"Dear Dr. Breen. Why has the Combine seen fit to suppress our reproductive cycle? Sincerely, A Concerned Citizen". Breen's response to this letter, is the most accurate showcase how dystopian system would control society. Hello and welcome to my thoughts on most popular Dr. Breen's propaganda aspect - reproductive cycle control. As all of you may know Combine in half life universe had set up suppression field, and they were controling reproductive cycle untill the citadel has collapsed, and I belive that this is the most important element of whole Combine administration on earth. Why? Well most of you know that it is as a matter of fact silent, effective and slow genocide on whole human race, but it is obvious for us - the players, I want to look through psychological aspects of such approach. Both in "1984" by George Orwell and "Brave new world" by Aldous Huxley reproductive cycle and citizens' sexuality is strictly controled, reasons behind it is because most of our actions are defined by our needs and desires. In 1984 women are people who are the most indoctrinated sexualy, they tought that recreational sexual activities are something immoral, and their mission is to give birth to the new generation for the state. While in Brave new world people are designed by the state and they got assigned strict position in it, they don't have rights to start family, why is that? Because how our parents raised us defines how we will function within the society, that's why also we look for partner who is more or less like our parents, because it was them who were first to fulify our needs.
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> Thank you for writing, Concerned. Of course, your question touches on one of the most basic biological impulses, with all its associated hopes and fears for the future of the species. Here Breen admits indirectly that Combine took control of one of the most important biological aspects of human species. Why? To later on turn it into a ground for new narrative associated with current situation and rejectance of past aspects of our spiecies. This is also Combine is putting drugs into water and break people apart from their family members. And in this fragment "Do our benefactors really know what's best for us? What gives them the right to make this kind of decision for mankind? Will they ever deactivate the suppression field and let us breed again?" Dr. Breen makes whole point on what his speech will be focused on.
I will skip the immortality possibility argument part, and move on this fragment: > I find it helpful at times like these to remind myself that our true enemy is Instinct. Instinct was our mother when we were an infant species. Instinct coddled us and kept us safe in those hardscrabble years when we hardened our sticks and cooked our first meals above a meager fire and startled at the shadows that leapt upon the cavern's walls. and now we can return to the immortality possibility part in this fragment: > It requires radical rethinking and revision of our genetic imperatives. Why in this order? It is not obvious at first look, however Breen makes clear point that it is a Combine and not parents who will fulify our desirers or needs, and will decide which desires and needs should be fulified, taking total control on our way of thinking in socio-biological sphere.
> We should thank our benefactors for giving us respite from this overpowering force. They have thrown a switch and exorcised our demons in a single stroke. They have given us the strength we never could have summoned to overcome this compulsion. They have given us purpose. They have turned our eyes toward the stars. This is worth mentioning part, why? Because it comes after such stances as "Instinct is inextricably bound to unreasoning impulses, and today we clearly see its true nature." and "Instinct creates its own oppressors, and bids us rise up against them. Instinct tells us that the unknown is a threat, rather than an opportunity.". In short, Combine by taking away from us possibility of forming families, diversed and rich cultures now took from us(as a whole humanity) capability to define a threat, with this relation we either can be "greatful" or ignorant, because if we can't define a threat in Combine's nature and action is there really any other threat?