Ana and I have been pretty big fans of the tv show Jericho since its pilot episode last year. For the uninitiated, it’s about a post-nuclear-attack United States, focused on a small town in Kansas’ tribulations. The show was dropped at the end of the season, but due to overwhelming fan support it was brought back for a second trial run this season (6 episodes). I find it to be a very interesting and entertaining show, one in which I’m able to easily ignore some of the usual tv/movie technology stupidness.
But so far this season there are a couple things that have started to tarnish the show for me. The part of the story so far this season is that a new government has formed in the Western US and is starting to spread further East. They even have a new/modified US flag being flown everywhere, and the military has this flag patch on their uniforms. In tonight’s episode a local teacher was given new “US History” books to distribute and teach in her class – it’s clear the new government is a veiled dictatorship. This is all something like 6 months after 20+ bombs have taken out large cities all over the country.
6 Months. A new flag was designed, chosen, MANUFACTURED, and distributed all over the place. In 6 months. With what you can only assume would be a dramatically reduced capability to produce anything. Then, they even got tons of military patches made. Again, in 6 months.
Then comes the textbook. History was literally rewritten in 6 months, and again they were able to get them mass produced in a country with a destroyed infrastructure. It occurred to me as I was typing this that maybe the story would end up showing that all of these things were planned before the bombs, all part of the unfolding conspiracy. But I find it even harder to believe such history-rewriting could be done “in the clear” without any one of the million failure points letting the secret out.
Arrgg!!
I know, I know, it’s just a show. I’ll shut up now.
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6 responses to “Jericho”
Or the flags, books, arm patches, etc. were pre-positioned and ready for delivery BEFORE the attacks. Any conspiracy that can acquire 20+ nuclear bombs and detonate (most of) them simultaneously can come up with the props for the aftermath, especially if the goal of the attacks was to peal off part of the country.
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Yeah I keep telling myself that’s gotta be the only way it’s feasible, or at least feasible enough that I can quit thinking about it.
In this scenario, I just keep thinking of people like the janitors at the book publishers. Keeping the lowest man on the todem pole quiet would be a huge task. Not that it hasn’t been done before, thinking of the Manhattan Project.
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Eric, I’ve only seen bits of the show, but I do know what you’re talking about. And several of those thoughts were exactly the same ones I had when I read your synopsis of the program. (I guess I haven’t totally lost it over the years!) Nice to know my brain still functions on that level, as I’ve often feared that the mundaneness (where is spell check when I need it?) of everyday life had caused early brain death.
What I especially appreciated about the banter between you and others is that I used to do the same thing at your age. Only I was into things like Isaac Asimov (a true scientist and genius responible for a whole myriad of futuristic themes…”I, Robot,” for one.) We dissected every one of the books with each other–it was great fun! Thanks for helping me remember that.
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Well I guess I’ll keep writing stuff here 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying!
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With most programs you have to suspend belief, but they are pushing it a bit, i.e. in the background is a 2008 GMC Acadia, the weather seems to be back to normal with sunshine and farmers are beginning to plant again.
But besides all of that it’s fairly plausible.
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I hadn’t noticed the new model-year vehicles 🙂 Oh well, I guess they need to raise some advertising dollars in order to get a third season.
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