MR. ROBOT, THE TV SHOW. MY THEORY IS LIKE NO ONE ELSES. I GUESS THAT'S NO SURPRISE.

     I'm sorry, but there will be no pictures today.
I had taken an hour to put them in this, but I copied this page because I wanted to post it on my other blog. Apparently, it wasn't saved. Thankfully, I had the text on Word.  So here it is.

It's probably just as well. The photos made me angry, and it's better not to fan any flames.

 

If you haven’t been watching the TV show, Mr. Robot, I’m going to paste in a Wiki synopsis so you will have some idea of where my theory is coming from, and there will be a spoiler or two, so if you intend to watch it, don’t read on.  You can read my conclusion though. I don’t think it will affect what the show does or doesn’t do.

 

Mr. Robot is an American drama–thriller television series created by Sam Esmail. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker who suffers from social anxiety disorder and clinical depression. Alderson is recruited by an insurrectionary anarchist known as "Mr. Robot", played by Christian Slater, to join a group of hacktivists. The group aims to cancel all debts by attacking the large corporation E Corp.

 

Last season, we found out that Elliot was, more than a bit depressed. He’s paranoid with dissociative identity disorder along with a host of other mental illnesses.

I told my husband my “theory” and he suggested I go online to see if anyone else thought the way I did. The answer is, I didn’t find any that were even close.

The most prevalent theories are that Elliot and what we see happening, are all going on in his mind. Some posit that he’s in prison, others that he’s in a mental institution. All of which make sense given what we’ve seen happen in the show. However, he may not be, and we may be seeing something that is happening. And for my idea, it makes no difference.

 

 

Some things that will help you understand why I’m thinking the way I am.

I write theories because I have a strong need to understand things. It’s part of my nature, and as a psychologist, it was part of my job.

In my case, as with many other people, understanding something has to do with control.

Humans like to believe that if we know the cause of something, or understand it, we can have control over it. Of course this isn’t true because the only thing we can control is ourselves. But the illusion is important.

The reason people have been divining reasons for things since the beginning of time, is based on fear. At least that’s my take on it. If we can find a reason, we can control it and then we don’t have to be so afraid.

Just look at ancient primitive cultures. They had no explanation for a seasons or much else. So, for example, when they were without rain they came up with the concept that deities controlled the natural world and if they knew what the specific deity wanted, they could give it to that deity and would then get what they needed. Therefore, if the Rain God wanted a human sacrifice and a series of dances to make it rain, they would gladly give that God what he/she wanted. Of course, if it failed, they blamed themselves. They did it wrong and the God was still angry.

That may have seemed like a digression, but it really wasn’t. Usually my digressions help with the understanding. Which will probably be followed by another digression before I get to my point.  But I promise. I will get there.

 

 

THE DAY THE TOWERS CAME DOWN

 

September 11, 2001. A date American will never forget. I lived in Great Neck, NY at the time. Three weeks prior to this date, I had back surgery in Manhattan and was recuperating. Meaning that as lying on my bed watching television because that was the only thing I was allowed to do, besides get up and walk around my apartment for five minutes every now and then.

I watched the attack, live as if unfolded. I cannot begin to tell you who how freaked out I was. I don’t need to. You no doubt, felt the same way.

 One of my patients worked in one of the buildings and had been there when it had been attacked a few years before. Another patient’s husband was in finance and possibly in the area, as was my ex-husband. Of course it was impossible to reach anyone. You’ll remember the cell phones were all down.

It turned out that another of my patients had been there for a meeting and was just leaving when the plane hit. He watched the people jump or get blown out the windows.

Another two of my patients were on the Throgs Neck Bridge going on a vacation. They watched it unfold from the bridge. These things I found out later.

 

That afternoon I got a phone call from my neurosurgeon’s office, asking if I were coming in for my appointment the next day. 9/12. To say I was surprised would be an understatement, but I said I would if I could get into the city. It was three weeks since the surgery and I needed the follow up visit. His office was on Third Avenue and 33^rd Street. At the Tisch Hospital Center I think.

By some miracle, The Long Island Railroad hadn’t been shut down yet. I have no idea why, but my husband and were able to take the train into Penn Stations.  We got off the train about a quarter of 9 am, when Manhattan is usually bustling with people who are late for work. This day, the streets were deserted. The wind was blowing gently. Papers were floating around and the only people out were the street people who had nowhere else to go.

The usual noises of traffic were gone, replaced by sporadic sounds of sirens of every type of official vehicle that I could think of. The Police, the Fire Department, the Army, the National Guard. Those are the ones I think I remember.

We began to walk from Penn Station. From 7^th Avenue and 34^th Street over to the East side where the doctor’s office was.

 

As we turned around, on Sixth Avenue, we were able to look straight downtown without any obstructions. What we saw was billowing smoke rising up in what seemed to be a never ending stream of white. Whatever wind was blowing, was not coming in our direction. Fortunately we didn’t feel the smoke or smell the odors. Oddly enough, two days late, it was still burning and the stench came wafting into Great Neck. At least we were spared that day.

We saw the surgeon and he was satisfied with his work.  I would not need to see him again. He showed me some stretches to do, and gave me instructions on how long I could sit up at any one time, how much to walk and all the things I needed to know so I’d be “whole” again. At least for my back. My mental state was not his area.

PTSD is said to affect people in different ways. One theory is that the closer the person was to the actual trauma, the more likely it was for them to experience the disorder. I hadn’t lost anyone personally. Yet, like everyone else in our country, I was frightened, angry and at a loss for what to feel. The expression I heard was that “I can’t wrap my head around it”. I felt that way for a very long time. I was afraid to go into Manhattan for a really long time. I was especially afraid of being on a train. I forced myself to go, but I was always aware of an undercurrent of anxiety. Two years later, I was able to retire and moved to Florida. I believe that I really wanted to get away from New York City, in particular. Many years have passed, but I still don’t like going into Manhattan. Before we left, my husband and I did to in to see the crater. Just another nightmare in a series of many.

I’ve come to understand why the Muslim radicals hate us. Our culture is so very different from theirs. If I were a Muslim man I would want my wife to know that she could have freedom. I’d be very happy with my ability to have total control. I get it. And, when I see our lack of morals, way of dressing, I am sometimes inclined to agree that we have gone a bit too far.

 

I also understand that they hit the World Trade Center to cripple our economy.  They did a pretty good job of it, even still. Except we’ve forgotten how it began. And so, we blame Obama. Like it was his fault. Maybe had the previous presidents been more proactive we could have been on alert. I’ve learned that coulda, wouda, shoulda get me nowhere.

 

Which finally leads me back to Mr. Robot.

The hackers are going to cripple the economy by hacking into the most influential financial corporation which they all refer to as Evil Corp.

My first question is, do you remember who calls America “Evil”? Many of the Muslim countries. Yes?

The hackers in the show are seen as noble because they are trying to free the average person from their debts which have been incurred from credit cards, mortgages and banks. And of course they need a personal tag, so three of them lost their father’s due to a corporate cover-up by none other than Evil Corp.

If you’ve been reading my blog, I hate the banking industry, truly. However, in the TV show, they don’t seem to allow for any personal responsibility like spending money you don’t have, and getting into debt because you are/were irresponsible. All the blame is put on someone else. Well, that is actually one of the more true to life aspects of the show.

 

MY THEORY AND OBJECTIONS TO THE SHOW:

I did a little background research on Sam Esmail. He came up with the concept and then developed it. He managed to get it on USA without having done anything much before it. That’s a pretty big feat. I’m curious to know who his backers were. Anyway.

As per Wiki:

According to Sam Esmail, he is fascinated by the hacker culture and wanted to make a film about it for around 15 years. In the production, Esmail consulted experts to give a realistic picture of hacking activities. Another inspiration for Esmail, who is of Egyptian descent, was the Arab Spring, where young people who were angry at society used social media to bring about a change.

As per me, what the fuck?

Mr. Esmail goes to great lengths to tell us that everything he shows in the series is possible. All the hacks into banks, the FBI, all have been done. Or at least, are possible.

This does not make me feel good. Nor does the fact of the idea to target the economic backbone of our society in order to bring about chaos. Somehow, this is not something I personally reassuring. It is also very reminiscent of 09/11. Or am I just paranoid?

A good deal of the time, I’m not even sure what’s going on because Elliot is out of his mind and the plot can be confusing.

What set me off was the last episode. Elliot’s dream of what the world would be like if he could be, well, normal?

The scene showed a long table in the middle of a deserted street in Manhattan, looking downtown.  One by one, his family and friends come to the table and Elliot takes his seat at its head. He is facing downtown. And as looked around him happily, we watched as one building imploded upon itself, leaving a billowing of smoke.

I was horrified. No, it wasn’t the Towers. It was a smaller building, but, it was eerily reminiscent of the nightmare we lived through. And with my own experience of having seen it first hand, I was truly disgusted that something so similar would be shown.

 MY HYPOTHESIS:

Whether on purpose or by chance, it seems that Mr. Esmail is giving a blueprint for hackers and haters to destroy whatever they hate in order to leave the world in chaos. It’s a take what you want mentality, as seen when the sadistic Evil Corp Executive accidentally murders the wife of man who took the job he wanted. Talk about rough sex.

In the guise of entertainment, is Esmail using “social media” to bring about change? Is he using a television show to make these radical ideas acceptable? Is he advocating for a hacker revolution in the guise of entertainment? Or am I someone with PTSD who is a bit paranoid? Your guess is as good as mine.

MY MAJOR CONCERNS:

All the other theories on line were related to the fantasy aspect of the show. I’m looking at it from the “Real World” in which I live.

At present, there are terror attacks happening, mostly in Europe, but we have had our share.

When is entertainment crossing the line? Even before the building collapsed, I had concerns about the politics of the show. You know, it reminded me of the time people got upset because of the fact that there were instructions on how to build a nuclear weapon online?

His questioning of what is real and what is in Elliot’s mind is a good one. Where does reality begin and where does insanity take over? Who in the audience watching this, is insane enough to attempt it? How many hackers out there are asking if it could be done? And if I’m not mistaken, hackers do love a challenge.

Of course, for real, I’ve no clue. And, maybe I’m as crazy as Elliot. Although I know I’m not. It’s also surprising that Elliot know he’s crazy. (His term, not mine). Most people who are delusional, paranoid and psychotic are not in the least bit aware of it. Just saying.

CONCLUSION:

We Americans are very lucky. We have freedom of speech and limited censorship. Some exceptions are that we are not supposed to incite people to riot. We are not allowed to use our speech to promote hate and there is fine line between artistic expression and pornography. Okay. Those are our rights.

I don’t know where the show is going. I don’t have any idea what will happen. I just know that I don’t like the premise. It makes me nervous. I especially don’t like that Esmail keeps telling us this is all possible. So, okay, Sam. Why?

 

 

                                THANKS FOR READING.

 

 

WHY DO POLITICIANS MAKE ME SICK?

I found it interesting that in two of my three text books, there is no mention of politics in the indices. I do recognize that it is a science unto itself. I did take a course in Poli Sci way back in college. Of course I remember my professor. He was relatively young and passionate about the subject and I enjoyed the class.

During my college years and  my early twenties, I was moderately active in the political scene.  Of course those were the years when students in America were being shot, there were riots on campus, and actually all around the country.

I attended demonstrations, worked for mayoral candidates and helped take over an administrator's office after the Kent State Shootings.



Generally, whomever I was backing, lost. That held in many elections as well. It took a long time before someone I voted for actually won.

I don't want to stay I stopped caring. I still care about what happens to my country. Other countries. The poverty, starvation and depravity that seems endemic to our kind.

I began to realize that no matter how much I cared, nor what little I did, things stayed the same. I would say that we helped stop the War in Viet Nam because I believe that possibly, it's unpopularity interfered with some greater scheme and so they decided to end it at the time they did. It didn't matter. It had already destroyed so many lives.

Politics? Politicians? Is there a difference? They represent the same thing. A system designed to allow us to believe we have some say in the governance of our countries. Since I live in the USA, I'll stick with what I know.

Politics is not governance. Governance, I think, is the actual running of the country. That's probably why they call the men in charge of the states, Governors. However, there appears to be a huge disconnect between governing and politicians, who become the government.

Why do they make me sick? That's easy. They lie, they are corrupt and they play us like fiddles. Our two party system has devolved into a terribly divisive institution.  And whoever it is, who actually runs things is laughing at us all.

I've been able to vote since I was 18. Something less than 50 years. I can say that in New York City, the mayor had power to change some aspects of my life. Since I worked for the City, it meant whether or not my pay would go up or stay the same. I also watched as the school system deteriorated over the years and I don't think the mayor was the cause.
      
The long and short of it, is that no matter who ran the country. My life stayed the same. I chose a path, strayed, changed, but still, nothing that I could say made a difference regardless of who the people were running this place.

What has changed, only in that it has gotten worse, is the venom that people spew when talking about politics.

I was at a lunch with some friends this week. One teachers adults English. One of her students asked why we have two years of electioneering. The answer was so the parties could raise money.

Again, when I was young, we had a few months of debates and campaigning and that was it.

Now, it's nearly constant. For money? We have to listen to this bullshit. We have to watch ads on TV for two years so they can raise money to make more ads to tell us how horrible the other candidates are.

I want to keep this short.

hypothesis:
Elections in America are for show. Everything that happens, happens behind a curtain where the Wizard of Oz is pulling the strings and projecting his magic.
The people, have been taught from an early age that our country is different. That we have the privilege to vote. That anyone can grow up to be president.
I believe that the people in charge, set us against each other in order to deflect the attention from them. Of course, we don't know who they are. That's part of the dilemma. People believe that their vote counts. If that were true, how is it that the people we are voting for are not the people that we want to be running?  The game is rigged.

CONCLUSION:
You can have as many debates as you want. You can actually believe you have a choice in who to elect. You do. Two people are "selected' and that's your choice. Do we actually have a say in any of it? I think not. Not anymore.
Any large country will need delegates. Everyone is corruptible. So, if you want to waste your energy and hate the people who don't like your candidate, go right ahead. Hate Obama. Hate Clinton. Hate anyone you want.  But think about it. For most of us, has it made a difference in our lives? The difference came from economics and it was the bankers who bought the politicians so that we could lose our houses and not have jobs.

So, fight amongst yourselves if it makes you feel better. It just makes me sick. We should be embracing each other as "fellow Americans" and not see each other as the enemy because that is exactly what the politicians want. And they always get what they want. We, on the other hand, will always get screwed.  And not in an enjoyable way.