Member-only story

The Different Drummer

Hopeless?

Usually, the new year is a chance to celebrate new beginnings. Looking back on 2024 leaves me mired in the fear of impending doom.

Carl J. Petersen
Dialogue & Discourse
4 min readJan 1, 2025

--

The word ‘retarded’ is enjoying a comeback.

– Celebrated by the New York Post

Generated by Gemini for Workspace

While recovering from surgery and stuck in bed, I binged the second season of Squid Game. The first installment was a depressing look at the state of the world under corporatism, with the 1% finding entertainment in the violent deaths of those who had fallen into deep debt. While well-made, the sequel was even more painful to watch.

Part of the reason this version was more uncomfortable to watch was the addition of nuance to the backstories of the game’s victims. Much like how society sees the unhoused as drug users who brought their circumstances upon themselves, the viewers of Season 1 were discouraged from feeling too much empathy for the players. However, in the new season, those with gambling debts played alongside players with debilitating medical debts, failed businessmen, and victims of crypto schemes. These were not people who had squandered their paychecks, they were victims of Capitalism in its current state.

--

--

Carl J. Petersen
Carl J. Petersen

Written by Carl J. Petersen

Parent, special education advocate and former LAUSD School Board candidate. Still fighting for the children. www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com

No responses yet