First post and tentatively philosophical, so feel free to be brutal.

I recently had the joy of seeing Black Panther, a brilliant movie full of marvelous colour, sound, imagery and acting. I thoroughly enjoyed it 10/10. Problem is I read a fair few philosophical pieces prior to seeing the movie which emphasized how Wakanda represented what could have been for an Africa without colonialism. So I was hoping for an in-depth, inspiring, and plausible backstory to Wakanda, something that people could take for themselves and dream of remaking. A hopeful story. Lots of people seem to have claimed Wakanda has done just that. This disturbs me and I want to argue why:

Firstly, Wakanda is an Absolute Monarchy, and a militarized somewhat Proto-fascist society. Wakanda is a dictatorship legitimized by the violent and forced subjugation of rival tribes that survives through a regime of mysticism/ritualism, isolationism, and conspiracy about the dangers of the outside world. The negatives here should be self evident. The lack of trade internationally and the government control over vibranium suggest an insanely restrictive and protectionist centrally planned economy too. It's a concern too that so many Wakandans were willing to abandon their political processes and engage in civil war in such a short time. It speaks of a very weak political and civic culture.

Beyond this the society is unusually violent. Leadership is decided by trial by combat, a disastrously bad system as being the greatest warrior does not mean being the greatest leader or even a good leader. For a society so technologically advanced to have the political culture of a bandit gang is concerning. Beyond this it is clear that despite their technological success slaughter is a common thing in Wakanda. Weaponry is on display everywhere, and many characters are covered in scars which mark their recorded kills. How has a society that can cure fatal spinal injuries in hours not developed organised law and order or even need to kill that much? How has such a society condoned the glorification and celebration of killing through such mutilations? Outsiders are tortured and killed for entering regardless of their reasoning. Mercy is at the discretion of a king. Those who flee or resist are brutally murdered and their children orphaned.

Wakanda may be millennia ahead in technology but they are millennia behind in societal and political development. The fact that no monarch has visited the mountain tribe or even attempted to make amends with them in centuries is testament to this fact. It seems as if you take away the Vibranium Wakanda is in no way distinct from any other 3rd world nation except in that in many ways it is much worse. In many ways a Wakanda without Vibranium doesn't seem too dissimilar to Isolationist North Korea which too harbours weapons of mass destruction, glorifies violence, relies on mysticism to justify its rule, and has little or no political or civic culture.

Weapons and technology does not make a civilized society. Non-violent, truthful, reasoned political and social processes do. So what is to love about Wakanda? Who would aspire to such a society?

And would you really want Wakanda forever?

A movie note: Vibranium as a mystical item that solves all the worlds problems also seems like lazy film making to me. The movie doesn't feel nearly as inspirational when its based on a fantasy metal solving all the worlds problems.