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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Discussion in 'Creative Writing' started by Mr Zoat, Jan 27, 2019.

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  1. Silveraith

    Silveraith Argent Phantasm

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    Missing: "herself from giggling"?
     
  2. Siskulous

    Siskulous Know what you're doing yet?

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    Is. Is an abject failure. The war was lost decades ago, but they haven't given up yet. And I'll say no more on the subject for fear of running into Rule 8.
     
  3. Whenever Possible

    Whenever Possible Versed in the lewd.

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    They did, it's called DMN
     
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  4. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    No, I think it works fine as it is.

    Unlike, say, 'write me a letter'.
    The government didn't come up with that.
     
  5. Whenever Possible

    Whenever Possible Versed in the lewd.

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    Right, Satanus did, didnt he?
     
  6. BR549

    BR549 This is filth! FILTH!!

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    They know at this point the horse is so far out of the barn it's had a foal and that foal has won the Kentucky Derby.
     
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  7. Ganurath

    Ganurath Apologizes For Nothing

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    Government: "The longer it's called devil jizz, the longer we don't need to worry about teenagers drinking it."
     
  8. Threadmarks: Angelic (supplementary, Renegade option)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    28th January
    09:09 GMT -6


    "…feudal, but that's a.. rather dramatic oversimplification."

    A slightly more highbrow programme this time. Even though -strictly speaking- Jon won't be the Democratic nominee until September, no one else in the Democratic party has anything like the support that would be needed to remove him. The only real question is whether he keeps Suarez on as his Vice President, and as far as I can tell all of the justifications for having him in the position the first time still apply. The only real alternative is Russell Abernathy, the guy Jon beat for the nomination last time. He'd.. be a business-friendly choice, but I don't see Jon going for it.

    Ms Abernathy, my inquisitor and the daughter of the former Vice President, nods. "If it's not hereditary, how does an Apokoliptian join your ruling class?"

    "Technically speaking, any Apokoliptian can join the Elite. And someone born to parents who are part of the Elite might fail to Awaken. Or Awaken with a God Name that's… Not impressive or relevant enough for them to hold high office. For example, Father tried to have our God of Art killed because he believed him to be useless. On the other hand, a Lowlie who is capable, lucky and vicious can rise. It's… Similar to American capitalism. It's a heck of a lot easier to be rich and well connected if your parents were rich and well connected, but it's not a guarantee and a small number of people can claw their way upwards."

    "Do you have any examples of Apokoliptians who managed to do that?"

    "The Art-God's father is the one who comes immediately to mind. He started life as a Lowlie, joined the Dog Soldiers, fought well and survived doing so… My father approved his elevation himself. But…" How to put this? "I don’t want to overstate the similarity. In America, your people need to believe that they can rise to that level. It's the… American Dream, the fiscal opiate of the people. If they were actually capable of comprehending the financial systems around them your country would become socialist just as soon as the revolution was over-"

    That gets a small smile.

    "-but the Elite don't need the Lowlies. A human general can't fight a war without an army of privates and a legion of non-commissioned officers to command. My uncle Steppenwolf on the other hand is perfectly capable of fighting an army on his own, just as I am."

    My fellow interviewee raises his eyebrows at that. "It's a metahuman aristocracy. Ah, oligarchy."

    I shrug. "Or you could call it a meritocracy."

    He shakes his head. "I wouldn't call it that. How is there merit in… In effectively enslaving an entire planetary population?"

    "It emphasises Father's power very well. Look, I'm not… America's leaders in theory run the country on behalf of the entire population. Father doesn't run Apokolips in that way. He runs it for him, and he makes no secret of it. 'Merit', then, is 'traits which aid Darkseid', not 'traits which aid the common good'. Being skilled at something is no guarantee that the person who is so skilled will be nice about things."

    "And that's the main difference between Earth's metahumans and the Apokoliptian Elite." Mr Martin looks a little happier now he can refer to things he is more familiar with than Apokoliptian sociology. "Ever since the Second World War we've had superheroes who would have been capable of overthrowing the government if they'd wanted to. The original Green Lantern could have fought an army group, same with the first Flash. And a lot of their friends and allies were nearly as powerful. And they never did, even when the US government let McCarthy spit in their faces."

    I nod my head to the left. "Hugo Danner did try and take over Brazil."

    "And he was defeated by the All-Star Squadron."

    "Which was a government-organised endeavour."

    "An all-volunteer organisation which was created for the Second World War. Every superhuman who joined up was a superhero before they joined up. And by the time Danner launched his putsch everyone who was still working with the organisation was there because they wanted to be." He frowns. "And given what the government-run parts of the organisation went on to do, I'm a little surprised to hear you speaking in their favor."

    "Oh, I'm not. I'm defending one specific example of overreach. The problem with SHADE -as far as I'm concerned- was that they were able to evade government oversight, not that they were part of the government."

    "But they were at one point. If they had been disbanded when the rest of the All-Star Squadron was then they wouldn't have been a problem. Federal agencies have a history of repeatedly going beyond their mandate. The FBI had cannabis banned in the thirties for the sole reason of ensuring that their funding increased, which the government supported and has continued to support ever since even though it knows full well that it isn't dangerous to adults. The campaign of demonisation and racism that was generated by their efforts stymies rational discussion on drug law to this day. And then you're got the CIA's involvement in all kinds of things that frankly make me sick to my stomach."

    He leans back slightly.

    "Have you got any idea how many people the CIA helped murder during Operation Condor? How many were tortured, and how thoroughly the name of the United States was blackened by its association with South American military dictators and fascists? The effect that taint has on our legitimate diplomatic efforts to this day? I do not and will not trust these people, who want to give the federal government more and more power over people's lives."

    "Um. You… Do realise that the Department of Metahuman Affairs is -initially- giving training and official power to people who were already active as vigilantes, yes? I know what the CIA did-"

    Because someagency hasn't gotten around to power ring-proofing their servers yet.

    "-but do you know how many prosecutions fail because of problems in getting vigilantes to give witness statements, or to gather and preserve evidence properly, or who extract confessions under torture? Because I do. The Justice League is comprised of highly skilled people, but the top fraction of a percent of a job-. Well, not a job, but you know what I mean… They're not representative of what the average vigilante does. Heck, do you know the death rates for costumed vigilantes?"

    "Then arrest the ones who break the law!"

    "Vigilantism is by itself against the law. Police officers get a lot of training, and yes, they have a sophisticated system to hold them accountable when something goes wrong. Contrast that to a total free for all by anyone who wants to volunteer regardless of their skills and competencies, and who are used to disguising their identities in order to avoid blowback."

    I lean back in my chair.

    "A lot of the people who have been signing up to DEO courses are well-meaning enough, but the test scores of the ones who think they already have what it takes tell a very different story."

    Mr Martin leans forwards slightly. "How does Apokolips handle policing?"

    I crease up my face. "Policing? Apokolips doesn't do policing! Father's subordinates are free to fight amongst themselves, as long as they don't disrupt his plans. Individual.. military officers might do investigations in order to maintain order, but that's about as far as it goes."

    "It seems to me that -given your exposure to an extremely tyrannical and arbitrary system- you might be a little more accepting of creeping centralization than most Americans."

    "It's really more that -having lived in a genuinely tyrannical system- I'm capable of recognising that minor changes in how you administer existing laws aren't the same as that. And if it's a creeping expansion, it's creeping in exactly the same place as where the FBI was established." I hold up my hands. "But okay, you don't want the US government to-"

    "The US federal government. If individual states or cities want to make their own arrangements, that's up to them."

    I nod. "I'm sorry, the US federal government to take any sort of role in training or directing superheroes. Am I.. accurately characterising your position?"

    He nods. "Outside of a major war, yes."

    "Klarion killed more people than died in every war America has fought in since the Second World War. He killed more people than America lost in the Second World War."

    "It's not the number of deaths, it's the expansion of power. Wars only last a few years, while the DEO is trying to become a permanent part of all our lives. It's not being brought into temporary existence as a reaction to an upsurge in supervillain violence or superhero… Failings."

    I nod. "I recognise that I don't.. place the same value on the particular form the separation of powers takes in the American system, but I do think that a structured system offers benefits which you appear to be deriding."

    "This isn't Europe, Mister Grayven. We value initiative and individuality here. Presidential paternalism is not the American way."

    I stand, prompting both Mr Martin and Ms Abernathy to lean away.

    "Then my rebuttal will be in the form of a song."

    Ms Abernathy blinks. "We don't.. actually have-."

    A construct guitarist appears next to me as a holographic projector appears from subspace, a copy of the stars and stripes billowing into being behind me.

    "There's a land!
    Far away!
    Where men are truly free
    No gover'ment upon their backs
    They walk in liberteee"

    Mr Martin risks a confused smile.

    "And they stand upon their own two feet
    And live just how they please"

    The stars and stripes catches fire.

    "'till they get killed in some tribal conflict"

    A blue flag with a white five-pointed star in the centre appears behind me.

    "Or die of a curable disease!

    Somalia! Somalia! Land of libertarian dre-eams!
    Somalia! Somalia! Just ignore the scre-eams!
    Of the victims of warlords and pirates and gangs!
    Gunfire and shelling, explosions and bangs!

    It's the way of the future you kno-ow
    And it's where everyone who thinks that all governments are bad and unnecessary ought to go."
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2019
  9. Zeromaru2

    Zeromaru2 Versed in the lewd.

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    I didn't expect this to go there.
    It did, and honestly I'm not sure why, but it got a laugh outta me.
     
  10. Gazing Eye

    Gazing Eye Compound, Lidless, Always Watching.

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  11. TheLunarwolf

    TheLunarwolf Making the rounds.

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    I know many somali people who literally send as much money as possible to relatives back in somalia so that said relatives can avoid abject misery and survive.

    I still laughed.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2019
  12. Cuchulin

    Cuchulin Versed in the lewd.

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    LOL!! Love that you went there Zoat!
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2019
  13. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    All thanks to Mitch Benn.
     
  14. Slayer Anderson

    Slayer Anderson Orthodox Heretic

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    This is one of those arcs where I'm glad Grayven is around to keep me interested in the story.
     
  15. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    Freedom for all!

    Except when they do something I don't like, then federal government law, please.
     
  16. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    This makes his universe's coming destruction at the hands of the Anti-Monitor completely justified....

    Thou shall not suffer a songfic universe to live! :p
     
  17. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    'God of Art'... Canis Minor?

    Definitely Canis Minor.

    If they were actually capable of comprehending the financial systems...

    But cannon fodder is always useful.

    Well, I can see who's in the antagonistic position here. No info on his wiki page, but I'm guessing... Confrontational Politician in favor of reducing government oversight on matters vigilante-related. Or against the DEO in general...

    Indeed. You're lucky they were so patriotic back then...

    In other words, you want someone looking over their replacements' shoulders.

    Oof, leaning hard against Rule 8 there...

    Bit of an awkward portmanteau. Maybe 'some-agency' would read better, less grammatically correct as it is?

    The Justice League are highly skilled people...

    ...Short-sighted and reactionary.

    That bad, eh?

    And maybe you're seeing things that aren't what you think they are.

    Oh, no... You aren't going to...

    Grayven, you magnificent Troll! :D

    Oh, I bet that was fun to plot out. I hope the mods don't mind the politicial aspects there though...
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2019
  18. King of Frost

    King of Frost Wishing I was somewhere colder no doubt.

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    I may have admitted this before, but I used to really dislike the Grayven updates.

    Now he's such a treat whenever he appears.
     
  19. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
    To be fair, that's been the government position for the last sixty years.
    The thirties was more than twenty years ago.
    No, because I've got 'somepony' for Equestrians.
     
  20. ForeverShogo

    ForeverShogo Not too sore, are you?

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    Well and truly hate people like Mr. Martin. Which means I naturally got a kick out of the rebuttal that ended the update.
     
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  21. Buggy123

    Buggy123 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    [​IMG]

    This was originally going to be a joke about rule 8, but it got away from me a bit.
     
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  22. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

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    Mrrrr.... I'm not sure what it is, but something about this update feels off to me. I just can't see that conversation as something you'd see on TV.
     
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  23. BR549

    BR549 This is filth! FILTH!!

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    You haven't watched many late evening talk shows I take it.
     
  24. PrinceJonathan

    PrinceJonathan Versed in the lewd.

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    HEY! I'm not afraid. I'm just lazy.
     
  25. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

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    You would destroy all Arda in your rage?
     
  26. FeepingCreature

    FeepingCreature Not too sore, are you?

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    I do feel there's a difference between "the government should be smaller than it is" and "the government should be nonexistent" that Grayven seems to be denying to make the joke work.

    Is there a politics thread/subforum where this could be safely argued?
     
  27. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    I believe that this world deserves more than to be a pale reflection of another.
    Sure. I mean, not on this site...
     
  28. Ace Dreamer

    Ace Dreamer Questioning The Nature of our Realities

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    I can't see any problems with this post. Mitch Benn is obviously apolitical.
     
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  29. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    I enjoy these speeches/segments but what I really want to see is his satirical election campaign in Britain.
     
  30. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

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    A world should never be devoid of song.
     
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