New TV show

Hi All,

Not sure if this is where we should put this...

This is a recommendation for a new TV series that I received from a friend at work. Mr Robot, its from USA networks, but is amazing. Get past the host nation and enjoy.

Why Mr. Robot Is Fight Club’s Spiritual Successor

Sounds like anonymous the TV series, looks really interesting though! I think I'll definitely check it out.

'Anonymous: The TV Series' was definetly the vibe of the trailer and the lead actor reminded me of Aaron_Swartz with a crew-cut.

Its a good show, but strangely enough the problem I have with it is the core idea behind it. The whole idea that the system is broken and we need to rip it down and start over doesn't seem to work for me anymore. Sure the system has its flaws and needs some fixing, but not complete destruction and rebuilding.

Actually, maybe it does. But I don't want to be living in it during the big change I guess. I like being able to leave my house without the fear of death or maiming while I walk down the street.

The apocalypse doesn't seem like so much fun after 35  
And the post-apocalypse (zombie or otherwise) is a young man's game...
Who wants to be dragging around kids and elderly parents around while the teens and ex-cops are sawing-off shotguns and forming meth-fuelled rape gangs?

I haven't seen the show yet - but I wouldn't worry about Anonymous or any bunch of hackers destroying society - they need electricity like a junkie needs junk. Even high-profile hacks like Wikileaks do little to effect, much less reformat, mainstream Western society.  Even an impressive terrorist attack like 9-11 could only kill 2000 people.  

What is Mr.Robot's plans?

Individuals can only do so much, you need corporate or government power to hit the RESET button, even if you are only going to hit it accidentally.

To really destroy society you need serious power and true blindness: like an unregulated stock market that kept crashing the global economy, or unchecked resource extraction that compromised the environment until it collapsed, or reckless military force that eventually sparked a global conflict, ect....

If you just want to get it so that you are afraid to leave your home due to social unrest, that's a little easier. To create gangs you need immigrants (Irish and Italians back in the day, more choice these days), no social programs, a poor economy, weak police and a few prohibitions of popular drugs for black-market income. Groups of young males will also form gangs, you just have to make them stay in gangs as they grow older, meaner and hopeless. It would be very hard to get Ottawa to look like Compton - but I do remember encountering serious racism toward the French and Somalis there. Facebook and the War Of Terror might help speed social breakdown and returning to violent ethnic grouping.

Also natural disasters - maybe a real pandemic (not this h1n1 stuff) or a big solar flare...

Wait, what was the subject again?

Mr Robot is a good show. More for the way it was shot and the way it tells the story. But the story itself just bugs me. But very interesting show to watch visually. It's quite cinematic and different.

I did listen to the nerdist podcast last week that had Jon Ronson on it and they were talking about how social media has turning into a big forum for shaming. It was very interesting. They talked about how the shaming was so overwhelming. ie this one woman sent out a racist tweet and how the internet took it upon itself to completely destroy her life.

But i'm going off topic here... Watch Mr. Robot. Christian Slater is awesome as always and that Malik guy is really great too.