I'm with Ensign Redshirt on this one. I think Clarks path to the presidency was all his own doing. No keeper, no visits from Mr Morden. Just plain old megalomania. I believe the Shadows used some of these events as leverage rather than actually instigating them.
Look at Morden. The greed had to be there for him to be enabled to "help". I think this is typical of the MO of the Shadows early on in their return, but getting to a head of state that early? Nah.
Again, I ask, how do you reconcile this with the evidence Ivanova uncovered in "
Voices of Authority" which showed Morden was not only involved in Santiago's assassination, but also in contact with Clark at the time?
The Shadows were not evil. technically they might have to do evil things, but their ends justify their means, so the people who loved them and worked for hem were not (completely) evil, and by the way, greed is fucking magnificent, but who is to say that was Clark's driving force?
Since this thread has already been Godwin'd, I guess the door is open to bring up the Nazis. You could make the same argument there, that they were not evil, but that they did evil things because they felt their ends justified their means.
Which is not to say I don't get your point. The Shadows were not acting out of malice, but were rather, in their own way, seeing to the evolution of the Universe by creating conflict, which forced living beings to adapt and change. One need only look at the numerous technological advances, especially in the field of medicine that has come from military technology, to see their point. It's the old science fiction cliche of a race being given "peace" and an end to conflict only to wither and die because there is no motivation to change, adapt, and evolve.
I have two theories, the first is of course that Clarke thought that only he could save the Earth and he wasn't going to let smaller men stand in his way either saving it differently and ungracefully or failing completely, Dude, he was just as huge a hero as when Picard Took over the stargazer of George Kirk took over from Robau or Lando took over for Han (I have no idea why Chewie didn't sack up?) or Hotrod picked up the Matrix after Optimus Prime fell
In his head was he similar most likely, yes? But, in those cases their actions directly saved lives, whereas Clark's policies, I think you are going to have to work really hard to convince me that his policies directly saved lives, especially in light of the fact that many of the alien races, at least after the Earth-Minbari War were Earth's allies.
and the second is that Louis Santiago in private, might have been a complete cunt to Clarke every second of the day... I mean seriously, don't you think that Weyland should have taken an axe to Mr Burn's face already after all those years of abuse from on high?
That may have been the case, but it is not valid cause for murder. Furthermore, even if he were constantly berated, I think his need for power was a more potent force behind his assassination of Santiago than because the guy was being a dick to him.
