Comments on: Episode 47: I Can Still Remember Freedom, Part 1

By: camelsback

camelsback — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 04:25:26 +0000

Terrifyingly plausible strory and setting. I hope to catch up with the series before it becomes reality.

To follow up on iowametal’s thoughtful comments, perhaps there’s another scenario- one that not too long ago would have seemed patently absurd- probably still is (for now anyway).
What if the military and/or the Alphabets finally reached the breaking point and “dispatched” the civilian commanders responsible for years of mistreatment? Would this be more likely attempted covertly or overtly?

This might topple the current regime, but I’m less than sanguine about the democratic advantages of a military coup.

Good thing stuff like that can’t happen here.

By: iowametal76

iowametal76 — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 14:56:45 +0000

It’s funny (albeit in a very unfunny way) that so many people still have the “it couldn’t happen here” mentality. It seem pretty clear to me that a lot of it has already happened - which makes the writings of those authors that much more precient.
To stop this path we are currently on, I see a couple of different scenarios at this point. One, the mid-term elections in November. That’s going to be a huge make-or-break moment, I’m afraid. And while it certainly seems that a majority of Americans are ready for a change in “leadership” and direction, one can never be too sure that’s what will actually happen (nice work, Diebold). Plus the GOP is better at getting its base to vote, and magically getting elderly Jews and blacks (the six of them who were allowed to actually cast a vote, anyway) to vote their way.
I think what happens with the Abramoff and Wiretapping scandals could be a big factor too, in helping to shape future elections. A lot of that will unfortunately depend on the media, and whether or not Joe Citizen is fed factual information or disinformation. So we could see a power shift stemming from that, as after the Watergate scandal in the mid-70s. The trick then, of course, is finding a way to maintain that power and keep things moving in the right direction (which isn’t to the Right).
The other scenario I see becoming more and more possible is, to put it simply, a class war. If people go hungry and cold for long enough, and the disparity between the wealthy and everyone else continues to widen exponentially, then eventually, no matter much fear-based jingoistic propaganda the GOP spews forth, people will at some point exercise their actual 2nd Amendment rights and rise up. This, of course, would be horrible, and the last thing anyone would want. But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen - ask Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinnette.

By: LadyMorgain

LadyMorgain — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 22:22:46 +0000

Bradbury, Vonnegut, Orwell…you are absolutely right. I hadn’t thoughtabout it, but this is so true. So many things they wrote about came to pass. And yes, King George is leading us towards this path. What will it take to stop it? My best friend(a child of the 60’s) and I were chatting today about what it will take to stop this path we are on. Do you think that people in this country will ever get ENOUGH of this BS being spewed forth from this admin and RISE up and do something, or will we complacenly sit by and let this story come to pass. What do you think?

By: Larry the Red

Larry the Red — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:49:47 +0000

Five years ago I would have found this episodse absurd. Now it seems all too plausible. Lots of people think that this can’t happen here. To them I say, Why not? Because we’re special? Blessed? Hell, look where being blessed, as defined by GWB, Robertson, Falwell, Dobson, etc. has gotten us and where it is taking us. I, too, look forward to the rest of this episode!

By: iowametal76

iowametal76 — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:48:43 +0000

This is really wonderfully written and utterly chilling (and hopefully dead wrong [but I doubt it]).
The tone of this is very similar to that of Bradbury/Huxley/Vonnegut/Orwell, et. al. Which is scary in and of itself, as a great majority of the things they’ve written have come true in one way or another.

That being said, I must say that this story is double-plus good.

By: LadyMorgain

LadyMorgain — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 16:46:24 +0000

I don’t know when something has touched me as much as this story…this landscape into our future. And of course, even though written as fiction, the realization that under the toutalage(?), this type pf future could happen in this country. People who have turned their faces and hearts against any such belief are the very ones who continue to accept anything spewed forth by the administration. He has lain the ground work of taking away our very liberties and freedom you wrote in this story with ROberts and Alito now being on the Supreme Court.
A national religion of faith is now only so many years away. People like to say that Roe V. Wade is about a womans right to choose…oh, but dear friends, it is so much more. Roe V. Wade represents to me ALL OUR FREEDOMS and LIBERTIES . And we these men at the helm of the court and under direct instructions from King George, they will do their best to overturn it, and this will only be the begining of the rest of Democracy going out the door with the rest of the trash.
I could go on, but I won’t. I so look forward to the next episode…and know that here in Georgia sitting right here in my own house, there is also a Last Chance Cafe…hoping every day that we will not end up like this…but will somehow learn again to stand up for our selves and take control back.