In a letter published in the most recent issue of Libertarian Enterprise, David Walker points out the quite notable similarities between the fictional world portrayed in The Hunger Games and the United Nations’ Agenda 21:
The Hunger Games “universe” is the inevitable result at the attempt to implement Agenda 21.
- Herding the population into tightly controlled resource production “districts”.
While there are no “arcologies/super cities” as forwarded by Agenda 21, I don’t think such things could possibly be created by such a system anyway. The Agenda 21 structure is simply too anti-technological and too government heavy. The “Hunger Games” police state “Districts” is a much more believable result of enforced population reduction & control.- In the “country” of “Panem” no one is allowed out into “the wild”. Agenda 21 demands “rewilding” of all space outside of habitation districts. In the Hunger Games, crossing the electrified fence can get you shot. Killing wild game (poaching the government’s animals) will get you shot. Pristine Earth policed with heavy weapons. Sound familiar?
- Travel is largely by High Speed Rail, and solely by High Speed Rail between Districts. Cars/trucks are only mentioned in the Capitol. The more poor the district, the more likely you are to be forced to walk everywhere. Only the Military has anything resembling air travel and even that is curtailed (one character dreams/reminisces about winged flight vs. hovercraft).
- The utter disdain for Carbon Based Fuels.
The Heroine from Hunger Games comes from the Coal Producing District (District 12). As described, there simply could not be enough coal produced by that district to have coal be a viable energy source, therefore the coal must be being used for other non-energy-related tasks. Likewise, “District 12” is the pariah of the Districts. Nobody loves Coal, and nobody loves the people who produce it. “Power” is produced by a nameless “District 5” by nameless means, though Nuclear is suggested on the website.- There is no Religion in the Hunger Games world.
Agenda 21 specifically declares non-pantheistic/non-“natural” religions (particularly Judaism, Islam & Christianity) as something that must be eliminated. “Nature worship” is apparently OK.- The Government is Hollywood/Hollywood is Government.
Hollyweirdoes love Agenda 21. The 3 books of the series are not kind to Hollywood and the kind of government the majority of those weirdoes would create. It presents “The Capitol” as a cross between San-Francisco Body Modification, Hollywood & Rome where nonproductive decadence, self importance, absurd vanity and utter banality are the rule. Any wonder the Movie(s) (will) suppress this aspect of the books?Other Themes, late in the series: Revolutions aren’t always led by noble causes.
I’m half-way through reading ‘The Hunger Games’ books, after seeing the movie.
Not bad. Not a great job of believable world-building, but well-written characters and plot.
Which is okay – the series is written by a lady who writes for children, and so it’s got a rather simple-minded approach to ‘background’ and ‘believability’.
A lot like Agenda 21.
Comment by Brian Dunbar — April 24, 2012 @ 12:23
Well, it was written by a committee. A UN committee. Skill with words is never to be expected of such entities. Banal evil, yes, but writing skills, no.
Comment by Nicholas — April 24, 2012 @ 12:38