Editor’s Note: This list post was first published here. It’s presented as part of NewsReal Blog Weekend Double Feature. This afternoon we’ll also be republishing Walter’s list post on the conservative themes of Star Wars, the original of which can be read here.

Science fiction affords storytellers the opportunity to couch political ideas within fantastic metaphors. In this way, ideas can be explored which might otherwise seem objectionable. In some cases, an audience might not consciously realize they are being influenced to think a certain way.

Perhaps the greatest example of science fiction writing which has pushed a particular ideology upon the popular culture is Star Trek. Over the course of nearly five decades, the brand has expanded from televisions series into feature films, countless books, fan conventions, and mounts of merchandise.

Why has Star Trek been so popular? Creator Gene Roddenberry attributed the original series’ success to the philosophy it espoused.

The whole show was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but to take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. We tried to say that the worst possible thing that can happen to all of us is for the future to somehow press us into a common mould, where we begin to act and talk and look and think alike. If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there. And I think that this is what people responded to.

Ironically, this multicultural meme leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Tolerating every idea enables ideas which are destructive. As the franchise has progressed, it has (perhaps unwittingly) demonstrated this flaw in its own message.

Next: The United Nations in space…

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s classic series of strange and supernatural tales, is fondly remembered for living dolls, ghostly stalkers, and memorable aliens, but much of its success and staying power is owed to the profound messages at the heart of many of its episodes. Some stories—like the classic “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?”—are pure escapist fun, but in keeping with a long-running tradition in science fiction, many use fantastical elements and premises to grapple with fundamental questions of morality, justice, and human nature.

And unlike the genre’s more contemporary offerings, the seriousness and care with which The Twilight Zone’s writers approached the subject matter leads, more often than not, to valuable lessons that all Americans can embrace. While not all of the following examples are strictly political in nature, they all complement or reinforce bedrock conservative philosophy, while undermining the psychological underpinnings of the Left.

(Spoiler Alert: the following pages will include discussion of the episode’s twist endings. Consider yourself warned.)

There’s a signpost up ahead. Next stop…

8.) “The Masks”

A wealthy, dying old man (Robert Keith) invites his money-grubbing children and grandchildren to celebrate one last Mardi Gras in an odd way: by wearing ghoulish masks until midnight, each a reflection of the wearer’s character flaws: cowardice, greed, vanity, and cruelty. They reluctantly agree, since Grandfather has made cooperation a prerequisite of his will. But even for a fortune, his self-absorbed family can’t resist complaining about the indignity of it all, and with his dying words, he bluntly explains the purpose:

Because you’re cruel and miserable people! Because none of you RESPOND to love! Emily responds only to what her petty hungers dictate, a prime example of this being her marriage to Wilfred… a marriage which broke her dear late mother’s heart, in every sense! Wilfred responds only to things that have weight and mass and gaugeable value! He MEASURES novels, he doesn’t experience them! He JUDGES artwork, he doesn’t seek out its beauty or its meaning! And Paula lives in a mirror; the world is nothing more to her than a reflection of herself. And her brother… Humanity to him is a small animal, caught in a trap, waiting to be tormented! His pleasure is the giving of pain, and from this he receives the same sense of fulfillment most people get from a kiss or an embrace! You’re CARICATURES, ALL of you! Even without your masks, you’re CARICATURES!

Once the clock strikes midnight and Grandfather’s drawn his last breath, the children can barely contain their excitement at the thought of their new riches. But to their horror, they discover their masks have twisted their real faces to reflect the ugliness of their souls.

Bad apples are one thing. Every movement has them. But when one surveys the Democrat Party, the mainstream media, and the academic world, it’s striking to note the viciousness, dishonesty, and opportunism that is not only tolerated, but rewarded by the Left. It makes you wonder what Michael Moore, William Ayers, or Keith Olbermann’s masks would look like…and it cautions conservatives to keep their own hearts pure.

Next: Parenting “Twilight Zone” style…

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s classic series of strange and supernatural tales, is fondly remembered for living dolls, ghostly stalkers, and memorable aliens, but much of its success and staying power is owed to the profound messages at the heart of many of its episodes. Some stories—like the classic “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?”—are pure escapist fun, but in keeping with a long-running tradition in science fiction, many use fantastical elements and premises to grapple with fundamental questions of morality, justice, and human nature.

And unlike the genre’s more contemporary offerings, the seriousness and care with which The Twilight Zone’s writers approached the subject matter leads, more often than not, to valuable lessons that all Americans can embrace. While not all of the following examples are strictly political in nature, they all complement or reinforce bedrock conservative philosophy, while undermining the psychological underpinnings of the Left.

(Spoiler Alert: the following pages will include discussion of the episode’s twist endings. Consider yourself warned.)

There’s a signpost up ahead. Next stop…

8.) “The Masks”

A wealthy, dying old man (Robert Keith) invites his money-grubbing children and grandchildren to celebrate one last Mardi Gras in an odd way: by wearing ghoulish masks until midnight, each a reflection of the wearer’s character flaws: cowardice, greed, vanity, and cruelty. They reluctantly agree, since Grandfather has made cooperation a prerequisite of his will. But even for a fortune, his self-absorbed family can’t resist complaining about the indignity of it all, and with his dying words, he bluntly explains the purpose:

Because you’re cruel and miserable people! Because none of you RESPOND to love! Emily responds only to what her petty hungers dictate, a prime example of this being her marriage to Wilfred… a marriage which broke her dear late mother’s heart, in every sense! Wilfred responds only to things that have weight and mass and gaugeable value! He MEASURES novels, he doesn’t experience them! He JUDGES artwork, he doesn’t seek out its beauty or its meaning! And Paula lives in a mirror; the world is nothing more to her than a reflection of herself. And her brother… Humanity to him is a small animal, caught in a trap, waiting to be tormented! His pleasure is the giving of pain, and from this he receives the same sense of fulfillment most people get from a kiss or an embrace! You’re CARICATURES, ALL of you! Even without your masks, you’re CARICATURES!

Once the clock strikes midnight and Grandfather’s drawn his last breath, the children can barely contain their excitement at the thought of their new riches. But to their horror, they discover their masks have twisted their real faces to reflect the ugliness of their souls.

Bad apples are one thing. Every movement has them. But when one surveys the Democrat Party, the mainstream media, and the academic world, it’s striking to note the viciousness, dishonesty, and opportunism that is not only tolerated, but rewarded by the Left. It makes you wonder what Michael Moore, William Ayers, or Keith Olbermann’s masks would look like…and it cautions conservatives to keep their own hearts pure.

Next: Parenting “Twilight Zone” style…

Science fiction affords storytellers the opportunity to couch political ideas within fantastic metaphors. In this way, ideas can be explored which might otherwise seem objectionable. In some cases, an audience might not consciously realize they are being influenced to think a certain way.

Perhaps the greatest example of science fiction writing which has pushed a particular ideology upon the popular culture is Star Trek. Over the course of nearly five decades, the brand has expanded from televisions series into feature films, countless books, fan conventions, and mounts of merchandise.

Why has Star Trek been so popular? Creator Gene Roddenberry attributed the original series’ success to the philosophy it espoused.

The whole show was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but to take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. We tried to say that the worst possible thing that can happen to all of us is for the future to somehow press us into a common mould, where we begin to act and talk and look and think alike. If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there. And I think that this is what people responded to.

Ironically, this multicultural meme leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Tolerating every idea enables ideas which are destructive. As the franchise has progressed, it has (perhaps unwittingly) demonstrated this flaw in its own message.

Next: The United Nations in space…

Science fiction affords storytellers the opportunity to couch political ideas within fantastic metaphors. In this way, ideas can be explored which might otherwise seem objectionable. In some cases, an audience might not consciously realize they are being influenced to think a certain way.

Perhaps the greatest example of science fiction writing which has pushed a particular ideology upon the popular culture is Star Trek. Over the course of nearly five decades, the brand has expanded from televisions series into feature films, countless books, fan conventions, and mounts of merchandise.

Why has Star Trek been so popular? Creator Gene Roddenberry attributed the original series’ success to the philosophy it espoused.

The whole show was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but to take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. We tried to say that the worst possible thing that can happen to all of us is for the future to somehow press us into a common mould, where we begin to act and talk and look and think alike. If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there. And I think that this is what people responded to.

Ironically, this multicultural meme leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Tolerating every idea enables ideas which are destructive. As the franchise has progressed, it has (perhaps unwittingly) demonstrated this flaw in its own message.

Next: The United Nations in space…

If a spacecraft alit on the Washington Mall and out popped an alien named Klaatu who proceeded to demonstrate unearthly powers and who then informed America that we have one day to balance the federal budget or else the Galactic Federation will bomb us back to the Stone Age, what would we do?

Congress is responsible for the budget, so it would be left up to Congress to balance it. And since any deficit, however small, would result in our destruction, Congress should endeavor to produce a surplus, just to be safe.

But how would Congress balance the budget in just one day?

Congress couldn’t meet Klaatu’s demands by raising revenue, as tax hikes take time to work and America wouldn’t have any time. Neither could Congress trot out their old solution to all things fiscal: economic growth. Economic growth also takes time. Oh, and one more thing: Klaatu also stipulated that the feds cannot get out of this jam by printing more money: Congress will have to balance spending with current revenue.

What Congress would have to do to avoid incineration at the hands of extraterrestrials is radically cut spending. Question: What would Congress cut?

Because Congress would be facing the direst of emergencies, there wouldn’t be any time for debate on how to finesse the spending cuts. Congress wouldn’t be able to use a scalpel to surgically make the cuts; they would have to use a meat cleaver.

Since total federal revenue is about equal to total mandatory spending, Congress could balance the budget by eliminating all discretionary spending. In which case, the only thing remaining would be the mandatory programs: entitlements, welfare, unemployment, and interest on the debt. Everything else would go: Defense, CDC, the Supreme Court, you name it. Congress would not take this course for the simple reason that cutting all discretionary spending would eliminate the salaries and perks of Congress.

Well, we can’t have that. Besides, we don’t want to reduce the federal government to nothing but a check writing system for the welfare state. Congress would therefore be forced to cut their beloved entitlements. But that’s the easiest, quickest way to meet Klaatu’s ultimatum: If Congress simply eliminated Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP, they’d be right at balance. But Congress isn’t about to do that; retirees would vote them out of office.

If right up against Klaatu’s deadline, Congress would be forced to balance the budget with across-the-board decrements of 41 percent in every check the feds write. Faced with this sobering prospect, Congress would consider having Klaatu arrested. Not for being an illegal alien (or as Democrats would say, “an undocumented space visitor”), but for not having health insurance. Remembering Klaatu’s considerable powers, Congress would soon scrub that plan and send an august delegation to parley with Klaatu, and plea for an extension to the deadline — say a year, or, better yet, a decade.

December 1, 2010 is the deadline for the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to vote on its recommendations on how to deal with our federal deficit crisis. Unfortunately, the Commission is only “charged with identifying policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run.” What the Commission will produce is a set of spending cuts and tax rate hikes, and they will not balance the budget, neither in “the medium term” nor in “the long run.”

With Blu-ray shifting from high-end frill to mainstream media format, the absence of one particular franchise had been a disturbance in many film enthusiasts’ libraries. Fortunately, this week saw the announcement that that gap will finally be filled—all six Star Wars films are coming to Blu-ray in fall 2011.

Aside from enhanced picture and sound, all we currently know about the new set is that it’ll include new behind-the-scenes material, including never-before-seen deleted scenes from the original trilogy—an omission from earlier DVD releases that didn’t exactly go unnoticed. Unfortunately, fans are nervous about how the final product will turn out—George Lucas is notorious for tweaking the movies every time they’re re-released, and when the unchanged theatrical cuts finally reached DVD in 2006, fans were less than thrilled with the effort put into the transfers.

As a lifelong Star Wars fan who’s not freaked out by most of what the franchise’s most vocal fans hate with the fire of a thousand suns (Jar Jar’s okay, but Greedo shooting first? Outrageous), I hope Lucasfilm will give the theatrical versions the definitive release they deserve, but even if not, I fully expect to be satisfied by whatever the Blu-ray release does offer. In fact, it’ll finally give me an excuse to dive into Blu-ray. (My family got our first DVD player around the time Episode I: The Phantom Menace came out—DVD was relatively new then, just as Blu-ray is now.)

When I first heard liberals howling about supposed anti-Obama messages in ABC’s new sci-fi drama “V,” I rolled my eyes.  The story of Earth falling for the false promises of sinister aliens may sound like the Barack Obama Hope-&-Change Tour 2008, but it’s hardly a new theme for the science-fiction genre—not only did “The Twilight Zone” famously tackle it way back when, but “V” itself is actually a direct remake of a TV miniseries that first aired in 1983.  Any resemblance between the 44^th President and two-faced space lizards had to be coincidental…at least, that’s what I thought before Sean Hannity aired clips from the new show.

The first clip shows a gullible teenager eagerly promoting the Vs’ agenda through the World Wide Web:

I’m not obsessed…well, y’know what, the Vs, they call it spreading hope.

Okay, maybe that does sound kind of familiar.  Next, Hannity highlights a scene in which an attractive, smooth-talking V representative sits down for an interview:

V: Be sure not to ask anything that would paint us in a negative light.

HOST: Excuse me?

V: Don’t ask any questions that would portray us negatively.

HOST: This is just how it’s done.  I swear I’ll be fair.

V: You’ll need to be more than fair if you want to proceed.  We can’t be seen in a negative light…We want to provide complete medical services to all.

HOST: You’re talking about universal healthcare.

V: I believe that’s what you call it, yes.

[emphasis added]

Stop the presses!  Hope-bringers who won’t tolerate an adversarial media, because it would distract people from the cause of health care reform?  It’s certainly a breath of fresh air from mainstream entertainment’s usual modus operandi.  Now that’s change we can believe in!

Somebody in Hollywood must have been asleep at the switch in order for “V’s” thoughtcrimes to make it past the drawing board, but now that the Left has noticed, it’s time to crack down:

Naturally, when a show debuts to huge ratings and mostly great reviews, the producer’s career is golden. Not this time. Apparently the network who gave Obama an infomercial and refuses to release the “Path to 9/11″ DVD decided to replace the show runner Scott Peters before the pilot even aired. In fact, ABC hosted a big visit by press people last Monday, but Peters was notably absent. Exec producer Steve Pearlman spoke with the reporters.

Peters has been demoted to exec producer, a largely honorary title and has been replaced by former “The Shield” and “Chuck” alum Scott Rosenbaum.

ABC might try to clamp down on any political dissent in “V’s” future, but they can’t just re-write the episodes that have already been filmed, and viewers definitely seem to like the show just as it is. Meddling with the creative team for the sake of partisan politics could result in a far less appealing product, so “V’s” reptilian masters will have to decide if “they’ll need to be more than fair if they want to proceed.”

_____

Hailing from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Calvin Freiburger is a political science major at Hillsdale College.  He also blogs at the Hillsdale Forum and his personal website, Calvin Freiburger Online.