PROMETHEAN ANTAGONIST

A friend of mine recently recommended the Apple TV television series, “Severance.”   Before watching it (I’ve since watched the first two episodes) I checked out some of the critical appraisals of the series on YouTube.  Many of them, along with their comment threads, interpret the series as a critique of capitalism. That may very well be the case.   I don’t know the producers ultimate motive in making the drama and I haven’t watched enough of it yet to determine the accuracy of that appraisal. 

Severance is clearly brilliant on several levels and interpretations that see it as a critique of capitalism may not be unfounded but…

Under all systems, many people will likely be subservient to a manipulative slave master, industrial Barron, corporate apparatus, or powerful coercive state authority.  The dynamic even shows up under teachers, spouses, and parents. Politically and economically, the issue becomes a matter of who will be the greater threat to autonomy and success, some “greedy” people who want to sell products and services or angry ideologues demanding you swallow their version of utopia. 

One appraisal of the series kept referring to “late capitalism” — a classic in the vocabulary of Marxists and other pseudo-intellectuals.  The “late capitalism” so often referred to by critics and academics is probably more accurately corporatism, the collusion between powerful corporations and government (also called fascism), at the expense of small businesses and individuals.   This state of affairs could just as accurately be referred to as late socialism as the state’s centralization of power has increasingly been helped along by compliant corporate interests. A false dichotomy becomes wedded in a common goal of subjugating humanity to the whims of a powerful minority. Put state and corporate interests on the same team and you’re really screwed. 

Praising Severance’s perceived critique of capitalism is beyond ironic considering that it’s the product of one of the largest corporate/capitalist entities on the planet (Apple).

I’m reminded of James Cameron’ caricatures of capitalism in virtually all of his films that end with a long list of credits to corporations responsible for making the films — poor oppressed James Cameron. 

In the current propaganda environment, it’s no wonder that so many citizens now defend or promote authoritarian measures like speech codes, raids on political opposition, and punitive attacks on free thought.  The population seems largely unaware that virtually every power-center in society (e.g. education, entertainment, media) is notably socialist in their views and goals.  Calling it “progressivism,” “Democratic” socialism, or “wokism” doesn’t hide the fact that it’s the usual aggrandizement of arbitrary and centralized authority. 

The lemming-like descent into statism is no surprise at a time where pseudo-rebels everywhere defend the dictates of pharmaceutical companies, the FBI, and every other organ of government.

Does it really make sense to despise the power of business institutions while simultaneously praising the consolidation of power into a true monopoly and mega-corporation — the government?

In the end, most people simply have a preference as to who they want to see with power and who they want to see punished for straying from a preferred dogma.  We support a certain clique in its will to power in the hopes that we will vicariously benefit from the imposed order (usually a mistaken expectation).  Or, we pretend we are selfless and willing to sacrifice in a contrived exercise of virtue signaling. 

Severance seems to offer some brilliant insight and entertainment, but some cliche’ interpretations can only go so far in seeking to understand underlying truths about the human condition. 

# posted by Promethean Antagonist @ 6:58 PM