First, I would like to apologize for the delay in my blog. Two reasons, one, my roller coaster of emotions was on a downward race, and I received my Covid19 AstraZeneca jab, which destroyed the weekend.
But enough with the excuses.
The chapter begins with George and his dad playing chess.
This idea is a kind of dream-fantasy of my own. I have no idea where it comes from as I have never played chess with my dad, and I don’t know of anyone who did, but for some odd reason, it hovers in my mind bringing with it images of warm summer days, French cafés, and dusty parks, where the grass is waiting for the rain.
Sometimes, I play chess with my son Anthony. Not often, as I usually don’t have a lot of time, and second, I’m not the kind of dad that believes letting him win is correct anyway. A bit like George’s dad. (Smile)
The story then goes on to describe the more realistic view of their father-son relationship, which by this time, has gone beyond bad to non-existent. They are forced together simply because of George’s age. Blended into all of this, is my own ideas of the dangers that could come with real, direct, brain connection. In the book the iNeck is simply a tool to connect to the internet, but in reality, it’s a way to capture people, to make them addicted, and to get them to subscribe to monthly installments of whatever it is they are into, and for as long as possible. If the iNeck were real, I guess its abuse would be much more and far worse than anything I can imagine, as already the commercial side of life aims at the youth, indirectly attracting the underage over their parents, programming them to subscribe their lives away. Teaching them to believe life without ‘instant everything’ would simply be unbearable. And to stop this from happening all they need to do is sign up…. Making sure they are kept in life’s loop, and all for a small, monthly payment.
Throughout this chapter I seem to be jumping between ideas and viewpoints. A little bit schizophrenic maybe. (Smile) my daughter says I am. LOL – and perhaps she’s right. At the end of the chapter, I go to great lengths to present a believable, legal argument around the game of Creation, and how the company is far better experienced and financially capable of surviving any kind of negative publicity – usually turning it to their advantage. I am naturally assuming that most groups or individuals filled with good intentions and belief in justice, lack such public awareness or the business expertise needed to win, (I hope I am wrong) while those they are challenging, not only have all of these, they also can afford to buy more, where necessary.
Once having successfully defended Creation, and its reasons for such violence in the game, finally managing to present the very complicated world of futuristic justice, I go on to describe the pure simplicity of level one: a huge, gravel pit, where players smash each other’s heads in for money.
Most of the chapter seems to touch the theme of right or wrong.
I feel the more I learn, the harder it is to find the truth. There no longer seems to be clear sides. Anyone who has a clear opinion on something is quickly labelled radical, narrow minded, or an extremist. I find having an opinion to be important. Having a belief is too. Forcing either, however, is wrong. But when does persuasion turn to force, and who decides?
We clearly need guidelines.
In the past these were given through such things as the church, religious and holy scriptures, and society. As global connection grows, however, these things have lost some of their importance. Their authority for giving guidelines has dwindled, and has been replaced by law, constitutions, and the media. We look increasingly more towards these for an answer, to tell us how to behave, where are human behavior borders are. Today we have contracts of marriage, contracts of sex, and eventually contracts of any kind of social intercourse. The idea of free anything is fading. Direct mind connection to the internet is only a question of time, and with it comes the final agreement, the one that will make all direct human communication superfluous.
***
Such deep thoughts – it is not surprising that the chapter ends with GoD tossing a stone from hand to hand, confident he would kill the next tyro.
