This content originally appeared on Go Make Things and was authored by Go Make Things
In the Pixar movie A Bug’s Life, there’s a scene that I don’t think gets quite enough credit for being poignant social commentary.
Quick summary if you’ve never seen the movie: a swarm of grasshoppers demands a tribute of food from a colony of ants each fall. One of the ants pushes back, and Hopper, the grasshopper leader, demands double the tribute for them daring to step out-of-line.
Back at grasshopper headquarters, one of the members is questioning why Hopper cares about “one puny ant” resisting Hopper’s orders. And Hopper says this…
Systems of oppression depend on most people just doing what they’re told for fear of retribution.
One person resisting injustice is weak. Many people collectively resisting it is powerful. The people in power know this. Division of people into smaller groups pitted against each other is part of the strategy.
There’s a reason billionaires want you to blame trans people and immigrants for not being able to afford food or a house or get a good job while they sit on a pile of money so big they could literally spend $25,000 a day for 100 years and still have billions left to spend.
I’ve written before about the show Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. This theme—that collectively, we can change the world—is a core part of the show.
It takes collective action. But that collective action can start with one person challenging the norms, pushing back, and fighting to bring people together.
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This content originally appeared on Go Make Things and was authored by Go Make Things
Go Make Things | Sciencx (2025-06-07T14:30:00+00:00) Ants and anarchy. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/06/07/ants-and-anarchy/
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