So Tuesday was the midterm elections in New York and I was thinking about how few people turn out for those things ( only 40% of eligible voters!), and then I remembered the comparison I'd heard about in the past about zombies standing in for members of our consumer society: Mindless consumers with no empathy, no mercy, and no thought for anything but consumption.
This was not a random thought: I had been binge watching the awesome show "The Walking Dead" on Netflix.... about the zombie apocalypse.
I think this is very true about our society, especially now with our technological obsession, our hands glued to our iphones, instant news every second so much that it's overwhelming and we drown it out with music, or television. We know what is happening in the world, but we don't care. We numb our minds, and bury ourselves in materialistic pursuits, with no thought of empathy for our fellow human beings.
Is this unlike the behavior of zombies?
I apologize for bringing a critical discussion into an otherwise enjoyable work of fiction...but I can't help it. I politicize most everything.
What do you think? Is Walking Dead somewhat emblematic of what our society has already become?

I've never seen the program you mentioned so we may have different concepts of zombies. When I think of society I think more of programmed automatons than zombies. People, Americans more so than others, are programmed and indoctrinated from the cradle to be assimilated and accept their own particular conformity in order to fit into a nice little niche. The soft machines. By and large we are a nation of reactionaries, lulled by our tv shows & movies and our sports teams and religions, while waiting for our buttons to be pushed by a Ferguson, a Katrina, a Casey Anthony. Waiting unconsciously for the men behind the curtain to change the zeitgeist.
People of my generation use to half joke about the world becoming like 1984 or Brave New World. Nobody seemed to notice we had been there for years already.

[Angelique67]

Both analogies are good. In defense of the zombies, the world is extremely overwhelming. We're barraged by extreme things and pleas for help. If you can contribute to one cause, 20 more send you pleas for help. It's too hard to care all the time and get through life, especially with MI. But I have to remember a lot of people aren't like me and truly don't care about anything.

[Hellion]

The thing with voting is, find a politician that is not corrupt or bought out by some lobbyist group? I mean seriously I mean I say it is important to vote on like local/national issues, but I just don't see the votes for politicans as something very meaningful or as something that will 'change the course of history' I mean we'll either get a democrat or republican(essentially same party, owned by the same wealthy elite and corporate lobbyists)for president or any other office.....so what's it matter what face gets elected? No chance of getting a third party or someone who does not define themselves with a political party who might actually challenge the way things are. Perhaps voting for state officials has more chance of changing things at least statewide but not even sure about that. So people don't necessarily not vote, because they don't care or some might just more vote on issues/laws than politicians sort of like I prefer to do.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

We numb our minds, and bury ourselves in materialistic pursuits, with no thought of empathy for our fellow human beings.

Speak for yourself! I have some thought my fellow hoomans. (the ones worth thinking about) xD

Also, I wouldn't dream of getting an iPhone, ... I do like mah technology, though - recently built another, higher-end gaming computer, which I love.

I think if you were to zone in on some of the actual lives of people, rather than just see them as little ants rushing from A-B, then you'd know there's more going on than meets the eye. ('though obviously not everyone gives a damn about other people xD)

Cool thread.

PS
Awesome programme; not seen it in ages, but I binged on it, too, and it was epic as all balls.

PPS
I have never voted - it would be pointless, as I don't really know (nor care) much about politics. It goes into the hands of the people who know better. Got enough gibbons in my life to deal with as it is. xD I don't think that has anything what-so-ever to do with empathy nor zombies, though.

[eskielover]

I was so busy doing things & I didn't program it into my mind as to what day & what time.....so I finally got home & thought.....crap, it was voting day....but it was 15 minutes before the polls closed & there was no way I could drive across town from my farm to get there before it closed.

No zombies no nothing other than I have a lot of things going on in my life & I have am not all that organized so many things slip through my calender & I remember then afterward......including appointments....& I'm always running late in the first place.

I hate the way these TV shows brain wash people into thinking that's the way life is when they have NOTHING to do with reality.