There is surveillance EVERYWHERE. It's not uncommon for the government to put secret cameras on streets or just outside your window. People still wake up to check their phones. And all the news that gets reported seems strangely positive. Like it frames the government as always being in the right... leaves out the sad world events. The citizens eat breakfast and it's almost like deja vu, everyday is the same and it's so freakin' BORING. All the other countries have put a trade embargo on us, so no imported spices or foods. (Sidebar: Just think about this the next time you're enjoying fruit, read the label to see where it comes from. It's WILD if you imagine a world where that was no longer an option!)

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Everyone carries around the weight of this, especially those who lived before the "The Great Coup de tat". Before the “Great Coup” we had countries known as Canada and the US and Mexico. Now it’s all one unified right-wing land mass. People hide behind a veneer of contentment but are in fact miserable, trapped. No one can admit this, because dissenters always "disappear". Their cell phones are how the government keeps tabs on them, you have to have it...OR ELSE. So in 2070 everyone is still glued to their phone, but this is a warped re-imagining of that

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Citizens dress in a uniform of gray scale that is modest. Everyone wears a wig to make hair appear uniform too. A brown crew cut for men, and a brown bob for women. The conservatives don't like rabble rousing, no provocative or flashy clothing. The exceptions are (a) special events like The Poverty Ball (b) celebrities who get to do whatever they want [because that will NEVER change]. Everyone speaks in this weird way--polite, detached, unspecific, (people avoid saying any physical descriptions, politics, religion, sexual orientation, race, etc.) So imagine if political correctness was enforced LEGALLY. People speak in a way that's almost military-like, using last names. "Hello Citizen Daniels." "Evening, Citizen Carter."

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The ultimate goal of a citizen (who is white) is the same as it's always been: make enough money to own a private residence. It's rare to be able to do this, most have to rent very tiny, almost unlivable dormitory style housing, like living in a bee hive. But the wealthy have PRIVACY!!! That's the new definition of luxury. Peace, quiet, safety and a safe haven to escape the madness of outside. The ultimate goal of a citizen (who is black or POC) is to STAY ALIVE. They all know that the mysterious disappearances are targeting them. And they also know that once someone goes, they are gone forever. To quote one of my fave musicals, “There is no Urinetown, we just kill people