Gilead: Could This Happen Here? | Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale

[@creatoruser736]

Gilead blaming women for the infertility crisis when it may have been mens' fault is like Henry VIII blaming his wives for not being able to give him a son.

[@xheralt]

Which he could do because he was in power...

[@scottadler]

A disease is no one's fault, other than those in power who allowed it to happen.

[@seguebythesea]

Not exactly. It’s actually much worse. Henry VIII was blaming his wives for not giving him a son, because the way gender is determined wasn’t known. In Gilead, although the method of conception is well known, it’s the male hierarchy that ignores science to blame the women.

[@scottadler]

@@seguebythesea Sorry, It's much too stupid.

[@Crick1952]

I mean, he did have sons with his mistresses. I think it was just bad luck

[@ZigUncut]

Attwood is on record as saying she perposely didn't put anything in her book that humans hadn't already done to each other. Chilling.

[@luisisaacdelarosabeltran]

I remember reading an article that said she carried a collage of newspaper cuts of events she took inspiration for the Handmaid's Tale while doing interviews to prove the inspiration IS real.

[@pickyphysicsstudent201]

I've heard, from interviews, that she took inspiration from the story of Jacob. What's interesting is that its not based on the exploitation of Jacob. 14 years of hard farm labour, then being russed into marrying someone he doesn't love, to end up being passed around like the prison b1tch & pimped out in exchange for vegtables, was not the important part to Attwood. What was important was that 2 servant women were asked/ordered to bare children in place of the two sisters, who got into a cat fight over Jacob.

[@RobertEWaters]

Purposely.

[@ryanfriedman4329]

That explains why Gilead didn’t construct a Death Star. (sarcasm)

[@williamkinkade2538]

This CAN HAPPEN PERIOD!!

[@mooselove]

My husband keeps saying NO country could ever devolve this far, which made me realize how blind he is to the suffering of other countries.

[@pablodelsegundo9502]

It's pretty much what happened in Iran, just a more extreme.

[@amandalogan89]

@@pablodelsegundo9502 it’s definitely spooky to look at photos from like the 1970s and such from there. Everything looks so normal and happy. And then to switch so quickly to rule under an extremist religious group and the rules put on women. It definitely is one of those events that makes you realize it could happen anywhere.

[@accwyse]

@@pablodelsegundo9502 Closer to Saudi Arabia really. Some similarities with Iran. But in Iran women can read, go to university, drive, even hold government office. Saudi Arabia bans all these, and some of these can even result in a woman's death. Women in Iran since the 1990s have also excelled in professions where women's participation is banned by the more strict Saudi System (female doctors, professors, and scientists, though in some cases their roles are restricted). Women can also practice law in Iran, but cannot serve as judges.

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

There are lots of third World countries being run by stupid people, but we aren't one of them.

[@pablodelsegundo9502]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 Not yet.

[@bleeka325]

In the book everyone that didn’t fit into their ideal was executed. Black people, lgbt people, people of different faiths, and people with disabilities. They kind of hint at it on season 3 when commander Lawrence takes June to the intake cages. They take the people with disabilities in a different area then you hear screams off camera.

[@Farhankhan_the1]

If you think about it all these people are useful as long as they are fertile according to series which make sense as, if fertility crisis happen all fertile people will become an assest rather than only selecting few group which fit their purpose they will be focusing on kids not wite supremacy lol think about it

[@bleeka325]

@@Farhankhan_the1 in the book they valued fertility just as much as race and physical/mental ability so that’s why they executed the people that did not fit with in the ideals of gilead.

[@bleeka325]

@@Fatemaforlife straight passing “able-bodied/minded” white women

[@David-bf6bz]

Yeah it was weird that the woke need for diversity overpowered the orginal book in so many areas. Also the amount of Mary Sue moments that were super cringe

[@David-bf6bz]

@@Fatemaforlife the "slave" angle is a creation of the show. I

[@falconwind00]

The incredible thing is, some people who saw this show thought “this is great! Let’s do this!”

[@oliviawolcott8351]

no, they were already planning to do it since the 60s. its just more in your face now.

[@victoriashevlin8587]

Problem with this book and series is not that Gilead is implausible, rather that it is entirely possible and is therefore terrifying.

[@nessyness5447]

Specially when they show how it starts. They go so far unnoticed, because no one is taking them as a serious threat, just like daily we don't take religious cults as serious threats because " is just a bunch of crazy people who can't do anything".

[@raeschultz5472]

In newer published book, margaret Atwood left a preface explaining that she wrote the book in the 1984 in Berlin Germany and explained how fast change can happen, literally over night. It's a great beginning for a book and how everything written can happen or has happened somewhere in the world.

[@AlienZizi]

this is the reason i hate most flashback scenes in the show. the world is so similar to our current one, and even when women lose the right to own money the main characters go on to live life as normally as they can, even considering having another child!!! i know people like the oppressors in the show exist and i believe they would jump at the opportunity to live out their bigotry freely.

[@creed8712]

@@nessyness5447 depends on which cults you’re talking about. The people’s temple wasn’t a threat because they owned San Francisco and I’d imagine today such a progressive church wouldn’t be viewed harshly on the west coast. The only reason it got out of hand was because of communism (which is what got many wealthy people part of the church to bail out) Something like Heavens gate or similarly small cults it’s kinda a toss up but ant hill kids never had the kind of power others did and was basically similar to the Manson one.

[@StewiethaChewie]

Ya the first 2 seasons scared the crap out of me. Then covid hit and you can see small micro changes happening to bring us more in line with gilead

[@yourinnerlawyer4035]

The thing that The Handmaid's Tale is important because everything that's done to the women in Gilead it actually is done or still doing to women all around the world.

[@David-bf6bz]

Season 1 and part of 2 yes. By season three it became torture porn.

[@josiealiceblanton]

@@David-bf6bz Mrs. Jimmy Two Times is probably referring to the book. Atwood was clear in her process that she wouldn't have put anything in the book that hadn't already happened.

[@thethirdchimpanzee]

Yeah, I shockingly realized this while I was watching the show...that every injustice and atrocity committed against women in this show IS happening, RIGHT NOW, somewhere in the world. As a father if 3 daughters, this is deeply disturbing to me.

[@josiealiceblanton]

@@thethirdchimpanzee I hope you are doing something to help them and the world. Even if it is as big as marching in a protest or as small as voting in local elections.

[@David-bf6bz]

@@thethirdchimpanzeeso who is sewing mouths shut ? Season 1 and some of two sure buy once the writers ran out of material they went in to torture porn.

[@d.7416]

I would love to say it's Impossible. Yet.. *i am german* .. i know that this is in fact very possible.

[@basstrumbo]

Yes, but as an American now living in Germany- I think I would prefer it here now!

[@d.7416]

@@basstrumbo well yes, but i'm talking about the past and possibilities of societies changing to cruely very fast

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@d.7416 well I tried voting, but it seems to me the voting was rigged, I was given a pencil to fill out my ballot sheet instead of the usual marker! Pencil Mark's can be erased!

[@TheFreshTrumpet]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 my polling place has used pencils in the past, as have hundreds of others. This seems like a very small concern in context of the broader discussion about fkn Gilead lol

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@TheFreshTrumpet what's to stop me from erasing your pencil mark for Biden and then filling in the circle for Trump on your ballot in 2024? Pencils are erasable, and they could just say you just changed you mind about who you wanted to vote for while voting, that is why pencils are objectionable. If I was doing the counting in your district, hypothetically, I could just send the Democratic observers home telling them we're done, counting the votes, and then go crazy with an eraser. All is fair in love, war, politics, and vote counting, isn't that right?

[@susangoldman6079]

in the book the Jews were given a choice to convert and follow the laws of gilead or emigrate to Israel. Many chose to go to Israel but even the character June isn't sure that the news report was true.

[@atlasabsentee3426]

It was also implied that the jews forced to immigrate to Israel were drowned at sea by Gilead

[@anneneville6255]

What about other religions ?

[@jamestown8398]

@@anneneville6255 They were probably told "convert or die". At least one Catholic Priest is shown dead on the wall.

[@lettuceman9439]

@anneneville6255 Given how decentralized Christianity is in the US, Imposing this Religious Homogenity would certainly not bode well for even the Christians of the Gilead much less other religions.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

That's pretty much exactly my take on Gilead: a short-lived Fascist state that inflicts immense suffering upon its population for a few years while promising them the world, never delivering, ultimately collapsing if it isn't demolished by outside pressure.

[@benedictewrstad8379]

On the topic of lacking religious freedom; I think it is in season three that Serena Joy is shown a empty house in Washington DC. She asks the other wife who lived there, and she answers that she think they were baptists. In season one June walked by a church that had been destroyed. So it seems that not only other religions, but also other denominations are basically not allowed.

[@santi2683]

That is clear, one of the first scenes in the show is a catholic priest hanged alongside a gay man

[@Sun.Shine-]

I mean, if a country declares to have a primary religion, then all its citizens are bound to follow that right? This happened in the past and in present too.

[@benedictewrstad8379]

@@Sun.Shine- I think the main difference between your comment and Gilead is “primary” and “only”. There are modern and developed countries that have a primary/most common religion, but that does not force their people to only believe in that religion. It was only in 2012 that Norway stopped having a state church. Among other things it meant that every baby was automatically written in to the church, and parents or baby am had to ask to get the person out of the lists. But both when we had a state church and not it is allowed to have other religions and none at all. There are mosks and churches of other denominations in many towns.

[@ajax9683]

yeah in the book most Christian denominations are fighting an active civil war against Gilead, for example the Quakers help refugees flee to Canada and the Baptists are waging an active insurgency in the Virginia mountains

[@oliviawolcott8351]

yes. that would happen in a fundamentalist christian society, as a group that believes that they are the only faith will silence all others as heretics. its happened many times before in the history of christianity. its why we don't have many if any major polytheistic faiths in Europe now. they were all wiped out or demonized.

[@AimeeFleck]

The lack of mention of Jesus has to do with the fact that Gilead only uses the old testament. It's scary, crazy, and entirely too plausible that this could happen. I read the book way back in high school and it terrified me then. It's no lo less terrifying now.

[@triciawhite8706]

They use some of the more atrocious parts of the new testament too, such as tearing families apart.

[@Sun.Shine-]

Yeah, but think about how Janine lost her eye and Serena, her finger. They twisted the scriptures from NT

[@lalita9041]

In defend of Old Testament not everything that was mentioned there had positive connotation. You had to look at the context. For example when Lots daughters slept with him his children were doomed and couldnt succeed. Some of stories mention time before the Moses Law for example Leah and Rachel story. They really shouldnt be an example in the series.

[@SaltAndGracePoetry]

@@triciawhite8706 What are you referring to?

[@lephinor2458]

Yes a disease that ravages the woman population causing America to become a fanatic religion who's whole purpose is to suppress women is very plausible.

[@eleanormason2647]

Also with the Aunts- they are not necessarily infertile, apart from their age. They are comprised of educated women (lawyers and judges especially) who were rounded up very early and imprisoned until they either capitulate or rebel- if they say no to the commander then they're killed. If they say yes then they become Aunts. They're given a role like nuns- able to be educated and given a higher calling, completely exempt from marriage and 'biological destiny'

[@loturzelrestaurant]

Handmaids Tale:This Show is kinda One Big Trailer for Atheist-KZbinrs. I mean, s-it, have you heard of what Christianity and Republicans are up to nowadays? Hahh, yeah, kinda Dystopian, even if we fully ignore Qanon and dismiss them in Fill.

[@fibonaccisequins4637]

@@loturzelrestaurant I’m spiritual but love the show. I just don’t believe in cults- I mean…organized religion.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@fibonaccisequins4637 I take yuor word for it and shall then recommend KZbinrs like Emma Thorne, Some More News, and Hbomberguy. Oh, and Professor Dave (at least his videos about Cultss and Pseudoscience.)

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@fibonaccisequins4637 :)

[@sharonsloan]

The author gave an interview where she said all of the things that happened were taken from various times in history.

[@berniekatzroy]

The only issue I have is that she changed her thoughts during the previous administration.

[@Miss_Puss]

@@berniekatzroy Changed her thoughts on what? Nothing in The Testaments was invented by her.

[@jenniferc8913]

American slavery, The Salem Witch Hunts, yes

[@sharonsloan]

@@jenniferc8913 a lot of civilisations throughout history have slavery. It's still happening.

[@berniekatzroy]

@@Miss_Puss Sorry, I didn't add all my thoughts. What I meant for the longest time Atwood always categorized the handmaids tale as speculative fiction even while Trump was early on in his first year or two of his term. Afterwards she said that it could happen because we have Trump as president, which like everyone else watched the series just totally forget that birthrate and all other factors from the book leads to this dystopia. I just mean she bandwagoned.

[@aslinndhan]

On the absence of the name of Jesus. The original movie Handmaid's Tale says "The Old Testament is our guide" .In the book, Quakers, Amish, Baptists, and Catholics are rebels against the Gilead government. Since Christ said very little on fertility, except when he was on the road to Golgotha, he told a group of women, "Blessed is the barren womb, and the breast which will not give suck". So Jesus would be low on the list of quotable prophets except in some truncated way. They often quote the Beatitudes that have been edited to serve one's purpose.

[@BallsTheDog]

You seem to have taken that out of context a bit, in that quote he was saying that in the future people will be saying those things, in a bad way.

[@breannajoseph2018]

Apostle Paul also said it is preferable to be unmarried and childless for the purposes of spreading the Gospel but that would not serve their purpose at all either

[@feezlfuzzl564]

Anyone can twist the bible for their own harmful ends. Have you never heard of televangelists? I've also read that Hitler claimed that his movement was Christian. If there is an Antichrist in our lifetime, he will claim to be Christian, in order to deceive the maximum amount of people. And he might be Republican, too, since that's perceived as more Christian in America.

[@WayneSmith-lo8be]

@@feezlfuzzl564 Nothing Christian about Republican Evangelicals. Evangelists are Christians. Nothing Christian about Democrats either.

[@feezlfuzzl564]

@@WayneSmith-lo8be "Evangelists are Christians." I hope that was a typo. Have you heard about the private lives of Paula White, Benny Hinn, the Crouches, etc? Other than that, I mostly agree with you.

[@alunalalune8691]

Um... this video was done three years ago- and today, it's looking like the foreshadowing of Gilead

[@madibob1411]

Yea in Afghanistan 😂

[@BlackberryTitties]

@@madibob1411Hello America!!! 🇺🇸

[@KnowledgeSeeker78491]

Well that’s what the states voted for…

[@ElfInTheFlowers]

⁠@@KnowledgeSeeker78491it wouldn’t be the first time people were complicit in their own collapse.

[@thedeserts]

@@madibob1411 worldwide rather

[@pakemfull]

In the books, Jewish people initially had a choice: convert, fly to Israel if you could, or take a boat (where Gilead takes everything from you in payment, then dumps you in the Mid-Atlantic to drown before going back to collect a new batch of victims).

[@ManiacMayhem7256]

Free Palestine

[@frocco7125]

Evangelicals support doing this at some point

[@f-86zoomer37]

@@ManiacMayhem7256gfys

[@PatGeo95]

​@@ManiacMayhem7256 NEVER!

[@wiccanwykle]

​@@PatGeo95only a matter of time

[@davidsheppard6786]

Freedom dies from a thousand wounds inflicts by the hands of those who say they are protecting us

[@nikkie4216]

-America 2021

[@anarchomando7707]

@@nikkie4216 before or after the capital being seized

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

No I can see they are protecting themselves with National Guard troops in Washington DC, not us!

[@reacionario2026]

The series is the perfect example of what a totalitarian socialist or communist state can do to Americans. It's very similar to what happend in Soviet Union, North Korea, China, Venezuela, Cuba and many others. The more I watch The Handmaid's Tale the more I fear a socialist society. Never surrender to a totalitarian State. Very well done!

[@anarchomando7707]

@@reacionario2026 no that's a fascist State not socialist You're right about it being authoritarian

[@kiryuchansboyfriend]

The blue-haired spiritual West Coast rebel: “Never thought I’d die fighting side by side with a person like you.” The cowboy hat-wearing Baptist southern rebel: “How about side by side with a friend.” The West Coaster: “Aye, I could do that.”

[@khoatran-pc6tb]

Congratulations! You’ve arrived at Alex Garland’s Civil War

[@BelleAntoinette]

Revisiting this and laughing at how screwed we are

[@lisaplatt3697]

THIS SHOW SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!To see how things are in the world right now it makes you wonder .

[@randallbesch2424]

The rise of fascism mirrors the 1920's -1930's in that way.

[@lisaplatt3697]

​@randallbesch2424 Agree...just look at the division going on right now and it's getting worse. This country is in sad shape.

[@BigPrincessSam]

Watching this in October of 2024 and I’m again reminded that many of us saw this coming for a long time!

[@Nicolesid1]

Watching in November post election and taking notes on how to get a job that is not a Martha 😢

[@BigPrincessSam]

@ SAME!

[@CharlieBaker-c4u]

@@Nicolesid1 lol girl learn how to fight and shoot… start reading about nursing and all the ways a person can die

[@angel8165]

For anyone who watches the show, going back in time pre-Gilead it’s so sad because it hits to close to home

[@MyHugoboss12]

where are you from if I may ask I’m from America

[@cloudambient]

@@MyHugoboss12 yeah, I'm from America too. To say there are parallels between current America and pre Gilead is beyong dramatic exaggerated hysteria.

[@MyHugoboss12]

@@cloudambient I feel the same it is so scary ☹️😩 another one that gave me the same feeling is the joker movie

[@cloudambient]

@@MyHugoboss12 No, I said there are not parallels between current america and pre gilead. To say that there are would be dramatic exaggerated hysteria.

[@MyHugoboss12]

@@cloudambient ooo lol sorry misread it

[@JesusChristDenton_7]

"The World doesn't care about right or wrong. It's all about power. And right now, none of us have it." - Adam Jensen, Deus Ex: Human Revolution

[@dereks1264]

The absence of "Jesus" in the Gilead "theocracy" is not surprising. Gilead's theology is fully rooted in the Old Testament as is the that of so-called "Christian evangelism in today's US. The difference is that, while Gilead makes no pretense of adhering to Christian principles, today's Talibvangelists invoke Jesus as their justification for, weirdly, ignoring Christian teachings. Orwell called this "doublethink".

[@gizmofrompizmo2177]

I mean Margaret Atwood did base the events of the book on what she felt was the logical conclusion of far right religious beliefs on the proper place of women and a lot of actions of Gilead is based on things that have actual happened in the real world. It's uncomfortably plausible.

[@dirckthedork-knight1201]

With the difference being that those thing have to countries with VERY different societies from the US thus they are actually to do such things which are impossible in the US but you know keep ignoring for your own purposes

[@pixelcount350]

@@dirckthedork-knight1201 They already tried to do it with the January 6 insurrection but you know keep ignoring that fact for your purposes.

[@dirckthedork-knight1201]

@@pixelcount350 That was a riot but you know keep repeating "insurection" (despite having no resemblance to any historical insurection) for you own purposes

[@TheGoodLifeStarterPack]

@dirckthedork-knight1201 How we quickly forget the speeches by both Sen. Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Rep. Kevin McCarthy calling January 6th everything from a riot to domestic terrorists acting under the direction of Trump, both practically and morally: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3m3hIWHhryad6s

[@ANTIStraussian]

​@@dirckthedork-knight1201 dude trump tried to stay president. Lol

[@nas10iris]

I've always thought Gilead is possible. I'm a history teacher and documentary buff. I can pick out a lot of what Atwood has added to the story. If it's happened once it can happen again. And some of it is already happening. And we are ignoring it. And it's crazy because it won't end well.

[@harrietharlow9929]

No, it won't.

[@sparker7768]

Post January 6, 2021...happening. In addition, extreme beliefs ("right" and "left") are driving us to insanity. If we can't get our shit together, then....

[@nas10iris]

@@sparker7768 don’t know how people can’t see the references. The book references a breakdown of women’s rights that leads them to basically underground railroads into Canada. I just read an article this morning that thousands of women are heading to Mexico for their abortions, and Canada has expanded their rights. All we need now is the red robes.

[@lar4305]

There are too many people to control. With all the guns and non Christians living in the us i really don't think so. Plus the rest of the world would step in.

[@JP-br4mx]

Oh hunny this isn’t about you

[@shanobian]

You forgot about the foreign visitor who says to June that their country hadn't had a baby In a long time so they sympathise with Gilead

[@dakotamabry1645]

Kinda wondered what happened to her. Once she agreed did she know that someone would take her place or did she keep her position, did she know she signed over her rights and power

[@GregoryXandrew]

Jews are shown hung with the star of David on their hood multiple times in the show. As a Jew, I always notice it, and it's one of the most personally upsetting part of it for me, so I notice it every time.

[@louisfriend6924]

"O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends...:" Quran 5.51

[@elizabethmunoz6479]

@@louisfriend6924 stop. www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/41218/Evidence-of-protecting-Christians’-rights-churches-in-Islam

[@louisfriend6924]

@@elizabethmunoz6479 Was that before or after those Egyptian Coptic Christians were BEHEADED on LIVE TV?

[@ManiacMayhem7256]

Free Palestine

[@aishwariyasweety2433]

I sincerely hope you are also personally upset over Palestine.

[@michaelspears7116]

Just a quick correction, the TV adaptation of the Handmaid's Tale isn't set in the future. It's an alternative present. Note the headline on The Boston Globe at 11:05 regarding the attacks on Congress, and therefore the beginning of the takeover being written as 'September 15, 2014'. It's mentioned early in the series that the takeover occurred three years prior, which would put us in 2017, when the series aired. By the time we get to season 4, I don't think the date could be much later than late 2019, maybe early 2020, at best. On a side note, I wish the lore of this show was explored more. The insular view of the world we see earlier on is understandable, but once Luke makes it to Canada, they should have started explaining more about how the US was faring, and what the rest of the world was like. Hell, they barely even go into what's happening in Toronto; I'm sure a lot could be explored there. The flashbacks to the pre-takeover days could certainly be utilized better by explaining more about the fertility crisis and how things in the US were starting to collapse. It's a good show, but they really keep us in the dark too much on a lot of things.

[@RodrickMarsMoon]

But we had flashbacks that approached most of the stuff you mentioned 🤔.

[@academiclibrarian]

I noticed that they don't use the word, Christ. I think I heard it once. They also cherry-pick bible verses, where it sounds kind of similar to an actual bible verse but they changed it. I'm not sure if it's true of the book, but the TV show shows that all denominations of Christians that didn't conform were hung. You would see people marked "Priest" or "Baptist." I'd assume it was to introduce their own version of Christianity without anyone protesting what the Bible actually reads.

[@laurakane2252]

They should be using the book of some other religion. The one that has the most people actually living by the lunacy to be found in it. They certainly aren't AMERICAN Christians. This show is fabulous but the idea that AMERICANS would allow it is ludicrous. Haha

[@laurakane2252]

And yet here people are planning their little left wing war scenarios to take down the magat's Its absurd and hilarious. Good luck boiys

[@academiclibrarian]

@@laurakane2252 I think that's why they execute Christians that do not conform to their idea of Christianity.

[@n1cholson]

Gilead's legal system is based on fundamental Christian ideas, but the Bible is not a legal text. Gilead law enforces moral behavior but doesn't define the nature of God. Many Gilead Commanders are former judges and high-powered attorneys. Putnam was a lawyer. Christ's teachings have a little too much leniency and mercy for Gilead's purposes. The Gospels aren't important. What's important is adherence to the law. The justification for Gilead law is not really Biblical precedent, the justification is to secure God's one undeniable blessing: children. Any law or policy that promotes fertility is, by definition, made legal under His eye. Apostates and heretics are subjected to "the common mercy of the state" as is said at Ofjoseph's trial. Prefectly legal. Nothing to do with Christ.

[@miscalotastuff733]

Oh yes they would. If the fundies in this country take over we are screwed. They will implement a similer system.

[@timkline162]

I like the show, but ask it goes on I find myself being more interested in Gilead itself and less interested in June's story. I'd like to see a spinoff or something that's more about a group of resistance fighters, or a war movie about a few countries teaming up to take Gilead out or something like that.

[@deedeejones57]

the spin off will be thee sequel book "thee testaments"

[@n1cholson]

Totally agree with you, Commander Kline.

[@TheOriginalPoon]

No one would invade Gilead, not because they’d lose, but rather because there’s no point. It has an extremely decentralized and weak political structure to begin with, to the point where it’s highest ranking member is now a political prisoner in a foreign country and a slave revolt eliminated many members of leadership. It’s going to completely fall apart any day now, it just needs more time and pressure

[@diabloakland]

I am completely the same i really don’t care about June and her boring savior role. I would much rather learn about the surrounding world

[@diabloakland]

@@TheOriginalPoon he’s not the highest ranked tho is he

[@h.g.wellington2500]

Don't downplay the religious angle of Gilead. What are humans capable of when they (1) believe this life is just a waystation to an eternal existence, (2) their morally atrocious acts are approved of by the creator of the universe, and (3) are convinced that, if they follow this god, they will spend eternity (the REAL existence) in paradise?

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

The United States is too multicultural to be dominated by a single religion like Iran is!

[@josethebioform7519]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 well i mean before the arab spring there was a decent amount of peace and freedom of religion. (I realize your comment is sarcastic lol ) anyone still remember the 90s cancel culture lol.

[@triciawhite8706]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 Yet nearly 50% of the US fell into a worship of Trump which lead to an organized attack of the capitol. It failed because the man had no follow through. But with anyone smarter? It can easily happen again and worse.

[@sosalosarosanos7006]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 65% of the US is Christian...Id say thats pretty dominant

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@sosalosarosanos7006 it is not the puritan branch if Christianity that is dominant in America. The Salem Witch trials were the most un-American thing that happened in American history, I don't think we're going back to that.

[@Greenteabook]

I've always felt unsettled watching HT, but when I saw one the Nuclear Waste Zones on the map was a little to close to home I figured at least I would be dead from the fall out. I could probably watch any explosion at Diablo Canyon from my back porch. It's good to know it would be face-meltingly quick!

[@joemichael5155]

I’m in Texas. At least I know I wouldn’t be under Gilead rule. Not sure if the Republic of Texas would be any better though lol

[@l.tc.5032]

At this point I could see Gilead happening, or Panem or Westeros minus the dragons, were all so fucked. "May the odds be ever in your favor."

[@MrEnaric]

Horrible but true: this is a possibility. In the early 17th century we almost had a puritan coup in the still young republic of the Netherlands. It led to civil war which nearly went sour. Imagine a puritan Amsterdam...

[@oliviawolcott8351]

and in america, the puritans were fleeing "religious persecution". that's the story we're told. turns out, people just hated them and they were meddlers and totalitarians.

[@charlottenys9603]

one important note: the rules restricting women’s rights and lgbt rights were rolled out slowly, so slowly that people didn’t see what was happening and what it could lead to, sounds kinda familiar right?

[@kisslena]

This whole show is about Power. Everything. Women are expected to accept total rule. But the men know better than to think women do not have agency even under a totalitarian regime. They know women are highly intelligent. June is training for the government at this point. I’ve noticed that some men actually respect or even admire June. That convo scene with Janine and June in the milk tank was glorious! Whoo… that’s some mighty fine writing. 😘

[@200houryogateachertraining]

I think that the men are controlled and individually powerless as well. Look at what’s happening to Joseph, left in Canada to rot. Or Nick who doesn’t want to be a part of the machine.

[@Phrankster163]

A few things that Gilead would run out of very quickly would be iron orr and oil, which would severely impair their ability to wage any kind of war. Their anti-stance against technology would render their the bulk of their weapons obsolete within a few years and without the means to make more, they would be ripe for an invasion from all sides. Spare parts for things like fighter planes are mostly made in China, which would mean that most of their air force would be grounded, the moment they start to run out of them. Lawrence does say that the reason why the rest of the world haven´t attacked them yet is that they´re afraid of their weapons, but once that fear is gone they would be over and done with in no time and he clearly knows it. The part I find to be least believable is that the UN didn´t interfere right away, given the enormous risk for the world economy, if a takeover was to happen. China, with it´s huge financial interest in the US, would for sure have pressed for immediate action against the regime and if they wanted it bad enough, then we all know that they would get it. Putin would have been the first to jump on the band wagon, seeing it as his chance to show the world how mighty Russia still is and a way to win some goodwill with a world, that for the most part don´t like him. The EU (fearing a Chinese/Russian takeover) would then be forced to join, in order not to be left out of the decision making after the war is over. Finally, South America would join, seeing as they need the steady money coming in from the US more than anyone. If a few blurry pictures of supposed weapons silos in Iraq was enough to start a war against Saddam for, then the stories of mass executions alone would have been enough to send the rest of the richer part of the world into a full out war against them, if it was needed. I think that in reality, even in the far our scenario that the takeover could happen, they wouldn´t have lasted more than a year, at the absolute most. But of course, that wouldn´t make for nearly as interesting of a story and when it comes down to it, that´s all it is and sometimes to make it as good as you can, you have to count in a few very implausible things happening now and again.

[@ActuallyDoubleGuitars]

I think you are forgetting that they have nuclear weapons.

[@Phrankster163]

@@ActuallyDoubleGuitars And you don´t think they´re well aware that if they used any of them, then they would get hit with multiple times more of them from the other countries, who have them too? This isn´t 1945 anymore, when the US was the only country,, that had them. There´s also such a thing as missile defense systems.

[@Stinger522]

In what episode did Lawrence say that?

[@Phrankster163]

@@Stinger522 I honestly can´t remember, since it´s been years since I saw the early episodes. I believe it was in season one though, but I can´t say that I´m entirely sure of it.

[@holydamien]

@Phrankster163 Nuclear weapons are deterrents, nobody wants to be the one to strike first, even if it's Gilead. Besides, in a fertility crisis using weapons of MASS destruction is the least thing anyone wants.

[@oliviawolcott8351]

The sons of Jacob are even more plausible if you know about the New apostolic movement, and understand the history and goals of the Religious Right.

[@theo9952]

I would chose the death of humanity, over Gilead. A thousand times over.

[@theo9952]

@@svevsky If you like Gilead, you should emigrate to Afghanistan. It is the next ''best'' thing.

[@Brandoloian]

Then your a enemy of humanity.

[@Brandoloian]

@@theo9952 at this point sounds a lot better then the West.

[@theo9952]

@@Brandoloian Νot at all. I am an enemy of INHUMANITY. Or my enemy is inhumanity. Depending what you mean.

[@theo9952]

@@Brandoloian Why ? Don't you like democracy, human rights, freedom of speech ? Would you rather live under an insanely fanatic theocracy which would deprive your daughters of education beyond primary school like in Afghanistan and condemns them to spend their lives under a burka, not allowed to work or even walk the street on their own? What is your reason for thinking so?

[@spencersholden]

“They’re just Nazis.” My jaw dropping when you said that.

[@nagollnosegrobbb2165]

Its a pretty valid comparison

[@David-bf6bz]

Well they were Socialist like the Nazi's

[@accwyse]

@@David-bf6bz *facepalm*

[@spencersholden]

@@David-bf6bz Nazis are fascist. They hated socialism just as much as communism.

[@nagollnosegrobbb2165]

@@David-bf6bz Check the parties actual platform ,views , and actions before blindly believing them to be even remotely socialist because they threw the word in their party title.

[@johnpotts8308]

I can completely believe Gilead rarely mentions Jesus - he was too much into that forgiveness schtick and not into condemning people. "Love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44) does not sound like the sort of thing Gilead would encourage: "'If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman... They are to be put to death" (Leviticus 20:13) by contrast, sounds right up their street. Ironic that they might draw more from the Old Testament (the Jewish Tanakh, largely) then the New and yet outlaw Judaism!

[@mahboubehtavakol9154]

I am currently living in the Republic of Gilead, namely the fuckinh Islamic Republic of Iran. I'm not exactly a handmaid but this autocracy resembles the autocracy going on here

[@liamwinchesterchasten2229]

I hope you are safe

[@gamingforever9121]

Iran’s Revolution really worked out well huh 😂.

[@NEbluefire]

@@gamingforever9121 What would possess you to think that there is anything here to be laughing about? You live in the magical land of nothing is real.

[@NEbluefire]

@@mahboubehtavakol9154 Religion + male ego = The subjugation of women is never far behind.

[@gamingforever9121]

@@NEbluefire great question cupcake, I’ll answer it for you now. I find it funny because it’s what the people there seemingly want.

[@kristinmeyer489]

This is already unfolding.

[@Sacha355]

No.

[@CharlieBaker-c4u]

@@Sacha355how are all commie trolls here named sacha

[@sharonholdren7588]

Sons of Jacob is what the Heritage Foundation is planning to establish as they have stated in Project 2025.

[@zacharyh6045]

Yes, Project 2025 is real-life Gilead.

[@albertocabezas282]

@@zacharyh6045 I was reading abot this and agree with you.

[@naomi.s1799]

As someone who grew up in a religious household, I noticed that Gilead's people read whole passages from the bible but cut out any verse that condemns what they're doing lol Every 10 min I'm like, that's not what it says

[@liul]

The Bible you know doesn't say what it originally did, there are a lot of versions, all of them edited, translated from a translation of a translation..., and it's full of contradictions. So everyone's gonna interpret it the way it pleases them.

[@usernotfound3572]

Basically that’s what every religious person does. No disrespect, don’t take it the wrong way.

[@CLL21]

They follow the old testament... which is why they hate all other religions.

[@Zarastro54]

Fundamentalists selectively quoting religious texts to justify their atrocities is a tale as old as time.

[@shellbell3443]

That seems to be what most religions or religious people do. They pick and choose what to acknowledge from the bible

[@omaracevedo4784]

One thing that I noticed was the concentration camps that Gilead had for people who they deem genetically unfit like mentally ill, special needs people or disabled people. They were warehouses where they would eliminate them. I can't remember which episode though

[@Anna-ny7ks]

Anyone here after the 2024 election 😅 I want to say...."I'm in danger"

[@CalebRWXbox]

Bells rang when he mentioned "tarrifs" it feels like 1x1 playbook on how to make Gilead a reality or in other terms, 1930s-1940s Germany. I could be totally off base and overreacting, you know, confirmation bias but still, Anna I hope you got some contingency plans in place, you got hopefully 4 years to see how this regi--I mean "administration" plays out.

[@Lady_Amelia-Eloise]

Hello

[@Sacha355]

Trump and kamala both serve the same master but your too politically illiterate to understand

[@elijamescabangon]

It's somehow funny that it kinda is now.

[@TheNightWatcher1385]

Not really.

[@RelaxationReserve]

Not. Funny.

[@BlueEnd327]

I started watching the show towards the beginning of the pandemic, and I remember thinking, "There's no way this could happen in America." Fast forward through a year of utter chaos, and it chillingly does seem possible. These things have happened in other countries, and perhaps it could happen in a very divided U.S.

[@krispalermo8133]

Problem, you have a high % of the male population in their early 40's & 50's who got their childhood wreaked by Southern Churches during the end of the USSR Cold War, and they have no children of their own. They will not .. feel .. sorry about any mass gatherings.

[@FernandoTorrera]

If you really want to be scarred polygamist Mormons are basically gilead and some even control the local government

[@dianeshelton9592]

I can’t believe you could be so naive. Republican men who police women’s bodies are Gilead wanna be’s, happening right now!

[@FernandoTorrera]

They want to ban abortion and any contraception gilead is crowning it’s head out of the mother of Christian conservatism

[@christiegreenwood2642]

The prognosis has only worsened in the interim.

[@smode983]

I'd say after yesterday's Supreme Court ruling and Clarence Thomas's added opinions, that it is very much possible.

[@ANTIStraussian]

Episode 1 of the show has a jan 6th lol

[@MP-il8ys]

What got me was the realization that everything that happens in this show has happened to women around the world (much of it in America’s recent past), or is even happening as I write this. Sexual slavery, domestic slavery, genital mutilation, prohibition from owning property or a bank account, banning of family planning options, having their children taken, forced to wear a modesty uniform, child marriages to old men, torture and murder of wlw, prohibition of education/reading and voting... ALL OF IT HAS HAPPENED OR IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. It’s all entirely plausible, because it’s already occurred.

[@albertocabezas282]

About the prohibition of education I've been talking to some US citizens and what is shocking me the most is their ignorance: Geography, as an example. I'm not sure what are they taught at school by now.

[@wietzejohanneskrikke1910]

Gilead? It's already here, folks!

[@greenghoul157]

Never forget that this alternate history fiction dystopia is more plausible than some people think it is

[@MissMarinaCapri]

Let’s think about it, what countries are similar to Gilead the way they treat women ? Muslim held countries !!!!!!!!

[@itsAJDee]

@@MissMarinaCapri that’s just xenophobic American propaganda, but you might wanna look in your own back yard because the US is literally on the verge of this happening, Texas just made it legal for citizens to sue women who get abortions, and completely rewrote the curriculum to further indoctrinate children. Sooooo good job showing your racism. Don’t bother trying to feel to Canada when it happens either you won’t be welcomed with that racist attitude.

[@tubeguy4066]

@@itsAJDee imagine thinking that saving children's lives is something bad

[@KingCrimson02]

@@itsAJDee Islam isn’t a race lol

[@itsAJDee]

@@KingCrimson02 do you not understand what the word xenophobia means?

[@rosiesummer2711]

Margaret Atwood was partial inspired by the 1979 Iranian revolution which its extreme religious draconian rules are still around today 42 years later. So yes it can happen anywhere.

[@dirckthedork-knight1201]

No it cant Because Iran was a WAY different scociety than the US This is not happening at least not in the west

[@FernandoTorrera]

Google Utah sweet dreams

[@rosiesummer2711]

@@dirckthedork-knight1201 There is footage and photos of Iran prior to the revolution showing it was very much like the west.

[@Carol120454]

Excuse me, but what rock are you living under? The religious fundamentalists in this country are paying politicians to do what they want, which is have a theocracy. They are bought and paid for, and no longer serve the people who elected them. Roe vs. Wade is just the beginning. They will chip away at our rights until we have none left. You need to wake up. Yes, it can happen here, in the near future.

[@KansasAdvocate22]

Would love to see you do an update to this with recent changes in the news this week. Just seems like another check…

[@wyvern723]

Yeah, it's very possible. America isn't immune from this. No country is. It's why we must always be vigilant.

[@tedwarden5803]

I can easily see this happening in a Republican Evangelical America. It doesn’t take a great leap of imagination.

[@bluedotdinosaur]

Since the novel is firmly based in the idea that Gilead must, and does, end, it raises the question of how much the producers of the television series have baked Gilead's end into the structure seen on screen. There do seem to be signs in the show at various times.

[@Crazyashley42]

There's also implication that Gilead is around for at least a century, and June is in the Early Period before they crack down on everything because the leaders still remember modern life.

[@mikoto7693]

The testaments sequel implies Giles won’t last more than 20-25 years tops from the time of the Handmaid’s tale. Given that the wives and Handmaids still remember pre-Gilead I’d guess as a State it lasts maybe 30-40 years.

[@emmashane5096]

I noticed that about them never speaking about Jesus as well. It's one of the reasons I point to when my more religious friends feel offended. I don't think they're Christian, although they're clearly Biblically based. Idk, just my thoughts.

[@abbiaca-3288]

To my memory the rules are based on the old testament (the more extreme side).

[@monkeygoesbananas]

I imagine they're like Mormons. Their faith is "inspired" by Christianity and they may even call themselves Christians, but their most sacred texts were written by them (extremely recently) and have no connection to actual canon from the ancient church. No offense to Mormons lol

[@jamestown8398]

I think of the Gilead commanders as being like the "Teachers of the Law" in the Gospels. You know, the people Jesus compared to vipers and whitewashed tombs.

[@erikfldt390]

Welp, that didn't age well. It's not a case of plausible, it's a question now if it's inevitable.

[@DaveCM]

I was just about to post that they may want to revisit this question.

[@chiaraimpeduglia1308]

@@DaveCM I think that it is probably inevitable, if things keep going this way. Only it's going to be a bit different from continent to continent. in Europe, if something like this happens, it would probably not stop women from working completely, just make it more difficult.

[@wisteria_love]

Project 2025 is our version of the sons of Jacob. Mark my words

[@LeoLady3966]

On Heritage Foundation site, they are asking for people to be “in place” on day 1. If that’s not the most nefarious sounding thing- until you read the 900+ pages of how they plan to dismantle the government and take away rights to most people, gut benefits to military and veterans and our SS, Medicare etc. If that’s not a warning to heed, imagine the parts they are keeping secret.

[@EvotrekORIGINAL]

How is that? I'm not arguing with you or saying your wrong, I took Gilead as an American version of the Taliban. I also should add that I have not read the book either.

[@josephpasquarella2123]

Go to bed

[@alysononoahu8702]

No we figured THAT OUT

[@lephinor2458]

2025 says nothing about suppressing woman except for being against the murder of children. 2025 is literally just a boogie man word now you probably haven't even read it.

[@Dlipton01]

11:02 oh god, this hits a little too close to home, very uncomfortable parallels to our world.

[@Tina-qn6pq]

This is exactly why I think this could happen here.

[@Dlipton01]

@@Tina-qn6pq and Jan 6 was such a watch up call, thankfully they weren’t organized, but god forbid they were, they were feet away from congress men and women and there were armed terrorists among those there that day. The scary thing they replaced Jesus with Trump and were literally willing to die for him. We really were at the a knife edge that day, for gods sake they’d built a set of gallows to hang our elected representatives.

[@SkyelarEagle]

You should read about the women in the the Morman group fundamentalist of Latter Day Saints

[@nicres]

There’s a lot to update this with, unfortunately :(

[@ladylauren4989]

Listening to this 11/14/2024. Scary.

[@johnmcdaniels9231]

I have an exam on The Handmaids Tale on tuesday, might end up quoting you as a critic!

[@randomgaminginc.9256]

Welcome to America in 2025

[@comedicpsychnerd]

Congrats America! It's here

[@remylewis8721]

I feel like it's fair to point out that in the flashback scene with June and Luke watching the news about the attack on the government; it wasn't like they blew up the capitol during the state of the union and killed every elected official like they do on the show designated survivor, and that instead it was more of a targeted attack where gunmen infiltrated the capitol building and "open fired from the gallery" killing lots of people, but not the entire congress/senate and then there is secondary explosive attack on the white house and then martial law is declared. That, to me, is a far more plausible scenario; that the people who were elected officials knew not to be there, or maybe some disposable ones weren't told and were there to dissuade suspicion, and then the major targets in the line of succession were all taken out with those remaining being involved with sons of Jacob. Also fully aware this comment is probably gonna put me on a watchlist somewhere lmao

[@tylerf.145]

Margaret Atwood based all things in Gilead on things that had already happened around the world btw

[@cheesecakeisgross4645]

In Islamic and Communist countries. She just gave it a Christian Fascist paintjob.

[@FernandoTorrera]

Polygamist Mormons live in gilead they even have the local cops.

[@theHoldac]

@@cheesecakeisgross4645 in fascist countries lmao

[@lettuceman9439]

@@FernandoTorrera i don't think even the LDS would even allow that given how antithetical that was to them in a deeper fundamental level, The LDS are wackjobs but they have rather key doctrines to reject gillead in fact it wouldn't be part of gillead at all given that they want their own state themselves

[@gateauxq4604]

Three years later Project 2025 says hi.

[@_faultee_]

Apparently Texas is its own republic in the show, atleast according to a line in season 4. So who knows if that map means anything anymore.

[@n1cholson]

God Bless Texas. It could be that Texas is like Gilead but with a little bit more Baptist zeal.

[@Jack-sq6xb]

I'm pretty sure the map is made from Gilead so its not a accurate depiction

[@josiealiceblanton]

I'm not sure if Texas would be much better than Gilead. The Metro areas (Houston, Austin, El Paso, San Antonio and Dallas would be resistance strongholds) but the rural and suburban areas might be sympathetic to Gilead. The only chance is that there are enough Baptists to keep the Evangelicals at bay.

[@RossForsterFraser]

In the epilogue of the book, Texas is independent

[@Carol120454]

Their current war on women certainly indicates it. They also don't like elderly people, their Lt Governor thought we should just get Covid and die, to preserve the economy. As an active senior citizen who contributes time and effort to my community ( In NE, you couldn't pay me enough to live in TX or any other Red state) I found that insulting and abhorrent. Sorry, but I and others deserve to live. Isn't it interesting that Red used to mean communist. Now it means a Republican state! If the shoe fits, wear it.

[@liminal_spice1712]

I feel like this needs to be re evaluated now lol

[@LOAblue]

I recently re-watched the whole series to prepare for season 4, and it was scary to see the flashback about the takeover of the U.S capital.

[@Damo2690]

@@hyzenthlay713 lol small town Police in America have army surplus APCs and infantry fighting vehicles. When they say defund the police, they mean stop acting like an psudo army. The fundamentalists are all Republican anyway

[@OneDayChange]

The Handmaidens Tale woke me up to how extreme Republicans are becoming. Along with a documentary about how fascist take over and wow we are not looking good in this country.

[@ElizabethCox-z9o]

Yep I am definitely leaving as fast as I can.

[@CalebRWXbox]

You should, I wouldn't hold animosity if you did, I genuinely thought about it my self.

[@BFLAT3D]

2025 here. we. go.

[@CalebRWXbox]

Among world changing events I'd live to see, didn't think US Civil War: The Sequel was on the Bingo card

[@minisarge2619]

I literally read this passage, for those who wondered what happened to non Christian sects (Judiasm in particular), the Jewish were to immigrate to Irseal. Many did. Those who were caught fake converting were killed

[@kevinbourke1847]

I will like to a see a 1984 movie or tv show by Netflix

[@roro-mm7cc]

There is already a 1984 film adaptation released in 1984 with John hurt playing Winston smith. We do not need another.. god forbid one made by Netflix.

[@ryancappo]

I would like to see a 2084 movie be made. If they really wanted to mess with people, make it from the state's perspective and consider Winston a rebel or terrorist.

[@ryancappo]

@@nhoff6858 Even after a year of staying home and catching up on shows, I haven't gotten to the Brave New World series yet. But it is on the list.

[@MarcillaSmith]

Isn't there already a current adaptation of _1984_ from a POV perspective on the cable news channels?

[@fishharvester9434]

Turn on CNN and follow the dumbfuck Biden administration's bullshit. There's your 1984 coming true

[@RobinHerzig]

Wow that was so satisfying coulda listened to another hour of this breakdown Well done

[@mossripalextechno6450]

Margret Attwood has said that she has not put anything in the books that has not happened at some point in recorded history. So when people asked her how she came up with all these horrible things, she can point out that she didn't make them up.

[@Andreas-yi7uz]

Hello and all the Best from Austria. My English is quiet bad, but I try my best to express my thoughts as good as possible: In my opinion Gilead was and is possible, looking at the current social and political situation and the rhe rise of religious extremism (which goes hand in hand with a new prudery and conservatism coming from people due to different motivations). Gilead is happening right now (as you staded). As an European I do see a lot of analogies to (american) creationism. I like your work!

[@justlina2769]

American creationism? Seriously? You think Creationism came out of America? Study any history much?

[@Andreas-yi7uz]

@@justlina2769 as I stated, my English is quiet bad - I mean Creationism all over the world AND in America.

[@domenstrmsek5625]

how this ideas are less popular in america if some nazi like shit would rise becouse of terrorism and the fact that muslims have more children than european gilad is just most american thing in terms of religion

[@wickedku]

Your English is just fine (especially considering the fact that most of us Americans don’t speak a second language at all)! Also, as an American, I agree with your assessment and I see your point about American creationism. If I am correct, you are referring to the unique type of Christian fundamentalism in America and its ties to the far-right. Sadly, I think you are correct; Gilead could happen.

[@Andreas-yi7uz]

Yes, I agree and I refer to the unique type of Christian fundamentalism in America including respectively connected with the far-right

[@Paranoidtimes]

after row vs wade... you should rethink this....

[@drbruh3567]

Yeah stopping people from murdering babies is completely unconstitutional!

[@rylee_l]

I actually noticed the no-Jesus thing too, I always questioned their title as a “Christian” nation because of that- I thought they were some other extremist monotheistic society

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

The monotheistic part is what allows theocratic governments to be more tyrannical, in a polytheistic religion, some gods are evil, and it is totally acceptable to go up against the gods, and it's even considered heroic. Hercules went up against the gods, so did Odysseus, in pagan religions no god is an all powerful know it all that you can't contradict, they have powers but they are not always right or moral. A totalitarian state finds alot of things useful about monotheistic religions so long as they control the religious narrative. Since governments often kill and torture people, with monotheism, they can make excuses for doing so and the priests they control will give them absolution, as that is their job and they work for the state. This is one reason why separation of church and state is so important, states that don't have that tend to be oppressive, and the religion tends to become a tool for government control.

[@David-bf6bz]

Well you to have to factor in rhat the book is written by a staunch atheist and I am wilingl to bet that the writing room didn't have any practicing Christian's, probably gonas far as to say practicing Jews or Muslims. At best a couple of half baked Buddhists and a "I not religious but I am spiritual " crystal rubbers. So in defiance of "only those with the lived experience can write (insert identity) you have non believers trying to build a believer based society...

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@David-bf6bz why do atheists have to hate Christians and try to smear them as evil? If they don't believe in God, fine, let others believe what they want to believe, most Christians do not try to oppress women.

[@David-bf6bz]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 "not all atheists" There are the simple non believers, and then there are those where atheism is a religion of it's own and believersare by extension "heretics". Much of that seems to be rooted in egotism. Interestingly the "blue church" Atheism is some of the most convoluted secularism seen to date. Two out of three of the Abrahamic faiths are evil but one is a religion of peace. If want to have fun take white (literal caucasian) Chechen Muslim and a Black African Christian and ask a leftist which one is more "wrong"

[@David-bf6bz]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 are serious? Are you familiar with any of the governments of pagan polytheistic Mesopotamia? Even the Roman and Greek dabbling in democracy was limited to a small segment of the aristocracy. Tyrant is a pagan polytheistic word.....

[@dylanrivera2244]

Gilead does exist, it’s called Afghanistan.

[@CalebRWXbox]

And The Post-United States after the 2024 election

[@CharlieBaker-c4u]

Trump shouldn’t have signed a treaty with the fucking taliban, but hey it just adds to the hit list.

[@theuwutsar]

We must ask one thing; how would this affect the the economy?

[@berniekatzroy]

They still have never mentioned how the economy works in Gilead; main example being currency, only food tokens have been shown. However, the show has heavily hinted that human trafficking is a form of currency.

[@cavemanzach9475]

@@berniekatzroy The economy of Gilead is probably the most compelling part of the show for me. They receded to roughly 1/3 of the country, their male workforce is fighting wars with rebels or guarding the streets, and their infrastructure is absolutely shot. When Fred told Tuello that he would invade Canada to get Nicole back i audibly laughed at how ridiculous is would be for Gilead to fight a war with Canada and expect to not get slaughtered

[@berniekatzroy]

@@cavemanzach9475 as much as you make sense all other western nations do dare get involved with gilead because they're scared of their military power mentioned in both books and in season 3 I believe the swiss diplomats mention gileads power. Also given how the US was the main world power, the changing to Gilead turned the whole geopolitical scale on its head. So we know slave labor accounts for sonething but who and what is Gilead trading for with other countries other than people as we saw in season 1.

[@cavemanzach9475]

@@berniekatzroy I do recall many mentions of the power of Gilead's military, but unless they're dumping their entire economy into the military (I don't doubt they would do that) there's no way that they're going to be able to maintain an effective war front against rebels, Canada, and controlling the hyper-regulated population of Gilead. Where are they getting jet fuel to drop nuclear bombs? Where are they getting the food and armaments necessary to maintain a war against a first-world country when they can't even quell a rebellion which has taken a fairly significant portion of the country? My guess is that Gilead is 30% capable of actually giving someone a hard time and 70% being good at fluffing their feathers to people that were, at one point, inferior to the US I do really love the dialogue that stems from this show. Politics and economics taking such a hard turn is fascinating. I would love it if someone wrote a small companion book outlining the canonical functionings of Gilead's government and economy.

[@berniekatzroy]

@@cavemanzach9475 same. If you remember the epilogue to the first book at some point Canada gives into pressure from Gilead and actually returns escaped handmaids along with other undesirables under Gileads standards. I do believe the majority of their economy is poured into their military given how common commodities in modern times are rationed and theres several mentions of food being a rare or synthetic in both books as those on the frontlines get what is necessary.

[@kathleenhartnellharper7234]

Yeah, they turn the Washington monument into a cross but all references are to Old Testament. Not one reference to Jesus, “As you do unto the least of thee you do unto me.”

[@TheOriginalPoon]

That’s because American fundamentalism puts the focus on the cruelty and vengeance of the Old Testament God and not the love and mercy of Christ.

[@randallbesch2424]

They like the Rambo warrior of Revelation Jesus.

[@Faby07aleixo]

"Could this happen here?" Trump is trying....

[@DJlovesjiujitsu]

Sure bud

[@Faby07aleixo]

@@DJlovesjiujitsu did I hit a nerve there?

[@spinosaurusstriker]

​@@Faby07aleixopeople calling you dumb for a dumb statement is not hitting a nerve

[@Faby07aleixo]

@@spinosaurusstriker if it's dumb why are you so mad? lol, calm down dude.

[@spinosaurusstriker]

@@Faby07aleixo my comment has 2 lines you are over reacting.

[@MichaelBristow137]

I only recently started binge watching this series and I'm in season 3. I find it terrifying because it seems like it could actually happen, unlike zombies, etc. I am "enjoying" the series, but watching man's inhumanity to man is disturbing...

[@thedoruk6324]

After everything occured right now gilead seems so realistic !

[@ravenqueer5295]

man’s inhumanity to woman*. most men would LOVE to live in Gilead.

[@lukaszwojtowicz1981]

And 3 years later when we know about Project 2025 We don't have to ask if this may be possible. We know that if MAGA wins this year it will happen.

[@CalebRWXbox]

It happened, Gilead 2.0

[@asdkotable]

@11:25 did they address what happened to the designated survivor? I think that the DS is to be kept away in a safe spot during all major political events where the other top members of the US government convene specifically as a fail-safe against a disaster like that.

[@WilliamsLibrary]

Maybe the designated survivor was rushed off to Alaska to assume control of the rump state.

[@n1cholson]

He was one of the Sons of Jacob.

[@whywar1986]

Asdkotable they either figured where the DS would be and got rid of them, or they could have been in on the downfall or safely got to Canada to start the New U.S. or something like that

[@allisonwomble3917]

This is why when the Insurrection happened here, I had a bag in the car ready to drive all the way to Canada. Can’t take any chances anymore

[@grapeape888]

I was also scared for my life when a bunch of Waffle House regulars stole a podium and pissed in Pelosi's office. That's when I knew democracy was over and soon the Wal Mart Paratroopers would float in and install a new government with a new Constitution written on the back of an Applebee's menu. I still can't sleep.

[@quester09]

good thing they turned out to be clowns.

[@grapeape888]

@@hyzenthlay713 The cartels are a tough but fair authority.

[@punkwrestle]

@@hyzenthlay713 Canada has the audacity to treat every citizen with respect unlike what happened under trump, who discriminated against people because he needed a scapegoat.

[@punkwrestle]

@@hyzenthlay713 Discrimination isn’t a religious freedom it’s bigotry. Your false delusions are no basis for exception from the laws.

[@reganiez]

literally how project 2025 is going to go. it’s weird how the parts of project 2025 that are mentioned are more economic ones that sound more “realistic” and not the crazy stuff about women because nobody takes it seriously unfortunately

[@adambell9188]

Sooo project 2025 read this as a handbook?

[@yonghominale8884]

Gilead has already happened. It’s called North Korea. Never underestimate humanities level of cruelty and stupidity.

[@triciawhite8706]

It's also Iran.

[@the8thchurch461]

@@triciawhite8706 America

[@cheesecakeisgross4645]

Islam and Communism will do that.

[@randallbesch2424]

@@cheesecakeisgross4645 Fascism and Christianity will do that too.

[@Willatimes]

This sounds like shit that happens all the time in America already. Also things that are current happening at this exact moment.

[@NEbluefire]

This IS happening here.

[@alysononoahu8702]

I dont need to be from Germany to know ITS POSSIBLE😢