WILDERNESS VOICE: Resisting “The Collective Conformity”

 

While humanity’s capacity to imagine continues to evolve and deliver dramatic breakthroughs (e.g. technology, science, medicine, education, education, religion, enterprise and laws of governance), it continues to build rather than tear down the dividing walls (e.g. color, race, faith, and socioeconomic status). Thus, humanity continues in constant conflict with itself (e.g. the us vs them, the divine destiny of the privileged vs the underrated and excluded) with little regard for environment or investments toward future generations. But let’s gamble a walk on the wild side and consider how the arts (e.g. painting, music, movies), can depict, even amplify, the often overlooked past and cast a prophetic light on future possibilities.

Remember Star Trek and its opening lines, “Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.” Doesn’t that sound like current events still pursuing early European Imperialism?  Given such far reaching popularity, it’s interesting that the series flagship got named “The Enterprise!” A weekly subliminal reminder that capitalism, or the ongoing benefits of free enterprise, relies on strengthening “The Corporations” and its ability to best manage, or monopolize trade, supply and demand. Yet, under the overall banner of “The United Federation of Planets,” like “The United Nations,” the series sought to maintain coexistence with equal representation and provisional balance for all. But do the walls get torn down?

Like current times there were antagonists best faced with compromising negotiations: The Klingons (prideful, ruthless, brutal feudalistic authoritarians relying on a system of slave labor. But bolstered by an increased sense of honor and a strict warrior code similar to the bushido and view of an afterlife similar to the Ancient Scandinavians, became  close allies with  humanity); The Romulans (having lost homeland to a supernova and its ideological commitment toward their Vulcan roots, embraced emotions to become a secretive society with formidable ruthless military potential, cunning strategies in espionage, strong  political manipulation, deep-seated cultural traditions and a sense of superiority over other species. Thus, choosing to expand their influence in the galaxy they remained an antagonist threat to The Federation; The Cardassians (depicted as a ruthless military disciplined society with hierarchical structure valuing order and control; The Ferengi (meaning "foreigners, Europeans, a constant thorn in the side of law and order, were depicted as nonviolent hyper-capitalists focused on profit and sexist social norms forbidding females to earn profit or wear clothing until granting them full socioeconomic rights meant dramatic expansion of business and investment opportunities. They occasionally hired mercenaries for private contracts but preferred applying economic pressure on their rivals until made willing to negotiate). Can you see England, America, Russia, China and Israel portrayed in the outlined saga and consider it just entertainment?

Star Trek prophetically gift wrapped current concerns in its central elements as a perspective to consider: The Continuum -  a realm existing outside of time and space serving as a narrative device to explore philosophical themes, such as the nature of existence, morality, and the consequences of absolute power; The Jester Q – one of its immortal members possessing god-like powers to manipulate reality at will for amusement, challenge, and testing humanities worthiness to exist; The Borg – an organic species seeking perfection and gradually began integrating technology into their biology to enhance their capabilities became cybernetic beings forcibly transforming individuals into drones, cyborgs linked into a hive mind called "The Collective" by injecting their bodies with nanoprobes,  replacing natural organs and limbs with cybernetic components, and spreading its juggernaut warning: “Resistance Is Futile!”

TEARING DOWN humanities existing DIVIDING WALLS while building social TECHNOLOGIC DEPENDANCE is making the pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness a FUTILE endeavor! But for a future of mutual coexistence: Resisting “The Collective Conformity” being normalized to assimilate a dystopian nation of automatons is not futile – It’s An Absolute Necessity!