Stranger than science fiction

MANILA, Philippines - The implementation this Oct. 3 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act has thrown the interwebz into a tizzy. Facebook walls, blogs and Twitter feeds are rife with posts about the liberties that bill takes away: no more file sharing, cam2cam action for horny long-distance lovers, and sh*talking the hell out of your favorite politician (or media personality) — basically, all the fun stuff that has made the Internet the greatest thing man has ever invented.

If all this talk of e-martial law is true, then let us welcome ourselves to the new dark ages, where the most basic human rights are violated for the interest of the powerful. But wait, isn’t this a scenario we’re all familiar with? All these dystopian predictions have been the foundations of great science fiction, whether on film, books, or even music videos.

The concept of a dystopian future, swarming with tyrannical figures, conspiracies, and nefarious and shady governments, depict a world gone rotten, while retaining a valid degree of plausibility. The infamous Guy Fawkes mask, made iconic by Alan Moore and David Lloyd in V for Vendetta, has been turned by some into a symbol of opposition against suppression, as reinforced by the film’s resounding call to action, “People shouldn’t be afraid of the government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” Remember, remember the 3rd of October, indeed.

So here are some memorable dystopian futures, carved into posterity possibly as a manifesto of more evil tidings to come.

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'Fahrenheit 451' (Ray Bradbury, 1953)

In Bradbury’s masterwork, he envisions a future where “Firemen” are tasked by a totalitarian government to burn all books and the houses that contain them, therefore inhibiting people to formulate their own opinions. Bradbury though argued that his book was misinterpreted, as it is usually posited as an argument against censorship. He says he wrote the book to show how interest in literature is slowly being dissolved by television.

Reality check: Books have been banned throughout the years, some of which include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Satanic Verses and 1984. The Cybercrime Law also essentially acts as a gag order by violating our right to free speech.

'Brazil' (Terry Gilliam, 1985)

Sam Lowry is assigned to resolve a government error that put a man to his death due to a misprint of a file of a list of terrorists. What follows is a descent into a nightmarish world of mind-numbing bureaucracy.

Reality check: A world filled with lazy bureaucrats who don’t want to own up to their mistakes? Sounds eerily familiar.

'The Giver' (Lois Lowry, 1993)

The Giver’s society at first seems like an ideal place to live, a place where conflict and pain are nonexistent. Everyone is living harmoniously and everything, from the scale of the families to gender and jobs, is carefully laid out. But this “sameness” then turns out to be an oppressive tool.

Reality check: Subjugation has existed in history in many forms, as well as the idea of cleansing society of abominations (as depicted in the book where inadequate newborns and elders who have lived past their life expectancies are put to death by lethal injection).

'Hesus Rebolusyonaryo'(Lav Diaz, 2002)

Lav Diaz paints a dark and highly possible vision of a future Philippines under a military rule. In the film, set in 2011, the dictatorship controls the media, a curfew is strictly imposed, and signs of progress are nonexistent. The titular revolutionary purges the underground movement of other undesirables, which prompts him to question his quest for freedom.

Reality check: In the film’s opening, artwork and films are burned and condemned. This type of censorship is something that has happened not only during martial law but also recently, when a “blasphemous” exhibit was shuttered.

'THX-1138' (George Lucas, 1971)

George Lucas’s directorial debut deals with a suppressed society where sexual intercourse is illegal and narcotics are used to instill conformity. The people also worship a state-sanctioned god called ONM 0910.

Reality check: The Cybercrime Prevention Law defines cybersex as such: “The willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly, of any lascivious exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity, with the aid of a computer system, for favor or consideration.” So what about two consenting adults then, possibly an OFW wanting to have some, um, downtime with their respective husbands/wives?

Adam Lambert’s 'Never Close Our Eyes' (music video, 2012)

Adam Lambert’s music video for Never Close Our Eyes bears resemblance to the drugged-up society of THX-1138, where people are popping pills for hard labor. A HAL 9000-looking CCTV monitors their activities. Lambert skips his pills and starts improvising dance moves while scrubbing the floor. Like-minded citizens mount a mutiny and launch into an impressively styled and choreographed dance number after escaping the pols.

Reality check: Under the Cybercrime Prevention Law, government forces are given the power to monitor and record real-time data. Sec. 12 of the law states “Law enforcement authorities, with due cause, shall be authorized to collect or record by technical or electronic means traffic data in real-time associated with specified communications transmitted by means of a computer system.”