Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” was a short sci-fi story published in 1961. Like Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” it was set ina dystopian future that seemed, I’m sure, laughably unlikely… and like “Atlas,” now seems virtually here. In “Bergeron,” everyone is finally truly equal… because the government *makes* them equal. If you are better than the norm in any way, you are handicapped so that you *aren’t* better than the norm. If you’re strong, you’re made to constantly wear weights. If you’re attractive, you wear a goofy mask at all times. If you are smart, a headset is forever beeping and screeching in your ear to distract you. It’s the equality of lowest-common-denominator. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you find a copy and read it (such as online here). It gave the world the (sadly, rarely used for how appropriate it is) pejoritive term “handicapper general.”
It’s a short story, and a short movie (apparently about 25 minutes) is being made of it under the title “2081.” From the trailer, it looks to be pretty good.
Take a look at the trailer on Youtube and/or look at the movies website. And then ask yourself if it’s really going to take until 2081 before the world of Harrison Bergeron comes to an extraordinary person near you.
10 Responses to “Finally Equal”
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I have always loved this short story, and this looks to be a pretty durn good adaptation. I’m pretty glad no one tried to squeeze a feature-length movie out of the story.
They did a TV adaptation of this (back in the late 1960’s-early 1970’s IIRC)
It was pretty hilarious to watch the people trying to run with all their handicaps on.
“Showtime” made a movie-length version of HB in the mid-90’s, staring Rudy/Samwise Gamgee (whatever his name is). Really had to add a lot to the story to get it that long.
Fascinating stuff. I am astonished at how *equality* means being as worse as you can be. Specially when *equality* is a dogmatic concept imposed by a government. I have lived that everyday for the last 10 years.
> I am astonished at how *equality* means being as worse as you can be.
Not so astonishing, really. If you have one weak person and one strong person (regardless of the aspect… be it physical strength, intelligence, attractiveness, whatever) and you want to make them equal, it’ll always be easy to bring the strong down to the level of the weak. It’s easier to add weights, or wear silly makeup, or tax at a higher level the person who is “better” than it is to take the weak, ugly or lazy person and make them “better.”
Agreed. The path of least resistance. Even though those of us who still can make better are forcefully dragged down kicking and screamin’. It’s corruption all over again, Scott. Do you really have anything like that going on there? Or showing signs of starting up?
> Do you really have anything like that going on there?
Of two sorts:
1) Socialism. Specifically, the concept of “progressive taxation,” where the more you make (translation: the more productive you are), the higher the tax *rate* you are forced to pay.
2) “Political Correctness” which is extremely broad-based, and tries to force everyone to see everyone else as not just equal, but identical. But it falls apart in that PC also serves “identity politics,” by separating people into antagonistic groups separated by ethnicity, creed, religion, etc.
Additionally, there has been a long-lived “self esteem” movement that has caused all kinds of trouble. Basically, celebrating *everything* that a child does, while downplaying the significance of actual achievements. Such things as handing out awards for every damned thing you can think of, while getting rid of keeping score at sporting events or not ranking scholastic achievements in order to keep loser-kids feelings from being hurt. This movement has caused a lot of trouble, but has not been overly successful, for the simple fact that people quickly see through it as bullshit.
yea, I can see where you’re going…. That “progressive-everything” stuff socialism is so fond of is perverse beyond words. Taxing anyone for a successful performance is a very unfair way of recognizing effort or achievement.
PC, on the other hand, sickens me. You can’t have a posture or opinion, because anyone, specially those I call “self-pitying minorities” look at you like you were about to be struck by lightnings sent by Him from above, LOL. I specialize in making myself very annoying for those specimens here.
As for the “self-esteem” movement, that has been masterfully twisted here by our socialist leaders into a form of class-struggle thing: “You’re poor and excluded because those bourgeois and rich people have robbed you of everything you deserve. Socialism will make up for you”. And there’s a frighteningly large proportion of population who actually believe this manipulation.
This has always been the ideal of the socialist, make everyone equally miserable.
And I believe Twilight Zone did a couple of different takes on HB.
Oh, and you may appreciate this, http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/make_mine_freedom/
That cartoon about sums the whole debate up!