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0011. At the beginning
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--Shinji's thoughts--
Shinji Osajima lives in a world which has lost all sense of moral reference. When he walks the streets of the megalopolis, he notices that the number of homeless is constantly increasing while mutual aid and compassion erode daily.
Following the catastrophe known as the "Croon incident", Federation social security and welfare have become a myth, even though the main argument for world unification of the space colonies was in fact, universal prosperity, for all.
Shinji reminisces about his childhood and his youthful holidays in the mountains, with nature. Already then, the mountains were in bad shape, but today, they are a disaster that no one seems to care about. Over the last 50 years, people are more interested in the conquest of space and the creation of new colonies in the borders of the known universe than the preservation of the environment. There are even annoying antigravity vehicles, a kind of thought police, preaching about the benefits of colonization, which loiter outside his flat every single evening. Why fix the problems at home if you can go off-world and start afresh in an unspoiled environment, ripe for despoiling.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that individualism and self-consciousness have become the leading qualities in the modern human being. In the best light, humanity takes refuge in social groups, family and work or, as the "psychic conditioners" (nicknamed by some workers from unnamable social movements) trained by the Para-psychic corps like to call it, company spirit. In the worst case, the human race is infantile, narcissistic, aggressive, superficial, uncultivated, distressed and wondering why they have become so complacent.
No wonder why they are that way with the plethora of spiritual movements that spawn throughout the universe, it's in fashion to be spiritualized. It sells well and allows people an escape from their pathetic lives. In any case, this is the message espoused by Shinji's favorite media station, Channel 909; a message inspired by false pretenses, old religions and spiritual movements but lacking substance.
Glorious information! The most priceless commodity and the most sought after. Media is king and formats people as much as it educates them. Is this Paradoxical or complementary?
