Welcome to Hunger Games Lite

by Todd Walker

I stopped one of my bright, well-read students in the hall last year to talk about a book he was carrying. I hadn’t read it and I wanted a quick review. I was sold when he said it’s like the world as we know it has ended and tyrants control everything.

Photo credit

“Do you believe it could happen here?” I asked.

“Oh yeah!” he said.

He’s wise beyond his years. Here’s why.

• He thinks for himself, making him a target of the collective.
• He’s contumacious. con·tu·ma·cious – adj. Obstinately disobedient to authority or rebellious; insubordinate

After reading the book on my Kindle, I had to agree with his “Oh yeah!” statement. The similarities between Panem (what’s left of our continent) in The Hunger Games, and our pre-apocalyptic America are noticeable, if you’re paying attention.

Hunger Games (Panem)	Hunger Games Lite (America 2013)
Big Brother sees all	Big Sis sees all – or wants to
Totalitarian Regime	“Soft Tyranny” – trading Liberty for safety
Total Dependence on Regime: Food, Water, Shelter, “Safety” from boogiemen	Our Gradual slide into the State of Tyranny: Patriot Act, NDAA, Domestic Spy Drones, 100 years of the Federal Reserve cabal,
Regime Controlled Propaganda Machine	Regime Controlled Propaganda Machine
Monopoly on Violence/Force: Resist and face brutal force	With the help of the Regime’s Propaganda Machine, dumbing down the masses via government schooling, and our addiction to “free” stuff, Americans are in the Hunger Games Lite. What if we resist?

“A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.” – Aldous Huxley

Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of The Hunger Games, and all people of Panem lived under the boot of a tyrannical regime that promised prosperity and peace but couldn’t deliver. Everyday folk of Panem realized they were only useful tools for the Capitol and staged a rebellion. The Powers That Be crushed the uprising and completely destroyed District 13. As punishment for the masses un-gratefulness and rebellion, the Capitol institutes the Hunger Games to keep the subjects in line. Each of the 12 surviving districts were forced to offer two Tributes (a girl and boy between the age of 12 and 18) to compete – fight to the death. The winner would bring home honor and essential rations (crumbs from the elite’s bountiful table) for their district.

Are we that far from this scenario in America? Do we love our servitude so much that we sacrifice essential liberties for State provided temporary safety?

We are indeed experiencing Hunger Games Lite. We are the most spied upon people in the world. The long and gradual line of abuses have a way of dulling the herd’s awareness of the despots goal. How much information does our benevolent government want to collect to keep us “safe” from terrorism? Big Brother wants it all. Phone calls, emails, social website exchanges, traffic habits, spending habits, and even your thoughts are fair game in our surveillance state. Natural law and Bill of Rights be damned. Inquiring mind-controllers want to know.

Public school students think it normal to be constantly watched and searched without probable cause. They’re trained to leave their rights at the school-house doors. Cameras filming every move is not enough for some school districts. Some schools are turning kids into lab rats in a scientific school maze by forcing them to wear “smart” I.D. cards. These embedded radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips enable anyone with the right technology to track whether the student is using the urinal or toilet. All in the name of reducing truancy. Schools loose state and federal money when students get fed up with the one-size-fits-all meat grinding of schooling and take a mental health day. Remember: Power is for power’s sake. Refusing to wear these badges results in privileges being withdrawn. A tactic all school teachers are familiar with.

Rats!

Speaking of rats. Panem was full of theses nasty human vermin. Our “District 12” is no different. We are encouraged by those who supposedly know more than us commoners to snitch on fellow slaves. “See something, say something.” Many formerly free people have felt the heat of false accusations turn into lengthy prison sentences. Guilty until proven innocent. Claire Wolfe has written a Free Ebook called Rats! If you own guns, speak or write non-PC opinions, are a political activist, a prepper, belong to a non-mainstream religion, and/or want to protect your privacy, you should read this book. “But I’ve got nothing to hide.” Don’t be naive. Read the book. It’s free!

In 1735, my ancestors landed on these shores. They fought in the American War of Independence and the War of Northern Aggression (Civil War for the “Honest Abe” worshippers). Research and family stories portray us as a patriotic, individualist, self-reliant, and contumacious bunch. Those qualities haven’t been lost on me. Through thick and thin, my ancestors pasted the “liberty” gene on to me. It’s getting harder and harder these days to practice freedom in our Hunger Games Lite. So here is my short list of tips to help you fight back smarter.

Decrease Dependence

• Adopt a theme of self-reliance and preparedness.
• Fight the temptation of petty consumerism. Learn new skills for sustainable living.
• Read Starving The Monkeys for practical ways to Fight Back Smarter.
• Focus on natural health, real food, and functional fitness.
• Build tribe and community

I Prefer Not To

Say, “I prefer not to.” When questioned again as to why not, repeat, “I prefer not to.” This bold, polite, non-violent statement was used repeatedly in Herman Melville’s short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener“.  John Taylor Gatto suggests, and I agree, that if enough freedom loving people would withdraw consent and refuse to jump through all the government mandated hoops, we could slam the door on tyranny in our time. Mr. Gatto used Bartleby’s refusal to comply as a model for stopping the rigged system of state standardized testing. Read more on the Bartleby Project here.

The “I prefer not to” strategy can be deployed in areas other than schools. The hot topic today, following the Sandy Hook tragedy, is gun control. The Regime in Panem, like all totalitarian regimes throughout history, wielded power over the masses by disarming its subjects. Clubs and bows are no match for guns. If the progressives get their legislative way and enact a gun ban, will “law-abiding citizens” comply?

History says we won’t. Just like the days of prohibition and the failed war on drugs, banning guns that look evil will only increase demand – and supply – via the black market. Actually, the war on drugs is not a failure at all. It’s quite a financial windfall for the State. “I prefer not to” give up my guns, full capacity magazines, and ammo. Help spread Bartleby’s spirit of resistance and say, “I prefer not to ___________.”

What happens when “I prefer not to” isn’t enough? Each of us will have a decision to make when that line crossed. The key will be seeing the line and responding accordingly.

“Any single man must judge for himself whether circumstances warrant obedience or resistance to the commands of the civil magistrate; we are all qualified, entitled, and morally obliged to evaluate the conduct of our rulers. This political judgment, moreover, is not simply or primarily a right, but like self-preservation, a duty to God. As such it is a judgment that men cannot part with according to the God of Nature. It is the first and foremost of our inalienable rights without which we can preserve no other.” – John Locke