Watchtower = Matrix

by drwtsn32 8 Replies latest jw friends

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  drwtsn32

  I watched the first Matrix tonight to get myself prepared to watch the sequel this weekend. Anyone else notice a lot of parallels between the Matrix and the Watchtower organization?

  The Matrix is a false reality; the people within it are duped into believing it to be the "truth." If you leave the Matrix, it is then impossible to go back. But as Morpheus says, "Even if it were possible, would you really want to?"

  That's the way it was with me. When I started realizing that the organization was full of crap, I almost wished I had never started down the road of discovery. But deep down I was glad that I was more aware of things and would not really go back to the way things were before.

  Another good quote from the Matrix... "Ignorance is bliss." Also, they talked about how most people involved in the Matrix were not ready to be unplugged. They were too dependent on the system.

  It goes on and on like this.

  The truth about the "truth" is that it is not the truth.
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  Rihannsu

  Very nicely said! Ya the society has alot of parallels with the matrix....... But the society IS the borg. :)
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  Oroborus21

  Howdy,

  You are certainly not the first to make this observation. When the movie first came out this observation was made.

  Actually however, one of the beauties of the movie is that many persons have seen some of the themes as a metaphor for their experience--whatever that experience is.

  Actually, I think that the directors/writers get a little too much credit for "originality" as the core themes are not unusual and have been borrowed from many places including Jungian psychology and others sources.

  Someone wrote a long time ago that "everything we see or seem, is nothing but a dream in a dream." (perhaps George Santayana?)

  This is essentially the premise of the Matrix.

  Sadly, I haven't yet seen the sequel but the reviews from critics and normal folks alike seem to be mixed. some say that the action is great but the plot is too messy and others say there is not enough plot and they were distracted by the action.

  I think that the metaphor analogy to the JWs and the Organization and JW Culture was interesting to draw in the first movie but don't expect it to continue with the sequels as the Wachowskis never had the JWs in mind when they wrote the scripts.

  --Eduardo

  PS: maybe you should check this article out, the title says a lot

  http://slate.msn.com/id/2082400
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  crinklestein

  The Matrix is basically a Frakenstein story. Man creates a living creature and plays God. In this case Frakensteins monster is AI, a single consciousness. The monster sees us as inferior and tries to destroy its creater. And it does so.

  I found some essays that people have written on the Matrix and one that was interesting is that the machines have been very humane in their dealings with the humans. In fact they even tried to create a paradise for them but it was rejected. They went through three matrixs before they found one that was accepted. They didn't have to do that. They could've just kept us in a coma while they harvested our energy. But they were willing to live in harmony while both sides benefited. The machines wanted survival and needed us and we destroyed our planet and the matrix would allow us to live a perfect life without ever knowing the difference. So everyone wins. They don't mention this in the movies. The agents are just there to keep the peace and to make sure there's nothing to cause problems for the matrix. The Agents don't kill anyone unless they are a threat to the system but even then, the dead are fed to the survivors so there is no waste.

  Considering how we depend on machines for survival and many of us abuse those very machines that we depend on (look at what people do with their cars!) I think the machines are more humane than the humans are. They are willing to live in harmony in a mutual beneficial relationship. In the Matrix, EVERYBODY WINS.

  Now there's a spoiler here! When Neo meets the Architect he is told that the only Matrix that was accepted was one that not only had some strife but one that allowed CHOICE. It was still perfect in the eyes of the architect with the exception of a random "anomoly" where a random person will kind of assimilate some of the source code of the matrix and be able to alter it and control it as he sees fit. That person will then have a choice to walk through door #1 and strip the code from his essence, the matrix will reabsorb the anomolous code and reboot starting the cycle all over again. Then Neo has to select 14 men and 7 women from the matrix to escape and rebuild Zion after the machines destroy it and its current inhabitants. Or he can go through door #2 and destroy the matrix and everyone plugged into it, thereby destorying humankind. This has happened six times. The machines terminate those that escaped, the One looses his powers and those powers return to the source code and it all happens all over again. Killing, rebuilding, destroying, over and over again. This is the only problem but considering the alternative of death for the machines they are willing to accept it.

  Considering all of this, the WTS is nothing like the matrix. They do not want to live in harmony with ANYTHING! They only take take take and don't want to give anything in return. Even though the matrix keeps you in a dream world it's a regular life for everybody and they don't limit you in any way. You can live any kind of life you want to in the matrix! It's more of a freedom than the WTS allows!

  Edited to correct some errors in the plot.
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  Introspection

  You can live any kind of life you want to in the matrix! It's more of a freedom than the WTS allows!

  Well, ok.. There is also the element of truth though. I guess if you don't care about what the real world is something like the Matrix will be very attractive, but in context of the real world that isn't freedom at all anyways.
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  crinklestein

  Right. It's still a form of oppression. But considering the alternative of living in a wasteland of a planet I'll take a fake world any day. Also the way I look at it is that man created a living machine and OF COURSE that machine is going to want to continue to live. So of course it's going to protect itself and ensure that it will have enough energy to further its life. And of course it's going to kill those that try to kill it. But at least the machines are humane in a way. They let the humans live a decent life even if it is a lie, they don't know the difference. They keep their brains alive and active instead of giving them a labotomy or putting them in a coma.

  I don't know...too much to think about.
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  Introspection

  But considering the alternative of living in a wasteland of a planet I'll take a fake world any day.

  I imagine that would be why movies are more entertaining than the real world. Of course, it's all real, it's just that it's really an illusion. The trick is if you know it's fake, how much would you enjoy it?
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  crinklestein

  Once you know it's an illusion the illusion is shattered. That's why I think they would have to erase your memory of ever escaping in order for you to be reintegrated back in to the Matrix if you ever excaped.

  When you know you're dreaming you then have the power to take control of the dream and do whatever you want. The Matrix is similar in that respect.
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  be wise

  Once you know it's an illusion the illusion is shattered. That's why I think they would have to erase your memory of ever escaping in order for you to be reintegrated back in to the Matrix if you ever excaped.

  Sounds like the WTS to me!