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One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Separatism

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The politics of Infinite Jest are rooted inside a rich speculative fiction backdrop, but have surprisingly managed to predict a climate similar to current political America. Soon after the events that created O.N.A.N. in the novel, Canadians began advocating for separatism. There are a variety of separatist groups, but the most ubiquitous are Les Assassins en Fauteuils Rollent. A metaphor for their political attitude, their members deliberately jump back and forth over train tracks while American trains plow forward. This game steals the legs of young men who have put themselves in harm's way, and disability is prided over cowardice. Marathe, an AFR member disabled by the Jeu de Train Prochain, gives a lengthy speech on the how the underlying evils of America are simultaneous utilitarianism and individualism. By connecting Marathe’s limb loss by train and this speech, he becomes obviously connected to the Trolley Thought Experiment. …show more content…

This scenario is the most popularly used variation. Comparatively, the “footswitch” variation of the problem forces test subjects to choose between allowing a train to hit five people or pushing an uninvolved man onto the tracks to slow the train. A utilitarian would sacrifice one to save the five in both scenarios. Those who display utilitarian thought in the Trolley Thought Experiment tend to have decreased sense of responsibility, higher than average levels of testosterone, increased levels of anger, and low levels of serotonin (Duke). Surprisingly, it is most common in individuals with high cognitive ability and also prevalent in those suffering cognitive impairment from inebriation

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