Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Film Connoisseur takes on The Wizard of Oz



Hello to everyone out there in Blog Land, today I will be analyzing the 1939 MGM version of The Wizard of Oz. There are many versions of The Wizard of Oz out there, but you’ve probably never seen them because the MGM version is the one that hogs all the attention. But older film versions of Baum’s Oz stories go as far back as 1910, some of these films made by Baum himself. I will also be talking a bit about Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz (1978) which was a Motown version of The Wizard of Oz that’s rather interesting, it presents us with the idea that the Land of Oz is actually an alternate version of New York City, with the Emerald City being in Manhattan. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you do! Theres also a couple of new Oz films down the line, one of which is set to be directed by Sam Raimi and possibly starring Johnny Depp as Oz.  


The thing with this post is that I will be talking about my own interpretation of these films from an anti-religious point of view. I am not alone in thinking this. In fact, many Christians have caught on to this way of interpreting the books and the films, and have even organized The Wizard of Oz book burnings (right next to the Harry Potter book burnings) and have even lobbied to get the books banned. Since I know that religion is a touchy subject, and since I don’t want to alienate any of my readers, if you don’t like people talking negatively about religion, then you are welcome to tune out my friend. But if on the other hand you are a free thinking spirit who doesn’t mind reading about other ways of looking at the world, then welcome, and read on!

So it’s no secret that I abhor religion. If you’ve been reading The Film Connoisseur, you probably know that to me, its one big fat lie. A fantasy that they make you believe from childhood so that you will become a sheep, following the orders of the shepherd; the shepherds in this case being religious leaders, and the government. It’s all one big elaborate plan to make you a docile servant of ‘the system’. Follow these ten rules and you will be alright. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine with not killing, not stealing, and being faithful to our partners, but why do you have to make people believe that there is an invisible God watching over all of us? The way I see it, its like George Carlin use to say: “There is an all powerful force watching over all of us. Unfortunately… it’s the government” Look into the origins of religions, it will all make sense. Ever wondered what religion you would believe in had you been born in some other part of the world and how the religion you believe in today was probably chosen by chance? By what your parents believed in or by what country you were born in? Ever wondered who created God? Ever wondered why you only see him in paintings and movies?


Plus, when you’ve studied and read about as many religions as I have, then you kind of get a grasp of what religions are all about, and how similar they all are. They are all there to provide humans with something that’s missing in life. An explanation to the big questions in life, amongst other things. It is only natural to want to know the answers to these questions since life and the existence of the universe makes any logical mind come to ask them. But just because these questions have no answers doesn’t give us the right to make answers up and then believe in them. Why not simply accept that we just don’t know? That the true nature of life and the universe is one gigantic mystery?


Some seem to think that we need religion, the bible and the belief in God to be good. I don’t subscribe to that point of view. I think we all have the natural tendency within us to be good. With the exception of a few rotten apples, humans enjoy being good to each other. I am all for having a society with high moral standards, a set of values and a sense of what is right and wrong. My question is: why can’t they get people to be good without having to feed them a big fat lie? Trust me, you can be a godless person and still be good. There is a common misconception out there about non-believers. A lot of people seem to think we are amoral people because we don’t believe in Jesus, and that my friends simply isn’t so. I don’t believe in baby Jesus, yet I think I’m a pretty decent human being. I try to be the best human I can be. Making people conform to a set of rules, by using fear and lies as a means to do so, is not right on itself. That’s actually a contradiction right there. Getting people to do good by teaching them lies? Whatever happened to “thou shalt not lie?”


Personally, I’d prefer a society in which people would do good because logic tells them so; because in the end, it’s what makes life worthwhile. I’d prefer a society in which people would make choices based on the common good of all human beings and of ones self. I am fond of the idea of not doing anything if it’s going to harm you or your fellow neighbor. That works for me. That’s a whole lot better then being good because you are afraid that a made up God (whom you’ve never seen or heard) is going to send you to hell if you’re not. That’s controlling people through fear and lies, and I’m not about that. Because really, who can prove God exists? Nobody. Imagine if instead of teaching you about god, angels, demons, and hell, they taught you that this life is all there is, and you’d better make good use of it! Teach kids that life is finite, that we eventually will die and that we don’t know what happens after. Imagine if right from the get go they taught you to believe in yourself to achieve your goals instead of teaching you to wait on Gods help for everything. And imagine if people didn’t kill each other over their religious beliefs the way it has happened in the past, and still happens to this day?



Still, religions around the world are extremely popular. They offer people something they need. Hope. Hope that someone has got our backs in the midst of this dark world. Hope that there is something after we die; hope that we keep going on after our bodies turn to dust. Hope that there is such a thing as an afterlife; that death isn’t the end of it all. Some people can’t take the fact that maybe, after we die, there is nothing else. We might simply die and that’s it. Maybe if reality was taught to us from childhood, it would be easier, but right from the get go we are taught not to accept death. We are taught that we turn into some sort of spirit that goes to heaven or hell, depending on your behavior in this life. And the idea of an afterlife changes, depending on your religion. Some religions teach reincarnation, the idea that you come back after you die in another body. Others believe that you’ll live in a Paradise forever and never die. And so on. Take your pick, whichever strikes your fancy, that’s how it seems to go with religion. There are so many of them, you can literally go through and pick one. The problem is they all have one thing in common: you have to believe in them without an iota of proof that their beliefs are real.


Religions also offer people a sense that there is an all powerful force watching over you, guiding and protecting you through life. When the shit hits the fan in life (as it often does) people are taught to resort to praying to a god for help, when in reality, all the help you will ever need comes only from yourself. Still, talking to some invisible force and thinking that said force is going to help you might comfort some, and it might even motivate them to find a solution to their problem. And though they will probably think that it was God helping them, they probably solved the problem themselves and didn’t even realize it. Why can’t we teach ourselves to believe in our own power, in our own strength to solve problems?


Which brings me to today’s discussion about The Wizard of Oz, which to me is one of the most anti-religious movies there is. What? You never noticed? Okay, here me out then. As I’m sure many of you already know, The Wizard of Oz is a film about a girl named Dorothy who gets whisked away to a magical land where everyone believes in an all powerful Wizard named Oz; a wizard that can supposedly solve all your problems. He can whisk Dorothy back to Kansas, he can give the Cowardly Lion some courage, The Scarecrow a brain and he can give The Tin Man a heart. So off they go on their journey, believing in their hearts that their problems will be solved once they get to the Emerald City and visit the “All powerful Oz” Now, if calling Oz all powerful isn’t enough of an allusion to God, then I don’t know what is. In Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz Miss One (one of the good witches) calls Oz “The Big Guy, The Big Honcho, Numero Uno!”


So down they go on their journey, walking down the yellow brick road of life, having mishaps, confronting enemies and making new friends, like we all do in life. Finally, they reach the Emerald City, a city said to be the home to The Wizard of Oz. When they get there they discover that no one is supposed to see the all powerful Oz. The Guardian of the Emerald City Gates tells them “The Wizard? But nobody can see the great Oz! Nobody’s ever seen the Great Oz! Even I’ve never seen him!” This kind of reminds me of how no one is supposed to see God. Actually, the bible says that whoever sees God will die right where they stand. That quote spoken by The Guardian of the Emerald City Gates also reminds me of how no matter how much you think you know about the bible, truth is you have never seen God, or an angel, or a demon. Its all in your head, same as Oz is in Dorothy’s head. She’s dreaming the whole thing. Oz only exists in her mind.


But anyways, when Oz hears that Dorothy has the magical ruby slippers (something he can no doubt gain benefit from) he grants them an audience. So finally, Dorothy and her friends get to meet the all powerful Wizard of Oz. But what happens then? He appears to them in an intimidating ball of fire and smoke and tells them that he will solve their problems, but that they need to vanquish his worst enemy before he can do anything for them. When they ask if they have any other option he tells them: “Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz!” Kind of reminds me how the government will send you out to war to kill their enemies in the name of church and country. And here’s another interesting tidbit of information. In L. Frank Baum’s original story Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion, The Tinman and The Scarecrow all go to see The Wizard of Oz separately, not collectively like in the film. And this is where it gets interesting: in the book Oz looks different to each of them. This made me think about the idea of God, and how it’s a different thing to everybody. What you perceive as God might be one thing, and it probably means something altogether different to the person next to you.

The Wizard of Oz presents himself in a ball of smoke and flame to Dorothy and her friends

So anyway, trusting that Oz will stay true to his word, Dorothy and company go out and vanquish Oz’s biggest enemy, The Wicked Witch of the West. When they come back, they expect to get their problems solved by The Wizard. But unfortunately for them, they uncover one big dark secret. The “all powerful” Oz isn’t really all that powerful. He is just a man posing as a God. He was lying to them from the very beginning. He isn’t all powerful like he said. He doesn’t even have any magic powers! He was just a man hiding behind a curtain of smokes and illusions. He’d been lying to everyone in all of Oz! Not to mention the poor citizens of The Emerald City. That makes him a villain in my book. A big fat liar! And were not talking a little white lie, this is a huge black lie, the blackest kind of lie there is. The kind of lie that plays with peoples minds and lives. Most politicians know that religion can be used as a tool for their advantage, not only to keep the masses in “good behavior”, but also when the time comes to gather those votes in election year.

The man behind the curtain

If you’ve seen The Wiz starring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as The Scarecrow and Richard Pryor as The Wizard of Oz, you’ll remember that Oz controls the people of Emerald City by telling them what color they have to wear. Suddenly Red is the color, and everything turns to red. Suddenly Green is the color and everything turns green, and he keeps them in a loop like that. Kind of reminds me of how the government controlled media can control people’s perception of things. The citizens of Emerald City are so docile that they’ll do whatever Oz tells them to, without question; reminds me of how people will believe whatever they read in newspapers and television. But Oz isn’t a Wizard, he’s a man. And a man who used to be a politician no less! Once again proving the connection between religion and government, one is the tool of the other.

Richard Pryor plays The Wizard of Oz in The Wiz (1978)

The Wizard of Oz doesn’t only comment on religion, it also comments on drug abuse (remember the scene in The Poppy Fields?) and true friendship amongst other subject matter. But the best part of The Wizard of Oz if you ask me, is that it teaches us that the solution to many of our problems lie not in the hands of some imaginary all powerful force, but in ourselves. The Cowardly Lion, The Tin Man and The Scarecrow all had what they were looking for within themselves to begin with. They didn’t need a Wizard to solve their problems at all. And we don’t need no magic either to solve our own problems, for that we got ourselves and our friends.


18 comments:

Mr. Fiendish said...

wow that's quite a rant, but truthful.

btw I love the 1939 movie

Franco Macabro said...

Thanks Mr. Fiendish, yeah that first film is awesome, the songs are catchy and memorable. Weirdest image for me is "The Lollipop Guild" singing that little song they sing...

And the Wicked Witch is awesome...that whole sequence inside of the castle is pretty spooky.

Fred [The Wolf] said...

Yeah, I always saw the religious/politic aspect to the story in both the book and in the film versions. Oz is definitely alluding to God and the idea that it's really man controlling religion, not the idea of this "God" we're raised to believe in. It's interesting how hiding that theme in a children's film can make the majority of people overlook that fact. But you're interpretation is definitely one I agree with because it's absolutely there like you pointed out.

Still, I enjoy all versions of the story, especially the 1939 one. It's a classic and I wish Hollywood wouldn't mess with it again. I didn't mind The Wiz and I enjoy Return to Oz because it's pretty creepy for a kids' flick. But do we really need another one? I don't know.

Great analysis!

Fritz "Doc" Freakenstein said...

That is a very interesting post, Francisco. I would never have thought to compare the Wizard in The Wizard of OZ to God. I grew up watching the 1939 classic on TV where it aired only once-a-year on one of the Networks for years! Maybe because I grew up in a non-religious family the idea of connecting the all-powerful Oz with God just never occurred to me or my parents. My mother loved this film, as she had seen it in the theater as a child and she told me that it was an almost magical experience for her when the black and white Kansas scene transformed into the full Technicolor Land of Oz. I honestly find it very hard to get worked up over any religious issues, because I don’t practice one.

My simple reason that I think many people need religion is that it helps answers questions to things that cannot be explained by observation of the material world. It also comforts many with their fear of the great unknown – death. The only argument I’ve ever had with people over religion is that some refuse to admit that they want to believe in God and life after death is because of their fear of death. I think as human beings we all fear death and some of us use religion to cope with it and others just accept it and move on. I have learned over the years that it is best not to discuss religion, politics or sex with anyone, unless you’re prepared to back down from someone who is willing to resort to emotional arguments to prove their argument.

I have never seen The Wiz, because I have never been a fan of Michael Jackson’s music or Motown music in general. I’m a rock and roll guy and I’ll be a rock and roll guy ‘til the day I die! One other Oz film that I have seen is Disney’s sort-of-sequel to The Wizard of Oz – 1985’s Return to Oz. This darker take on Buam’s books was a critical success, but not a financial one. I’ve never read any of the books as a child, so I can’t comment on its authenticity, but it definitely appealed to me more as an adult than the 1939 version. As a fantasy film fan, it is worth checking out.

An excellent and thought provoking post, Francisco!

Franco Macabro said...

@Fred: Thanks man! I too am amazed that such an adult theme is hidden in this childrens book, but I think many writers of childrens books do this. I guess they feel the need to transmit important themes such as this one to the younger generation.
I personally applaud that.

I recently had a chance to read The Never Ending Story, and boy, let me tell ya, that one was an onslaught of adult themes! I wrote a book review for it a while ago, I remember you checked it out.

I hope you get a chance to read it someday. Highly recommend The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende, it is a one of a kind experience. A truly amazing book.

Im a big fan of The Wiz, I love how Motown it is, the music is awesome, except for those scenes where Diana Ross sings those sappy songs, I can do without those. But everything else in it is awesome.

Return to Oz is a worthy sequel to me. Awesome in so many ways, its truly an underrated film.

Thanks for commenting Fred!

@Friz: I personally consider it a benefit to b e raised in a religion free environment, I think a person raised that way is a step ahead in life. I on the other hand was raised the entirely opposite way. I had religion in my life 24/7! I had to go on a personal road of discovery in order to see past all that. When I realized how much of a scam religion is, I was just as shocked as Dorothy and her friends when they discover "The Wizard of Oz" was just a man.

Commenting on religion and politics with others can be a frustrating endeavour in deed, but I try to keep that sort of conversation respectful. Still, I am not afraid to speak my mind in these matters because religious people dont mind speaking their mind when it comes to their believes either. And I've always been of the mentality that we should all be able to respect and listen to each other. I mean, this world is a complex place, why should we think that their is only one way of seeing things and that that way is right?

The one big problem with that is that in the world we live in, the non-religious point of view will always be the least popular one, so one has to be ready for that. Religious believes get engraved in peoples minds so strongly, that when confronted with a different way of seeing things, it's kind of a shock to the system.

I too am a huge fan of Return to Oz! I reviewed it a while back on this blog and showered the review with nothing but positive comments. Its an amazing film, the effects are perfect, Fairuza Balk is adorable, and the story is engrossing.

You should give The Wiz a chance one of these days Fritz, it's a good film! Like I told Fred, I think the only think that brings the film down is that Dorothy is such a cry baby on that movie, she always goes into these saaad songs which kind of slow the movie down. But everything else is freaking awesome. The Wicked Witch of the West is hilarious on this one. Also, this version is a bit more adult then previous versions. Hope you get a chance to check it out someday, and thanks for commenting!

FilmMattic said...

Such a classic to behold. Great rundown!. I also like the images you used.

I Like Horror Movies said...

Dude, I had no idea that any other versions existed before the Judy Garland film, I'd love to check them out! I have never been a huge fan, but it has been yeeears since I have seen the film. Great post with tons of interesting facts and commentary Franco!

Franco Macabro said...

Yup, there were more version, Baum himself tried to bring his creations to life in one way or another, he even organized a theater play, but it cost more then the money they were making off of it, so it didnt last long.

There were some animated shows, and even a t.v. movie, none of them all that great, which is probably why they are left forgotten.

venoms5 said...

An amazing and thought provoking post, Fran! I've never read the books nor have I put much thought into the religious connotations with the film.

I can't speak for government elsewhere, but religion didn't play a role in our current president getting elected; it was all "gimme gimme gimme, what can you give me?" And that seems to be the plan Obama's brigade seems to be sticking with still.

Anyways, WIZARD OF OZ is a great, timeless flick that never gets old, imo. I'm not so high on THE WIZ, though, nor RETURN TO OZ. I've never been able to get into them.

Franco Macabro said...

Well, I do remember Obama swearing with his hand on a bible, also I remember some sort of preacher from some unidentifiable church praying to god so god could guide this new president...just to give the impression that God is on America's side. PFff, if there was a God, he wouldnt side with anyone. He would be with everyone.

But thats a nice trick not saying what church is doing the praying, that way, every christian from whatever christian church can identify with the prayer, in this way they garner everyones approval, no matter what christian church you go to.

I did like Obama's quote ""Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation - at least, not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers."

I liked the fact that he recognized that christianity is not the only way of seeing the world.

Governments try to keep their grip on religion invisible (it wasnt this way during the dark ages though) but I guess if were gonna get right down to it, the best example of a president who used religion for fishing voters, it has to be Bush. That guy was really good at using churches to get their parishioners to vote for him. Ever seen Jesus Camp? It's plain as day on that documentary.

This is why I love the Wizard of Oz, it shows this side of Politics and religion that most people dont see. It's encrypted within the Munchkins and the flying monkeys, but its there.

venoms5 said...

They all have to put their hand on a bible before being sworn in. All countries state that "god" is on their side, though. Putting your hand on a bible doesn't mean that religion plays a major role in the way government controls things here. If anything, it's the exact opposite.

The reference to a god has been removed from American culture over the years and has reached, to those who follow a religion, an alarming rate over the last couple of years. They don't even say the Pledge of Allegiance in schools anymore. Some of the things people take issue with against the use of a religious symbol are pretty ridiculous, but whatever, it doesn't matter to me what people do when it comes to this issue.

Personally, I think religion is a good thing as long as it's used for the purpose its there for. It's a tool to make ones life better. Unfortunately, it's used for nefarious and devious means far too often and lately, it's been getting excluded more and more everyday the closer America comes to a being a socialist country. There's a lot of weak minded people who need some form of guidance as they can't, or won't make decisions for themselves and simply want to get by on hand outs.

Also, some of the things Obama has said since he's been placed in office shows that he may be a Muslim as opposed to a Christian. But seriously, some of the revolutionaries, dictators, usurpers, what have you, have used religion in a far more extreme fashion than any president we've had that may mention it fleetingly in their speeches. Such things are what THE PEOPLE want to hear, though.

Which documentary are you referring, Fran? That Michael Moore propaganda "film"? Isn't that the same one that has all that "conspiracy" jargon that America was responsible for the 9/11 crashes and not the terrorists? This guy Moore is a far left wacko so I put little "faith" in anything he says.

Franco Macabro said...

Putting your hand on the bible while you are being sworn into the presidency of a nation does say a lot about the use of religion in politics. It says something to a nation.

It says "we are primarily christians here" thats what it says. It says "The Christian God is with us", in a way, it says God approves of this new president because he is a God loving christian. If it didnt matter, they wouldnt do it. Every little detail that is done in these events has a meaning behind it.

"In God we Trust" still appears on the United States currency, the pledge alliagence says that the U.S. is "one nation under God" We all know that they are referencing the god of christianity. But what about all the other Americans who dont believe in christianity? Arent their beliefs taken into account?

You hit a point there, about politicians referencing religion in their speeches to give people what they want to hear. This only proves that they use it to get christians to vote. Speaking of Bush, I believe he is the one who milked the religious angle for all it was worth in his speeches. He was always talking about christianity and a christian nation and what have you.

He always seemed to forget that in the U.S., a large part of the population isnt christian. Theres all kinds of religions, but he was hell bent on emphasizing his own personal beliefs or the ones that the powers that be want to project onto the nation.

The documentary Im referring to (JESUS CAMP) wasnt made by Michael Moore. It was directed by Hiedi Ewing and Rachel Grady, it was nominated for an Oscar that year.

These two documentarians went into a pentecostal summer camp for christian kids. It is the best example of the kind of brain washing and emotional manipulation that is going on in a lot of christian churches across America, especially in what is commonly referred to as the "bible belt".

One scene has a religious leader actually put up a cardboard cut out of Bush, as she says that he was chosen by god, and they need to vote for him. It's really nauseating.

A whole sequence takes place in this huge "Super Church" (thats what they call them) where they are conducting this huge meeting, and they put up Bush's picture on the screen, and talk about how he is the man chosen by god to lead the nation!

They even show the religious leader that met with Bush on a weekly basis. Highly recommend that documentary man, its a real eye opener. At times, it plays out like a freaking horror movie.

venoms5 said...

I get your point, but our government, at least not at this point, doesn't force anyone to take up a certain belief. By mentioning religion in a speech isn't going to convert anyone who can make up their own mind, or isn't looking for answers to help get their life in order.

However, the way things are going now: Obama pushing these ridiculous electric cars, 'Obamacare', pushing schools and corporations to change menus/sell different products; I wouldn't doubt if things took a darker turn should Obama stay in office, which seems unlikely at this point.

There was, or is a case going to remove "under god" from the Pledge of Allegiance, which isn't even spoken in schools anymore. Over the years, Christianity has been removed bit by bit from the American consciousness. There's dozens of articles about it online and I hear about it on an almost daily basis on the radio and news. Those with faith are the main ones keeping it alive right now, it seems. There were even protests in neighborhoods to have nativity scenes taken down which was deemed offensive to those who didn't believe. That's a bit extreme if you ask me.

I don't care what people believe so long as they don't push it on me, or declare I'm going to burn in hell for not following them (which has happened in the past). Actually, none of us really know what's out there, no one has any true answers, but we will all find out one day.

Oh, okay, I haven't seen that one. I might check it out, Fran, it sounds interesting. Sometimes those kinds of things are both scary and funny to see. I agree about religion and its brainwashing effect. I think we've talked about it before on other posts and I feel you're spot on. Fortunately, not all those who are Christian (insert other religion here) try to force feed potential new members.

Franco Macabro said...

I agree, Obama being sworn in with a bible isnt gonna covert anyone, but it does send out a message, which is what they what they want to do when they show that sort of thing on national television, for millions to see.

You think electric cars are ridiculous? I mean, they dont pollute the environment, that is a major plus for me with them. Dont know if you've seen it, but theres another documentary you should check out called Who Killed The Electric Car? It really explores the impact that this kind of conversion can have on our society and it weighs the pros and cons. But I see more positive aspects to the whole thing. Its just that big oil companies are scared that they wont be able to sell their precious gasoline to the people at high prices.

I'd love to see the day when we wont rely on gasoline to operate cars, I think it would be a good thing for the planet, and health in general. You wont have to inhale all those toxic fumes on a day to day basis. For a guy who lives in a city filled with cars such as myself, thats a major plus!

Christianity is definetly loosing popularity in society, but it still has a huge choke on a large part of the population. And that part is ravenous with their faith.

LoL dude, I've been told Im going to burn in hell too, and Im like all laughs. I try to keep a good humor about the whole thing, but I dont mind telling people how I see the world either. Christians can often times think that their way of seeing the world is the ONLY way, and that everything else is wrong. I like to remind them to get off their high horse, the world is made up of very different people, with a right to see the world they way they understand it. To me, we all see things differently, according to our life experiences.

Eventually, as you say, we will all find out, or we wont and we just fade away in time. The world simply continues without us.

Trust me man, Jesus Camp...amazing! And funny. Its a combination of both. There is this little girl that is so gung-ho about Jesus and preaching that its just funny. But sad at the same time. See it to believe it.

venoms5 said...

Yes, these new Obama cars only go for a few hours before you have to plug them up again to charge. If you're on a trip, you're pretty much screwed. Also, the power cell is terribly expensive so if and when it goes bad, you could buy another car for the price to fix it.

Your description of this doc has me intrigued now. I take it it will be a culture shock much the way the stunningly hilarious TREKKIES doc was. If you haven't seen that, you should seriously seek it out. You might be amazed to see how extreme people are over STAR TREK, at least see it up close and personal on a documentary anyways.

Franco Macabro said...

Yeah, Trekkies are a religion all on their own. They even have their own language, much like when christians talk in tongues. By the way, there's a lot of the speaking in tongues thing on JESUS CAMP! I always thought that was one of the weirdest parts of that whole religion.

I'll be sure and check out TREKKIES, I've been meaning to do so for a while now.

On WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? They talk a lot about these new batteries that were invented for the electric cars, that would last as much as you needed, or at least long enough for a long trek.

Cars that are fueled by gasoline run out of gas as well, all they have to do is fuel up. Same thing would happen with the electric cars, plug it in for a few minutes and off you go. Im sure they would perfect the whole process in a couple of years, the whole thing is in its first stages, but in a couple of years Im sure electric cars would be a step forward for humanity, not to mention it would be something truly great for the planet.

But so much has to be let go. You'd have to change gas stations to electric stations, sell batteries instead of gasoline, and the gasoline people (some of the most powerful and greedy business men on the planet) dont want to let go of their millions. They'd rather continue hurting the environment, and the health of millions, just so they could sell their precious gasoline. Hell, even wars over oil would be over. I only see positive things on this whole electric car issue.

But they discontinued them and recalled every single one of these electric cars even though every single owner was extremely happy with their electric vehicle. They document the whole thing until the last moment, when they pick up the very last one and thrash it for no good reason but to keep them out of the road and out of the public eye.

Check out the documentary, its very in depth on the whole issue. I think you would enjoy it.

Saidi of the 90's said...

Your essay is more than inspiring and fascinating. And congratulations, you managed to do in one thoughtful and respectful text what Garth Ennis failed to do in half his career.
Forgive me if this seems odd but, what you think of the religion notion is pretty much what I think of politics in a general (I am apolitical, just some fellow goin' his way...).

Franco Macabro said...

That's interesting because to me they are one and the same, they both create rabid, blind fanatics. Also, religion is in service of the government. One need only look at how the bible gives such importance to paying taxes as a part of being a good christian to see how they are connected. And for their help in keeping the masses under control, religion gets tax exemptions. It can't get any clearer than that.

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