MovieChat Forums > The Lathe of Heaven (1980) Discussion > If you had George Orr's ability...

If you had George Orr's ability...

posted 14 years ago by Poisoned_Dragon1964
10 replies | jump to latest

...of "effective dreaming," and could control what you dreamt, how would you change the world?

I would dream away the Republican victory of 1980 - Reagan/Bush and subsequent Bush II would never have happened. We would have universal health care, and we would not be at war with terrorists. We would have phased out fossil fuels, negating the need for "preemptive" wars. There would be extensive networks of public transportation, and education - all education - would be free.

What would you do?
(Yes, I know - it's very Haber-esque of me, but I'm just having fun with it. )

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] TC Fenstermaker 14 years ago

I guess you are just having fun, but, the libertarian in me finds it really humorous that you apparently completely missed the point of the book/movie and instead imagine using the power to do up your own version of 'utopia.'

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 14 years ago

Hence I admitted that it was "Haber-esque" of me.

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] Billy_McAvoy 14 years ago

Not a bad vision, and I agree with your conclusions. I guess we'll juat have to settle for making Obama make good on his promise of Change.

...Guess What S1m0ne! We have now entered an age where we can manufacture fraud faster than our ability to detect it

[–] Strazdamonas 12 years ago

I have the ablity to control my dreams. not always but most of the time i am able to control them.
Now lets assume i had full control of them for simplicity.
I would dream away nationalism. We are all humans, there is absolutely no need for "countries". its an old archaic limit to economical and technological progress. There is also the cultural differences, but those do not require countries, there are sucesful cultural communities within countries and multicountry ones. So there really is no reason for countries to exist anymore.
Seocnd would be a real universal suffrage. Not the lobbying representation we got no. There would be no parties. we would elect individuals and they would discuss (with full public streaming) all of the laws and such and come to a reasonable conclusion.
Yes, i realize its a very idealistic way, but hey why not dream a little (pun intended).
Next up i would attack crime. i would have to come up with a way so people would prefer to go to police rather than beat his neighboar for, say, smoking inside the coffe shop.

Then there is the not so nice choices i would make. I am biased, i am human after all, and that would lead to biased choices. being stubborn as i am it likely wont end very well.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 11 years ago

Then there is the not so nice choices i would make. I am biased, i am human after all, and that would lead to biased choices. being stubborn as i am it likely wont end very well.

What sorts of "not so nice" choices?

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] Strazdamonas 11 years ago

i was going to give you th "Evil me" speech but then i remembered what i meant. I woudl likely go overboard with my "good" deads so far that they turn into facist state of my chosing (thing: hitler). For example: how would you like to have all alcohol dreamed away?

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 11 years ago

I've thought of it before, especially since I'm a teetotaler with a low threshold of tolerance for the antics of the inebriated. But I'm not sure that I would dream that away.

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] Strazdamonas 11 years ago

As a consumer substance, alcohol is completely useless. there is some use of etanol in engine industry and spirits as desinfection, but beside that, word would be better without it.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] Demarates 11 years ago

- Alternative, clean energy.
- Large animal reserves à la Kruger Park to prevent more species from going extinct.
- A reduction of the world population by at least 50 % and an effective, yet humane way to keep it at that level.

When I'm gone I would like something to be named after me. A psychiatric disorder, for example.

[–] brucedgo 8 years ago

how would you change the world?

I wouldn't

Timmie, if you don't bring that rocketship back this instant, you'll get the spanking of your life!