The Future of Violence

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In his Presidential Farewell Address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned the American public, and by extension, the world, about the future role of the military-industrial complex if it was left unchecked. In the 21st century, the consequences of a quickly evolving military machine are being felt, especially with the recent developments in the field of robotics. The problematic issue, however, is the role of technology as a driving factor behind this revolution in military affairs (RME), and how it has been complicated by the threat of dispersion through the massive scope of the Internet. Japanese popular culture – no stranger to integrating technology in both an entertaining and critical way in its products – offers an interesting lens through which one can view these subjects. As such, this paper will analyze the effect of technology and scientific research in the application of violence by the state and by independent actors strictly in terms of human enhancements in Kojima Hideo’s Metal Gear Solid video game series, Kamiyama Kenji’s Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG anime series, and the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series based on the manga by Arakawa Hiromi.
These series are well-suited for the theme in question because of their various presentations. Within them, one can find the fruits of technological innovations being used by and towards different types of actors: states, groups, organizations, factions, people on the fringe, resistance fighters, and so forth. Moreover, the worlds in MGS, FMA, and GITS encompass a variety of organic, synthetic, and combined life forms, presenting an era or transition rather than a fully mechanized alternative universe or fut...

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