The Purge: America's future or fancy Hollywood theatrics?

Hello ATSers, Toast here with a post that should surely get you typing away.

Recently, while watching videos on youtube, an ad came up for this trailer about a movie coming at the end of May called The Purge



purge link for those who can't watch player

In order to satisfy the deviant impulses of the general public through impromptu catharsis, the U.S. government initiates "The Purge", an annual 12-hour period in which all illegal activity, including murder is legal. The movie centers around a single family whose home has been fortified to protect them from outsiders during one of these purges. The family, whose two children debate the morality of the purge and the views of their parents, begins the yearly routine of locking down their home for the purge. During this free-for-all, when the son of the family lets a man being hunted into their home, they must protect themselves from a home invasion by psychopathic strangers.

Purge wiki

With such issues such as gun control and other measures floating about, what would be the implications if the government allowed such an event to happen? The way I saw it in the trailer, it appears to take place in an America in a near, but improbable future where the public seems to have been subdued to an almost utopic state.

I also couldn't help but notice that most of the cast is white, save for the African-American man that the family in the movie decide to save on Purge night.

Please kindly discuss your thoughts in a civil manner below, even though most of us can agree that it is just another false flag by the film industry to distract us from matters at hand.

I just watched this trailer and thought "Oh another one of my movie ideas has been sucked from my brain"
Of course I think the idea is an inhuman one which would destroy any country which adopted it but It may be entertaining and I love Hawke.
Would it make all the angst and angry go away? no... would many like this to happen? I fear yes.

One question to ask would be If this came to pass would you be one of the ones going out getting revenge? or would you be like the family and just hide away?.

Sounds a bit like my neck of the woods on the 5th, the whole town is covered by common law doctrine "violenti non fit injuria" (or to the Willing person no injury is done) for that one night.

Put it this way, they establishment actually spend the weeks leading up to the 5th digging up and removing their bits of public technology hiding them away in the certain knowledge that otherwise they'll be blown to bits.

Perhaps that is the type of legal premise they are using in the film?? and to be honest, it does sort of purge everyones inhibitions, but it also sets off a spark of rebellion..

reply to post by boymonkey74


To answer your question about being the one going to fight or staying hidden, I myself would barricade myself unless I have meaning to go out and participate in a "purge".

I am a fairly peaceful person with a streak of psychopathy, but I hide my dark side well. The only reason I would go out is only I was wronged in someway and wanted revenge.

reply to post by thoughtsfull


And I'm curious...what area of the world do you come from that implements such activity? Granted this movie is a shot in the dark, but to me it sounds like you have a familiar event.

Originally posted by TheToastmanCometh
reply to post by thoughtsfull

 

And I'm curious...what area of the world do you come from that implements such activity? Granted this movie is a shot in the dark, but to me it sounds like you have a familiar event.

Lewes, Sussex, England.. the day before the 5th all the shops still board up their windows, the government dig up their bits of technology, laughably they even put full metal jackets on the parking meters, which tend to get blown up..

Now this is the part I think the premise of the film falls down, in that it could purge society of all it's deadly thoughts, as here the establishment has been trying to stamp out the anarchy of the 5th for the best part of 180 years as all it does is cause the spark that ignites rebellion, it is perhaps no wonder that Thomas Paine started his pamphlet writing here..

Now this article from a few years ago kinda sums up my feeling as to the pandoras box they would open if they ever tried to institute a "purge"

www.independent.co.uk...

Sounds like a re-deaux of an old original Start Trek Episode "return of the Archons" where one night a year the entire population engages in a night of debauchery murder and mayhem. Of course as usual, the society was controlled by a computer and the chief prophet/engineer/programmer was a guy named "Landru" who created a static peaceful "perfect" society based on mind control. In order to prevent stagnation of the society, the computer releases control and all the inhibitions of the people to introduce randomness into the society for "balance". As usual Kirk and crew destroy the computer and return the perfect society to a normal human society.
this was broadcast in 1967. Old idea - new implenentation.

ganjoa

I'm troubled by the amount of senseless violence in movies today. It seems that story and character have taken a back seat to explosions, bloodshed, car crashes and casual sex. Guess I'll go back and watch LOTR for umpteenth time. I was reminded of Return of the Archons too, lol. " It is the will of Landrew".

I saw the trailer yesterday, definitely found it interesting... Do I believe anything like this could (or would) ever happen? Of course not, but I'm sure it will keep me entertained for a good 90 minutes.

reply to post by TheToastmanCometh


Fifth of November, I believe he means. Guy Fawkes Night, tends to be an excuse to burn/blow up/otherwise wreck things for those of us in Britain and the Commonwealth.

Why is it that Government officials are exempt from the "Purge"

I will tell you why...Social Conditioning...

Stupid movie made box office and all the morons who went supported this agenda! Looks like they will get their "Hunger Games" soon enough.

So I just watched this movie last night, as it came out on DVD.

Wow.
As just a movie, I liked it.
As a statement as to what life would be like if this was real in America?

It scared the crap out of me. Morals, having a conscience, compassion, all gone. And it sure didn't seem like it was just for that night either.

Scarier to think that in real life, today, those things are disappearing.

Let's say the cops stop their job.
Normal folks would take their place and ANY large group known to be violent will be countered.
We wouldn't have a choice.
Right and wrong WILL determined by the barrels of guns,those who have them controls things.
Possibly we would see the return of dueling.