- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
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Does capitalism remind you of a laboratory?
This Asimov-oriented capitalism-vignette was inspired by the film Air America, and since it's political chatter, I didn't feel comfy posting it in the Writing section of USMB, but I hope you like it!
Cheers,
====
A diabolical Machiavellian A.I. robot named Cyclonus landed on Earth and wanted to talk to a human magician about humanity's appreciation of capitalism theory. Cyclonus believed a human magician would have a fine understanding of the contours of illusions and theater representative of the 'stage' of consumerism where toys become commodities. Cyclonus found a clever magician named Mandrake and explained he was an alien-robot from Cybertron who studied the war-like entities known as Scourge and Bane but wanted to study capitalism in human civilization (on Earth!) instead. Mandrake was shocked, being a humble stage-performer from Virginia but felt compelled to discuss capitalism-values with Cyclonus.
MANDRAKE: You analyze humanity, but you should be on Cybertron studying Scourge/Bane.
CYCLONUS: I’m not interested in Scourge/Bane! They’re merely poets.
MANDRAKE: Check out Squirrel-Girl art (Marvel Comics).
CYCLONUS: This Squirrel-Girl art signifies some naturalism poetry…yet humans pollute!
MANDRAKE: Well, Squirrel-Girl reminds humans (on Earth!) of expressions of purity.
CYCLONUS: Is it enough to pontificate on purity while sullying the Earth with acid rain?
MANDRAKE: That’s the soul-question --- is propaganda equivalent to meditation or denial?
CYCLONUS: Psychologists say propaganda may not be beneficial and hence a form of denial.
MANDRAKE: Yet propaganda (by definition) is a ‘portrait’ of mob psychology…
CYCLONUS: Are you Captain America or something? You defend the sea of ghouls?
MANDRAKE: I believe in federalism structures, since they praise the dignity of labor.
CYCLONUS: Pygmies work for 20 years so they can rest from work for 50 years/retire.
MANDRAKE: It’s the dignity of labor that makes retiring so symbolic of human meditation.
CYCLONUS: I’d like to see President Trump make a tweet about the middle-class!
MANDRAKE: In American capitalism/consumerism, everyone loves Burger King.
CYCLONUS: Perhaps this brand of ‘convenience-commerce’ can promote mass spirit.
Mandrake realized he had managed to persuade Cyclonus that capitalism-civilization on Earth (e.g., 'TrumpUSA') offered many lifestyle frills and consumerism-oriented 'mild-propaganda' (e.g., Air Jordan sneakers) that reminded Americans of the basic joys of commerce. However, Mandrake thought seriously about Cyclonus's acerbic comment that humans celebrate Squirrel-Girl (Marvel Comics) art/toys but continue to sully the Earth with manmade pollution. Mandrake wondered what notions Cyclonus would take back to Cybertron with him regarding his overall conclusion of mankind's view of self-organizing governance-sanity (under the umbrella of commerce/capitalism).
Mandrake decided to write a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump the next day: "Dear Mr. President --- Last night, I had a dream while sleeping in which I was visited by the spectre of an alien-robot named Cyclonus who demanded to know what I thought (seriously) about the fruits of capitalism in modern-day human civilization (i.e., 'TrumpUSA'). I explained to Cyclonus that I believed the 'sea of commerce' created strange/surprising forms of imagination and folklore (e.g., Oliver Stone's Wall Street) and that sometimes consumerism itself could forge paths to discourse. Am I simply daydreaming, or is TrumpUSA capitalism worth all this 'engineering'?"
CYCLONUS: "It is my conclusion that capitalism-civilization on Earth is one of profiteerism, expediency, networking, communications, and negotiation. TrumpUSA seems to be a beacon for the development of commercial contracts between nations and groups and echoes a general human interest in using trade to construct forms of peace. It seems that humanity would wage serious wars just to secure Wall Street. I wonder therefore if capitalism (at least on Earth) is some 'tentacle' of vanity!"
Mandrake the humble but ingenious magician from Virginia (USA) felt proud he was the human diplomat to the alien-contact with the A.I. robot Cyclonus (from planet Cybertron). Mandrake was also happy he wrote that capitalism-meditation letter to the White House about 'TrumpUSA ethos.' Mandrake wondered if Cyclonus would ever return to Earth but felt giddy in the momentary conclusion that capitalism theory requires merely some 'ideology' to justify it as a complete (if not completely spiritual!) system of 'behavioral surgery.'
THE END
====
This Asimov-oriented capitalism-vignette was inspired by the film Air America, and since it's political chatter, I didn't feel comfy posting it in the Writing section of USMB, but I hope you like it!
Cheers,
====
A diabolical Machiavellian A.I. robot named Cyclonus landed on Earth and wanted to talk to a human magician about humanity's appreciation of capitalism theory. Cyclonus believed a human magician would have a fine understanding of the contours of illusions and theater representative of the 'stage' of consumerism where toys become commodities. Cyclonus found a clever magician named Mandrake and explained he was an alien-robot from Cybertron who studied the war-like entities known as Scourge and Bane but wanted to study capitalism in human civilization (on Earth!) instead. Mandrake was shocked, being a humble stage-performer from Virginia but felt compelled to discuss capitalism-values with Cyclonus.
MANDRAKE: You analyze humanity, but you should be on Cybertron studying Scourge/Bane.
CYCLONUS: I’m not interested in Scourge/Bane! They’re merely poets.
MANDRAKE: Check out Squirrel-Girl art (Marvel Comics).
CYCLONUS: This Squirrel-Girl art signifies some naturalism poetry…yet humans pollute!
MANDRAKE: Well, Squirrel-Girl reminds humans (on Earth!) of expressions of purity.
CYCLONUS: Is it enough to pontificate on purity while sullying the Earth with acid rain?
MANDRAKE: That’s the soul-question --- is propaganda equivalent to meditation or denial?
CYCLONUS: Psychologists say propaganda may not be beneficial and hence a form of denial.
MANDRAKE: Yet propaganda (by definition) is a ‘portrait’ of mob psychology…
CYCLONUS: Are you Captain America or something? You defend the sea of ghouls?
MANDRAKE: I believe in federalism structures, since they praise the dignity of labor.
CYCLONUS: Pygmies work for 20 years so they can rest from work for 50 years/retire.
MANDRAKE: It’s the dignity of labor that makes retiring so symbolic of human meditation.
CYCLONUS: I’d like to see President Trump make a tweet about the middle-class!
MANDRAKE: In American capitalism/consumerism, everyone loves Burger King.
CYCLONUS: Perhaps this brand of ‘convenience-commerce’ can promote mass spirit.
Mandrake realized he had managed to persuade Cyclonus that capitalism-civilization on Earth (e.g., 'TrumpUSA') offered many lifestyle frills and consumerism-oriented 'mild-propaganda' (e.g., Air Jordan sneakers) that reminded Americans of the basic joys of commerce. However, Mandrake thought seriously about Cyclonus's acerbic comment that humans celebrate Squirrel-Girl (Marvel Comics) art/toys but continue to sully the Earth with manmade pollution. Mandrake wondered what notions Cyclonus would take back to Cybertron with him regarding his overall conclusion of mankind's view of self-organizing governance-sanity (under the umbrella of commerce/capitalism).
Mandrake decided to write a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump the next day: "Dear Mr. President --- Last night, I had a dream while sleeping in which I was visited by the spectre of an alien-robot named Cyclonus who demanded to know what I thought (seriously) about the fruits of capitalism in modern-day human civilization (i.e., 'TrumpUSA'). I explained to Cyclonus that I believed the 'sea of commerce' created strange/surprising forms of imagination and folklore (e.g., Oliver Stone's Wall Street) and that sometimes consumerism itself could forge paths to discourse. Am I simply daydreaming, or is TrumpUSA capitalism worth all this 'engineering'?"
CYCLONUS: "It is my conclusion that capitalism-civilization on Earth is one of profiteerism, expediency, networking, communications, and negotiation. TrumpUSA seems to be a beacon for the development of commercial contracts between nations and groups and echoes a general human interest in using trade to construct forms of peace. It seems that humanity would wage serious wars just to secure Wall Street. I wonder therefore if capitalism (at least on Earth) is some 'tentacle' of vanity!"
Mandrake the humble but ingenious magician from Virginia (USA) felt proud he was the human diplomat to the alien-contact with the A.I. robot Cyclonus (from planet Cybertron). Mandrake was also happy he wrote that capitalism-meditation letter to the White House about 'TrumpUSA ethos.' Mandrake wondered if Cyclonus would ever return to Earth but felt giddy in the momentary conclusion that capitalism theory requires merely some 'ideology' to justify it as a complete (if not completely spiritual!) system of 'behavioral surgery.'
THE END
====
