Political enemies are being targeted, we hear talk of euthanasia of the elderly and infirm, our civil rights are being trampled; and we hear suggestions that humans should consider a diet of bugs in order to "save the planet."
It’s almost as though we’re heading toward that dark, dystopian society depicted in yesterday’s movies right now, making us wonder if today’s political leaders are using those films as "how to" manuals.
Here’s Newsmax’s list of the best 10 films depicting a dystopian future of all time, listed in alphabetical order, and how they may relate to today.
"12 Monkeys" (1995)
James Cole (Bruce Willis) is recruited for a mission that will send him from the the present day 2030s back to the 1990s. Once there, his orders are to gather information about an emerging virus that's about to become a global pandemic. If left unchecked, exterminate most of the world's population.
Sound familiar? He may want to check the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Cole soon discovers that time travel isn’t the exact science it’s cracked up to be, and except from the manic Jeffrey (Brad Pitt)he gets little assistance.
"Blade Runner" (1982)
Deckard (Harrison Ford) is forced into returning to his old job as hunter of Replicants — manufactured humans indistinguishable from the real McCoy. He’s assigned to find and eliminate six Replicants who escaped from the colonies and have returned to Earth. At the same time they’re looking for him.
"Blade Runner" was set in the “future” of 2019 and could be arguably based on a moral dilemma: If humans are capable of creating human life, don’t they have an obligation to preserve it and give it rights?
"Children of Men" (2006)
It’s the year 2027 and the human race is becoming extinct due to female infertility. The last child born has just died at age 18, and a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) is the unlikely champion in the fight for the survival of mankind. He’s called upon to protect the planet's last remaining hope for survival — the miracle of a young pregnant woman.
Today there are reports that the experimental COVID vaccines may result in significant reductions in sperm count.
"A Clockwork Orange" (1971)
In a dark, dystopian England, Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his three "Droogs" spend nights getting high at a milk-bar before engaging in "a little of the old ultra-violence." When Alex is eventually imprisoned for bludgeoning a woman to death, he agrees to take a behavior modification drug in return for his freedom. Because of his new inability to harm others, the predator becomes the prey of his old victims.
The unbridled violence depicted in the film has been replicated in many large Democratic-controlled cities in the United States.
"Fahrenheit 451" (1966)
This depicts a future society where the fire department’s function has changed from extinguishing fires to setting them — mainly of books now that all reading material has been completely banned. The title is based on the temperature at which paper burns. A fireman begins to re-examine his work when he meets a book-loving girl who introduces him to the magic of literature.
We’ve seen our own version of "book burning" here with classics such as "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," and even Dr. Seuss are removed from school libraries.
"Gattaca"(1997)
Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is prevented from fulfilling his dream of exploring the heavens as an astronaut because of his DNA — his status as a genetically inferior "in-valid." To give it a try despite his genes, he purchases the genes of a laboratory-engineered "valid" and joins the Gattaca space program. An investigation into the death of a Gattaca officer complicates Vincent's plans.
One would think that status based upon genes would be a thing of the past in 21st century America — but it isn’t. Under a new contract, white Minnesota teachers will be laid off first, and a Greenwich, Connecticut assistant principal was busted for saying he wouldn’t hire Catholics.
"Logan’s Run" (1976)
In the year 2274, young residents enjoy an idyllic, hedonistic lifestyle within a domed city, and are told that when they attain their 30th birthday, they’re reincarnated to begin this lifestyle all over. They’re actually executed, and those who know the truth become "runners" who flee to a hidden sanctuary.
Apart from the fact that a life of hedonism is one without meaning, every few years a health official will suggest euthanasia as a method of saving millions in healthcare costs.
"Nineteen Eighty-Four" (Released in 1984)
Adapted from the George Orwell classic, this film depicts Winston Smith, a lowly bureaucrat working in the government’s Ministry of Truth. He summons up the courage to write down his innermost thoughts and desires in his little secret diary, which is illegal in a society where every thought, every word, every act is closely monitored, and "Big Brother is watching" your every move.
The Party’s (and by extension the government’s) three slogans are "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," "Ignorance is Strength" This was called "Newspeak."
In President Joe Biden’s America you might add "Recession is Growth," "Incompetence is Excellence," "Defeat is Victory." We can call it "BidenSpeak."
"Soylent Green" (1973)
In an overpopulated New York City where hunger is the norm, city detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) investigates the murder of an executive at Soylent Corporation, the manufacturer of the population’s primary foodstuff — Soylent Green. He enlists the help of an elderly academic, Solomon "Sol" Roth (Edward G. Robinson in his last film), and begins to make headway. Then the governor an calls for an end to the investigation. Thorn continues digging into the murder on his own and makes a startling discovery — Soylent Green is made from people.
"Soylent Green" takes place in 2022. Today we’re expecting global food shortages in the coming months and years due, in part, to war in Ukraine, but also by government-enforced restrictions on farming and ranching in order to address "climate change."
To meet the challenge, bugs and insects have been suggested as a new protein source. And to come full circle, The New York Times recently suggested the time for cannibalism may have arrived. Pass the ketchup.
"The Trial" (1962)
Without warning, police inform unassuming bureaucrat Josef K. (Anthony Perkins) that he's under an "open arrest" warrant. He can’t fathom what crime he may have committed, so he consults his neighbor, the courts, then a lawyer (Orson Welles), with no result. Eventually, Joseph is sentenced to death — but never learns the actual crime he was charged with.
Sounds like something coming from a Franz Kafka novel. But most recently the FBI raided the home of a former U.S. president on what is arguably an "open" or "general" search warrant (which is illegal), and scores of Jan. 6 defendants were held for months on end without bail or a hearing for what essentially amounts to trespassing.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter. Read Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
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