She put this well. "A blueprint for the kind of things do when they're put under pressure." She said, I only put stuff in there that people have done. That's important to know when viewing her work.
@@BillyBike416 Yeah, it seems like moral relativism is the quickest and easiest way for a society to spiral downwards. No type of government on earth is automatically immune from people abusing their power and making immoral decisions. To accuse a theocracy of being automatically worse than a democratic republic (as some people do), I think, is missing the point that both of those types of government can work well if people actually follow objective Truth. (and both of these governments can fail if people don't follow objective Truth). Also, if the beliefs that the theocracy is based on are wrong, well, obviously a theocracy based on those beliefs isn't going to help. And thus, we all need to be seeking objective Truth, which moral relativism detrimentally discourages (because objective Truth is Truth for EVERYONE, not just truth for oneself as moral relativists like to emphasize).
This women is brilliant, her words are thoughtfull and rational. How can anyone argue with this. I wish from the bottom of my heart that people wake up. I also wish that by the time the AVERAGE human does it wont be too late.
"The Handmaid`s Tail" is a work of sheer genius. I`m not a femanist nor am I a liberal. Atwood`s novel is one of the great dystopian novels of the 20th century.
Two vibrant, expanding souls: Margaret Atwood and Bill Moyers. One translation of Yahweh claims to be "I am becoming that which I am becoming" and over the decades I have received much pleasure, guidance, and spirit from what Atwood and Moyers are becoming. (Down to earth, Part 1/3 has no sound while Part 2/3 and 3/3 are delightfully audible.) Thank you for offering this powerful conversation to us.
Her argument about how people will 'probably have to give up their freedoms in order to preserve them' This happened in Russia after the Russian Revolution. In the early stages there was direct workers control and the Bolsheviks persuaded them 'in order to defend the revolution' to give up their free and voluntary socialism for an authoritarian one. This has happened throughout history.
Totalitarian governments must either destroy religion or attach themselves to it because it represents a authority higher than themselves. Notice in the US the more politicians that openly identify as deeply religious we have the more authoritarian we become. Religion is important but it should be left out of politics, Jimmy Carter was a great example to follow.
I too am amazed how Americans were not in an uproar over the Patriot Act. At least some Americans began to see their liberties being taking away by the time Obama started to really attempt doing so even moreso and got in an uproar then, but now some are blaming Trump who is trying to reinstate them and say instead that he is doing just the opposite.
Brett Maine and neo-nazi pride is at an all time high. Blacks, latinos and all other non-white people are in real trouble from Trump's supporters. You people are crazy and dangerous!
If you liked Oryx & Crake, you should go out and grab her new book, The Year of the Flood, which is a successor to Oryx & Crake (well, same setting but it's told through a parallel perspective).
What a book! I really have to remember to breathe; I realize then that it's Offred who's not breathing, I get a slight glimpse as to the mental terror of being in a room with nothing to do... Gives one a new perspective on what we have and what we may not have should Atwood, in this video, be right; that this country can easily be turned into a theocracy
Most people will give up their freedoms for security. But in her book, this is why the constitution is such an important document. It gives every one in this country rights. These rights and ideas have been bought and paid for by blood. Some rights have taken longer to pass. The constitution is more important that the president of the united states. People do take some rights for granted. But don't let any one take them from you.
Watching this 15 years after this was posted. She practically prophesied the arrival of Trumpism and the extreme right that has a choke-hold on US politics today. Truly shocking, and to quote her statement from The Handmaid's Tale, "History doesn't repeat, but it rhymes." This interview alone tells us why we should listen to women concerning the war in the religious right have against women. A basic fact, the right, health, and warefare of women dicate the health of any government. The 2022 Republican party has American not just in downfall, but in freefall.
She talks about how a society like this can come about when cultures and societies come under stress, and people look for others to blame ... and then she herself blames. A lot of what she says here is spot on EXCEPT it is deceiving or misleading by way of omission and palter, and some are saying the cult in the series is Christian merely because of the use of some bible scripture taken out of context and the use of crosses, etc. There is nothing Christian about this cult in the series however. True Christianity believes in free will and individual choice, not totalitarianism. People can call themselves whatever they want but it doesn't mean that they are actually what they say there are (like the crusaders might of called themselves Christian but were they?). The term "Christian" seems to be a term used very loosely these days. Christian simply means follower of Christ. A mark of a true Christian is Love, and nothing like what is portrayed in the cult in this series that same refer to as Christianity.
You cannot deny that religions, Christianity included, have been vehicles for wretched things in history. I'm not personally religious (somewhere on the line betweem atheism - agnosticism) and I believe that it's not a personal belief in a higher power that is the problem, it's the belief in scripture that is the problem. Moreover, the people who believe that those stories must apply to all of society. For instance, the people who say "We are all god's children" or believe that others should convert to a religion, then that's where the authoritarianism peeks through. Those are dangerous people. Of course belief in a higher power is not a bad thing. It's people who want to control others with religion that is the bad thing.
@lollerskates77777 She says in this video at about 7:40 that the theocracy she's put in The Handmaid's Tale never calls itself Christian. She then goes on to say: "It's slogans etcetera, etcetera all from the Old Testament". (Presumably that the novel uses slogans from the Old Testament, but the new form of government itself does not call itself Christian)
When Margaret talks about atheism being a rigid believe in the non-existence of gods, I am reminded of Christopher Hitchens response to Sean Hannity blathering on with "gotcha" atheist criticisms. "One gets the impression you have never read the works of the people that oppose your position"
EXCELLENT interview. Religious quoting preachers are stripping women of their rights. If you don’t have the right to control your body, it’s FORCED CHILDBIRTH.
As a writer though, she just intimidates me, and makes my lay down my pen in despair. I can't write anything worthy of comparison with her work, or intellect. So why bother? I'm depressed by my inadequacies.
@loqutor shes not slandering christianity, she's criticizing the repercussions of religion as a whole, just look at what happens in the middle east due to religious beliefs. Christianity has recently been relatively tamed, but it's past is just as barbaric, think of the crusades, and the witch burnings. She's simply providing some warning to what could happen if religion became radicalized in the western world once again.
Why is everyone always saying she's so brilliant/such a genius? Anyone who picks up books and studies history can gather this information. I'm not saying she's not good at what she does, she absolutely is, but I hear people throwing around "brilliant" and "genius" all the time and I just don't get it. We're all capable of collecting information and forming opinions about it. Not trying to be rude to the author, I just genuinely want to know why people think this.
Hey I love cute kittens as much as the next guy, but I don't know if that constitutes the greatest communications revolution in history ;-) P.S.: Kittens!
4:13 - 4:40 At the end she scoffs after mentioning people scapegoating "them liberals" before saying "whatever it may be". I think she does this to downplay the potential implication in her statement that no one else could be scapegoated -- and she brushes it under the rug somewhat; but please never forget, even if you feel the current "climate" is turning against you, NEVER FORGET that those in power have done this (scapegoated others, brutally and successfully) almost without fail throughout history. But if you remain wary of the hypocrisy inherent in blame, you can stop it -- just never forget.
Writing isn't a competition - I know what you mean, it's hard to see others' stylistic abilities and avoid measuring yourself up to them. You will never write an Atwood book, and she will never write a book the way you would. Ideas about quality comparison aside, just keep exploring notions - philosophical, political, et cetera - that drive you. Figure out what aspect or form of storytelling you like the most and develop! Just keep writing!
although at 7.30ish Atwood says that she never quotes the New Testament in her novel, she does, on more than one occasion, most explicity on pg 89, where Offred quotes the Beatitudes. the Beatitudes have been altered by Offred because she is quoting the government which has altered the Bible to suit their own ends. but either way she quotes the New Testament, and I'm calling bullshit.
Also, you accuse Islam of not protesting terrorism. My point, that flew straight over your head, was unless you have protested wrongs done by xtianity, when you have actually put yourself out there and signed petitions and marched against the injustice, then you really have no right to judge. But what's it to you? It's in other countries - therefore you don't care. Guess what? That's pretty much how they feel about us. Apathy exists in every religion.
The Tanakh IS the old testament and Judaism has a strong emphasis on following the religious laws within them. Like going through a grocery list everyday. Jesus informed the heracies to get away from consuming oneself with the details of the laws in the old testament but to focus on ones faith in God because not believing in him and his son is the only unforgivable sin.
Actually I don't hate Israel. But I also don't hate the Palestinians who were uprooted for that state to exist either. How typical that you see things in complete black and white - the blinders of religion As for a democracy, you do realize Iran once had a democratic gov't right? But they wanted to trade with the godless Russians, so the good old U.S of A stepped in, deposed him, and instituted the Shah who was so hated, it saw a spike of extremism that still exists to this day.
You know, I don't recall the Puritans having reproductive concubines. I suppose a few must have had them on the side, since, you know, that always happens. But that's not what her book was about, was it?
heh, "Really, you just cannot debate this type of crazy." Good stuff :-) It's hard to let outrageous b.s. go unresponded to on RU-vid, but, the RU-vid comments section really is the absolute gutter of discourse.
