The Truth is Out There. Does Anyone Want to Take Responsibility for It?

There is a particular brief discussion held between the "Cancer Man" character in The X Files, and an alien portrayed by Roy Thinnes (The "Talitha Cumi" episode-- time frame 25:04 to 27:55) that has always intrigued me. This is the one where the alien is in a full body strap down harness, which is itself in a dark prison cell. Cancer Man has come to visit not only because the alien has exposed his abilities to heal people, he has endeavored to help Mulder and Scully to find out about an elaborate cloning project project making very young worker drones. And, of course, that being hardly enough for an X Files machination, the clones have been working on a special crop tended to by bees who's sting will kill you.

What's the crop for? Why have so many people had their genetic identity recorded? Why are human-alien hybrid's being worked on? And how does all of this fall into the "Greater Purpose?" Do the specifics really matter here at all? Any more than the nearly endless list of amazing occurrences that also have to be kept from general knowledge?

C.M.:
This becomes a responsibility, a thing that I'm now called upon to put right and put down.
Certainly you expected nothing less.

Alien:
I'm not ashamed of my actions.

C.M.:
"Ashamed" ? You're not allowed the luxury of human weakness and penitence.
You're not allowed to put your indulgences ahead of the greater purpose.

Alien:
I no longer believe in "the greater purpose.

C.M.:
" Then your fate is just.

Alien:
My justice is not for you to mete out.
You may have reason.
You have no right.
You have no means either.

C.M.:

You presume to dictate duty to me ? Have you any idea what the cost of your actions is ? What their affect might be ? Who are you to give them hope ? 

Alien:

What do you give them ? 

C.M.:

"We give them happiness, and they give us authority.
The authority to take away their freedom under the guise of democracy.
Men can never be free because they're weak, corrupt, worthless and restless.
The people believe in authority.
They've grown tired of waiting for miracle and mystery.
Science is their religion.
No greater explanation exists for them.
They must never believe any differently if the project is to go forward.

Alien:
At what cost to them ? 

C.M.:

The question's irrelevant, and the outcome inevitable.
The date is set.

Alien [after face shifting to another major character, now diseased]:
At what cost to them for your own selfish benefit ? How many must die at your hand to preserve your stake in the project ? 

C.M.:

[Knocks On Door] I'm not impressed by your miracles or moved by your trickery.
Your justice will be meted out.

Alien:
By whom this time ? And by what tool ? 

C.M.:

By those who possess the tool of your destruction.


As always with the X Files the point here is that our government, looking for new enemies, has found them, supposedly, in aliens, but then, in glorious deference to corruption, has made a grand bargain with this enemy and now must make enemies out of its own citizenry. The truth may be out there, as the show repeats fairly often, but it certainly can't be allowed to fall into the hands of the governed. Information is power after all and we can't let them have their hands on that.

The thing is, however, you have to ask yourself this simple question: Do we really want all of the information to make truly informed decisions? Have we made it so easy for them to take real choice away from us for some deeper reason?

I think the answer to that is yes and I think it has to do with the bottom line terror we have for unbridled choice. Even as we love it we fear it. We do this because choice automatically implies responsibility. And to be fully conscious of your ability to choose is to also understand that you are sole owner of the outcome.

Knowing the truth is also quite bothersome because it makes demands on you to take action in the first place. It grabs you by the throat, shakes you to your core and says "no more playing games, and sitting comfortably diverted. Wake the fuck up and choose."

What a coincidence: