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Previously on Fifty50 --- last night, to be precise --- I compared the decay of our democratic and business institutions (not to mention church congregations) to what happens when a parasite thrives without any natural regulation and ultimately kills its host (and, a bit later, itself). But I'm not a biologist, so my parasitism similes may lack a certain technical "oomph" when critically examined. And with regard to the aforementioned post, there's a certain awkward mixing of parasitism similes and engineering metaphors. (That's one reason I write an E-list blog instead of textbooks.)A favorite Big Hussein Otis metaphor for our current epoch is the 1960 George Pal film version of The Time Machine, portraying a future in which the hideous, animalistic Morlock society lures the passive, survival-challenged Eloi population to its underground fortress for the slaughter. [Editor's note: social metaphors aside, this is an awesome family film that every household should own, and is perfect for playfully scaring shit out of any 7-year-old who hasn't been raised on slasher movies.] I agree with BHO's assessment.
The Morlocks are an interesting crew. In a sense they're an apex predator, but they employ what might be viewed as a parasitic ranching strategy. (Again, caveat emptor with regard to my incomplete understanding of natural systems; Fifty50's technical monitors may feel free to help with refinement and nuance.) I say "parasitic ranching" because, if memory of the movie serves, the Morlocks provided no inputs to the Eloi flock --- no management was involved --- but simply exploited the atavistic Eloi response to civil defense sirens. So the Morlocks might think they're the smartest guys in the room, and they probably are. But someone with a more sophisticated perspective, who incidentally is not in the room, can quickly grasp that the Morlocks do not have a sustainable "business model" for at least two reasons. First, lacking any stewardship of their food supply, the Morlocks are certain to exhaust the herd and consequently starve themselves to extinction. Second, it may be possible for the herd to organically develop a resistance to the parasite --- that is, adapt.
I wonder what would happen to our latter-day Morlocks if the Gulf Coast Eloi were to come under the influence of a 21st century Huey Long.
Another editor's note: the publicity photo of Eloi Yvette Mimieux and her Morlock captor, for The Time Machine (1960), is reproduced as fair use for purposes of literary criticism and social commentary. Thank you for your attention to this matter.)
well, Big Otis must comment on this but the first time he tried some blogspot hole swallowed up a well-written post. Now all that's left is a poor-written one.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I'm wondering if that Morlock likes his Weena with mustard.
Second, in the original book (HG Wells from the 1890s) they made it clear the Eloi always found delicious, healthy meals prepared and served for them every day. They had no idea who or what did that. Presumably the Morlocks, but they never showed it or talked about it. Hard to say how dirty, subterranean, albino apes could pull off such a splendid catering service day after day. Presumably some of the Morlocks were French.
It was pretty much ranching but with no long-term environmental thought. Much like Reaganonics, except in the underground Morlocks case, trickle-up.
In the book, after escaping the Morlock time the traveler moves forward and takes another look further in the future. There he sees the end of life on earth. The Morlocks (like our corporations) were "bad" parasites-- the kind that ensure their own destruction. Evolutionary short circuits. Monsters with no future.
Mankind with no future...Hmm.
ReplyDeleteAnd he took 3 books with which to found a radically new cultural direction. As you might recall "Wilbur Post" (who in another space time continuum talked to horses) wondered just what they were. Dollars to donuts NOT included were: "Atlas Shrugged", "Mein Kompf", or "Naked Lunch".
ReplyDeleteFor shits'n'grins one could start a poll as to which single books would lead to parasitic (P) or Non-parasitic (NP) cultures. The truth would most likely have considerably more nuance and gradations.
To start things off:
1. Brothers Karamazov?
2. Green Eggs n Ham (Sam I Am)?
3. Slaughter House Five?
Shumpeter Schleeman Van de Roe
BO: yellow mustard, broccoli sprouts, and kosher dill pickles plus a can o' Slits.
ReplyDelete59er: fair question as to what I ultimately mean with essays like the present one. I'd actually planned to address that issue soon. But basically I mean that nonlinear change is unpredictable and highly scary to all caught up in it. But I don't mean to imply that I think we're all doomed. Plenty are, though.
SSVdR: Wilbur Post --- hahaha! I have the disc but have been saving it. Maybe I'll spin the ring this weekend. I'd prefer to call the alternate cultures either predominantly cooperative or predominantly competitive. So which three talking rings might serve as core texts for a civilization with the optimal mix (dynamic over time as needed). I'll bet I could find all three in the oeuvre of Dr. Seuss, as you hint.
There might be another apt analogy that is a little more optimistic. Based on the view of earth as Gaia, a living organism, the late Lewis Thomas wrote some great essays tying that view to his lifelong work as a cancer physician.
ReplyDeleteRather than these corporations (and political entities) being outside parasites maybe they are more like rogue cells-- cancer cells. They've always been there but governments like TR's and FDR's acted as effective antibodies to keep them in check and remove the worst.
Looking at it this way the Reagan years basically allowed these cells to spread-- go malignant. Now the organism is in real peril. (That could also make one view the Reagan administration as the equivalent of AIDS)
I guess what's hopeful is that given proper environment and care and treatment malignant cancers can be overcome. Obama's election seemed to be that change. Often a treatment like radiation or chemotherapy weakens the entire host. In this case it seems to have strengthened the bad cells-- the racist (mainstreet) backlash against him and the emboldened criminal (corporate) behavior are further weakening the "patient".
So, how to restore homeostasis? Or die.