A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State Read Free Page A

everything is run by an abusive secret police. A vigilante named V dons a mask and leads a rebellion against the state. The subtext here is that authoritarian regimes through repression create their own enemies–that is, terrorists–forcing government agents and terrorists into a recurring cycle of violence. And who is caught in the middle? The citizens, of course. This film has a cult following among various underground political groups such as Anonymous, whose members wear the same Guy Fawkes mask as that worn by V
    Children of Men (2006) transports us to 2027. The world is without hope since humankind has lost its ability to procreate. Civilization has descended into chaos and is held together by a military state and a government that attempts to keep its totalitarian stronghold on the population. Most governments have collapsed, leaving Great Britain as one of the few remaining intact societies. As a result, millions of refugees seek asylum only to be rounded up and detained by the police. suicide is aviable option as a suicide kit called Quietus is promoted on billboards and on television and newspapers. But hope for a new day comes when a woman becomes inexplicably pregnant.
    A dark political satire, Land of the Blind (2006) is based on several historical incidents in which tyrannical rulers were overthrown by new leaders who proved just as evil as their predecessors. Maximilian II is a demented fascist ruler of a troubled land named Everycountry who has two main interests: tormenting his underlings and running his country's movie industry. Citizens who are perceived as questioning the state are sent to "re-education camps" where the state's concept of reality is drummed into their heads. Joe, a prison guard, is emotionally moved by the prisoner and renowned author Thorne and eventually joins a coup to remove the sadistic Maximilian, replacing him with Thorne. Soon, however, Joe becomes the target of the new government and comes to realize that the new boss is the same as the old boss.
    Much like Land of the Blind, The Hunger Games (2012) presents us with a dystopian future. Each year twenty-four young people, representing twelve districts in the nation of Panem (North America), are forced by the government to fight to the death while the nation watches on television. In this way, the Hunger Games, as they are called, provide entertainment for the masses while reminding the people that the state will tolerate no challenge to its power in the form of populist uprisings or mutiny. That all changes with the 74th Hunger Games when 16-year-old Katniss attempts the unthinkable–not only volunteering to take her younger sister's place in the Games but defying those in power at every turn. This film, and the best-selling book on which it was based, stands as a clear indictment of present-day America's fascination with reality TV and mindless entertainment, making no bones about its similarity to the Romans' use of "bread and circuses" (satiating the public's carnal appetites and entertaining them with mindless distraction) to control the masses.
    The Future and You
    These films and/or their themes portray a bleak, claustrophobic future where there is little or no freedom. However, as you wend your way through the following pages, keep in mind that although fiction is fast becoming reality, it can be altered by an active and alert citizenry. The future, so to speak, is up to you.





CHAPTER 12
    The Matrix: Where They Live

"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it."
– Morpheus, The