Demolition Man Was Not Supposed To Mirror Reality

I loved Demolition Man, didn't you? Do you remember the part where he swore at the credit finer to solve the three seashells problem he had? Didn't know how to use it so he swore enough times to get himself enough paper to wipe his bum with. Laughable, but with deeper meaning. At the time I expect this was what people thought of speech repression -- could wipe our bums with the idea.

Well if you had read my study then you would know that this is how Heterosexual Males in the 21st Century used to bond.

Recognise that quote? You probably do; plastered around almost every e-zine from here to California. The idea that heterosexual men, when displaying aggression, even in a friendly manner, are insecure. Crazy how eerily accurate this was if you read into what they say enough.

Maybe I'm being hyperbolic, I'll admit that, but I watched this a few weeks ago and boy did it feel a bit too real. We laughed at how silly it all was back then; the swearing banner, the no touching, the weakness of everyone around John Spartan, and their almost childlike unawareness to the real dangers that anyone with a gun can cause. I sort of laughed inwardly at how everything is slowly moving towards this reality. Not fully, but if we continue on the path we are going then this will be a potential outcome.

And, this film quite rightly portrays Edgar Friendly, the protagonist, apart from Wesley Snipes (who plays a great protagonist btw), as a Freedom thinker. Completely against almost everything the current civilisation stands for.

To create such a civilisation you would have to at first eradicate those that stand against you. They had already managed to ostracise this man from civilisation for not adhering to the social and Political rules (sound familiar?), their next move was to kill him. And that's why Wesley Snipes' character was pulled into the fold. To Kill Edgar Friendly.

You see, according to Cocteau's plan I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice.

~ Edgar Friendly.

Anyway, let's just say it was a bit of a shock to watch this film about 25 years later and to see a lot of elements of society in which I laughed at back then and thought were silly, which are true as day in 2021. Particularly the speech culling. You have to be careful of what you say or you will be fined in some countries. Not entirely sure where else does it but I have to be very careful of what I say in the UK. There have been instances of the Police calling people in to the station and charging them over things they have said over twitter.

Crazy.

Of course I don't blame the Police per se. I expect they have quotas now, and I also expect they have targets that are forced down their necks through by their superiors which is probably a side effect of corporate lobbying from massive companies that got butt hurt that Trump came into power.

Beforehand, you could pretty much say anything and get away with it. Now? They are coming down upon us like a massive tonne of bricks and making sure that we don't step out of line. They blame the internet and they want their patsy to get into power again. I expect in 2016, billions were lost in failed lobbying campaigns, and that's why we see the in your face control over every part of the internet.

But, like we saw in Demolition Man the pendulum will swing far to the other side again. I'm actually quite frightened at what 2024 will bring us. People saw in the United States a massive collaboration with big tech, corporate media, fortune 500's, and the people that were brainwashed enough to think that this was a good thing, to eject the last president out of his seat and put in their puppet who is more than happy to do their bidding and collect the cash-bucks for doing so (this is what establishment Politicians do).

I'm scared that the pendulum will swing way too far to the right. And, like we've seen the craziness unfold over the last four years like, "mostly peaceful riots" we may in fact see something as equally grotesque from the right side of the spectrum.

I mean I just want to make money and friends.

I wish I was as articulate as Sargon of Akkad. He explains what I'm trying to say far more eloquently. Have a watch, you may enjoy it!