As I walked out of Rango last night I thought, that movie is based on some old socialist text I read recently. I found it: Edward Bellamy’s “Parable of the Water-tank.”

Absolutely no doubt about it. Rango is a “kid’s” version of Bellamy’s Parable.

I guess in that regard it’s kind of like Orwell’s Animal Farm.

There’s a nice YouTube video illustrating (part of) Bellamy’s Parable.

A good quote from Bellamy:

Then the agitators spake unto the people of the way. And they said:
“Behold, what need have ye at all of these capitalists, that you should yield them profits upon your labor? What great things do they wherefore ye render them this tribute? Lo! it is only because they do order you in bands and lead you out and in and set you tasks, and afterwards give you a little of the water yourselves have brought and not they. Now, behold the way out of this bondage! Do ye for yourselves that which is done by the capitalists – namely, the ordering of your labor and the marshaling of your bands, and the dividing of your tasks. So shall ye have no need at all of the capitalists, and no more yield them any profit, but all the fruit of your labor shall ye share as brethren, everyone having the same; and so shall the tank never overflow until every man is full, and would not wag the tongue for more, and afterwards shall ye with the overflow make pleasant fountains and fishponds to delight yourselves withal, even as did the capitalists: but these shall be for the delight of all.”