For anyone who has encountered the Metal Gear Solid game series, its dedication to anti-nuclear proliferation is obvious. But its commentary goes much further. From the futility of violence & deterrence, to the effect that technological advancement is having upon people, Metal Gear Solid doesn't shy away from sensitive or political issues.
One issue of particular interest is the nature of control as portrayed within the series.
The malevolent and illusive enemies in the game are The Patriots. The original members sought to establish a system of control, with the aim of realising their mentor's vision of a unified world.
The focus of the Patriots' system is controlling the flow of knowledge; first by orchestrating what information the people could get access to and later by controlling language itself - in an extreme version of Voloshinov's 'struggle for meaning'.
From SOPA/PIPA & ACTA, to accusations of Countries engaging in internet censorship, the free flow of information is a sensitive subject. And one on which attitudes can shift as easily with geography as with ideology.
In January, for example, while author & theorist Umberto Eco promoted exchange programs that encouraged European integration, the American media & politicians were engaged in fevered bouts of fund-raising. Collecting colossal sums of money with which to buy the attention of the electorate, all in order to orchestrate public opinion towards this or that version of what it means to be a Republican.
The fears expressed in Metal Gear Solid are very real. Knowledge is something that can empower individuals when the flow of information is free, but is a powerful tool of oppression when controlled. The power of knowledge lies in how integral information is to decision making. Where one group is able to strictly manage the flow of information, they can gain the ability to dominate, not just what people can do, but also what they can conceive as possible to do.
Whether that domination comes in the form of censorship or through the influence of vast wealth, there remains a need to assure that all checks & balances against the concentration of power remain watchful & effective.
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