Avengers Infinity War: Thanos; Overpopulation; and Organized religion
DISCLAIMER: If you perhaps live in another dimension and have not seen the movie yet then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
DISCLAIMER 2: If you’re not a fan of these “comic book movies”, don’t worry there’s still content in here that will interest you.
I did say I would keep topics like religion off the blog, but after a very interesting conversation I really wanted to make a post about some of the messages I got from this movie regarding society's acceptance of difference; really challenging global issues like overpopulation; and the negatives of organized religion.
Let me just say I ran to the theatres to watch this because I didn't want everyone to ruin it for me like they did Black Panther. I wanted to be among the first to watch it, so I could form an opinion of it myself.
While I am not the most avid viewer of these "comic book movies", I do enjoy them from time to time. The first thing that came to me (after finding out why the Avengers were trying to stop Thanos) was that the movie was sending a message that society prefers to stop/contain difference. We're not trying to understand a different perspective we just want to stop it altogether (or perhaps Thanos isn't much of a talker).
"Thanos is a god-like being who travels from world to world, killing the inhabitants. As Bruce Banner (Hulk) tells Tony Stark (Iron Man), "He invades planets, he takes what he wants, he wipes-out half the population." The villain doesn't perform these acts of mass murder just because he enjoys it, however -- he's collecting the cosmic 'infinity stones' for a gauntlet that would make him powerful enough to achieve his ultimate goal: a universe free from suffering".
[Excerpt, taken from this Forbes article]
So it kinda gets you thinking... is Thanos really a bad guy then? He's doing this to save the Universe from itself.
The issue of OVERPOPULATION is an all too real one. Sociologists (Functionalists to be exact) of yesteryear pointed out that crime (while seemingly disruptive to society) has a function/ plays a role in ensuring the status quo is preserved and normalcy is "reassured". Modern day sociologists, and other scholars have noted that crime is also a means of population control. This may be a very unpopular way (to say the least) to look at it, but it is true. Birth and death rates affect population growth. Due to the developments in medical technology, people are living much longer. It infringes on people's human rights to institute policies that limit how many children they are allowed to have, so how can you control population growth then, in this time where death is much further down the horizon for citizens... crime perhaps?
Simple math will tell you that if you can't stop people from procreating then the only way to control the population growth is to increase the deaths - in Thanos' view at least. Overpopulation destroyed his home and he wants to see a better Universe where there are enough resources available for all to flourish. Now, in my mind he wants the ultimate power in order to do so because he's aware that humans (or more generally - the inhabitants of planets) are inherently selfish and biased - so there would be no way for them to cooperate or perhaps even understand the rationale for what he's doing. If he has the ultimate power (through having all the infinity stones) then he wouldn't need to contend with people's resistance - the people would simply...disappear.
Now, this is where the God complex comes in. Organized Religion (and specifically Christianity) and this movie have a few things in common. They both include having a greater being in control of "things" happening in the world; they also include people who agree with / support this being and those who disagree. In Thanos' and his supporters' view (and those of Christians) you cannot always understand what is right for the WHOLE because of your limited view and experience on Earth *or whichever planet), it takes a being that is further removed and more "superior" - seeing things from a HOLISTIC perspective - to determine what is best for society.
However, organized religion has its negatives. We've seen how one-sided thinking can turn people into fanatics and purists; resulting in a more divisive structure than a unifying one. But, what differs is that Thanos does not require any praise. He isn't doing this for accolades or followers. He is doing this just for the sake of wanting the Universe to be a better place.
While it is an unethical view, it does raise the question of how far one is willing to go to ensure that your fellow human being, who you're sharing this planet with - including your children, are able to live well? It may also raise the question - who decides what is ethical?
And then... what really are the Avengers fighting for? I suppose they want to save the lives of those Thanos is trying to rid from the Earth; but then what about the overuse of resources that will ultimately affect the lives of millions (which one could argue are the same people Thanos is removing)? However, maybe they are like me and believe that there must be a more ethical way - a more morally just way - to try to balance resources and the population. I mean, even if Thanos' way is effective, what is the method? How many men and how many women will you leave behind? Will you take all of one sex, so you can stop procreation? Will you leave children? Who will take care of those children? There needs to be a system in place so this "eradication" can sustain itself, or perhaps he prefers to erase people on an "as needed" basis. Also, what about the consequences of this, just removing family members from people's lives?
[Now that I think about it, I suppose that is why a superior being is necessary, because we would get all tied up in the emotional aspect of things]
In any case, I think this movie really is forcing us to think about the harsh realities of issues we may not want to think about. We are currently on track to outstrip our food resources while the developed world wastes tonnes of food each year.
Now, this is where the God complex comes in. Organized Religion (and specifically Christianity) and this movie have a few things in common. They both include having a greater being in control of "things" happening in the world; they also include people who agree with / support this being and those who disagree. In Thanos' and his supporters' view (and those of Christians) you cannot always understand what is right for the WHOLE because of your limited view and experience on Earth *or whichever planet), it takes a being that is further removed and more "superior" - seeing things from a HOLISTIC perspective - to determine what is best for society.
However, organized religion has its negatives. We've seen how one-sided thinking can turn people into fanatics and purists; resulting in a more divisive structure than a unifying one. But, what differs is that Thanos does not require any praise. He isn't doing this for accolades or followers. He is doing this just for the sake of wanting the Universe to be a better place.
While it is an unethical view, it does raise the question of how far one is willing to go to ensure that your fellow human being, who you're sharing this planet with - including your children, are able to live well? It may also raise the question - who decides what is ethical?
And then... what really are the Avengers fighting for? I suppose they want to save the lives of those Thanos is trying to rid from the Earth; but then what about the overuse of resources that will ultimately affect the lives of millions (which one could argue are the same people Thanos is removing)? However, maybe they are like me and believe that there must be a more ethical way - a more morally just way - to try to balance resources and the population. I mean, even if Thanos' way is effective, what is the method? How many men and how many women will you leave behind? Will you take all of one sex, so you can stop procreation? Will you leave children? Who will take care of those children? There needs to be a system in place so this "eradication" can sustain itself, or perhaps he prefers to erase people on an "as needed" basis. Also, what about the consequences of this, just removing family members from people's lives?
[Now that I think about it, I suppose that is why a superior being is necessary, because we would get all tied up in the emotional aspect of things]
In any case, I think this movie really is forcing us to think about the harsh realities of issues we may not want to think about. We are currently on track to outstrip our food resources while the developed world wastes tonnes of food each year.
We can't take Thanos' approach but what can we do?
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST FOR MORE !
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As a parting thought, overpopulation is a real problem that we need to consider as we go about our lives daily. How can we reduce waste to ensure that someone else may have more/ have enough to sustain their life? Realistically, the world's population will outstrip its food supply. There are countries around the world that are wasting tonnes of good food each year. How can we get this redistributed to the people who need it?
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| Image from Infogram.com |
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