Sure, some did. But in those novels the same individuals were actually pretty smart.
That’s the difference.
Thats because nobody wants to read trash like that.
The amount of sexual predators Epstein’s closest friend have nominated to position of powers is incredible,
Alt: duck soup movie poster, in which a grifter con man fails upward to leading a country, makes a mockery of justice, appoints idiots spying for a foreign government, and ends up in a losing war and destruction.
And it came out in 1933.
Something about history rhyming and all that.
And some song lyrics from the first music number:
The last man nearly ruined this place,
He didn’t know what to do with it
If you think this country’s bad enough now,
Just wait till I get through with it. /
The country’s taxes must be fixed,
And I know what to do with it.
If you think you’re paying too much now,
Just wait till I get through with it. /
I will not stand for anything
That’s crooked or unfair.
I’m strictly on the up and up,
So everyone beware. /
If anyone’s caught taking graft
And I don’t get my share,
We stand ‘em up against the wall…
And pop goes the weasel!
So many villains in fiction are depicted as intelligent, phew, did we ever get that one wrong
Honestly, its always been anti-intellectualism. Sure not all smart people are good people, but in general empathy is a sign of intelligence, while malice and stupidity go hand in hand.
Edit: There’s also the fact that the smart tropey villains also often happen to be wealthy, and as we all know being wealthy means someone is smart/s
If they were intelligent, we wouldn’t even figure out they’re villains
Dr Evil is pretty dumb, he only surrounded himself with intelligent people. Still not an equivalent since DT is hiring idiots.
Fun fact: DT can mean alcohol withdrawal and the symptoms resemble Trump. “Severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, confusion, and hallucinations.”
Dr. Evil is a parody of a mastermind Bond villain, which is why he was dumb as a subversion of the trope.
But you also could say Bond villains were also dumb. They always seemed to make stupid mistakes and allow James to foil them, long monologues that gave him a chance to think.
V for Vendetta seems close though
I kind of thought this was the joke. Many many dystopian plots are about governments ran by corporations and filled with foreign spies.
I figured this was just kind of a blurb by someone who just lacks depth in knowledge of these things
Yeah same
kak·i·sto·cra·cy
noun
Government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a state.
Coulrocracy - rule by clowns
Dr Strangelove
Idiocracy
Idiocracy was just idiots, not an actively malicious group.
The state is always malicious.
Because they didn’t have to imagine it, as its a pretty standard affair.
Non-fiction.
Yup, I could point randomly in Congress (or your government of choice) and have a high chance of picking someone that matches one or more of those descriptions.
Read more Philip K Dick.
Drain the swamp tho…
Gotta drain the swamp to make room for the cesspool.
Can we instead install a drowning pool? It’s usage can be for the “elites” and not the peasants this time.
Atlas shrugged? I only read half of it.
I watched all 3 atlas shrugged movies. It basically comes to down to “if I can’t have it then no one can”
Sprinkled in with CEOs on the factory floor rolling up their sleeves and stopping an accident. A true work of fiction.
I did a report on that book in high school. I got through maybe 15 pages before losing all willpower. Then I read a bunch of summaries and other reviews. I got an A. I think my teacher hadn’t read it either.
The 1000+ pages of Atlas Shrugged are all an excuse for a 48 page Manifesto portrayed as John Galt’s speech that occurs in the middle of the book.
If you want to understand what Rand was saying, just skip the book part and go directly to that manifesto. Its still a long slog to get through just that part. The rest of the book is slightly worse than bad teen fanfiction.
How about the TV series Years and Years?
A very underrated show.
There’s gotta be some cold war fiction that hits on at least a few of those points.
