Soooo, even the title of this song feels relevant to Psycho-Pass in general as it's all about catching criminals and I'd say that they criminals themselves are pretty unkind...
This song is specifically for episode three though (goes with my other post, I have a lot of catching up to do (so, sorry for anyone who is actually looking at these)) lyrics in the song like "I've become hostage to my mind" and "dominate, killing of the innocence" go with Yellow-Green snapping and such, though I know the victims aren't entirelyyyyy innocent...
This being a day without text, I humbly offer one to the group.
You guys aren't ready for the level of nerd I'm about to unleash.
So "2112" is a 20:33 long track, the first side of Rush's 1976 album 2112. Which means it's 20:33 glorious minutes of utopia-building prog rock.
I didn't think it prudent to take up that amount of time in class so I opted just to share "The Temples of Syrinx," the song's introduction to the utopia.
The Priests control "The words you read/The songs you sing/The pictures that give pleasure/To your eye," and the unnamed protagonist initially thinks them extraordinarily benevolent. These Temples rise in each city throughout the Solar Federation as hubs from which everything is controlled. Life goes on relatively unimpeded. Sound familiar?
Long story short: the protagonist discovers an ancient guitar, plucks away at it (becoming a rock god not unlike Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson in the process), shows it to the Priests who dismiss him, is visited by an Oracle in a dream which shows him how awesome life used to be before the Federation, becomes a hermit living in a cave behind a waterfall: bedridden and suicidal, because he is but one person under an administration of oppression. The song ends with the phrase "Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation/We have assumed control".
FUN and UPLIFTING
And here is the whole thing for the adventurous among us (on your own time for goodness' sake):
Inspired by the book, I think the lyrics do a good job of summarizing John's experience in the brave new world. It gives the sense of how different the world is in comparison to his expectations. Echoing the first lines at the end also brings the story full circle: some prior society had to die in order for the brave new world to arise, then that world ends up causing John's demise.
The monks made me think of Star Wars and how the Sith are trying to create their own twisted kind of utopia through tyranny and fear. Darth Plagueis the Wise's ability to "save people from death" made me lean towards a Utopia when I heard this song.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVnSFj6XQZY)
While looking through the reading I had a few questions that I thought would be interesting as discussion questions. I also wanted to post a song for the day as I felt it fit with the tradition of the Benedictine Abbey using music in prayer & chant derived, in part, from Gregorian Chanting.
The song chosen was ‘Reborn’ by Colin Stetson from the film Hereditary. The song has many different calming notes with some Gregorian Chanting featured in the track.
I also wanted to discuss the concept of ‘justice as currency’, a theme that seems prevalent in the readings we have had (especially in ‘The Republic’) and now with the concepts of sustainability and living consciously of the earth with those of the Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert. Does justice work as a currency to motivate those in a utopia to continue operating calmly and legally? Would we still operate justly if it did not mean that we would receive recognition? Would we still be the best people that we could be without a type of ‘recognition’? (‘Recognition’ in this case could be community, career, or esteem).
Would we live justly if there was nothing to gain from it? Are we innately just? If we aren’t, how does injustice happen?
Some of my questions are pretty heavy and obviously they can’t be solved within one class sitting, but I loved reading about the lifestyle and commitments of those in the Benedictine Abbey who have wholeheartedly pledged themselves to a beautiful (and sustainable) cause that hurts no one and benefits the Earth.
I think it is going to be pretty difficult to find a song that perfectly sums up one of our readings. So perhaps I was just looking for an excuse to force one of my current favorite songs into the utopia discussion, and perhaps it will make more sense in response to an unknown reading later in the semester, but I think IDLES' "Danny Nedelko" has some decent connections to the Rule of St. Benedict.
The refrain "Fear leads to panic, panic leads to pain, pain leads to anger, anger leads to hate" is not only reminiscent of Yoda (you know I had to sneak in some Star Wars) but of stricture as well; one can imagine St. Benedict's Abbess "kneading" these commands into her disciples.
On the instruments of good works, which prioritize loving one's neighbor as oneself: IDLES sing about the importance of neighbors and immigrants; one of them, after all, could be the next Freddie Mercury, Mo Farah, or Malala Yousafzai.
Admittedly, the daily regulations set out for monks are nowhere to be found in this song, and maybe I am ignoring the abundance of rigorous Rules to instead focus on a the smaller amount of kind acts mentioned in the Rules. But the theme of unabashed community ("C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y S-O F-U-C-K Y-O-U") runs throughout the chapters, whether in welcoming guests or just valuing every member of the monastery.
Upon reflection, IDLES have probably written a song not for cenobites, but for gyrovagues; though they may be imperfect, they're still monks.
