Food for Thought Police

E103: Brave New World Series, Chapter 2

January 30, 2020 12:15 - 23 minutes - 13.3 MB

This is our episode on chapter 2 of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. We continue the tour of the hatchery and conditioning center, and we see the orientation of education in Brave New World: to keep the gyroscopic stability of a consumption-oriented society going. Interesting insight: moral education must be instinctual. The post E103: Brave New World Series, Chapter 2 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E102: Brave New World Series, Chapter 1

January 22, 2020 09:08 - 29 minutes - 16.8 MB

This is our episode on chapter 1 of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. We look at the structure of Brave New World and the radical biological engineering necessary to secure the foundations of this dystopian society. The novel starts with birth and ends with a death, today we look at birth. The post E102: Brave New World Series, Chapter 1 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E101: Beginning of Brave New World Series

January 09, 2020 07:46 - 29 minutes - 17 MB

With episode 101, the worst episode in the world, we announce the beginning of a chapter-by-chapter series on Brave New World by Aldous Huxley! We go over the life of Aldous Huxley, impact of the book (variously panned as one of the most important modern novels in the English language), and themes we will be … Continue reading E101: Beginning of Brave New World Series The post E101: Beginning of Brave New World Series appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E100: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 3 of 3 – Section 31

January 01, 2020 08:09 - 5 MB

This is episode 3 of 3 on dystopian themes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. We explore the way that Section 31 is not quite dystopian, providing a fire break for Federation ideals. How do you choose the lesser of two evils when working in black ops? Spies break down their basic humanity to make … Continue reading E100: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 3 of 3 – Section 31 The post E100: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 3 of 3 – Section 31 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E99: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 2 of 3 – Section 31

December 25, 2019 07:09 - 29 minutes - 17 MB

This is episode 2 of 3 on dystopian themes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Section 31, the “no such agency” of the Federation, does dirty work in the shadows of the bright Star Trek utopia. What do black ops mean to the preservation of a state? What do spies and dirty business mean for … Continue reading E99: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 2 of 3 – Section 31 The post E99: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 2 of 3 – Section 31 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E98: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 1 of 3

December 19, 2019 06:50 - 36 minutes - 20.8 MB

This is episode 1 of 3 on dystopian themes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. We are looking at season 4 episodes 11-12, “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost“. Shapeshifting enemies have penetrated to Earth, the Federation military is planning a coup to make things secure. Shifting loyalty from service loyalty and chain of command to personal … Continue reading E98: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 1 of 3 The post E98: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 1 of 3 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 2

December 12, 2019 03:15 - 34 minutes - 19.9 MB

This is part 2 of 3 on Chapter 8 of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In this episode, we look a little closer at a case involving the Russian Orthodox Church in the establishment of revolutionary legality. Civil society presents a real threat to totalitarian regimes. Lots of things go into why things get … Continue reading Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 2 The post Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 2 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 1

December 12, 2019 02:39 - 30 minutes - 17.5 MB

This is part 1 of 3 on Chapter 8 of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn takes a step back to examine the legal foundations for the gulag system, how it started with revolutionary tribunals after the October Revolution. The key thing is not guilt or innocence but revolutionary expediency, revolutionary consciousness, and the … Continue reading Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 1 The post Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 1 appeared first on Food for Thought Po...

E97: Gattaca 2 of 2

December 11, 2019 06:32 - 17 minutes - 10.1 MB

This is episode two of two on Gattaca, the 1997 American film by Andrew Niccol. We take a look at what happens when truth is revealed, when you’ve been living in disguise in a dystopian society. We look at how pushing against limits goes into what it means to be human. FFTP has been moving … Continue reading E97: Gattaca 2 of 2 The post E97: Gattaca 2 of 2 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E96: Gattaca 1 of 2

September 18, 2019 06:53 - 30 minutes - 17.6 MB

This is episode one of two on Gattaca, the 1997 American film by Andrew Niccol. We look at the issues of genetic engineering, discrimination based on genetics, and the nature of human potential. Is humanity supposed to play the cards dealt to it, or is it allowed to change the deck itself? In what direction … Continue reading E96: Gattaca 1 of 2 The post E96: Gattaca 1 of 2 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E95: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 5

September 10, 2019 14:17 - 35 minutes - 20.1 MB

This is the last episode we will ever do on House of Cards starring Frank Underwood as Macbeth, or Kevin Spacey as Macbeth, playing Francis Underwood ... at any rate, this is it. We talk about some odds and ends. We cover sexual assault and weaponization of accusations, fraudulent Holocaust survivor testimony, the last shred of humanity in Frank Underwood, etc. The post E95: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 5 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E94: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 4

June 17, 2019 06:37 - 27 minutes - 15.5 MB

This is the fourth episode on House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey as Macbeth. In this episode we fast forward to Macbeth as Vice President (he really puts the “vice” in “Vice President”!). How is it different, being large and in charge on that level, versus being able to do your own dirty work with … Continue reading E94: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 4 The post E94: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 4 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E93: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 3 – Sex

February 04, 2019 10:05 - 43 minutes - 24.6 MB

This is the third episode on House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey as Macbeth. In this episode we examine how House of Cards demonstrates the sexual elements of a dystopian story. Sex used for power, power used for sex, power with sex on the side, and any combination you can think of. It’s all in … Continue reading E93: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 3 – Sex The post E93: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 3 – Sex appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 3 Moral Consciousness

November 27, 2018 08:58 - 38 minutes - 22 MB

This is part 3 of 3 on Chapter 7 of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The social injustice of bureaucratic sentencing: it’s always someone else’s problem. An examination of the moral effort required to become a morally conscious human being. The post Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 3 Moral Consciousness appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 2 Bureaucratic Sentencing

November 20, 2018 08:58 - 28 minutes - 16.1 MB

This is part 2 of 3 on Chapter 7 of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The history of imprisonment without formal sentence in Russia: sometimes the Tsar packed someone off to Siberia, but it didn’t happen to many people. The Soviet system moved at an industrial scale. How the benefits of bureaucracy are abused … Continue reading Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 2 Bureaucratic Sentencing The post Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 2 Bureaucratic Sentencing appeared first ...

Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 1

November 13, 2018 08:58 - 27 minutes - 15.7 MB

This is part 1 of 3 on Chapter 7 of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Sentencing by the gulag system. Sentencing and human dignity. In the gulags, you just got a piece of paper with the fate that determined the rest of your life, just as a run of the mill announcement. Formalities are … Continue reading Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 1 The post Chapter 7: In the Engine Room – Part 1 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E92: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 2

November 08, 2018 06:42 - 28 minutes - 16.2 MB

This is the second episode on House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey as Macbeth, and we dig deeper into Francis Underwood’s personal life before he rises in power and how he is relatively human at this stage. Power has interesting effects on the human beings who rise to take it. The powerful also draw peculiar … Continue reading E92: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 2 The post E92: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 2 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E91: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 1

November 01, 2018 09:00 - 36 minutes - 20.6 MB

Just because we can, we are going to do a series on the 2013 Netflix series House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey as Macbeth. Our coverage of House of Cards will run through to the end of Season 2, then we’re phoning it in. We kick it off with an expository episode for this series … Continue reading E91: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 1 The post E91: House of Cards as Dystopian, Part 1 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.

E90: All the Truth is Out, Part 2

October 25, 2018 05:21 - 34 minutes - 19.9 MB

This is episode 2 of 2 on All the Truth is Out by Matt Bai. In American politics, the media are almost a part of the government. In the 1988 Democratic presidential campaign, Gary Hart’s candidacy was sunk by radically new trends in media reporting, particularly the tabloidization of political news. Intriguingly, The Atlantic came … Continue reading E90: All the Truth is Out, Part 2 The post E90: All the Truth is Out, Part 2 appeared first on Food for Thought Police.