laruku
05-19-2007, 08:25 AM
In a world not too far from now, the United States has taken over the world, with the possible exception of Russia (but they are affiliated) as well as the European countries. Being the biggest power in the world, with so much control, the US abolished all taxing systems and effectively created a corporatised world. The government, police and NRA (army) have been privatised and now run on their own budgets. The police has become a mercenary law enforcement agency and the NRA an mercenary-for-hire agency, with the ability to deploy military forces. Money talks in such a world.
Every person living in such a world have their last names changed to be that of the company. You have the protaganist, Jennifer GOVERNMENT (who obviously works for the government) and other characters such as Billy NRA, John NIKE, Hack NIKE, Violet EXXONMOBIL etc etc.. If you change companies, your last names change as well. People pledge allegiences only to their companies. Even schools are largely corporate sponsored, e.g. MacDonalds & Mattel. Kids studying in the schools will have the last names as Kate MATTEL, with the parent's company in brackets.. e,g, Kate MATTEL (GOVERNMENT)
The story opens with Hack NIKE being told by the marketing department of his company to kill at least 10 teenagers who are hankering over the new NIKE MERCURY sneakers, so as to improve their street credibility as the most sought after sneakers. Hack, then contracted it to the Police who sub contracted the job to the NRA. The killing happens and Jennifer GOVERNMENT is hired by the dead kid's parents (who have to pay the government to investigate the death of their kids) to bring the perpetrators down.
So Jennifer GOVERNMENT, while going about this job, gets embroiled in a corporate war between 2 massive corporate loyalty programs, Team Advantage and US Alliance.
As you all can see this story is a satirical take on the corporate world and all that jazz. The book, in my opinion, its hilarious. It's funny in such a way that you can't take the book seriously, yet you can't help but imagine if we were to live in a world like this, what will become of us. Will we do anything immoral just to make more money??
It's good food for thought and something good to laugh over!! =)
As a spinoff, a website game called NationStates has been created, based loosely on the book. It's... a pretty fun game if you can get reallyinto it. But for me, I just don't ahve the time to play that at all..
Every person living in such a world have their last names changed to be that of the company. You have the protaganist, Jennifer GOVERNMENT (who obviously works for the government) and other characters such as Billy NRA, John NIKE, Hack NIKE, Violet EXXONMOBIL etc etc.. If you change companies, your last names change as well. People pledge allegiences only to their companies. Even schools are largely corporate sponsored, e.g. MacDonalds & Mattel. Kids studying in the schools will have the last names as Kate MATTEL, with the parent's company in brackets.. e,g, Kate MATTEL (GOVERNMENT)
The story opens with Hack NIKE being told by the marketing department of his company to kill at least 10 teenagers who are hankering over the new NIKE MERCURY sneakers, so as to improve their street credibility as the most sought after sneakers. Hack, then contracted it to the Police who sub contracted the job to the NRA. The killing happens and Jennifer GOVERNMENT is hired by the dead kid's parents (who have to pay the government to investigate the death of their kids) to bring the perpetrators down.
So Jennifer GOVERNMENT, while going about this job, gets embroiled in a corporate war between 2 massive corporate loyalty programs, Team Advantage and US Alliance.
As you all can see this story is a satirical take on the corporate world and all that jazz. The book, in my opinion, its hilarious. It's funny in such a way that you can't take the book seriously, yet you can't help but imagine if we were to live in a world like this, what will become of us. Will we do anything immoral just to make more money??
It's good food for thought and something good to laugh over!! =)
As a spinoff, a website game called NationStates has been created, based loosely on the book. It's... a pretty fun game if you can get reallyinto it. But for me, I just don't ahve the time to play that at all..