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George A. Gonzalez

    George A. Gonzalez delves into the intersection of political theory, popular culture, and environmental politics. His work critically examines how science fiction and other popular narratives reflect and shape our understanding of justice, war, and the future. Through astute analysis, Gonzalez reveals the underlying political currents and societal values embedded within the stories that capture our imagination, offering fresh perspectives on complex societal issues.

    Popular Culture, Conspiracy Theory, and the Star Trek Text
    Energy and the Politics of the North Atlantic
    The Politics of Star Trek
    Corporate Power and the Environment
    Energy and Empire: The Politics of Nuclear and Solar Power in the United States
    Justice and Popular Culture
    • 2023

      Star Trek and the Philosophy of Entertainment

      Beauty, Justice, and Popular Culture

      • 120 pages
      • 5 hours of reading

      Focusing on the themes of justice and injustice, the author explores how these elements influence the artistic success and popularity of TV and film franchises. He presents a compelling argument that Star Trek stands out as the most popular franchise in history due to its central emphasis on the pursuit of justice, which he links to the notion of beauty within its narrative. This analysis delves into the deeper significance of storytelling in shaping cultural phenomena.

      Star Trek and the Philosophy of Entertainment
    • 2020

      The book explores the tension between progressive movements and authoritarian forces aiming to undermine democratic change. It highlights how these political entities conspire to suppress public demands for justice and democracy, while simultaneously discrediting critics by labeling them as conspiracy theorists. This dynamic reveals the struggle for power and the manipulation of narratives in the fight for a fair government.

      Popular Culture, Conspiracy Theory, and the Star Trek Text
    • 2019

      Justice and Popular Culture

      Star Trek as Philosophical Text

      • 126 pages
      • 5 hours of reading

      Exploring the absence of a universal conception of justice, the book uses Star Trek as a lens to argue for a reorientation of society's productive forces. It emphasizes the need for a thriving society that prioritizes the holistic development of individuals and ecological sustainability to achieve true democracy and justice. Through this analysis, the work highlights the intricate relationship between societal structures and the pursuit of equitable outcomes.

      Justice and Popular Culture
    • 2019

      Focusing on the interplay between political authority and energy politics, this book explores how modern governance is shaped by energy resources and policies. It delves into the implications of energy dependency, international relations, and the strategic maneuvers of states in the pursuit of power. By analyzing case studies and historical contexts, the work highlights the critical role energy plays in contemporary political dynamics and authority structures.

      Energy, the Modern State, and the American World System
    • 2019

      The book explores the tension between absolute ideals and casualty principles, arguing that the former leads to personal and societal dysfunction, threatening civilization's stability. In contrast, it presents a vision of a society grounded in casualty and justice, characterized by classlessness and freedom from gender and ethnic biases, promoting a vibrant and stable community.

      Popular Culture and the Political Values of Neoliberalism
    • 2018

      Star Trek and the Politics of Globalism

      • 148 pages
      • 6 hours of reading

      This book explores Hegel's concept of the Absolute, which includes five dimensions: height, length, width, time, and justice. It argues that justice shapes human consciousness and global politics, influenced by contemporary issues like climate change. Star Trek serves as a lens to understand justice and the rationality of internationalism over nationalism.

      Star Trek and the Politics of Globalism
    • 2018

      The Absolute and Star Trek

      • 132 pages
      • 5 hours of reading

      This volume explains how Star Trek allows viewers to comprehend significant aspects of Georg Hegel’s concept the absolute, the driving force behind history. Gonzalez, with wit and wisdom, explains how Star Trek exhibits central elements of the absolute. He describes how themes and ethos central to the show display the concept beautifully. For instance, the show posits that people must possess the correct attitudes in order to bring about an ideal society: a commitment to social justice; an unyielding commitment to the truth; and a similar commitment to scientific, intellectual discovery. These characteristics serve as perfect embodiments of Hegel’s conceptualization, and Gonzalez's analysis is sharp and exacting.

      The Absolute and Star Trek
    • 2016

      The book explores the unconventional fossil fuels revolution in North America, focusing on the extraction processes of shale oil and gas through hydrofracking, as well as the processing of Canadian oil sands. It examines the geopolitical implications of these energy practices, highlighting how they intersect with great power politics and influence global energy dynamics. Through this lens, the narrative delves into the broader environmental and economic consequences of the fossil fuel industry.

      American Empire and the Canadian Oil Sands
    • 2015

      The Politics of Star Trek

      Justice, War, and the Future

      • 219 pages
      • 8 hours of reading

      Exploring the philosophical tensions of the modern era, this book analyzes how the Star Trek franchise reflects and comments on contemporary controversies. It argues that through its various iterations, Star Trek provides valuable insights into political dynamics, making it a crucial resource for understanding modern political discourse.

      The Politics of Star Trek
    • 2013

      SummaryDocuments how energy resource acquisition has been the driving motivator for European and American international relations.Since the onset of the Second Industrial Revolution in the second half of the nineteenth century, energy has become a key axis of politics and international relations, particularly for the United States and Western Europe. In Energy and the Politics of the North Atlantic ,George A. Gonzalez documents how the United States--thanks to its copious reserves of oil, coal, and natural gas--was able to assume a dominant position in the world system by the 1920s. This energy/economic imbalance was an important causal factor underlying the eruption of World War II. After 1945, and in the context of the Cold War and the war against communism, the United States used its access to both fossil fuels and nuclear power as a means to defeat the Soviet Union and its allies. Driving American foreign policy, Gonzalez argues, is a domestic system of urban sprawl based on the automobile and the energy reserves necessary to maintain it. The massive consumer demand created by urban sprawl underpins US foreign policy in the Middle East since the 1970s, while it is concerns over access to energy that is driving the European Union project.

      Energy and the Politics of the North Atlantic