| by comrade commissar | Jeiel Aranal | @ Friday, August 06, 2004, 2:33:00 AM | permalink |
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Lively discussion here, let's try to carry the theme.
It's been argued that in a society where control is derived not from pain or suffering but by pleasure, would we anyone really have a reason to want to break free of the bondage? As p3k pointed out, in a dystopian society like in 1984, the control is blatant and apparent. But how could the cycle of control be broken if one is too content, that one does not want to break away from whatever the control because it is too pleasurable. Subaltern says that the only way one would recognize the oppression is by being an outsider, or having something special about you that can allow you to separate the truth from what is being presented in front of you. However, I think that in an untrue utopia, people will somehow feel something is wrong. I base this statement on a statement made by agent Smith in the Matrix (seriously though, do I look like Morpheus?). When he was interrogating Morpheus, Smith mentions that the first version of the Matrix was deisgned to be a utopia, a paradise. However, somehow, the inhabitants of that Matrix were still discontent and the whole system eventually broke down. From the other extreme, in the dystopia of 1984, Winston felt that there was something being denied him, a basic right, or something. He felt it in his bones. But then again, where would we get these "instincts" that something is wrong from? What if, from the very beginning, we're indoctrinated and taught to think a certain way. We'd have no other point of reference but what is taught us. Here's an interesting thought exercise. If theoretically, you could raise children completely isolated from any point of behaviour reference, could you raise them to become communists in the true sense? Not the "let's have a purge before breakfast and then maybe raze a village or two" kind of communism, but one where there is truly no leader and everything is shared. There would be no competition whatsoever. Would it be possible? Or is this need to compete, to be the best, so ingrained in ourselves that real communism is impossible for humans? If this is way too off-topic, feel free to slap me silly. I'm rambling and it's 3am. Need coffee tomorrow. |
PS: If you're commenting Anonymously please sign off with your name/nick. Thanks.
Heya, thanks for commenting on the article. Not really Thomas, but I'm the guy who wrote the above post.
I guess I need to clarify my point on the raising children in isolation kind of thing. I really didn't say very clearly what I meant by isolation.
I didn't mean for isolation to be a social or physical isolation. What I meant was for isolation from the influences of society as it is now.
This theoretical experiment would be to take a group of babies and raise them up without them having any other point of reference for how they should behave other than that taught to them, which would be the true ideals of communism.
Although come to think of it, they cannot be totally isolated from influences of todays society. After all, who would take care of them? They would be adults who are already "poisoned" by influences of society.
- by comrade 
Jeiel Aranal @ times 2:26 AM, August 07, 2004
[delete? click on the dustbin.]
Umm. OK.. Interesting views anyways Iris. Maybe I should make the author's name for posts appear more prominent...
- by comrade Thomas @ times 4:25 PM, August 08, 2004
[delete? click on the dustbin.]
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