wdfarmer

Yes, I agree that the equals sign is likely a reference to Harrison Bergeron or Animal Farm. Regarding Animal Farm, the seventh of its seven original founding principles is "All animals are equal." Later on, as the leadership becomes corrupt, all seven of the principles are replaced by one: "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a satire, particularly of Stalinism in the early 1940's. Other works of art that have similarities: 1. The ST:OS episode, "Return of the Archons", in which nearly everyone is a frontier town is of one mind with Landru. 2. A Wrinkle In Time, where the planet Camazotz is inhabited by people that look much alike and do all things alike.

This may be a dead thread, but I thought I'd add a theory of mine. You've suggested that Communism is a theme, and I think that's broadly correct, but I think that the equals sign may be referring to George Orwell's Animal Farm, in which the seventh of the seven founding principles is "All animals are equal." Later on, as the leadership becomes corrupt, all seven of the principles are replaced by one: "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a satire, particularly of Stalinism in the early 1940's.