Great idea! Do we get to pollute the local ecology and go totally-hands off to let the businesses exploit the workers, too? Maybe a little child labor here and there?
I'm envisioning the 21st century version of The Jungle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle. Actually in all seriousness, that could make a seriously cool sci fi/social commentary movie. Read that wikipedia article, and picture it in 2015 right on the Mexican border of the US.
I realize that there is great merit in your idea. But at the same time, there are some ugly realities to consider. The good old days of the US was built on the backs of some very ugly, pretty much unrestricted capitalism complete with destroying the environment, exploiting the heck out of workers, child labor, you name it. Your point still has merit, and I'm worried about the future of the West as well.
Smart enough to realize it's a work of fiction? I often hear college educated people claim "The Jungle" and "The Grapes of Wrath" are historical documentaries.
I used to feel that way, but not so much anymore. The difference for me is that I think reading good literature or maybe even watching a good film can help make you a better person, depending on how you define "better". Sometimes literature can bring up ethical or philosophical issues: consider how "Antigone" makes you think about the relationship between citizen and state, "Cat's Cradle" discusses the dangers of technology, or "Less Than Zero" sheds light on the alienation and social dysfunction of the wealthy suburban middle class. It's easy to think about the tragedy of child soldiers in Africa, but it wasn't until I read "Beasts Of No Nation" by Uzodinma Iweala that I realized just how horrific things really are. Reading classics like "The Odyssey" or Dante's "Inferno" will help you understand Western culture in general. Certain novels are important from a historical point of view, e.g. "The Jungle" or "Uncle Tom's Cabin." This is one of the reasons I prefer reading to most other forms of entertainment: a movie or a video game can be fun to watch or play, but beyond that, there's usually not much else there.
I'm not suggesting that people only read fiction for self-improvement or to make you better at conversation: there's nothing wrong with reading something for it's own sake. Is reading something for its own sake better than watching a movie or playing a video game for its own sake? Probably not.
Hacker Cinema
4 comments on Hacker News
Are you suggesting that government use of power is always benevolent?
Consider the enormous difficulty and expense people in Palisades have getting permits to rebuild.
Yes, I read "The Jungle". It's a work of fiction, not a documentary. So is "The Grapes of Wrath".
Great idea! Do we get to pollute the local ecology and go totally-hands off to let the businesses exploit the workers, too? Maybe a little child labor here and there?
I'm envisioning the 21st century version of The Jungle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle. Actually in all seriousness, that could make a seriously cool sci fi/social commentary movie. Read that wikipedia article, and picture it in 2015 right on the Mexican border of the US.
I realize that there is great merit in your idea. But at the same time, there are some ugly realities to consider. The good old days of the US was built on the backs of some very ugly, pretty much unrestricted capitalism complete with destroying the environment, exploiting the heck out of workers, child labor, you name it. Your point still has merit, and I'm worried about the future of the West as well.
Smart enough to realize it's a work of fiction? I often hear college educated people claim "The Jungle" and "The Grapes of Wrath" are historical documentaries.
I used to feel that way, but not so much anymore. The difference for me is that I think reading good literature or maybe even watching a good film can help make you a better person, depending on how you define "better". Sometimes literature can bring up ethical or philosophical issues: consider how "Antigone" makes you think about the relationship between citizen and state, "Cat's Cradle" discusses the dangers of technology, or "Less Than Zero" sheds light on the alienation and social dysfunction of the wealthy suburban middle class. It's easy to think about the tragedy of child soldiers in Africa, but it wasn't until I read "Beasts Of No Nation" by Uzodinma Iweala that I realized just how horrific things really are. Reading classics like "The Odyssey" or Dante's "Inferno" will help you understand Western culture in general. Certain novels are important from a historical point of view, e.g. "The Jungle" or "Uncle Tom's Cabin." This is one of the reasons I prefer reading to most other forms of entertainment: a movie or a video game can be fun to watch or play, but beyond that, there's usually not much else there.
I'm not suggesting that people only read fiction for self-improvement or to make you better at conversation: there's nothing wrong with reading something for it's own sake. Is reading something for its own sake better than watching a movie or playing a video game for its own sake? Probably not.