History repeating itself?

[lawmaster2000]

Hullo, Pop pickers!

I've recently noticed some similarities between the Justice Department, and the Stalinist regime in Russia. Like Stalin, The Justice Dept. has always seemed to be focused on crushing anyone or anything they considered to be a threat-even the most innocent of individuals. Just look at the way that they cracked down on the democracy movement in 'Democracy Now. Some of the Democratic leaders were discredited as a means of undermining the movement. This evokes some comparisons with the 'purges' in 1930's Russia, when Stalin ordered the deaths of certain party members using trumped-up charges. Another prime example is when they eliminated the spiritual leader, Jon Baptiste, and even outlawed Christianity. It's as if the judge will stop at nothing to hold on to power-at whatever cost to anyone unfortunate enough to stand in their way.

Mega-city one must be a very frightening place to live.

What say you all? please discuss........

[paulvonscott]

Well, the fairly ruthlessly crack down on any element of society that will cause trouble.  The illegality of some of the stuff the Judges do is quie alarming, in that they can do anything if it's in defence of the city.

I think Total War coming up, will look at how the judges work, as well as having a bit of timely obsevration on our own society.

[Bico]

I think you're imagining it, man.
Dredd a right-winger?  I don't THINK so.

[Floyd-the-k]

I think if the Judges actually had that much power they`d be a lot more Stalinist than they are in the comic. They have total power, they`re completely uncaccountable. This possibility is hinted at in a few stories with corrupt Judges, petty rulings and so on (there was a really old story I read yonks ago in which Dredd cheerfully brain-wipes a reporter who discovers that the Judges have been sedating the cits).
  I also think, if it was real, it would be much more inefficient than in the strip.  

[Bico]

Well, all sarcasm aside, the regime seems to be centered on the citizen's wellbeing, as opposed to the maintainence of the state for it's own sake.  They DID give the citizens a vote on democratic process or the judicial system, for a start.  Plus there's the Sovs, the Cursed Earth, the Dark Judges and the Sisters of Death, etc - it's not the easiest place to live in, Earth 2122ad, maybe that kind of legal system is the only way to run a madhouse like that.

[Bico]

And am I the only one who thought that the whole 'ban christianity' thing in Anderson PSI was the clumsiest metaphor ever used in British comics?  Ever?
I kept expecting a follow-up story to explain how it was all a massive con by Justice Department to trick counter-cultural types (who might otherwise join up with the likes of Total War) to throw in their lot with a non-violent movement who'd be less trouble to infiltrate and control (and who wouldn't blow stuff up), but it never came.  So instead, I'm just left with the creeping suspicion that working in America for DC has left Alan Grant a shadow of his former self.  He used to do BRILLIANT stuff, him.  He did all the good Stronty stuff, for a start.

[[YT-2]]

>So instead, I'm just left with the creeping suspicion that working in America for DC has left Alan Grant a shadow of his former self.

I reckon Alan has become one of the best writers we've ever produced and most people here will only read or see a fraction of what he does on a regular basis. You only have to read Wills recent interview to see how much work Alan is working on to see that although he still writes comics it only makes up a fraction of what he does.

[YT-2]

[Dudley]

Plus Anderson: The Jesus Syndrome was one of the best and most moving stories published in 2000ad.

Ever.

Fact.

[Bico]

No, sorry, we'll just have to put this one down to subjective opinion, I'm afraid.  I thought that the whole Baptiste thing was clumsy and rather lazy of Grant, and was more disappointed than anything else.  He'd done great Anderson stories up until that point, but I just thought that particular storyline was a bit of a clunker, and was actually the strip that put me off the character ever since.
I read Wills interview, though, and thought maybe I'd just not given the character a chance because of my disappointment with one storyline in particular.
Anyway, there's no need to let my opinion bother you, as, like I said, these things are all subjective, and I seem to be in the minority anyway.

[Oddboy]

I thought, as I agreed with Dudley the other day, that The Jesus Syndrome is a really powerful story.

[lawmaster2000]

When I read some of these replies, it DOES get me thinking.

It just amazes me what the Justice Dept. gets away with all in the name of so-called 'justice'

I remember a 'Judge Dredd' story drawn by Mike McMahon where, at the end, Dredd oversaw having some poor old biddy torn limb from limb by the processing machinery at Resyk.

On the subject of 'the Jesus Syndrome', it has to be said that Grant & Wagner's writing isn't up to scratch here. Another problem was Arthur Ranson's over-dependence on using old film stills for reference-as good an artist as he is. 'Shamballa' was much more poignant, and well-written. The script had some memorable quotes hiding in ther somewhere.

In 'Democracy Now,  I read about some old guy who was one of the leading members. When I read about him being marched round the clock by the judges so that he would be far too exhausted to attend the Democracy March, I was left thinking to myself 'you b****rds!!'

Then, of course, there's the 'Ueno Hama' affair.
when Mega-City 1 sent a robot spy to Hondo-Cit. that was a pretty shady affair.

Give me good ol' Oz any day.