The Stand: What would you do?

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Grandpa

Grandpa

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So The Stand takes place in the U.S., and everyone going to Boulder or Vegas is from the U.S. No one from Canada, or Mexico/Central America, South America. One of the Evil Government Guys talks about spreading the virus behind both curtains, bamboo and iron, so we get the impression that it's going to be a worldwide thing.

So all the other countries that weren't talked about. Did they have their own Mother Abigail/Randy Flagg showdown? Were the other people of the world affected by dreams as well? If so, why didn't Canadians or Mexicans make it? If not, why not? Did the Last Battle respect international borders? How frustrating would it be, say, to be someone living in India or Luxembourg and have these dreams and not be able to go there?

I think the real tragedy in the making are islanders who don't have daily travel contact with the outside world. They may not even realize there's a problem - it's just that one day, the planes and boats no longer come. Are they self-sufficient at their home? And then when they do devise a way go somewhere else, they hit a nation with the latest virus, and zap! they're toast.

Okay, just pondering. I'll stop now.
 
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kingricefan

kingricefan

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Grandpa said:
So The Stand takes place in the U.S., and everyone going to Boulder or Vegas is from the U.S. No one from Canada, or Mexico/Central America, South America. One of the Evil Government Guys talks about spreading the virus behind both curtains, bamboo and iron, so we get the impression that it's going to be a worldwide thing.

So all the other countries that weren't talked about. Did they have their own Mother Abigail/Randy Flagg showdown? Were the other people of the world affected by dreams as well? If so, why didn't Canadians or Mexicans make it? If not, why not? Did the Last Battle respect international borders? How frustrating would it be, say, to be someone living in India or Luxembourg and have these dreams and not be able to go there?

I think the real tragedy in the making are islanders who don't have daily travel contact with the outside world. They may not even realize there's a problem - it's just that one day, the planes and boats no longer come. Are they self-sufficient at their home? And then when they do devise a way go somewhere else, they hit a nation with the latest virus, and zap! they're toast.

Okay, just pondering. I'll stop now.
Click to expand...
The book would've been five times longer if King wrote about these scenarios...
Actually, King does address this somewhat in the epilogue of the expanded version when Flagg is on that island with the natives.
 
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SharonC

SharonC

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Jul 9, 2007
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Grandpa said:
So The Stand takes place in the U.S., and everyone going to Boulder or Vegas is from the U.S. No one from Canada, or Mexico/Central America, South America. One of the Evil Government Guys talks about spreading the virus behind both curtains, bamboo and iron, so we get the impression that it's going to be a worldwide thing.

So all the other countries that weren't talked about. Did they have their own Mother Abigail/Randy Flagg showdown? Were the other people of the world affected by dreams as well? If so, why didn't Canadians or Mexicans make it? If not, why not? Did the Last Battle respect international borders? How frustrating would it be, say, to be someone living in India or Luxembourg and have these dreams and not be able to go there?

I think the real tragedy in the making are islanders who don't have daily travel contact with the outside world. They may not even realize there's a problem - it's just that one day, the planes and boats no longer come. Are they self-sufficient at their home? And then when they do devise a way go somewhere else, they hit a nation with the latest virus, and zap! they're toast.

Okay, just pondering. I'll stop now.
Click to expand...
I'm leaning towards the idea that every continent went through a similiar scenario. For example, here in Canada we may have had the Mother Abagail figure in one part of the country and the Randall Flagg figure in another, and so on around the world.
 
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Neesy

Neesy

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May 24, 2012
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Grandpa said:
So The Stand takes place in the U.S., and everyone going to Boulder or Vegas is from the U.S. No one from Canada, or Mexico/Central America, South America. One of the Evil Government Guys talks about spreading the virus behind both curtains, bamboo and iron, so we get the impression that it's going to be a worldwide thing.

So all the other countries that weren't talked about. Did they have their own Mother Abigail/Randy Flagg showdown? Were the other people of the world affected by dreams as well? If so, why didn't Canadians or Mexicans make it? If not, why not? Did the Last Battle respect international borders? How frustrating would it be, say, to be someone living in India or Luxembourg and have these dreams and not be able to go there?

I think the real tragedy in the making are islanders who don't have daily travel contact with the outside world. They may not even realize there's a problem - it's just that one day, the planes and boats no longer come. Are they self-sufficient at their home? And then when they do devise a way go somewhere else, they hit a nation with the latest virus, and zap! they're toast.

Okay, just pondering. I'll stop now.
Click to expand...
Oh don't worry - this Canadian will make it down to Colorado - but if we're driving we might show up late! (har de har har).
GNTLGNT - dumb inside joke!
 
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no bounce no play

no bounce no play

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Mar 12, 2010
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Kingfisher said:
It's a simple enough question. If you were involved in the events of The Stand, but survived Captain Tripps, what would you do? Assuming you didn't get any prophetic dreams, where would you be and what kind of things would you do to get through life? Bonus question: If you got the dreams, would you be heading to Boulder or Vegas (and be honest!).

I would probably live in a library. There'd probably be no corpses to clean out, and I'd have all of eternity to read...I'd be like Henry Beamish except I can still read without glasses.

If I had a dream, I'd probably end up in Boulder because you can basically do whatever it is you please there unless it's directly harming someone.
Click to expand...

If I didn't receive any prophetic dreams, I would fill up my car and a few gas cans with gas before the pumps quit working. Then I'd find a Walmart to live in. Walmarts have everything... canned food, can openers, drugs, books, blankets, etc.

If I received a prophetic dream, I would go to Boulder and then go to Vegas with the group. I'm not a leader but I'm not much of a follower either so after deciding that the stand my companions were planning would probably fail, I would try my best to assassinate Flagg. Y'all are going to think I'm a horrible person for wanting to assassinate someone but I promise you, I'm very much of a peacenik lol. I just think some people shouldn't live, especially if they want to destroy our world.
 
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Kingfisher

Kingfisher

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I would think that a virus as strong as the one that hit the world would eventually kill even the remote tribalists. Those who were immune to the symptoms of the flu still harbored it within their bodies, suggesting it was always going to be a problem for those not directly immune or from immune bloodlines. Also, if it had been weaponized to rapidly mutate, wouldn't it have a strong chance to become cross species with birds and such? That's how a virus works in the long run to sustain viability, especially when the host begins to die out too quickly.

Just some thoughts
 
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Grandpa

Grandpa

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Kingfisher said:
I would think that a virus as strong as the one that hit the world would eventually kill even the remote tribalists. Those who were immune to the symptoms of the flu still harbored it within their bodies, suggesting it was always going to be a problem for those not directly immune or from immune bloodlines. Also, if it had been weaponized to rapidly mutate, wouldn't it have a strong chance to become cross species with birds and such? That's how a virus works in the long run to sustain viability, especially when the host begins to die out too quickly.

Just some thoughts
Click to expand...

(This has little to do with the thread, but I enjoy these types of discussions.)

In the book, it's pretty clear that of the possible vectors ("a dollar bill crawling with death"), air is one of them (the rodent, Geraldo, in Stu Redman's room being the canary in the mine, so to speak). And it's pretty virulent. Surviving an air journey of thousands of miles in the same virulent form? Well, it is fiction. Anything's possible!

And there is cross-species infection in the story. Geraldo, for one. And they mention dogs getting wiped out (Kojak/Big Steve being an exception). Interestingly, though, the wolves did fine, and wolves are dogs. DNA says so. But hey, it is fiction. Anything's possible!
 
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Kingfisher

Kingfisher

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I assumed the wolves were fine because they were a low creature, associated with Flagg and under his protection. The rat in the jail where Lloyd was kept seemed perfectly fine too, until it got hit and munched on.

And I think it's okay to get off topic sometimes when the subject matter has to do with the original topic. Talking about the vectors of the disease and how it spreads could get people thinking.
 
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RandallFlagg19

RandallFlagg19

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Riot87 said:
I think Flagg did mention that there might be another like him in another country but that was a "problem for later"
Click to expand...

kingricefan said:
How about this question: if each continent had its own Stand, what would happen if Flagg won on one or two of those other continents?
Click to expand...



Death and destruction, and desolation, at least for a period of “time” until the wheel of Ka is turned to the favor of the white force.

I always thought Randall Flagg was an immortal entity of dark forces. That if he got stopped (killed, destroyed) or succeeded in one story/world he would reincarnate and manifest into a different world/story but always with the purpose of being malevolent. If he got “killed” (stopped by white magic) taking a stand in America, he might manifest in Africa: and after Africa, he might manifest in Mid – World; or if he succeeded in destroying Mid-World, he might manifest in America, and if he succeeded in destroying America he would manifest in the territories of faraway.

Of coarse there are multiple entities for both black magic and white magic.

Randal Flagg might lose the Stand in America, but the Crimson King might win the stand in Canada. (Sorry Neesy ); Or Roland might lose in Gilead and Travailing Jack might win in the territories of faraway.
 
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Neesy

Neesy

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Kingfisher said:
I assumed the wolves were fine because they were a low creature, associated with Flagg and under his protection. The rat in the jail where Lloyd was kept seemed perfectly fine too, until it got hit and munched on.

And I think it's okay to get off topic sometimes when the subject matter has to do with the original topic. Talking about the vectors of the disease and how it spreads could get people thinking.
Click to expand...
Wolves are a 'low creature' - wow - I guess Mr. King hasn't read "Never Cry Wolf" by Farley Mowat - although since this was written many years ago, perhaps he had not gotten around to it, yet!
 
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Neesy

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
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l.a.link said:
Death and destruction, and desolation, at least for a period of “time” until the wheel of Ka is turned to the favor of the white force.

I always thought Randall Flagg was an immortal entity of dark forces. That if he got stopped (killed, destroyed) or succeeded in one story/world he would reincarnate and manifest into a different world/story but always with the purpose of being malevolent. If he got “killed” (stopped by white magic) taking a stand in America, he might manifest in Africa: and after Africa, he might manifest in Mid – World; or if he succeeded in destroying Mid-World, he might manifest in America, and if he succeeded in destroying America he would manifest in the territories of faraway.

Of coarse there are multiple entities for both black magic and white magic.

Randal Flagg might lose the Stand in America, but the Crimson King might win the stand in Canada. (Sorry Neesy ); Or Roland might lose in Gilead and Travailing Jack might win in the territories of faraway.
Click to expand...

the Crimson King might win the stand in Canada. (Sorry Neesy );

Wow - I need to read this story again - it has been a long time - I picked it up recently but do not have a lot of time at the moment with hubby being back home from up North.
 
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