Final Fantasy VII Remake is shown through the eyes of Cloud, a pro-capitalist mercenary formerly employed by Shinra, who has just been hired by an anti-capitalist freedom fighter group fighting to save the planet from the Shinra Power Company. Cloud is stuck in a mode Mark Fisher calls capitalist realism. He is trapped in an […]
Whispers: The Invisible Hand or a Cage of Air? Read More »
When you think about the worst genocidal dictators in history what names come to mind? Most likely Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Zedong, to name a few. There is a man as evil as Hitler, but hardly anyone knows his name. That man is King Leopold II of Belgium and he was responsible for a hidden
King Leopold II of Belgium, Covered Up Genocide, and Monuments Read More »
Social stratification exists within Midgar on two dramatically different tiers. The lower class lives on the ground under eight large plates blotting out the sun. Instead of sunlight, the underclass lives under artificial lamps that mimic the sun for the slums where they often lament they have never seen the sky. The air in the
Midgar’s Tiered Class System Read More »
What about the politics of Midgar itself and its characterization? The first question to ask is whether Midgar has a government. This is a particularly tricky question because, as I remember, the word government was used in the script exactly once and even when the word was used, it wasn’t entirely clear if the character
Is Shinra Fascist or Just Right-Lib? Read More »
Uniting and Fighting for Social and Economic Justice in the Age of Trump Join Real Progressives and Real Progress in Action volunteers on Wednesday, February 19th, at 9 pm ET for a Zoom call presentation. Special guests Lua Kamál Yuille and Mat Forstater will discuss uniting and fighting for social and economic justice in the
February 19: National Outreach Call featuring Lua Kamál Yuille and Mat Forstater Read More »
One way of looking at both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Remake is as video games that attempt to answer the question; What if Oil was Magic? The game frames this magical essence, known as “mako,” as the actual lifeblood of a living planet. In doing so it creates a larger metaphor for
The Myth of the Promised Land Read More »
In 1997, I was a politically unaware child… That was also the year the revolutionary Final Fantasy VII was released. It was at least 2000 when I first played it, so I just thought it was cool and edgy as a lot of the deeper themes went straight over my head. Back then, the original
The City of Bread and Circuits Read More »
The Robots are coming! The Robots are coming! But, whose robots? Stephen Hawking wrote: “If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine owners
Technology In Our Future Economy Read More »
Introduction David Walker (1796?-1830), a free black man, parented by a slave father and a freedwoman, was born, and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, although he left there as an adult to travel in various states. He did not leave out of boredom or simple restlessness, but because of disgust. If I remain in this
David Walker’s Appeal Read More »