Archive for the ‘Anarchy Journal Constitutional’ Category

#BatmanvSuperman Scale of Darkness & Devestation Delivers

Posted: April 3, 2016 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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By @anarchyroll

Big and dark. DC Comics is about making their movie adaptations big and dark. Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice is very big for a variety of reasons. The budget to make it and the budget to advertise it can both be described as very big. The opening weekend box office numbers for the movie can be described as very big. One movie featuring two of the very biggest American pop culture icons in history which had very big expectations.

In 2005 director Christopher Nolan continued a tradition started by Frank Miller in the 1980s of putting forth a darker vision and version of iconic Batman character and franchise. A vision that got even darker with the phenomenally successful and pop culture crossover hit The Dark Knight.

In 2013 the sixth feature film in the historic Superman franchise followed in the footsteps of the darker vision and version of the character that started the golden age of comic books in 1942. Man of Steel took the Frank Miller/ Christopher Nolan archetype and applied to the comic book superhero who is the undisputed champion of squeaky clean, good guy. Change can be painful and is often met with resistance. Many people resisted the new vision/version of Superman that was presented on the big screen in Man of Steel.

After Nolan wrapped up his Dark Knight trilogy director Zack Snyder decided to follow in the footsteps of Frank Miller and Christopher Nolan by presenting a darker, grittier, more violent version of Batman on the big screen. Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice is both a direct sequel to Man of Steel and a reboot of the Batman film franchise, BOTH in the archetype of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns character archetype.

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Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice is a very big film and a very dark film. On the big screen it felt like more of a pop art multimedia piece than a summer blockbuster released in early spring. But it had far too many explosions to not be a blockbuster movie. But it still had more than enough metaphoric uses of cultural and religious iconography to make alternative, artsy types happy.

The film has multiple homages paid to The Dark Knight Returns series/ graphic novel. It has many homages to the comic book history of both characters. Something that many people criticize non Marvel Studies comic book films are prone to failing to do. It also officially launched the DC film universe following in the footsteps of Marvel.

I think because DC is following in Marvel’s footsteps, that DC should be making all of their movies using the Marvel model. DC is doing quite the opposite. They are being different. And many people don’t like different.

The DC Universe is more dark, dramatic, and edgy than the Marvel Universe (up to this point). If all Marvel movies were made like the first two Blade movies with Wesley Snipes, both cinematic universes would be more similar than different.
DC is trying to make films, Marvel is making blockbusters. There is a difference.

I would consider Batman/Superman a success. I think it succeeded on many levels. It certainly appealed to me on many levels. Many others would disagree. I found the movie to be a great combination of pop art and popcorn cinema. I thought the cinematography and especially the writing to be exceptional. I find Zack Snyder’s use of mise on scène to be on par with most of the contemporary great filmmakers.

Batman/Superman is NOT made as a product made for mass consumption. It is not trying to compete with Captain America Civil War for box office supremacy, it is trying to compete with Mad Max Fury Road and The Revenant for Oscar consideration(s).

Whether it succeeds at that is another thing. Many who have seen the movie can’t get their own cynicism or entitlement of having their personal imagination manifested on screen, out of the way to try and enjoy Batman Superman Dawn of Justice for what it literally is. Not for what it could have been or should be in the What If Ward of Imagination Land.

#AnarchyJC 200 ; #GMO Labeling

Posted: March 21, 2016 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional, Frackishima
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By @anarchyroll

Is GMO labeling important?

If it wasn’t, the companies who put GMOs in our food wouldn’t be actively and expensively trying to stop legislation mandating GMO labeling in America.

GMO labeling is the norm in 64 other countries around the world, which includes pretty much all the other industrialized ones.

There can certainly be a case made for GMOs, you know, with all the starving people in the world who don’t care if the food they get to eat is organic or GMO as long as they get to eat and not die.

But for the large percentage of the population that can think and live above the survival plain, who want to know what they are putting in their body, why all the resistance if there is nothing wrong with GMOs?

Times have changed, people literally want to know how the sausage is made these days. In the 1900s, that wasn’t the case, then again neither was equal rights for women and minorities. Times have changed.

Times have changed so much in Europe, that GMO labeling is so passé that countries are moving into the banning stage. Scotland and Germany have recently announced GMO crop bans. Meanwhile in America, we’re hoping the state of Vermont can lead the way.

Vermont? Isn’t that Bernie Sanders‘ home state? Yes, yes it is. Bernie Sanders has long been a champion of labeling GMO ingredients in food.

The resistance from GMO creators to labeling legislation tells you all you need to know about this issue. That and Monsanto is one of the largest creators of GMOs. If there is nothing to hide, why are they spending hundreds of millinos of dollars to hide? If GMOs are safe, why are Germany and Scotland banning them?

How do we or they know GMOs are safe if there are no long term studies on humans who ingest and/or are exposed to them?

And remember that in America, people just want the right to know. The battle over banning GMOs in America is a half a decade at minimum away from starting. This battle is just about the right of consumers to know if the food they are buying for themselves and their children contains GMOs.

In general, those who not only wish to suppress information from the public and spend hundreds of millions of dollars to do so, can be classified as evil and on the wrong side of history. The GMO labeling issue/debate is no different.

#Flint not being classified as Environmental Terrorism is #WhitePrivilege

Posted: March 16, 2016 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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by @anarchyroll

After being an academic term for decades, white privilege has come in the mainstream spotlight of the American lexicon in recent months.

The Black Lives Matter movement that started in 2012 after the Trayvon Martin murder and subsequent acquittal of his murderer, gained greater attention during the Ferguson and Laquan McDonald race related murder protests of the past year.

Of the many points raised during the dialogue Black Lives Matter has rightfully forced the American population to have, is white privilege.

White people, who will even engage in a conversation on this topic, naturally take the route of denial of the existence of white privilege in general and/or that white privilege has not benefited them individually. Denial is a natural stance for white people to take, because to not just acknowledge, but to understand and empathize with the concept of white privilege involves a complete paradigm shift.

And paradigm shifting is very, very, very, very hard to do. Anyone who says otherwise has never really attempted to undergo a paradigm shift. To shift paradigm is to change the deepest of deeply ingrained habits of thought, perception, and action.

I personally first became aware of white privilege during my first real romantic relationship as an adult which was with an African American woman. Spending time with her in both public and private, talking with her family and friends, and between ourselves was a very eye opening time for me.

That time along with an active meditation practice makes denying white privilege impossible for me personally. Though it is at least understandable, how millions of white people living at or below the poverty line in America, could think that white privilege either doesn’t exist, or doesn’t exist for them. After all, if they had white privilege wouldn’t they be rich?

White privilege is a macro theory. White privilege is much bigger than one white person’s or one white community’s circumstances. It is culturally structural. In America, white privilege is akin to gravity; it is there at all times whether we think about it or not. Why? Because it is white Anglo-Saxons that settled in America and purged the country of it’s indigenous population. To the victor goes the spoils. White people have been enjoying the spoils of their genocide against Native Americans for over two centuries.

The Flint Water Crisis has lead to an American city being in an official state of emergency over two months and counting. The final cost of this tragedy has been estimated at $300 billion. How much is that compared to the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

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It has come out that officials knew up to a year in advance that the citizens of Flint, Michigan were having poisonous water pumped into their pipes. They knew ahead of time and made sure to get certain people clean/safe drinking water while others were bathing and drinking toxic water? That’s criminal. At that scale, that’s terrorism.

Knowingly poisoning an entire city of people, didn’t that happen in Syria during their civil war? Lead tainted water versus a chlorine bomb, the difference is colored bubbles.

But instead of a coalition of nations going in with armies and targeted air strikes, the leaders in Flint get to testify in front of Congress in a modern day, toothless witch hunt. Public shaming means nothing compared to permanent damage done to the civilians of Flint who have long term exposure to toxic water.

The consequences and complete lack there of for the people responsible for the Flint Water Crisis is white privilege personified. They should already be in jail and should be awaiting to hear if they face a harsher punishment. But they are white and in office, so they face some negative public scrutiny and maybe a slap on the wrist down the line.

What if it came out that a group of minorities poisoned the water supply in a major American city? What would the reaction be? What consequences would they face? What actions and reactions would the public demand?

R.I.P #Hayabusa

Posted: March 14, 2016 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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by @anarchyroll

One of the greatest high flyers in the history of professional wrestling died recently.

Hayabusa (real name Eiji Ezaki) died on March 3, 2016.

People of a certain age likely first discovered Hayabusa under the name Hannibal in the Nintendo 64 video game WCW vs nWo World Tour.

Many US wrestling fans discovered Hayabusa while at in the wrestling VHS/DVD aisle at Sun Coast and/or Best Buy and reading about the wildest sounding deathmatches in the history of wrestling from the FMW promotion.

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However, most US wrestling fans were introduced to Hayabusa in one of the most entertaining tag team matches of all time, at one of the most entertaining pay per views of all time, ECW Heatwave 1998.

Hayabusa innovated the Falcon Arrow and the Phoenix Splash. Moves used regularly in the modern era by Jay Briscoe of ROH and Seth Rollins of WWE. Two men who a year ago at this time, respectively held the world titles for two of the three biggest pro wrestling promotions in the US.

Hayabusa was so far ahead of his time, that he would just in the decade be surrounded with people of his speed, style, and talent despite debuting in 1991. Hayabusa would have fit like a glove in CZW in 2003, ROH in 2005, DGUSA in 2008, PWG in 2012, and of present day Lucha Underground seems custom made for him.

The in ring tragedy that paralyzed him is nothing short of horrific. I won’t link to the video here, but you can look it up if you’re a glutton for the suffering of others. The fact that he walked again just last year was amazing and brings strong goosebumps to me now just as it did when I first read the story.

Hayabusa to me was imaginary, video game wrestling come to life. Every person I’ve ever shown that Heatwave ’98 match to always has the same look on their face when they see him, child like awe and amazement.

The man, the myth, the legend. A series of words as befitting Hayabusa as any professional athlete or entertainer in history. For a fan of my taste he is the ultimate combination of wrestlers. Cactus Jack meets Shawn Michaels. Abdullah the Butcher meets Brian Pillman. The Sandman meets Too Cold Scorpio. AJ Styles meets Abyss. Pentagon Jr meets Prince Puma.

Hayabusa was a hero, Hayabusa was an innovator, Haybusa was a legend, Hayabusa will Rest In Power.

 

#China ; Earth’s Most Populous Nation Brings The Minority Report to Life

Posted: March 14, 2016 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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by @anarchyroll

One of the most oppressive governments in the world enacting a science fiction based methods for stopping crime and terrorism…what could go wrong?

The Minority Report was an alright movie because of how fantastical the concept of solving crimes before they happen is. Fantastical in a free society at least.

Don’t let the fact that it is the largest economy in the world fool you, China is not a free society. Their communist government has their fingers in everything. In the case of the electronic data of the citizens of China, the government prefers a hand on the throat instead of a finger on the pulse.

I wonder if this attempt to stop crime and terrorism before it happens is in any way correlated with the ideological purification campaign the government has admittedly been undergoing.

Intense cultural censorship, absolutely zero digital privacy, and an authoritarian government. People in America seem paranoid that Donald Trump, a benefactor of a free market society in a democracy is going to descend the country into a racist, fascist state. Yet, the country that owns over a trillion dollars of US debt, is enacting a reality on its citizenry beyond what George Orwell could have imagined.

An authoritarian regime using data mining to predict crime before it happens seems more troubling than a real estate mogul making it halfway through a democratic election process. There is so much going on in this world it is impossible for a person to put care and effort into all the news that’s fit to print.

But let us keep the proverbial eye out as technology and power continue to intersect with each other, so we don’t one day wake up blindfolded to a materialized science fiction dystopia.

Think that a Matrix movie like dystopia is pure fantasy? What exactly does this image remind you of?

 

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