Last year I wrote two editorials for the Newsletter in sympathy with Denis Villeneuve’s film, Dune, originally suppose to come out last December. This one was published in the September 2020 issue when the election was the dominant issue of the day. The movie is now out but won’t come to the U.S. until next month and I think it appropriate to publish it now with everything happening in the world today. It’s been edited slightly to bring it up to date.
There are few things I’m more looking forward to than the first of two films by Denis Villeneuve bringing to life Frank Herbert’s classic science-fiction novel Dune. And it isn’t just because I’m a big fan of the book, which is an intricately-plotted treatise on religion, gender, power and politics, but because its ideas are perfected suited for this period of history.
Because this story, unlike a lot of recent blockbuster films, should scare the pants off our political leaders as they will see themselves onscreen in their various guises. And that fear may be enough to waken the sleeper, in the parlance of the book, the silent majority now staring at a bleak future post COVID-19.
In the hands of Denis Villeneuve, a film-maker perfectly suited to the material, we could be looking at a movie which becomes a turning point in the culture war. Villeneuve is one of the few people working today who can marry bold visual storytelling with complex narrative while not browbeating his audience. Watch The Arrival, Sicario or, my favorite, Blade Runner 2049 (see my original thoughts/review here) to get a sense of what we’re in store for.
He reminds me of Ridley Scott at his best, which Scott hasn’t been at for decades.
Dune is the story of a space-faring humanity at a time of crisis whose entire civilization, thanks to previous periods of barbarism, is dependent on a single commodity, the spice. And spice can only be found on the planet Arrakis, or Dune.
The metaphor to oil is obvious since Herbert published the book in 1965.
Dune is a pastiche of a number of genres, a classic hero’s journey from adolescence to adulthood for its protagonist, Paul Atreides, told in ways both intensely intimate but keenly aware of these events’ historical importance. It is an intense political drama with six Houses vying for control against a rising religious jihad against their rule.
Looking over our world as we approach the end of 2020 [sic], Dune is especially relevant because it shows us exactly where we are in the cycle of empires. It will be hard for people to miss these things when they see the movie.
The film will make very clear, if told properly, what happens when the concentration of power in the hands of the few at the expense of the many becomes toxic. The corruption of the Houses, their plotting and scheming against each other for control of the spice drives all the external action.
It’s a deep look at a society coming unglued at the seams, where the political structures, in place for centuries, have become sclerotic. But it is also a linear narrative that if stripped of its excesses tells a streamlined story about the rise of a new world on the ashes of the old one.
It’s a story about a desert world which is the source of life itself and whose unforgiving environment forges mere men into forces of nature.
Because, ultimately, Dune is about the limits of power and how it corrupts everyone. It reminds all of us that fear is what drives men to make desperate plays to maintain power. Told mostly through Paul’s eyes as he grows into the man who will lead a revolution, it is the growing unrest of the people which forces the hand of the Emperor to set things in motion and who exists as a vague threat to come in an crush anyone stupid enough to cross him and his near unlimited power.
And yet he too, like every other tyrant, falls.
After years of Dune languishing as a nearly dead property Villeneuve’s film will have to answer the most important question if it wants to succeed, “Why Now?” It isn’t just because someone in Hollywood had the rights to it. Those rights were tied up by Herbert’s son who had managed them into near irrelevance. That’s how the project gets started.
They tried to tell this story back in the eighties with David Lynch’s unfortunate film, but it was the wrong time.
There was no resonance with current events during the height of the Reagan reboot of America when optimism was rampant and Ridley Scott had failed not two years earlier with Blade Runner, now a classic but hated on release.
That’s the big fear they should have going into release. And conquering fear is the key thing Paul must do to survive the task in front of him. His story should become ours as we enter 2022 and, if that happens, that should scare the would-be tyrants of this world to death.
Since this was written a number of things have happened that validate my fears then. It was a call to action for us to begin hardening ourselves against a bleak and terrifying future. It was also a warning for us not to put our faith in the institutions we think protect us from them.
Back then I was worried about the sequel to the Coronapocalypse, now confirmed for me as the rollout of the vaccines against COVID-9/11, as much as Trump being deposed through obvious and under-handed means. It’s why I was so adamant about the election being the inflection point for the world.
Everything came down to it. It was a singularity where one world ended and another began. The sleeper awakened that day and those that didn’t see it or refused to see its importance are now complicit in the violence that has come since and is yet to come.
The collapsing narrative surrounding the COVID-9/11 vaccines, their efficacy and honestly the dangers they represent to those in low-risk cohorts, it makes sense to see the headlines chocked to the gills with announcements of escalating stakes for us, the unwashed, unclean, unvaxxed and ungovernable.
Biden is threatening dishonorable discharges for U.S. military. From what I’ve heard from military men I’ve talked to, that would be 90% of them.
New York governor, Kathy Hochul is threatening medical workers with replacement by ‘foreigners’ if they don’t get the jab. It’s like she thinks her job gives her that power?
In Australia they are now just shooting protestors in public.
Tomorrow I will publish the companion piece, written after the stolen election. It’s called The Jihad. Tomorrow is the day the results of the election audit in Arizona are released. What happens if it proves fraud and Sen. Mark Kelly is recalled due to a decertified election?
Join my Patreon if you have awakened
BTC: 3GSkAe8PhENyMWQb7orjtnJK9VX8mMf7Zf
BCH: qq9pvwq26d8fjfk0f6k5mmnn09vzkmeh3sffxd6ryt
DCR: DsV2x4kJ4gWCPSpHmS4czbLz2fJNqms78oE
LTC: MWWdCHbMmn1yuyMSZX55ENJnQo8DXCFg5k
DASH: XjWQKXJuxYzaNV6WMC4zhuQ43uBw8mN4Va
WAVES: 3PF58yzAghxPJad5rM44ZpH5fUZJug4kBSa
ETH: 0x1dd2e6cddb02e3839700b33e9dd45859344c9edc
DGB: SXygreEdaAWESbgW6mG15dgfH6qVUE5FSE
Tom,
Thank you for an excellent post. Having worked in finance for many years (now retired) I often agree with much of what you write – even when it makes for uncomfortable reading.
If it is at all possible, the situation is worse here in Canada. Trudeau who as you might be aware, has been re elected and all of our military are under strict orders to ‘have the jab’. Unlike in the US, I understand than most/many comply. I hope that I am wrong and there is strong resistance.
Having lived and worked for many years in China and other countries in Asia (for a US Bank) I remember the often quoted Chinese curse: “To live in interesting times”.
Take care.
Yes, the more they tighten their grip, the more societies will slip through their fingers.
But just for a moment, credit our enemy with the intelligence to know that.
And I don’t mean the imbeciles like Trudeau and the senile patsies like Biden.
I mean our true enemy – the Davosians eager to see their patsies and proxies fail, so they can step into their place. To solve the crises their patsies will be blamed for.
National leadership failing, so we beg for global leadership.
In all your rebuttals, you have insisted that humanity will not tolerate global leadership being imposed upon it, while those of us beating this drum insist that it will not be imposed upon humanity but begged for by it. It will not be an imposition, but a gift. The indoctrinated will weep for joy. They will dance in the streets.
I ask again – what is it about the indoctrinated masses that makes you think that in the midst of a global crisis they will refuse the free medicine, free money and free Netflix, choosing instead to suffer to defend essential liberties they now barely understand?
Maybe it’s been a while since you lived and worked amongst the ‘commoners’. In your high tower with vision afar, you don’t realize what transpires beneath your feet. Even the cattle know when they’re being led to slaughter and you’d think less of your countrymen. I suggest you learn to live with the people for when times get hard the hard men will shine and you won’t be able to hide in your tower without pulling your weight.
Well, maybe.
Tom certainly has encouraged me to show a little more faith in the ability of the indoctrinated masses to throw off their mental shackles and resist the emerging global tyranny, but I’m seeing little inclination in my neck of the woods. Their enthrallment appears to be rapidly deepening if anything.
And when the Davosians finally pull the trigger on their “Dark Winter” and we get their cybercrisis or power cuts or whatever they have planned to panic us all into accepting their Great Reset, will enough Browncoats stand up to resist them and their Brownshirts, or will the demoralized commoners fall into line in droves? History suggests the latter.
Tom is telling us not to worry, and that the Davosians are clowns whose failure is imminent. I suspect he is wrong. They have planned this for decades and the opening phases of this global coup have been a stunning success for them.
Luongo’s Ride – “The Davosians are coming! But they will fail without us needing to do anything, so maybe just grab some popcorn.”
Blood will run, (correction) ….flow on the streets before this International Coup is destroyed.
History is fascinating. Evil gets a few runs on the board then it is totally destroyed.
The reason evil gets a “go,” in the first place, is because normal folks live a simple life around marriage, births, bitter divorces and death.
Plus working like a miserable dog to pay off debt, created out of nothing by suites in banks.
Question : Who has their hands up Joe’s diapers making his eyes roll in his surgically enhanced Asia eye lids ?
(Someone needs retraining in the mouth and lip movements)
Ivordeacon. Based on my reading/research whatever, I feel the same way as you. The sheep are being led to slaughter and there are not enough enlightened/awakened ones to fight the oncoming tyranny they’ve planned for decades and made several attempts to impose in the recent past. The covid crap is a controlled demolition of the entire planet ruled/owned by the Davos crowd/WEF/Soros/et al.
Don’t believe anything you write.
You need to loosen your tinfoil hat
Why will people (not all– but you don’t need all) react? Because if you are amongst such people and I am you would realize they aren’t technocratic linear thinkers as yourself. Also they see the beauty and intelligence in everyone. You dont because you can’t.
Tomorrow morning the heroic, indefatigable Sen Fann and her team of patriots who are wholly dedicated to saving our Republic will release the results of the Arizona audit. GIven that the earlier release of the canvass confirmed massive fraud I expect that irrefutable evidence of massive electoral fraud will be established. Of one thing I can nearly guarantee there will be NO mention of the Dog Fart Media.It will be ignored and anyone reporting on it will be banned from Zuckerbook, Google, Twitter and the rest of our massive BigTech infrastructure. Patriots and anyone left, right or center must prepare to be certain that every American learns of the fraud. Noone likes to be the victim of a fraud.I even suspect those that may or benefited by seeing their candidate will be appalled and disappointed. That, my friend, is the job we all will have beginning tomorrow. Pass on this message. We may be simple word warriors but we can do our small part in restoring the Republic by convincing our fellow citizens that we are all victims of a massive fraud perpetrated by an organized criminal syndicate.
You do realise my cherub, the rest of planet earth cannot believe its eyeballs and ears at the madness. China is “gob smacked,” their fortune cookies are on such a winning streak.
News Flash:
Putin found in a secret room in the basement of the Kremlin by security, choking on Pop Corn.
I kid you not, I have not heard one good word said about America for the last three or more years in Australia.
Good luck with the Stolen 2020 & 2022 Elections.
First report…
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/09/23/arizona-audit-draft-report-confirms-biden-beat-trump-2020/5835521001/?utm_source=azcentral-AZ%20Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=baseline_greeting&utm_term=hero&utm_content=1531AR-E-NLETTER02
My Home planet of Canada is so beautiful when the sun is low..
won’t come to the U.S. ***UNTIL*** next month
I don’t know which will be more entertaining: Watching the events that will unfold when the Three-Letter-Agency contractors left behind in in Affy, who found themselves executing Plan-B to get out of country, finally arrive in the Beltway to deliver payback, or watching the events that will unfold if they actually give a couple SEAL Teams D/Ds, which would be a very incorrect move for pretty much the same reason of the matter of payback.
For supposedly being the smartest people in the room, the folks “running the show” don’t seem to have a healthy appreciation for the sociopath Patriots they have tried to screw the last few weeks.
I sincerely hope “we” are going to persevere I just wish I knew who is leading us and what we have to fight with.