>>96369594
I just skimmed the first couple of posts but as far as media inspiration for this I think Southland Tales, as fucking weird as it is, fits the bill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A82ciNC7jk

Then I went back and skimmed it again and turns out your AI actually brought it up specifically. Anyway, recommendation sticks.
>>96372669
I think the expansion of the surveillance state and news about the war on Terror increasingly becoming background noise is doing a lot of heavy lifting. We don't think about it now because it's just the world we live in, but people used to be worried/angry about the Patriot Act. It's funny though, you mentioned it as a great time, but I remember thinking shit was better before 9/11, then that changed to things used to be better before 2008.