The Sword and Laser discussion

I likely just missed this but could someone help define some of the terms we hear (at least early on)?

Like:
Ghoul
Citizen
Resident
Big Six
(there are probably more I'm missing)

Big Six (used to be 7) are the mega multi-national companies that run the earth and have replaced governments.

A Ghoul is a stateless individual living on the fringe of society. They aren't residents or citizens of the country they live in and have none of the inherent rights of citizenship.

A resident has limited rights to medical treatment and to work in a country.

A citizen has full rights.

If you had to use modern day US analogies (These are not perfect, but close):
A ghoul is an illegal immigrant.
A resident is an immigrant with a Green card.
A citizen is what we'd class a citizen today. Full rights.

Solid summation, with one caveat: a ghoul’s status seems even worse than that of an illegal immigrant, almost like India’s uncaste/untouchables, where protections are given lip service but go largely unenforced.

That's why I added that my analogies weren't perfect.

Even illegal immigrants in the US have basic humanitarian rights, including emergency medical aid, which the Ghouls don't have.

I know that illegals here, in the US and Europe aren't always afforded those basic humanitarian rights, but they at least have the facade of rights, and people fighting for their rights, which the ghouls don't.

I think those analogies are spot on and were intentional. The disparities between the three are exaggerated from what currently exists in the US in order to highlight the current existing disparities. We like to think we don't have classes here in the States, but we do and Hurley points that out. I really liked the way Hurley used "ghoul" as her 'illegal immigrant' equivalent as it highlights the inhumanity of the way we reference them with the word illegals.. The message is a bit two-by-four-ish, but I liked it.

Thanks for the clarifications!