Real World Utopia Comes at a Terrible Price: Freedom
This is a little different from what I am known for. Actually, it’s very different.
Last night, I watched the latest two episodes of the Hulu original series, “Handmaid’s Tale.” The series is based on a book written and released back in 1985. It is classified as a utopian and Dystopian work of fiction.
First you must understand by whom the work of fiction was written. Funny enough, it’s a work of fiction about the United States of America written by a Canadian woman by the name of Margaret Atwood. The setting of the novel? Well, the setting in right smack in the middle of the cradle of American freedom, the recognized birthplace of the USA. It is set in New England – Boston to be exact. Yes, Boston.
How can it be both utopian and dystopian at the same time? Yea, I asked myself that question too. But then I remembered a line by one of the main characters. The point was made loud and clear.
The line was made after the main character, the Handmaid, asked a question in response to being told, “We are making it better.” She asked, “Better for everyone?”
The answer actually stunned me to my core. “Better for everyone always means worse for some.”
Now, in a utopian society, would I be wrong in believing that it should be better for EVERYONE? I don’t think I would be wrong in thinking that. However, there is a problem with utopia. It doesn’t exist. It never has, and it never will, at least not by human standards and by human hands.
You see, utopia comes at a terrible price. It comes at the price of freedom. It comes at the price of individual choice. It comes at a price of many human lives. It comes at an unbelievably terrible and heavy price.
This is why the book is also classified as dystopian. You see, utopia doesn’t exist and cannot exist. So, therefore, it has to be dystopian.
Why is this important to know? Because we have a political and social class that believes we can reach utopia. They believe we can have a utopian society. If only we let them run everything. If only we put them all in charge. If only we would fully and totally trust them.
They believe Ronald Reagan was wrong when he said, “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” No truer words have ever been uttered by a human being on this planet.
This was more than a warning issued by President Reagan. It was a true vision of the future – the future which is now the present.
We are now living in a day when we have a growing number of Americans that actually believe the lie that the government is here to help. In fact, too many Americans now believe that only the government can help.
The reality is that government probably caused the problems that everyday Americans face on a daily basis. The reality is that government broke many of our institutions and traditions simply because they believed they knew better. The reality is that our government today actually thinks that it has the answers to just about every single problem we have, if only we would let government take over and control our everyday life so they can fix those problems.
The reality also is that if we do that, we will be enslaved by our government. We will lose our freedom. We will lose our ability to choose. We will have the choice to live or to die. To live, you must bow down before the government elite and pledge your undying loyalty and obedience. If you don’t do so, then you choose to die.
There will be no other choice available, except one.
Fight.
Fight for freedom.
Fight for your right to choose what kind of life you want.
Fight for your God given right to exist on your terms.
Fight. Capitulate. Die.
In a utopian society, those are the only choices you have.
In a “Handmaid’s Tale,” those are the only choices available to them.
It’s funny how art imitates life, or is it life imitating art?
You choose.
My state, the great state of New Hampshire, we have a very simple four word motto: “Live Free or Die.”
Notice the word capitulate is not there.
Now you know what I choose.
How about you?
http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/rod-eccles/real-world-utopia-comes-terrible-price-freedom
Last night, I watched the latest two episodes of the Hulu original series, “Handmaid’s Tale.” The series is based on a book written and released back in 1985. It is classified as a utopian and Dystopian work of fiction.
First you must understand by whom the work of fiction was written. Funny enough, it’s a work of fiction about the United States of America written by a Canadian woman by the name of Margaret Atwood. The setting of the novel? Well, the setting in right smack in the middle of the cradle of American freedom, the recognized birthplace of the USA. It is set in New England – Boston to be exact. Yes, Boston.
How can it be both utopian and dystopian at the same time? Yea, I asked myself that question too. But then I remembered a line by one of the main characters. The point was made loud and clear.
The line was made after the main character, the Handmaid, asked a question in response to being told, “We are making it better.” She asked, “Better for everyone?”
The answer actually stunned me to my core. “Better for everyone always means worse for some.”
Now, in a utopian society, would I be wrong in believing that it should be better for EVERYONE? I don’t think I would be wrong in thinking that. However, there is a problem with utopia. It doesn’t exist. It never has, and it never will, at least not by human standards and by human hands.
You see, utopia comes at a terrible price. It comes at the price of freedom. It comes at the price of individual choice. It comes at a price of many human lives. It comes at an unbelievably terrible and heavy price.
This is why the book is also classified as dystopian. You see, utopia doesn’t exist and cannot exist. So, therefore, it has to be dystopian.
Why is this important to know? Because we have a political and social class that believes we can reach utopia. They believe we can have a utopian society. If only we let them run everything. If only we put them all in charge. If only we would fully and totally trust them.
They believe Ronald Reagan was wrong when he said, “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” No truer words have ever been uttered by a human being on this planet.
This was more than a warning issued by President Reagan. It was a true vision of the future – the future which is now the present.
We are now living in a day when we have a growing number of Americans that actually believe the lie that the government is here to help. In fact, too many Americans now believe that only the government can help.
The reality is that government probably caused the problems that everyday Americans face on a daily basis. The reality is that government broke many of our institutions and traditions simply because they believed they knew better. The reality is that our government today actually thinks that it has the answers to just about every single problem we have, if only we would let government take over and control our everyday life so they can fix those problems.
The reality also is that if we do that, we will be enslaved by our government. We will lose our freedom. We will lose our ability to choose. We will have the choice to live or to die. To live, you must bow down before the government elite and pledge your undying loyalty and obedience. If you don’t do so, then you choose to die.
There will be no other choice available, except one.
Fight.
Fight for freedom.
Fight for your right to choose what kind of life you want.
Fight for your God given right to exist on your terms.
Fight. Capitulate. Die.
In a utopian society, those are the only choices you have.
In a “Handmaid’s Tale,” those are the only choices available to them.
It’s funny how art imitates life, or is it life imitating art?
You choose.
My state, the great state of New Hampshire, we have a very simple four word motto: “Live Free or Die.”
Notice the word capitulate is not there.
Now you know what I choose.
How about you?
http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/rod-eccles/real-world-utopia-comes-terrible-price-freedom
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The Handmaid's Tale has nothing to do with utopia, it is what is known as a dystopian novel. I do believe the author needs to get a dictionary and learn the difference in words.
What's dystopian to normal middle flyover America is utopia to the progressive left.
While I have a gut feeling that you are correct about the beliefs of flyover country, it still doesn't make them correct. Nor is the lefts belief that a conservative utopia is dystopian.
Perhaps what needs to happen (what does need to happen) is for someone from both sides to step up and have an actual open discussion about how to get from where we are to freedom for everyone to be who they are.
I believe the TV series starts on FX in July (saw an ad for it last night).
The handmaid's tale is the Religious and Republican playbook for how they wish America to be set up. They've been successful in normalizing pussy grabbing. They dismiss it with the promise of making America great again.
Thank you Hugh Hefner for normalizing my favorite pastime.
He's not the President Dean. Geesh - smartass.
No, it's a mindless left wing drivel about what idiot progressives imagine conservatives would do. It has zero basis in reality
It has every relevance X. The conservatives are the ones trying to throw us back to the era where women couldn't vote, couldn't make decisions and were expected to stay at home and cater to their husbands. Conservatives are the ones who have been caught time and time again in extra marital affairs after claiming they are holier than thou and pretend to be so religious and believe in the sanctity of marriage. It's all bologna for the purpose of gaining power. Republicans have become evil. They represent everything that America has historically stood against.
Simply ridiculous.
Well that's a response worthy of Cerenkov's approval. You can do better than that X.
Your comment got exactly the response it deserved, nothing more, nothing less.
And so ends Civil Discourse X.
An assertion does not prove the point. All you have done with your reply is allow dismissal of your seeds by those you accuse of dismissing your seeds. It makes you appear to be one of those who says, "Do as I say, not as I do." Something I doubt you would teach children.
There is no possible civil response to loons who believe conservatives want to enslave women or other manufactured outrages.
Where is there anything that would be a basis for a civil conversation in PJ's angry screed against evil conservatives? When one says I'm evil and intent on destroying the world as they know it, what more is there to say to them?
All roads to Utopia lead to Dystopia.
Exactly right.