Liberty Prime

I think we all know Optimus Prime, the fearless leader of the Autobots in the Transformers-franchise. But you'll have to be a gamer, and a fan of the Fallout series of games in particular, to know about Liberty Prime, the communist-hating robot out to kill all red Chinese invaders...

The Fallout games are set in a post-nuclear world, with the first game released in 1997 as a top-down role-playing game. The main conflict breaks out in the 21st century, when China attacks the U.S.A. by invading Alaska. After years of conflict a global nuclear war occurs in the year 2077. What makes the Fallout games so interesting is that they're set in an alternative future, where many design-elements are reminiscent of 1950s America; technology has advanced greatly, but design and also political opinions have been frozen in time since the years of the "Red Scare" and McCarthyism. The games are somewhat of a parody on that mindset, and the 40-foot communist-hating robot Liberty Prime is a prime example of the irony that oozes from these games.

Liberty Prime has become famous among gamers for his epic quotes. I mean, it's just hilarious to see that machine of destruction and hear him say things like "Probability of mission hindrance: zero percent," or "Death is a preferable alternative to communism." Especially his quote about the possibility of being captured by the communist enemy is memorable: "Voice module online. Audio functionality test initialized. Designation: Liberty Prime. Mission: the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska. Primary Targets: any and all Red Chinese invaders. Emergency Communist Acquisition Directive: immediate self destruct. Better dead, than Red." Yes, "better dead than red" and "better red than dead" were dueling Cold War slogans which first gained currency in the United States during the late 1950s, amid debates about anti-communism and nuclear disarmament, and the games fully exploit the comedic possibilities thereof.

As anti-communist fever took hold in mid-century, the version "better dead than red" became popular in the United States, especially during the McCarthy era.
_{source: Wikipedia}

The reason why I focus this short post on Fallout and Liberty Prime is that anti-Chinese and anti-communist sentiments are again gaining sway in America and the west. With America under threat of losing its world-hegemony to China, and the pandemic being blamed on China, anti-Chinese and anti-Asian rhetoric is becoming more prevalent. This should worry us all, as we simply can't afford a new cold war; last time around we only just prevented it from turning into a hot war, remember? The below linked video is about how many fans of the Fallout games seem to think we need our own Liberty Prime. With glee they admire the communist-hating and Chinese-killing robot, which makes me wonder if these people understand what they're talking about. I recommend the video to anyone, even if you're not acquainted with the Fallout games, as it gives some good insights into the polarized mindset that's so prevalent in online discourse...

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