Sneakers: Moral Confusion? (SPOILERS)
Gharlane of Eddore
> From: mu...@remarque.berkeley.edu (Muffy Barkocy)
> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
> Subject: Re: Sneakers: Moral Confusion? (SPOILERS)
> Date: 23 Sep 92 13:51:14
> Organization: Natural Language Incorporated
>
> In <1992Sep23.1...@csus.edu> art...@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu
> (Arthur Chandler) writes:
> > But isn't this just the objection Redford had to his old partner:
> > manipulating the world, either as a prank or as a self-appointed task
> > of social engineering?
>
> No, he did not object to this; they enjoyed doing it together, as a
> prank (as far as Redford saw it).
>
One suspects unawareness of the sixties milieu.
> > Is that what the scene at the end implies?
>
> Not exactly. Just that Redford still liked playing pranks. His morals
> remain the same (not perfect, but how many people's are?).
>
> Muffy
Not entirely correct; the final scene implied that Redford's character
has returned to a state of glorious unfettered innocence, original intent
and aspirations unchanged, due to his new-found immunity.
Unfortunately, the target choice reflects Redford's humongous degree of
phony-democratic liberalism, rather than anything resembling the real
Hacker Ethic.... a True Hacker would have de-funded *both* the Republicans
and the Democrats, thus reducing the war chests of the Republicrats to
the point where the country could conceivably become a two-party, or
even a multi-party, nation. THIS would make a difference in the world;
getting Democrats elected will just buy us more of the same, squared and
cubed. (Remember to vote Libertarian, folks. The Republicrats can only
keep rolling on inertia for just so long while the country disintegrates
around them. Vide the ex-USSR.)
While I was hugely amused at the damage done to the Republican National
Committee, I feel that in this Great Land Of Equal Opportunity, the
Democratic Party's national organization has certainly earned equivalent
attentions; and *this* made the scene ring hugely false for me.
But even with the party-specific aim of the new weapon, it's obvious
that Redford's character is indulging in a new way of life, not just
a prank. This is, simply, what he's going to be doing from no won....