Humor

Sonic the Socialist

SONICIALISMComic Book and Economics mash-up blog Ecocomics recently decided to turn their attention towards Sonic the Hedgehog, only to deduce that our favorite blue hero is in fact a socialist. By analyzing the plot of the games and characters’ motives, they come to an obvious conclusion:

Sonic the Hedgehog is a socialist hero. Indeed, this might come as a tremendous shock to you. It might be difficult to reconcile what you thought Sonic represented with what he actually stands for. Yet, regardless of your political beliefs, your economic preferences, or your views on class warfare, there is another lesson, perhaps even more important, that we can glean from our years of following Sonic’s adventures. He taught us to stand up for what we believe in, regardless of societal pressures.

And to avoid spikes.

The jury is still out on Sonic’s presumed cannibalism after Sonic Unleashed‘s chili-dog eating.

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25 Comments

  • Reply

    Hmm. I dunno how they came to the idea of him being a socialist, but hell, that’s fine. Teach us to fight for the government we want. And to avoid spikes 😛

    Oh, and how is he a cannibal if he eats chili dogs? I didn’t know hot dogs were made from hedgehogs,

    • Reply

      the government you want? you mean where the government controls everything, and you dont have the freedom to do things? =/

      • Reply

        I wasn’t saying “the government I want” as in fighting for socialism. I meant as in fighting for what you believe for. 😛

  • Reply

    OK, does anyone find that kinda sickening? I’d hate to think that or favorite blue blur is a socialist…why do i feel somene’s goign o advertise this alot? Then agan why would someone even associate sonic with any type of government?

  • Reply

    Bull. Environmentalism is NOT Socialism. A better case can be made that Sonic is a libertarian icon.

    • Reply

      Oh, it’s environmentalism? phew that makes me feel a little better =(

      • Reply

        What’s wrong with protecting the environment? Correctly understood, pollution is a cost imposed against others without their consent. It is the same thing as theft or vandalism. The protection of the individual right to clean air, water, etc shouldn’t be frowned upon.

  • Reply

    ok also, i looked at the article a seocnd time, and i relaized they added things in to like “the robts were built for cheaplabor” and gold rings are the currency” and tha robotnik wanted to just buy more refineries…uh, i think the article is trying to make it seem like an economic thng, where it’s really just that he wants to take over the world and transform it into his robotik kingdom

  • Reply

    Oddly enough, I heard this rant before from one of my friends who is decidedly a socialist. Except he was talking more about SatAM.

  • Reply

    I though Mario was the socialist one, not Sonic. You know, the red color, the mustache that resembles Mussolini, the fact that he’s dethroning an actual king (King Koopa, dammit!), that he’s stealing all the gold (coins), etc.

    • Reply

      no no; that’s communism.

  • Reply

    ahora entiendo porque me gusta taaanto sonic. era socialista, busca el bienestar de todos y todas sin excluir a nadie. es el mejor!

  • Reply

    If anything, Sonic is an anti-industrialist. Which I can see how people could confused with socialism until they realize that Sonic could be driven by the loss of his land (property rights), friends (involuntary labor), and even private property such as the Master Emerald.

    As for rings being currency, everyone fucking knows that it isn’t. It’s a source of energy. Now it could be used as a means of exchange in Sonic’s world but keep in mind that it’s sole purpose is energy, not currency–it’s not fiat as it serves it’s own purpose to begin with.

    And they have yet to reveal how Sonic plans on distributing rings. Because he doesn’t. He just sort of takes them.

    • Reply

      I agree fully but something troubles me. Yes the rings provide a source of energy. But, unfortunately, Sonic Adventure with the introduction of the “Black Market” controlled the Super Sonic ring collecting to be more for spending currency to buy food and items for your chao. Its very contradictory. but back to my point. I agree with the anti-industrialist comment. It makes alot of sense

  • Reply

    mussolini era nacionalista y fascista. sonic es un socialista libertario!!! 😀

  • Reply

    @Mikeikon: Sonic as a libertarian hero! Awesome!

    Robotnik represents fascism and slavery, not capitalism. He has forcibly taken over Sonic’s world, polluted his home, and enslaved his friends. Plus, the name “Robotnik” comes from the Polish word for worker. He’s the socialist one!

    Sonic just wants to be free to do what he wants to do…which is relax and eat chili dogs.

  • Reply

    I agree fully but something troubles me. Yes the rings provide a source of energy. But, unfortunately, Sonic Adventure with the introduction of the “Black Market” controlled the Super Sonic ring collecting to be more for spending currency to buy food and items for your chao. Its very contradictory. but back to my point. I agree with the anti-industrialist comment. It makes alot of sense

  • Reply

    Actually here in Austria there existed a collaboration between an environmentalist company and sega. They were distributeing a comic starring sonic in which he showed a family how to save energy and stuff. (The kid actually called Sonic and he jumped out of a GameGear’s screen and would materialize in the “real world”…) I guess that was around ’93 or something, It should be around here somewhere…!

  • Reply

    I think the chili dog $#!^ is noncanon, but I agree. he is an environmentalist, not a socialist. What @$$hole would think that??!?!

  • Reply

    I think it’s all one big coincidence. If it wasn’t, it would be shoving the topic down our throats without any subtlety. Trust me; it’s happened many times elsewhere, and video games certainly are not an exception.

  • Reply

    Why sonic be socialist ? How can someone say that ? There is not politic in video games !

  • Reply

    the arguments are way to weak, i didn’t even see a point in this at all.
    what if he is a socialist (hipothetically speaking)? Do preffer capitalism better? where millions suffer from starvation and lack medical treatment.
    that’s a game that you may get the idea of nature preservation and the result of man’s deeds in the environment (see Dr. robotnik). i don’t see any political issue in the game at all.
    well, it’s only my opinion. Don’t take it hard! 😛

  • Reply

    Sonic is the embodiment of rampant individualism—hence not socialist.

  • Reply

    Sonic is in no way a socialist, he’s far more of a Libertarian, just like SEGA itself (Libertarians are not conservatives but they are cousins of conservatives, both are generally centre-right to right wing philosophies). He’s in-fact closer to an anti-socialist if you’re being technically objective about it, Robotnik (Eggman) is a Communist, and though you could argue that Socialism is not necessarily communism itself, it still is the pathway to communism, you cannot reach communism without going via socialism itself first.

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