Saturday, August 20, 2005

So, just to make it official and stuff, some of you may have noticed a young lady named Natalia making some comments on my blog. I've added a link to her blog, I Moved Your Cheese, Moron, under blogs obviously. Go over and read her stuff. I have found her writing to be very amusing and well worth the effort. Well, it's not really that much effort. It's not like she's writing in Esperanto or anything.

Anyway, what I'm saying is much respect, nuff respect and big up yaself, and all that.

So, speaking of Battlestar Galactica, and the new series, my biggest gripe (non-geeks may turn away from the blog at this point) is that in what political system is it okay for the military to essentially overthrow the civilian government when that government does something that the military disagrees with? No one is throwing out the C-word when it comes to Adama, i.e. 'coup'. And in my eyes, a military coup that overthrows a civilian government is an act of treason. Seriously, every time I hear Adama or Tigh whine about being betrayed or something, I can't help but kind of think "bullshit." The scene tonight with the press and Adama would have been a perfect place to see something like this. Coup! Adama committed a MILITARY COUP! Argh. I understand why he did it, but sheesh.

Anyway, geek rant mode off.

Oh yeah, and the whole Sack and Stick thing was kind of an in-joke between myself and my friends. Mike and I were the ones who came up with the idea. The original idea was pretty much the same, except applied randomly across the society, with the theory being that a more polite society would result from the constant threat of random beatdowns. Of course, I suppose a crazy, trigger happy society could result just as well. In essence, Sack and Stick is a joke/social thought experiment. Not to be taken seriously. Obviously. Unless you're a slackjawed troglodyte.

One final geek comment. Aquaman's a badass.

8 Comments:

Blogger Peter said...

Nope. Gonna have to totally disagree on this one. It's not an accurate picture of human nature. I mean, you've definitely captured things from the military perspective, but the vast majority of people in the fleet are not military, and that matters.

Second, Roslin didn't abuse her power or break the law. She's the FRAKKIN PRESIDENT! By their own laws (which seem to be very similar to our own in the US) she calls the shots, legally, no matter what Adama or any other twobit military dictator thinks they are entitled to. There is a clear chain of command, and the President is clearly at the top. The moment that Adama said 'Nope. These are military matters and I will not take your orders, Madame President,' he in effect committed treason, or at the very least mutiny and sedition. Also, Roslin didn't interfere in a government affair, she 'interfered' in a military affair, which by right she should have had every right to do, as President.

The fact that the military personnel saved the fleet doesn't entitle them to some military dictatorship. That's their frakkin job.

Here's a rough analogy. It's WWIII, the President and Vice-President and a whole bunch of people are dead, and the Agriculture President has taken the office of the Presidency. According to the constitution, the President is Commander In Chief. Any military commander that disobeys an order from the President, even in that extreme situation, should be removed. That simple.

In my opinion, the moment Adama decided he knew the best course of action and decided to essentially placate and humor the President, was the moment that he should have been removed from his command.

But of course, it's and emergency situation, Roslin wouldn't have done that, and if that happened we really wouldn't have had much of a series.

And it's exactly under such dire stresses that societies revert back to their most deeply held beliefs, whether that's military superiority on the part of the military subculture, or the right of the rightful leaders to lead in the part of the idealistic politicos, such as Roslin, etc.

My prediction? Roslin dies on Kobol, and Baltar makes some deviously genius play for power as the rightful President and basically says "Frak you Adama! I'm the frakkin President you hoser!"

Then they all die and it turns out they're actually on Riverworld.

Gonna go make a mint julip.

12:04 PM  
Blogger Peter said...

I meant the Agriculture Secretary. Oops.

12:14 PM  
Blogger Peter said...

"Name one thing the civilian government has accomplished that a purely military entity couldn't have."

Well, come this week, the question changes from couldn't to DIDN'T. They're going to find the Tomb of Athena, and going to find the way to Earth. Which turns Adama's lie into the truth.

Look, yeah, give Adama props for keeping people alive. But he hasn't really been DOING anything. No real goal. Their only goal has been a lie.

Adama failed because he had a lack of imagination and a lack of faith. He couldn't see beyond his own vaunted military strategies.

And my main qualm isn't really about what I would feel. My main qualm is about how the 'free press' that apparently still exists in the largely civilian fleet isn't reacting realistically to the military's actions. There would be resentment. There would be accusations of both a coup and of treason. There would be investigations and a firestorm of public debate about Adama's fitness for command, at the least, if not calls for a trial.

There's a lot we don't know here, but if the President of the Colonies is in fact also the Commander In Chief of the Colonies, like in the U.S., by definition any order she gives is not subversive of the military. If her military commanders disagree with her decisions, then tough cookies. She's the frakkin President, whether the military decides to stop calling her the President or not.

Roslin is going to be right, Adama is going to end up with egg on his face, Lee is going to end up saying "I told you so DAD." Helo and the Chief are going to end up in some wierd love triangle, kinda sorta, with a ghost, cause I don't think Sharon Mark II is going to end up making it off of Kobol.

5:54 PM  
Blogger Peter said...

Also, when you weigh the location of Earth against one Cylon fighter, I think the location of Earth is more strategically important. Unless of course you don't believe that Earth exists because of a lack of imagination and a lack of faith.

The humans main problem, strategically, is that they aren't united. The Cylons are completely united, with the possible exception of Sharon Mark II.

This is why all the humans will die, except for two, in the end, Apollo and Starbuck. They'll find Earth, the colonists from long ago will long be dead, they'll defeat the Cylons, and Apollo and Starbuck will end up being Adam and Eve. And all this stuff is taking place a long time ago.

6:00 PM  
Blogger Peter said...

Feh.

Nah, I've just decided to embrace my inner crank. Channel Oscar the Grouch, as it were.

11:49 PM  
Blogger Natalia said...

Awww Peter...thank you so much :) Glad you enjoy :)

-N

11:13 AM  
Blogger Natalia said...

I am vewwy vewwy flattered Peter... from a fellow geek :)

-N

12:28 PM  
Blogger Peter said...

Aw shucks ma'am.

12:39 AM  

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