Miranda...

So I watched Serenity last night and it struck me just how freaking awesome this movie is.

I had seen it before but because of various reasons it did not stick with me any more than it just being a really good Science Fiction flick. Now granted that would be reason enough for any SCIFI geek like me to extol all about it but a few things struck me last night as I watched it that I did not notice before.

First off I loved the imagery of the people of Miranda just laying down and dying because the government had essentially taken away there reason for life. In case you have never seen the movie the Alliance, which is the governing body in the future in which Serenity is set, set up a colony planet called Miranda, on which they introduced a drug into the atmosphere processors that made most of the population no longer want to fight, and as a result they also lost all ambition for the future and died. For better or worse we as human beings thrive on conflict. Whether it be sporting events, a good healthy debate, or war, conflict gives us a reason to better ourselves and think outside of the box. Don't believe me just ask any parent what the most gratifying experience of their life is. In probably 99.9% of cases they will tell you that raising their kids takes the top spot. Now ask them what the most trying experience has been. Not surprisingly they again will tell you it has been raising there kids.

Why is this? Well it goes to the idea that we as humans feel the need to be accomplished. There are few things in this world better than the feeling of accomplishment. There is an old saying that nothing worthwhile comes easily. It takes the proverbial blood, sweat and tears, to get anything worth getting.

Next it struck me as interesting the parallels of this incident in a fictional universe and things that are going on here in ours. We now live in a society that for the most part does not want us to do for ourselves. Instead it tells us that we are entitled to anything we want regardless of whether or not we have earned it. But the curious thing is that the place that I like to call the real world does not work that way. It never has and it never will. The real world still holds to the basic principles of hard work, and entitlement because of that hard work. But we have a government that is working hard to make us all believe that we don't need to. We are entitled to happiness and riches just because. The reason they want us to believe this is because it takes the power out of our hands as a people and puts it in theirs. In other words they want us docile because we will be easier to control.

So what can we do to stop this. Well in the words of Malcolm Reynolds, the greatest space pirate to come along since Han "the man" Solo, "I aim to misbehave." It is only through thinking for ourselves and doing for ourselves that we can stem the tide of entitlement that is crushing this country. The last time I looked we still lived in a society that lets us follow our own beliefs and desires. If your beliefs advocate entitlement over empowerment then continue to follow the "party line" that our government wants you to follow. But if you are like me and believe that "Nothing worthwhile comes easy." than teach to your children, preach it to your friends, and above all else never stop believing that you are right.

Well thats it for this rant. Sorry if it was a little long winded.

Til we meet again,

Paul

P.S. River Tam kicks ass!