*12 min read*

 

It has been two weeks since Amazon Prime’s Fallout aired and under such a short time it became one of the most popular and potentially successful computer game adaptations. Critiques and reaction videos fill the internet discussing how it is pleasing for both hardcore fans and newcomers of the franchise. As a fellow nerd, I am more than happy about that. However, most reviews fail to address (in my eyes) the most important component of the Fallout universe which is the societal aspect. In this post, I aim to highlight THREE of the most urging matters of the Fallout universe which are also part of OUR own reality!

For those who are not familiar with the Fallout franchise: this universe deals with an alternate history of human society which diverged from ours in the 20^th century (miniaturizing technologies never appeared), resulting in an alternative future where atomic bombs were dropped, humanity was almost annihilated, and the planet became an irradiated wasteland in 2077 (Fallout Wiki, 2024).

But what led to such a fate?

The main characteristics of this universe’s pre-apocalyptic world are: a) two superpowers competing (USA+China), b) technological development and competition taking a crazy pace, c) cultural fraction increasing, d) natural resources (like oil) running out, e) private companies having significantly large influence and finally f) military conflicts plaguing the modern world. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? But no need to panic, we can still save ourselves! In the next section I bring examples from the Fallout universe, compare them to real life situations and suggest ideas for resolution.

Global confrontation

In Fallout, USA and China sustain a cold war like era throughout the 20^th and 21^st centuries via competing in technological development, military production, space exploration and extending influence onto other nations (just like USSR vs. USA between 1945-’91). Such an opposition results in an unsustainable race which exhausts people and the planet equally until the nukes end it all. Even though the US-China Trade War is significant in our world (Durfee, 2023), it seems that their opposition will not prove fatal to the world. Although the Ukrainian-Russian War have higher risks in this matter, I do believe that it is not a real threat.

My aim here is not to frighten anybody, but to state again how important peace and cooperations are! War, violence, racism, selfishness, betrayal, and oppression are all reoccurring themes of the Fallout franchise emphasizing that fighting against each other and trying to overcome the other party only results in lose-lose situations. This mechanism is the same in real life, so we need to urge cooperations where all parties benefit. I am aware how idealist I sound, but I do see two solutions that seem to be neglected lately:

• On the international level: diplomatic dialogues, international cooperations and multilateralism needs to happen more frequently and on a global scale. It should not be EU against US against Asia against whichever region! Cooperation between nations, international organizations and institutions are the key for sustaining peace and avoiding killing ourselves. We are the same species, and we should not forget that we also share the same fate!
• On the national level: education is key. In my opinion the best tool to combat future conflicts is to raise awareness, increase consciousness and develop people’s understanding about how the world really works. All the above-mentioned human traits (selfishness, racism, etc.) are caused by unconscious, emotional behaviour leading to poor decisions and further damages. States must put great effort into education, because in my eyes the chance to survive lies with the ability of humanty to mentally level up. Technological application helps yes, but we need to upgrade ourselves first!

Exhaustion of natural resources

Oil is the main source of energy in the Fallout universe, fueling both private vehicles and business operations. However, oil is limited on the planet. As they are completely dependent on oil, the nations in Fallout do anything to control the reserves that are left, even occupy other countries. In doing so the natural environment becomes destroyed, and for nothing as the oil wells do run out eventually. Left with dropping energy levels and increasing prices, tension rockets between individuals and nations. Until it all ends in a flash.

Unfortunately, the reality is not at all brighter in this matter. Humanity is exhausting multiple types of natural resources (not just oil!) in a much faster pace, than the planet could regenerate itself (European Commission, 2018), leading to loss of biodiversity, desertification and in a clear threat to human existence. If you ask me, I believe that climate change and the destruction of nature are much more probable to be the executioners of humanity than the mushroom clouds. And yes, they will come for YOU too wherever you live (read: What if we just save the world? by Frank Schätzing). But the real cause of this problem is over-consumption. Capitalism led to companies producing and people buying more and more without end. Our trend now: quantity over quality, and it must be turned around. It is easy to experience the dropping of welfare levels nowadays (caused by significant inflation), and I am sorry to break it to you, but we WILL lose even more of our wellbeing in the future if we do not slow down now! Thankfully, there are some tools that are available:

• For businesses: circular economy has the best practices possible for combating over-consumption and the exhaustion of natural resources. Circular economy promoting resource efficiency, closed-loop systems, renting models, and the reuse of materials, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and sustainable economy. Circular practices are indispensable! For further details see: the ESG-Trend-Radar of Exportoffensive Kärnten (2024).
• For individuals: aim for consuming less. Decreasing consumption is an act to save the planet that anybody can do. Aim for consciously considering how much you need and try buying less. Consider the amount of food, clothes, and other items that are essential to you and compare it to your current consumption. I am convinced that there is a daily bar of chocolate or a monthly new dress that you could live without! Additionally, consider the impact of your activities and hobbies and move towards more sustainable time-spending. Instead of watching the 100^th streaming series, try reading a book. Or have a hike in nature instead of looking at the screens of social media apps. Or boardgames instead of computer games, exercise instead of snacking, and so on. The list never ends. Consequently, try combining all these! Would it be so bad to read a book on the bus instead of driving to work in the largest traffic jam? The question is easy in the end: live or die?

The uncontrolled power of private firms

Probably the most significant company of the Fallout franchise, is Vault-Tec, the devil of humanity. After the relationship got tenser between the superpowers, the American company Vault-Tec launched its project of building safehouses against a potential nuclear holocaust. These safehouses, named vaults, were very expensive and not just from the customers point of view. The investors consisted of the richest people of the alternative universe who supported Vault-Tec to conduct experiments on the future residents of the vaults. In fear of losing their investments in the vaults, these people and Vault-Tec considered dropping the atom bombs themselves (suggested by the series, never confirmed in the games).  Anyhow, the world came to an end in 2077 and the most horrible social experiments began in the vaults (Gomez, 2024).

These scenes of Fallout raise the question: how can a private company have so large influence to potentially cause total annihilation on purpose? The truth is that even in our own world some private companies (e.g.: Apple, Amazon, Facebook) have larger influence and economic power than many countries (Wallach, 2021). The problem is not their size, but the lack of responsibilities they should uphold. Private firms’ only aim is to make as much profit and as long as possible. Up until now, businesses were barely held accountable for their moral and ethical choices, so we have reached a state where the levels of power and responsibilities are not in equilibrium at all. So, what is stopping them from not doing the same experiments and committing racial suicide as Vault-Tec? Fortunately, all parties can act to tip the scales back to balance:

• For states: the enactment and enforcement of regulations, licensing requirements, monitoring mechanisms, and legal liability frameworks are the best tools for governments and institutions to make the private sector more responsible. The Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Artificial Intelligence Art of the EU are great examples, but I believe that more regulations are needed, especially on the global scale!
• For businesses: engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives benefit communities, support social causes, and contribute to positive social and environmental impact. Other than “doing the right thing”, businesses should consider operating in a responsible manner because the wellbeing of employees and the presented brand image are key components for sustaining a profitable business.
• For individuals: check who you buy from! In the very end, the best control for business behaviour comes from the consumers’ side. Checking product labels and company websites about the seller’s transparency and accountability should be part of the decision-making process when we pay for a product or service. I call upon everybody to DO NOT underestimate your power as the individual! We control much bigger part of the world’s future than we would anticipate!

 

As a result, I do believe that we share many similarities with a science-fiction world setting that was sentenced to death, however, we can do a lot to avoid such a scenario. We can make and should leave an impact with our votes, with our managerial decisions and with our daily choices!

Finally, I know that I have stated much information in a vaguely structured way and I have not redeemed the world with my comments. However, I was urged to write about such problems, because in our everyday life we tend to forget the big picture and what is truly important. Lastly, after putting the birth of the atom bomb on screen (watch the movie: Oppenheimer) the Fallout series could not have asked for a better time to draw our attention to the problems of our turbulent world. It is up to us now to take initiative and avoid the Fallout fate. Because…

“War. War never changes” – Fallout

 

References:

Durfee, D., Slodkowski, A. (2023): US-China relations: Expect more turbulence in 2024, published at Reuters, URL: https://www.reuters.com/world/expect-more-turbulence-us-china-2024-2023-12-20/ (last accessed: 26.04.2024).

European Commission (2018): Developments and Forecasts of Aggravating Resource Scarcity,  URL: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/foresight/topic/aggravating-resource-scarcity/more-developments-relevant-aggravating-resource-scarcity_en#:~:text=Global%20demand%20for%20resources,meet%20human%20demands)%20by%202030 (last accessed: 26.04.2024).

Fallout Wiki (2024): Divergence. URL: https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Divergence (last accessed: 26.04.2024).

Gomez, G. (2024): Fallout: The 21 Most Disturbing Vault-Tec Experiments, published at Gamerant, URL: https://gamerant.com/fallout-vault-tec-disturbing-experiments/ (last accessed: 26.04.2024).

Wallach, O. (2021): The World’s Tech Giants, Compared to the Size of Economies, published at Visual Capitalist, URL: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-tech-giants-worth-compared-economies-countries/#google_vignette (last accessed: 26.04.2024).

 

Also check out:

Frank Schätzing (2021): What if we just save the world? Link: https://bilder-kiwi.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/sampletranslations/9783462002010_english_translation.pdf

Exportoffensive Kärnten (2024): ESG-Trend-Radar. Link: https://www.exportoffensive-ktn.at/nachhaltigkeit/

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Link: https://tv.apple.com/at/movie/oppenheimer/umc.cmc.5gylew9icuhfiifdv3oxwxen8?action=play

Picture rights owned by Bethesda Studios and Amazon.