In honor of the late James Caan, I recently rewatched the 1970s cult classic Rollerball. Largely panned upon its initial release, it nonetheless offers an intriguing and evocative story with themes never realized when first viewed way back in my youth. Multinational corporate state vs. individuality - no one is above the former, under the auspices of the titular game, and anyone attempting to upend that status quo must be eliminated. Elitists manipulate the mass populace by presenting and supporting a false utopia, using distractions in the form of violent entertainment to reinforce that illusion for their own gain. Controlled, centralized knowledge that has been altered and skewed in favor of the corporate agenda, and routinely inaccessible to the masses - particularly to those individuals who might cause trouble.
Does any of this sound vaguely familiar? While the fictional story may take place in an alternate “futuristic” 2018, it easily could be placed in our current present-day 2020s. Who truly runs the world, and, as such, society as a whole? Corporations like Apple, Google, Microsoft, to name a few, whose services are used on a regular basis. Who has manipulated and distracted the masses these past few years, especially during the pandemic? Elitists - from business leaders in board rooms to politicos in halls of government - in their delusional utopian bubbles, far away from the daily realities of average citizens. Who has attempted to control and withhold valuable knowledge from the masses? Social justice activists like historical revisionists, media censors and anyone else involved in the ongoing cancel culture onslaught.
Millions of people throughout the world have lost everything and suffered greatly because of these circumstances. A vicious cycle that has and will continue if nothing is done to further thwart it. Are you awake yet? Or, are you still waiting, in vain hope, for someone else like Jonathan E. to agitate and challenge this real-life Huxley/Orwellian nightmare?
©2022 Steve Sagarra
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