Why Gattaca (1997) was a low key/understated Fascist nation/society:

[SebastianGreene127]

Even though it’s not explicitly stated and it doesn’t have the traditional hallmarks of a Fascist government, I believe it was meant to portray the Fascism of the future.

Not the clunky 20th century version with totalitarian demagoguery and guys in military uniforms shouting from balconies. But a much more sleeker and subtle kind. A high-tech and a more patient approach to implementing Fascism. The kind where they nudge, prod and pressure (via discrimination) the population to accept eugenics. Eugenics that clearly create on average a healthier, stronger but also a more grateful population.

If you’re healthier and happier as a result of such policies, you express your gratitude with…loyalty of course. Loyalty to the system that freed you from the shackles of genetic diseases and the socioeconomic burdens that come with them.

Loyalty to a system that has practically eradicated most issues that have plagued societies in the past. Gattaca has clean streets, little to no public disorder, and what looks like a decent economy for most of its citizens with infrastructure that is sleek and futuristic. Gattaca is Fascism of the 21st Century…and beyond.

 

[BAYLOR]

Writer Gore Vidal was in it.

 

[Swank]

What makes eugenics or even a loyal populace fascist? Are you using that term pejoratively, or is there some clear connection to the main hallmarks of fascism?

 

[Foxbat]

The very name comes from the word 'fascio' - a bundle of sticks tied together (often around an axe) to increase the strength of the whole unit.

The use of strength and power does not often come in a subtle way so I see the notion of a subtle form of fascism to be a bit of a contradiction.

In 1922. Mussolini sent his fascist militia to march on Rome while he hid and waited for the results. This blatant display of power resulted in his party gaining control and he becoming 'il Duce'. This more or less set the template for all fascist states to follow. None have been subtle and all have been modelled along military lines of organisation. It's difficult to see how, in any future, a subtle form of fascism could evolve from such a brutal beginning.

With all that in mind, I think that having little or no public disorder is not necessarily an indication of fascist control. The level of disorder is often related to economic fortune and, if the economy is decent, then it should come as no surprise if the level of disorder is low. Contrary to that, many fascist organisations will deliberately create disorder to achieve their aims.

When it comes to 'loyalty to the system' - well that's what people do. If one political party is in power and everything goes well (health, economy etc) it's only natural that, in the next election, most voters will probably stay loyal to that party and vote them in for another term. If people feel healthier and better off financially, isn't it also natural that they would feel grateful?

 

[Pyan]

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