[Slate] Hey, Friends! Be Yourself, Not Perfect

Director James Gunn's 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3'
Rocket's Near-Death Experience... Subjected to Biological Experiments in a Confined Cage
Used Medically Since Ancient Greece... Purpose Distorted
Refers to Counterpower Resisting Capitalist Rules

The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' series is a story about outsiders. From their appearances to their sense of humor, these different eccentrics come together to protect the galaxy. The driving force is their strong bonds. They share the pain of loss and heal each other's wounds.

In 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3,' the subject of treatment is Rocket, the talking raccoon. He suffers a critical injury after being attacked by Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) at his base, Knowhere. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot, and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) deactivate the self-destruct device inside Rocket and head to Orgo, a biotech company that conducted experiments on Rocket, to obtain treatment information.

Director James Gunn intersperses Rocket's near-death experiences throughout the tumultuous journey. These are painful memories of being confined in a cramped cage and subjected to experiments. Rocket is called 89P13. Genetic modifications enlarged his skeleton and enhanced his brain functions. Each time he is put on the experimental table, he trembles with fear and terror. Soon, he cries out in agony as his bones feel like they are shattering. "It hurts!"

Animal testing, still practiced today, has been used medically since ancient Greece. Around 500 BCE, Alcmaeon demonstrated that cutting the optic nerve of a living animal results in loss of vision. Herophilos, known as the 'Father of Anatomy,' studied animals between 330 and 250 BCE to discover the functions of various nerves and tendons.

The reason animals were used in basic experiments is essentially the same today. Doctors do not fully understand the human body. When illness strikes, they want to know why each organ malfunctions. Humans and animals are biologically very similar, so it is assumed that findings in one can be applied to the other.

These rosy expectations began to be realized in the 20th century. Massive investments in biology and medicine started yielding various results, most relying on animal testing. Juvenile diabetes is a representative example. Until 1922, no treatment was invented, and no one survived past their twenties. Insulin, developed through research on dogs and rabbits, quickly reversed this situation. Simple regular injections preserved the lives of about 30 million people worldwide. Frederick Banting and John Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923 for this discovery.

The purpose of High Evolutionary (Chukudi Iuji), who experimented on Rocket, is different. He aims to enhance the value of lower life forms to create a perfect society. Once he can control the evolved creatures with Rocket's help, he takes them to Counter-Earth, a utopia created based on experiences on Earth. When these life forms become corrupted by crime like humans, he deems them failures and destroys the entire planet. He is a sociopath who commits evil acts without remorse, using any means necessary for success.

This series of events recalls Saul Krugman, who conducted hepatitis virus experiments on thousands of children with intellectual disabilities at Willowbrook State School from 1956 to 1971. He was a medical doctor studying whether administering gamma globulin, a complex protein extracted from serum, could provide long-term immunity to hepatitis viruses. He divided the children into two groups: one received live hepatitis virus and gamma globulin injections; the other received only the virus without gamma globulin.

Dr. Krugman discovered that infection was not a simple disease transmitted by a single virus. He identified at least two viruses responsible, now known as hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Thanks to the knowledge and treatments revealed by this research, many benefited. However, the experiments had significant ethical issues. Children who did not receive gamma globulin were left untreated. The purpose was to benefit some children while obtaining information to help others in the future. Tom Regan, emeritus professor of philosophy at North Carolina State University, criticized this in his paper 'Empty Us Out!: Animal Rights and Vivisection' as follows:

"Dr. Krugman deliberately infected all children involved in the experiments, exposing them to serious risks. By withholding preventive measures from half the children, he violated their rights twice. (...) The claim that others benefit cannot justify such deplorable ethical violations. Violating the moral rights of a few cannot be justified by benefits to the many."

Animals cannot read, write, or make moral choices. However, as individual beings, what they experience and what is taken from them?that is, what happens to them?is an important issue. The harm inflicted on us is morally problematic, but it cannot be said that it is not so for animals.

Director Gunn, through 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3,' argues that what is needed is not a bigger us but an emptying of ourselves. He once again emphasizes solidarity. He insists that what must be protected can only be pursued together with those who are different, not just similar.

Perhaps this is a counter-power resisting the laws of capitalism. The era when a single model monopolized solutions is over in the face of global challenges' complexity and extreme uncertainty. As diversity becomes important, the levers of transformation must also be varied. There is no room for 'perfection' here. As the lyrics of the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' series' signature song 'Come And Get Your Love' say, 'being as you are' is enough.

"Hey now, your head ain't no problem / Come and find it, come and find it / Hey now, come together. You're cool and you're my people. You look good / Come and get your love / Come and get your love."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.