged, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, and so many more. (It also evoked for me memories of the Ring cycle and Lord of the Rings.) It takes place in a “perfect” society that has eliminated war, pain, suffering, differences and choice. They have created a society where everyone is equal (except those who are “more equal,” of...

It occurs to me that dystopian literature is essentially conservative/libertarian. Dystopian literature and film are essentially a pro-liberty art form. They remind us how Big Government abuses citizens and how much better things operate in an environment of freedom.

I found this 2012/2013 British series while looking for material to quench my thirst for dystopian themed movie and TV shows. I was quite surprised to find such a contemporary and modernistic show. Like most British TV shows, seasons are called series and they range from 3 to 12 episodes per series and an hour to two per episode. Black Mirror has had two series runs of 3 episodes each and clock in slightly less than an hour long for each episode. The shows structure is several vignettes bundled into an anthology. Each episode being entirely unto itself with it's...

Tech pioneers in the US are advocating a new data-based approach to governance – 'algorithmic regulation'. But if technology provides the answers to society's problems, what happens to governments?... Compared with the impressive police gear of today – automatic number plate recognition, CCTV cameras, GPS trackers – Operation Corral looks quaint. And the possibilities for control will only expand. European officials have considered requiring all cars entering the European market to feature a built-in mechanism that allows the police to stop vehicles remotely. Speaking earlier this year, Jim Farley, a senior Ford executive, acknowledged that "we know everyone who breaks...

Man, 79, Beaten After Accidentally Bumping Into Car In Grocery Store Parking Lot APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — A 79-year-old man was attacked when he accidentally bumped into a car in a grocery store parking lot in Apple Valley. The incident happened Sunday at a Stater Bros. on Bear Valley Road. According to sheriff’s officials, Alfred McOsker was unloading his groceries into his car when his leg touched a newer Hyundai parked next to him. The car’s owner accused McOsker of scratching his vehicle and then punched the older man repeatedly in the face. The victim’s daughter, Alison Rennie, said the...

Economic study suggests we're heading for a Blade Runner future Earlier this month, a group of economists released the results of a massive study looking at the economic prospects of people from across the United States. What they found was that the U.S. is like a patchwork quilt of different countries, where some regions offer people the economic prospects of a typical developed nation — and other regions are more like a developing country. This study debunks a few myths about the United States, including the idea that wealthy nations have wealthy citizens. It's a powerful reminder that nations are...