Whoah whoah whoah, wait right there spinach chin, the Alliance CLEARLY succeeds more than it fails, but we're seein' the 'Verse though characters that are getting the short end of the power relay. Of course it's gonna SEEM like the Alliance is up to no good, but check out Ariel- in that ep, aside from a slight tinge of big-brother-like surveilance, core planets seem pretty nice. Do I know you from a Firefly site?
True dat. In fact I was always fascinated by the possibility of re-telling episodes of the show, from the point of view of the Alliance. How different would it seem then? Think about it. I doubt it, since I'm not on any. No plans to, either. It'd be like walking into Fenway Park wearing one of these.
You know, that Poli-Sci minor probably would've gone a lot more quickly if the only two types of government were "evil" and "not-evil." For instance, consolidated municipalities are clearly evil.
I HAVE! I've had endless discussions as well about whether Mal & Co were just desperados vs. actual heroes. And that's why I love Firefly/Serenity! Who's right? And from whom's perspective? That' why I love Trek as well (A Private Little War, anyone?). That's funny.
The fact is, FF is nowhere near as brilliant a show as its most ardent supporters claim. It has a scattershot approach, trying to be too many things at once (sci-fi/western/comedy/action/adventure/commentary/whateverelseyoucanthinkof). And without question, it's rough around the edges. That being said, the strength of the show is the camaraderie of the characters and the humor. Even when the characters are at odds with one another, it's rarely played for cheap melodrama. And the humor can be absolutely hilarious -- but here, too, you have to be open to some of the darker humor from Whedon. There were times when I laughed out loud and, others, when I though Whedon was simply being a juvenile prick. But given that the series only has fourteen episodes (and one movie), it's not a major investment of time to rent (or even purchase) the show and watch it. It's definitely one of those shows you just have to jump in and watch and decide for yourself whether or not it suits your taste. Despite its obvious flaws, it definitely has value.
Obviously we are meant to conclude that Mal and company were, because they are the main characters in the series. Depiction is advocacy. And since I refused to comply with this, how can I possibly enjoy the show?
So, Bonnie & Clyde were the good guys? And Dillinger? We should all do what the girl in Looking For Mr Goodbar did? I see your logic is in question, where your political beliefs are concerned.
On one of the commentaries, Joss said something that's stuck with me---"Everyone thinks they're righteous." Even the Operative, a man who knew his actions were evil, felt that he served a greater good. Given that, it doesn't much matter who you follow in a story---if they're well-written, seeing things from their point of view will make them appear to be the good guy. So it's just a matter of whose story is the most entertaining, really, not "who's right." Talking strictly about sane characters, of course. There are psychos and sadists and whatnot whom you could never sympathize with. With your mindset I'm not really sure how you enjoy anything.
If you "rolled thru" a stop sign late at night when no other cars or people were around, would you be doing something wrong? What if you had a headache, is that an excuse? From a cop's POV, should he stop you if he saw you do it? Or let it slide? Is there a time to do something "wrong"? What if you just blew the sign because your wife was in the hospital? Dude, life is ONE BIG GIANT grey area that we divide in to more comfortable almost-whites & almost-blacks as we each individually see fit.
Yes. Take a fucking Advil. Yes. No and no. If it's an emergency, she'll be in an ambulance anyway; if not, then there'll be time. We? Maybe you do, but being absolutist has worked well for me so far.
Yes, Mr. Absolutist, YOU. You make a choice as to what YOU THINK is the proper or improper way to conduct yourself. Choosing to see things in blacks & whites is a SIMPLIFYING technique, one that can work very well... for a time. Who knows, maybe even your whole lifetime. Ask Ms. Palin, who preaches abstinence & has a daughter that has a baby out of wedlock. Think SHE has to ease up a little on the black & white for the sake of her family, eh? Mal threatening to SHOOT his crew if they give him any problems on Haven was certainly NOT the thing of heroes, but as a fan of humans & their failings as well as their triumphs in well written stories, I found it ................fascinating.
Life is full of little else, unfortunately. Things are only black and white in movies and comic books. I suspect that when you're older and wiser you'll cringe at saying things like this, whether on the internet or in conversations.