I'd Rather Live In A Corporate Dystopia Than a Socialist Utopia

Contrary to Popular belieif, there is very little diffrence between a Utopia and a Dystopia, except for a matter of perspective.

The word Utopia actually came from St. Thomas More, who coined the term to describe an earthly paradise that does not exist. The root word actually came from the Greek words "Ou" (meaning Not, no, & none) and "Topos" (Place, location); literally meaning "This Place Does Not Exist". So, By their very nature, Utopias are Idealized places that don't reflect reality (whether they be fictional or idealized version of the real world).

However, This doesn't keep people away from depicting places as "Utopias" or "Dystopias". That said, One person's Utopia is another person's Dystopia. As the Commander from The Handmaid's Tale once said; "Better never means better for everyone... It always means worse, for some".

"Utopias" and/or "Dystopias" come in many flavors. George Orwell depicted Communist Dystopias like Animal Farm & Oceania, while the aforementioned Handmaid's Tale depicts a theocratic dystopia. On the flipside, Atlas Shrugged tried to promote the Idea of a Capitalist Utopia.

Unfortunately, with all of this in view, Most "Utopias" are depicted as "Socialist" societies while most "Dystopias" are depicted as Corporate controlled Megacities. This is probably the most backhanded, Ironic, and just plain stupid way of looking at either/or...... And only goes to reflect the creator's Left-Wing Biases

First off, lets unpack the "Corporate Dystopia"

When I think of this type of "Dystopia"; I think of the Sci-Fi classics like Akira, Bubblegum Crisis, Robocop, Judge Dredd, and Blade Runner. The first thing that comes to mind are Gigantic, neon-soaked skyscraper megacities full of crime, lawlessness, some level of poverty, and an overall cynical culture... all the while the biggest Mecacorporations Run-amok with little to no regulations to stop them.

Here's the crazy thing though...

Unlike Orwell's Oceania or Atwood's Gilead, these "Dystopias" don't suffer from Totalitarianism; they suffer from the exact opposite; Anarchy. It isn't just the corporations running around doing whatever they please, its pretty much everyone. Kaneda & Testuo from Akira is no different from Eldon Tyrell from Blade runner in this regard; except that Tyrell just happens to have more money and Resources. Even if an authoritarian government exists, It pretty much exists as a desperate way to keep someone in line; Hence why Mega-City One in Judge Dredd will never Democratize.

By contrast, let's examine the "Socialist Utopia"

With the exception of the Federation of the Star Trek franchise (And possible Soviet-era Communist Propaganda), almost no examples of this type come to mind that end up coming across as a totalitarian nightmare by the end. Perhaps the easiest example I can think of is Lois Lowry's book The Giver; which depicts a communal society so devoid of any flaws and problems that it comes across as inhuman. Everything's provided, everything is assigned to you, you're drugged out to keep yourself colorblind and without desires, and you are put to death if you are a nonconformity.

Thankfully, this "Community" (and LeGuin's Omelas) usually depict these "Utopias" as actually being terrible places akin to Oceania or Gilead. However, It it usually more customary to depict this Utopia (for the run-of-the-mill utopian writer) as an ideal society.

Here's where I get a little controversial though and tell you... Id much rather live in a "Corporate Dystopia" than a "Socalist Utopia". A "Corporate Dystopia" may be without law or community, but a "Socalist Utopia" is without art or humanity. You can do whatever you want in a "Corporate Dystopia", even the right thing. But in a "Socalist Utopia" you have no such free will. To me, that's more frightening than anything Neo-Tokyo or Mega-City One could throw at me.

Which Brings me back to how I depict Columbia in The Donoverse

In the general term of the word, I would consider Columbia a Utopia. For one, It's set on an Island that doesn't exist. For Another, It depicts an Idealized version of American society in a retro-futuristic world. That said, It also still has a Regan-esque Free Market Capitalist Economy, Skyscraper megacities, and other surface level tropes people would associate with your typical corporate dystopia.... With the exeption of city parks and Kids running around all over the place. I also depict my characters as being Christian and having at least that basic moral framework

That I think is the ultimate issue with "Utopias" or "Dystopias", neither come with a moral framework. Circling Back to St. Thomas More, I Think it's safe to say that he came up with the idea of Utopia to caution against the idea of a worldly paradise. This would be the same man who would be executed by Henry VIII (his former confidant) for not swearing allegiance to the Church of England. St. Thomas More knew you couldn't build a functional society without a sound [Christain] moral framework, especially a perfect one. Perhaps we Should Keep that in mind when we try to build ours.