The Answer

It's scary how often the past tries to repeat itself.

 

SciFi Favorites

Democracy and the Death of Choice: Why the liberal struggle for a better world will fail. Part 1 of 6

 

One of my favorite science fiction TV shows was called Firefly. Imagine a high tech cowboy show set in the future without the Indians, although there were recognizable challenges and bad guys to contend with. Later, a full length movie was produced to satisfy the cult following this show spawned. The movie was centered around a group of really bad guys known as the Reevers, who were out there hunting anyone and everyone.

 

These guys were feared by all, including the government and military powers trying to control the various inhabitants of the settled planets. The problem was that the Reevers had no fear of death, and no civilized structure to control their behavior, so everything was permitted without exception. They were REALLY bad guys, living only to please themselves and cause havoc across the known universe. They were genuinely scary!

 

A more popular science fiction TV show called Star Trek introduced another scary group called the Borg. Initially they too were unstoppable and feared by almost everyone, but they operated in a very strict organizational structure. The Borg functioned as a collective, controlling behavior by suppressing individual thought and action. They considered “resistance to be futile” and everything was accomplished for the good of the collective.

 

Today, in the United States we seem to be caught in a similar struggle for limits. On the one hand we have groups (like the Borg) that want to limit choice by creating more control over the people, enforcing group behavior standards. Their push for public surveillance, secret courts, and subtle “adjustments” regarding the freedom of speech and privacy (among others) are moving us towards absolute control. We also have groups (like the Reevers) that want to remove the limits on choice and control of the people, permitting any and all behavior standards. Their push for acceptance of gay marriage, drugs, abortion, and unrestrained forms of behavior (among others) are moving us towards absolute chaos.