Robocop: Why Are We So Robo-phobic?

Peace to proletariat of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The intended fear-mongering that began the film set a very telling stage of chickens coming home to roost. The United States is increasingly mirroring its domestic security policy to its foreign policy, though the storyline of the movie didn’t go in that direction. But we’ll see how long this attitude of “Not in My Backyard” persists. Chickens do and will come home.

Where the storyline did go was toward the psyche of the American citizen. Why are we so robo-phobic?!?! Samuel L's character - Novak - looked directly into the camera and asked that question. Why are we so robo-phobic?  We are so robo-phobic, in part, because of movies such as this one. Had a recent conversation with a few of the homies, in which I explained how we can wield technology, robotics and automation to vastly improve the lives of the global proletariat. One of them said, “I don’t know about you, but I seen Terminator 2!” He had a point. And that’s one of the reasons why we are so robo-phobic. Representations of weaponized machines may be entertaining – as the movie Robocop was – though this is the potential harm – unwarranted fear of technology.

Why the fabricated demand for robotic weapons in the first place? Let’s cut to the root of the problem. The need for security is a byproduct of the Established order.  The militarization of police forces across the United States is not happening for the safety of the populace; it’s happening to keep said populace in its place.  In the case of the United States of America, the Established order is money.  And while a sustainable future absent of money is preferable . . . complete societal collapse and chaos is possible. Either way, what are the chances that the Establishment will quietly crumble and surrender what they stole?

Field Marshall George Jackson put it well...

“These are the terminal years of capitalism. And as we move into more and more basic challenges to its rule, history clearly forewarns us that when the prestige of power fails, a violent episode precedes its transformation.”