In 2019, a series titled Years and Years was released, which some label as science fiction, while others describe it as dystopian.
It follows the life of a British family and the developments surrounding them from 2019 to 2034.
Among the various themes it explores is that of immigration, but in this scenario, migrants are not the typical individuals from third-world countries, but also European homosexuals or others who are deemed “non-politically correct.”
The country is ruled by Vivienne Rook, a character who is a blend of Trump, Boris Johnson, Le Pen, and other far-right politicians.
There is a rumour of people classified as “lost” or “disappeared,” referring to migrants sent to a mysterious location—a concentration camp from which they will never emerge alive.
“You let nature take its course without getting your hands dirty,” Emma Thompson, portraying the far-right prime minister, cynically admits.
By 2024, what was once called fiction and dystopia five years ago is becoming reality. Giorgia Meloni, once a fringe far-right politician, is now a European leader who is setting the tone.
Her plan to establish concentration camps in Albania, where she will send all those who cross Italy’s borders, is admired across much of Europe.
The Netherlands is negotiating with Uganda to do the same, Finland is building fences along its borders with Russia, and Ursula von der Leyen holds up Italy as an example to follow.
On the other side of the Atlantic, just days before the election, Donald Trump encourages Americans to take the law into their own hands and shoot thieves or anyone they perceive as a thief, no matter what they stole—whether it’s a carton of milk, a loaf of bread, a piece of clothing, or an expensive piece of jewellery.
“This is how we will immediately stop all looting and theft,” he said during a campaign event in California, drawing enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
Society is becoming increasingly brutal, as the Spanish newspaper El País points out in its commentary on the erosion of human rights.
“The result of our indifference will be a more violent and harsh society,” the newspaper warns.
In the final episode of the British series Years and Years, the family’s grandmother expresses similar sentiments, having lived through a world war and arrived at a time when humans have been replaced by machines, and “we are being governed by clowns who will lead us to hell,” she says, placing blame on all of us for passively watching and participating without taking action.
“This is the world we’ve created,” she tells her grandchildren.
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