this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2024
44 points (100.0% liked)

chat

8437 readers
163 users here now

Chat is a text only community for casual conversation, please keep shitposting to the absolute minimum. This is intended to be a separate space from c/chapotraphouse or the daily megathread. Chat does this by being a long-form community where topics will remain from day to day unlike the megathread, and it is distinct from c/chapotraphouse in that we ask you to engage in this community in a genuine way. Please keep shitposting, bits, and irony to a minimum.

As with all communities posts need to abide by the code of conduct, additionally moderators will remove any posts or comments deemed to be inappropriate.

Thank you and happy chatting!

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
top 13 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Esoteir@hexbear.net 22 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Horton Hears The Omelas Child But Seriously Considers The Utilitarian Ethics As A Worthwhile Moral Thought Experiment Because He Lacks The Context To Consider The Obvious Social Democracy Metaphor Behind The Concept Of The Omelas Child Because He Grew Up In Liberalism Without Seriously Considering Or Critiquing The System He Is Immersed In

[–] Dessa@hexbear.net 15 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Must be an isekai with that title

[–] KimJongFun@hexbear.net 9 points 6 months ago

Dr Seuss isekai would go hard as fuck

[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 16 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It bothers me that people overlook that the Omelas story is primarily about the reader of the story. The inability of the reader to be able to comfortably dream about a proper utopia without skepticism. Those who leave are a metaphor for readers who dare to dream unbothered by the cynicism of the world.

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 7 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Maybe I need to reread but I always saw those who left as being pretty LIB, walking away from the problem and pretending it ends at the border. As if being in the next town, or even across the globe, exempt you from the benefits.

the ones who walk away are abdicating their responsibility to VOTE for the lesser evil

[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

The subject of the story is YOU, the reader. The story directly addresses you. It talks about how you cannot accept a pure utopia. It criticizes you. It then constructs an awful truth that must lie at the heart of this society in order to make it function so that you may accept it. The people that walk away are better than you. They are others like you except they are unable to accept this. They will not settle for this. They will find a better utopia. They do not need a dark secret in their dream society.

LeGuin's politics are very communistic. She's not writing about liberals and is much more clever and subtle than you give her credit for.

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 2 points 6 months ago

Yeah, I'm one of the LIBs I'm referring to.

[–] spectre@hexbear.net 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I think the idea is that the benefits do end at the border, but it's all open to interpretation. They would prefer to reject the benefits of the utopia rather than live with the understanding of what it costs. One could argue that they could/should take some sort of action, but I don't find it so obvious.

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 1 points 6 months ago

Eh, I just reread it and still pretty much hold that view. She talks about people from up and down the coast coming to the festival. Plus, it's LeGuin, and she's no stranger to politics. The child could easily be the marginalized, the global South, etc, etc. Unless they're going into the mountains to start a protracted people's war, I'm still seeing them as LIB

[–] blame@hexbear.net 11 points 6 months ago

Whomstville*

[–] Dolores@hexbear.net 10 points 6 months ago
[–] Tomboymoder@hexbear.net 10 points 6 months ago

like in the Jim Carrey version?