I've always read it as at least a little bit a comment on the Iraq war, but what's it's deal? It's the only anime I can think of that climaxes with a military coup, and its cool that mustang wants to put people on trial for war crimes, but then he gets in power and doesn't do it.

It's also just got a whole plotline about racism, but it feels slightly off? Like minorities are okay if they save your life.

  • RamrodBaguette [comrade/them, he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    It’s also just got a whole plotline about racism, but it feels slightly off? Like minorities are okay if they save your life.

    Just gonna use this as an opportunity to rant about the PEAK LIB moment where one of those oppressed minorities talks about working for the same genocidal, imperialist military that destroyed his ancestral land because he wants to enact "change from within". All while he talks down to another member of this group for resorting to extreme measures.

    That's right. Those partisans should have just called for "MORE 👏 JEWISH 👏 EINSATZGRUPPEN 👏 TROOPERS" instead.

        • Cromalin [she/her]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Uncritical support imo. The only remotely dubious thing Scar does is try to kill Ed, and really that's just because killing child soldiers isn't great. Everything else he does is totally justified. He only kills people involved with the genocide, and then also Tucker who's the only character to canonically end up in hell.

          Nina was a mercy kill

            • Cromalin [she/her]
              ·
              3 years ago

              He's indiscriminate, but Ed and Tucker are the only ones we see him go after who weren't part of the genocide. And Marcoh would disagree with you about brutalizing him being bad.

                • Cromalin [she/her]
                  ·
                  3 years ago

                  He doesn't do much to Marcoh. He threatens him some, but after Marcoh gives Scar the big flashback to Ishval and agrees to work with him Scar is mostly civil, iirc. Going after Ed is definitely fucked up, and you're completely right about his character arc, I was mostly just making the point that the only thing we see him do that's worse than a little morally dubious is go after Ed.

    • Redbolshevik2 [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I think if you're a Liberal, it's extremely hard to write a story about how you defeat Fascism because of your ideological blinders. Fascism is an evil that results from a master plan, and when you defeat Hitler, you win and can now reform your way to an equitable society instead of organizing a new one.

      • TraschcanOfIdeology [they/them, comrade/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        I think if you’re a Liberal, it’s extremely hard to write a story about how you defeat Fascism because of your ideological blinders.

        Not only that, but i'm more and more convinced that when most authors represent societies falling prey to fascism, it's mostly due to moral failing of the people in charge, who are very clearly evil and have a plan, not because of systemic issues, which makes for a satisfying ending when you defeat the bad guy(s) and everything will come out roses afterwards.

        • camarade [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Matt Christman said something to that effect the other day and I thought it was brilliant. "liberalism cannot fail, it can only be failed"