Hunger Games: Eat the Rich

I've always had a connection with my now 22 year old step daughter, be it movies, books, just general disdain for certain things, we are (or used to be) very compatible.  
So the Hunger Games. . .She has read them three times now and out of all the people I have had the conversation with, about how I didn't like them, she was the one person who gave me a great argument.  Stephanie, this is for you!


While I still find it extremely difficult to get passed the fact that the book depicts children being slaughtered for sport, I failed to mention in my last review/blog the government control and how, while being 74 years into the future, could be something that has already begun. . .


Today versus Hunger Games

• Hunger Games: food control: Residents are given an allotment of food, even if you have to kill it to eat it, if it's more than what you're given you will pay, perhaps with your life.

• Today: Shop Rite can can sale, limit 1 per customer (it's already begun!)

•Hunger Games: land control: Each district is fenced off with electric fencing, and known for something that it provides to the government - coal, rice, grain, cotton, cattle. . .

• Today: Anyone ever hear of property tax?  So in the Hunger Games the government is taking their payoff out in trade.  How is this different today?

• Hunger Games: media control: All media is a staged theatrical event, completely fabricated by the government to serve the interests of the government itself.

• Today: All media is a staged theatrical event, completely fabricated by the government to serve the interests of the government itself.  On this we are equal, however clearly the writer of the Hunger Games is a non-profit and has done nothing to sensationalize the main stream success of these books through any type of media. <cough>   Dirty Laundry: Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down! 

• Hunger Games: technology control: It's 74 years into the future, we can't compete with hover crafts, 3D weapons. . .

• Today: Seriously?  74 years from now could be our tomorrow when it comes to technology (writer may not be that savvy in this regard, consider this a fail)

• Hunger Games: control of DNA?: Residents of the districts are identified through the taking of DNA blood samples. The government stores their DNA in a database in order to track and identify individuals.

• Today: Yes.

• Hunger Games: Control over life: The government seems to be amused by expressing heartless power over the masses.

• Today: Watergate, Wall Street crash (pick one), government bail out, occupy wall street, abortion rights, war, war, war. . .

How long before we see even more of 'the games' in our own day to day?

We Didn't Start the Fire!!