#freedom vs. tyranny

[intelligentchristianlady]

A neighbor of mine was among those who landed in Normandy on D-Day. He is 101.

“Every soldier who stormed the beach, who dropped by parachute or landed by glider; every sailor who manned the thousands of ships and landing craft; every aviator who destroyed German-controlled air fields, bridges, and railroads—all—all were backed by other brave Americans, including hundreds of thousands of people of color and women who courageously served despite unjust limitations on what they could do for their nation."

– President Joe Biden, speaking at the Normandy Omaha Cemetery

[curiouscpl53213]

Nice when he can cause Kaos whether they are a sleep or awake. A People's President.

[justbeingnamaste]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced comprehensive legislation to protect Floridians from the Biden administration’s weaponization of the financial sector through a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The legislative proposal protects consumers and businesses from a federally controlled CBDC by:

Expressly prohibiting the use of a federally adopted Central Bank Digital Currency as money within Florida’s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).

Instituting protections against a central global currency by prohibiting any CBDC issued by a foreign reserve or foreign sanctioned central bank.

Calling on likeminded states to join Florida in adopting similar prohibitions within their respective Commercial Codes to fight back against this concept nationwide.

“The Biden administration’s efforts to inject a Centralized Bank Digital Currency is about surveillance and control,”

said Governor Ron DeSantis

... A federally controlled Central Bank Digital Currency is the most recent way the Davos elites are attempting to backdoor woke ideology like Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) into the United States financial system, threatening individual privacy and economic freedom. Unlike a decentralized digital currency, a CBDC is directly controlled and issued by the government to consumers, giving government bureaucrats the ability to see all consumer activity and the power to cut off access to goods and services for consumers. ...

[astrolovecosmos]

Aries - Libra Axis: Tells a story about taking action vs. indecision, inaction, and procrastination. Tells a story about selfishness but also giving to the detriment of self, lack of boundaries, assertion, charm, persuasion, force, peace and war, leadership and cooperation, independence vs. partnerships, passion, romance, self-awareness vs. shallowness and detachment, insensitivity vs. tact, cheating and deception, winning and losing, honesty and bravery. Tells a story about lovers and fighters.

Taurus - Scorpio Axis: Tells a story about control, power, jealousy, resentment, stubbornness, indulgence and sensuality, comfort and thrill, safety and danger, possessive behavior, materialism, emotional strength and influence, inner security or contentment and inner empowerment and passion, willpower, revenge, grudges, manipulation, obsession, seduction, self-destruction, transformation and rebuilding. Tells a story about self-mastery and self-esteem.

Gemini - Sagittarius Axis: Tells a story about communication, learning, knowledge, teaching, exploration of mind, body, and the world, trickery, con artists, betrayal, support, lies and truth, versatility, duality, variety, curiosity, superficiality vs. depth, philosophy, morals, logic, spontaneity and fickleness, symmetry vs. asymmetry, restlessness, carelessness, freedom, exaggeration vs. factual, movement, cunning wit and intellect as well as wisdom, optimism vs. skepticism, dissembling, analyzing, deception, schemes, gossip, boasting, charm vs. tactlessness, and promises. Tells a story about storytelling - lessons and adaptation.

Cancer - Capricorn Axis: Tells a story about protection, self-preservation, endurance, practicality, emotions and rationality, defense vs. offense, vulnerability, attachment, clinging vs. self-reliance, sentiment, nostalgia, home and family, ambition, purpose, clans, tribes, societies, private world vs. external/outer world, moods, cycles, authority, parents/mothers and fathers, caution, responsibility, duty, patience, compassion vs. cruelty, intuition, shrewdness, strategy, contentment vs. dissatisfaction, security vs. insecurity. Tells a story about needs and being uninhibited, as well as control and discipline.

Leo - Aquarius Axis: Tells a story about leadership, charisma, confidence, individuality, self-expression, creativity, innovation, the power of one vs. the power of the many, attention, compulsion, pride, ego, play and discovery, experimentation and rebellion, drama, curiosity, socialization, influence, dignity, generosity, benevolence and/or common good, chaos, destruction, passion vs. dispassion, humanity, divinity, fellowship, organized groups, separation or standing apart, control or tyranny, strangeness and what's rejected vs. what's accepted or even celebrated. Tells a story about the king/queen/politician and anarchist/rebellion/revolutionist.

Virgo - Pisces Axis: Tells a story about the spirit and body, healing, helping others, service, caring for others, listening to your body or your intuition, purity vs. corruption, compassion, sensitivity, impressions, flexibility, logic, imagination, being receptive, mysticism, confusion, illusions, clarity, distillation, categorizing, researching, analyzing - a thorough search for facts/truth. Tells a story about sacrifice, empathy, saving others, discernment, efficiency and productivity vs. procrastination and rest, modesty, free and flowing energy vs. precise and predictable energy, perfectionism vs. admiring flaws, realism or skepticism vs. idealism, details vs. big picture. Tells a story about the dreamer and the worker, the ability to make our dreams come true.

[furious-blueberry0]

Are there people out there that really think that Star Wars is too political? And say that as if it is a flaw?

Like, I’m sorry, but did people seriously look at a saga literally named Star WARS and manage to complain about the fact that it has politics? Did these people watch the movies and only saw the lightsabers, the cool music and the pew pews? Is that all their brain could comprehend?

I’m not saying that you can’t do that, if you want to look at the fun side of the saga only than good for you, but using the argument of “too much politics” and make it the flaw of the story is so stupid.

Like that’s the point, THAT’S THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT.

George Lucas didn’t just make a story of a good guy vs a bad guy, he made a story where a Republic, a just system that has become corrupted to its core, finds itself into a devastating war and is pushed to its limit by a slimy and disgusting scheming bastard (inspired by George Bush), who then uses its weakness to take control of it and transform it, from a free system to a fascist dictatorship (inspired by Nazi Germany and the USA of the Vietnam war) and whose one of the first things he does is a literal genocide and ethnical cleansing of a religious order.

And this is only the Prequels, because in the OT the story is about how this Empire, whose head and right hand are literally the most powerful beings in the galaxy, gets utterly destroyed not by other powerful beings, not by superpowers, not by mystical forces that the human mind can’t comprehend.

But by people, normal people, the average person, who can’t fly, who can’t use mystical objects, who cannot move things with the mind or other tricks.

The heroes of these movies are the rebels, who are not fighting because of some ancient prophecy, or because of a quest given by mystical beings, or because they have to restore the fabric of the Universe, they fight because it’s the right thing to do, because this is what happens when you take away freedom from people, when you destroy their homes, when you kill their loved ones, when you obliterate everything they have ever known and loved.

Treat people like animals and they’ll react like animals, by biting the hand that carries the stick and then ripping it into shreds.

And yes, Luke is the hero that saves the day by killing Sidious and Vader, but he would have never, and I say NEVER have arrived at that point without the help of the Rebellion, it’s something that no one could have ever done alone, a single individual against an entire Empire is a suicide, no matter how powerful you are.

And I love it. I don’t even know how to put it into words, I love how this ancient and meticulous plan gets annihilated by normal people, who just wanted to be free.

THIS is Star Wars: a fight against tyranny.

And it makes me sad how people forget and ignore it. With the Rebellion it’s not just the special people who can be heroes, everyone can! And they don’t even need to do the heroic actions described in the stories and the myths.

A Hero says “No” when the Stormtroopers ask if they saw the young and scared boy who ran and hid behind the bins near their home.

A Hero gives extra blankets and food to the neighbor that is hiding refugees.

A Hero “accidentally” blocks the way of a squad of Stormtroopers, to give others the time to escape.

A Hero hides the weapons of the rebels in their well while the Stormtroopers raid all the houses.

A Hero runs through the streets and into the woods to go find the rebels that are hiding there, to tell them it’s time to run

A Hero talks loudly about the atrocities that the Empire is committing, forcing those who are silent to listen.

A Hero comforts the mother who lost all her children to the Empire.

A Hero organizes the funeral of that same mother, after she tried to take her revenge.

A Hero doesn’t let the Empire enter their head, they don’t let it change their being.

It’s all about the small acts of insurrection that pushes the line forward.

[randomfandommaddness]

Silent Salt is the Founder of the St. Pastry Order Conspiracy

Solidarity- unity of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common goal, interest, or BELIEF.

Freedom- The power of choice in actions, thoughts, words without hinderance. - Alternatively, the option to choose the greater good for one's self, and/or for another's sake.

vs

Silence- The restriction of actions and words, and the total control of thoughts. Complete obedience even if the actions are wrong. Tyranny.

Three Updates foreshadow the connection:

1 - The First Tower of Sweet Chaos Update

A- Aesthetics:

- The Backdrop Color scheme for the church Matches Silent Salt's color pallet

- The Shadow sister's order is the closest we get to matching outfits

- Silent's current clothes look torn, but their former attire appears to contain a lace-like fabric (Similar to the pastry order's robes) * There appears to be no imagry of Silent anywhere in to order's church. There are three potential reasons for this:

1- Silent DOES appear, but their helmet is removed (They are the praying cookies at the edges)

2- Silent HAD imagery that was removed after their imprisonment. (Reputation is important for religious groups or cults. Heretic imagery is heavily condemned.)

3- Silent REQUESTED no imagery of them to be made and they operated in the shadows of the order. (Most likely)

B- Beliefs:

* The order worships the witches, And Silent was personally baked by them, so... This could be a case of abusing a belief for the sake of control. We have absolutely no idea what the witches would have wanted, but the order's actions actually don't align with the witches. If they did want what the order is preaching, then Silent Salt WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN LOCKED UP. This actually makes the whole Order built on literal pillars of salt. If the truth got out about the founder, then no one would be fooled by it. Cookies with morals would leave enemas forcing the Order's leaders to crack down on rebellion.

* The order believes that cakes and monsters don't have a place in the world (Similar to medieval beliefs that were influenced by Christianity- Beautiful= Good, Ugly=Bad)

- By the destruction of "The World's Order" Pastry was probably referring to the perseverance of cakes and other desserts (Notice how we don't see anything other than cookies in the order proper)

- This is backed up by Red Velvet, saying "And when you meet your Godly creators, ask them. Ask them about your precious 'Order' that decrees pretty Cookies to live, and forsaken, burnt Cakes to be SLAIN!"

- The weapons of the order are specifically made to purge monsters.

* There is LITERALLY a Book of Salt in their Bible's Equivalence, the Quote "...may thy will guide the fork of your humble servant" is an example. (Of course there are more books, like the Books of Butter and Flour, but Salt being mentioned is suspicious.)

C- The Cake Tower Itself:

-According to the Order, and the cookies of darkness, the first cookies were baked in the tower. As for whether or not the five beasts were baked here is up for debate. But it is possible that they were.

-White Lily being involved with the tower and the witch's banquet in of itself is proof that the order connects back to Silent Salt. White Lily becomes Dark Enchantress Cookie by being re-baked. Did anyone ever make the connection to Dark Enchantress having a very demonic design? The very thing someone like the Order would oppose.

It's not just the design though... It's also her goal! Dark Enchantress seeks to overthrow the witches and recreate the world in her image. And destroying the world that the pastry order protects is absolutely against the order's code. With the Order worshipping the witches, Enchantress is obviously their enemy. But the order is also bad for its own reasons.

If Silent Salt did found the St Pastry Order, then it has been around for a very long time. Long enough to shape the cookie world. Just as Christianity shaped Medieval Europe, The Pastry Order shaped the land of Earth Bread. Even without Silent Salt at the helm, their order is carrying on their wishes. As for their wishes, it's to ensure that cookie kind flourishes, while other desserts are deserted. And there's more...

2 - Cookie Run Odyssey (Where things get dark :D)

A- Asthetics (They're getting more convincing)

- The Cookies in black masks are the closest design to Silent by far - Why the masks guys? Something to hide? (Or someone they're referring to?)

- The weapons all carry a very refined astetic, and also a fork symbol.(Silent's soul jam kinda resembles a fork too. Huh)

- The very presence of the missionaries in the Creme Republic. (Silent's design could be a reference to the Templars from the crusades)

B- Beleifs (They carry the ones above here, but lets add some more salt.)

* The Order Believes that Cookies were made to be eaten (White Lily learned that the hard way)

- The first cookies ran away from their creators (They could be referring to the beasts, but that may not be the case)

- The witches are waiting for the cookies to return (So they can fulfill their purpose of desserts)

- Elder Mille-Feuille Stated "The First Oven will open, and all will become one." This could be referring to the baking and consumption of cookies.

C- Goals and Motives shown in the Odyssey

1- They are after the soul jams. As for why, they say that combining the soul jams together will summon the witches. While we don't know if that is true, it may be possible... But I think that the real reason that they want the soul jam is that it was Silent Salt's final order before they were imprisoned. That way, the order could free both them and the other beasts and restore their power. (Of course, they can't say that that would be selfish!)

2- They are NOT working for or with Dark Enchantress Cookie. We do fight the Order in Odyssey, but during the Final battles, they are nowhere to be seen.

3- The order is trying to convert as many cookies to their cause as possible. Since the youth are impressionable, that's a good place to start. Preaching to the desperate is also a good tactic if they wanna get followers. (Yeesh, they're more like a cult than a church. At least the church is optional!)

3 - White Lily's Beast Yeast Update (Trust me, this update is important)

It is within this update where we get introduced to Silent Salt properly, along with the rest of the beasts. We notice that certain areas of Beast Yeast refer to the five. In the Land of Silence- the Salt Flatlands we see a giant cross on the map. A GIANT CROSS. Yep. Defidenty guilty.

Within this update, we are introduced to our first beast Shadow Milk Cookie, Pure Vanilla's polar opposite. Oddly though, Shadow also has a rivalry with White Lily due to Elder Faerie Cookie leaving her the post as Guardian of the Tree. I always thought it was weird that Shadow would target another ancient hero that isn't Pure Vanilla Cookie... Until we consider Silent Salt's stake in all of this. What if this isn't meant to be a three-way fight, but a four-way?

Silent Salt Vs Pure Vanilla Cookie. How would that play out? Let's start with the very fun possibility of exposing the St. Pastry Order as frauds. After all! Pure Vanilla cookie holds the light of truth, so letting such a harmful and dangerous lie run its rounds unchecked would be against what he stands for! Moreover, having Silent Salt paint Pure Vanilla as a heretic would be very in character for them. Pure Vanilla was inspired by Jesus Christ, Who was persecuted Himself! Oh wait... Does this mean that Silent Salt is going to successfully kill Pure Vanilla Cookie?

The Themes of Solidarity, Freedom, Tyranny, Deceit and Truth. Solidarity is defined as unity. It is a special force that the individual can connect too but is also felt by multiple people. I imagine that the original source of the soul jams power is derived from its core aspect:

- Imagination and curiosity are the source of the power of Knowledge

- Will power and motivation are the source of the power of Volition

- Interest is the source for the power of Love

- Action is the source for the power of Change

- Unity is the source for the power of Solidarity

Now, just as the original soul jam before it was split, the power is still fueled by its aspects, but instead the conditions are a little more specific: - Delusion powers Deceit, while Acceptance powers Truth - Lack of will powers Apathy, while strong will powers Resolution - Lack of Care powers Laziness, while immense care powers Passion - Desires for Carnage power destruction, while Desires for Worth Power Creation - Absolute submission powers Silence, While Individuality Powers Freedom.

Now unlike most powers, Solidarity is powered by a group of cookies with a common goal and a feeling and sense of unity. In order for that power to be strong, the connection they share must be strong. Kinda hard to do when everyone believes in completely different things... But what if they didn't? What if all the cookies believed in the same thing strongly? Then the power would flow like the salt in the seas!

However, in order to have a strong belief, you would need a very solid idea. An idea so important that it would be impossible to ignore, doubt, or question... an idea like your makers. Worshipping your creators, creating an empathetic narrative around them... Making it easy to get both mentally and emotionally attached to them, and most importantly: being able to connect to others who do so as well.

It's why the order deems anyone who isn't a cookie as blasphemes. Cookies are a dime a dozen on Earth Bread. But they are also capable of thinking and common sense. Why else was no other dessert chosen to potentially become the order? Other creatures aren't as bright as cookies. And for that reason, cookies are able to be saved, while other desserts are a heresy! Hence why they have to be purged.

If all creatures of Earth Bread share a likeness in the form of cookies, then they have more in common, making it easier to connect with another cookie instead of a cupcake.

When it comes to Silence itself, we are talking about Tryranny. The complete restriction of words and actions. It's all about complete control, even if it's against the will of the victims. ESPECIALLY if it means doing something that will hurt another person. Being constricted isn't going to last forever, and almost always ends in disaster.

Of course, being deemed a "holy being" meant to pass judgement in the name of their creators lets you get away with some messed up stuff. How do you know if they are acting for the cause, or for their own interests? You can't tell, and that's the whole point. Silent Salt is using a so called "Holy Cause" as an excuse to do horrible things to other cookies and desserts. Namely:

- Making everyone believe in a suicidal ideology (.... What do you even call this? Brainwashing?)

- Deeming any critics as Heretics and killing them (Assassination/Murder)

- Using everyone's impressions as a source of power and control (Abuse on a wide scale)

- Going against the witches, all while claiming to work in their name (The worst evil in the world: Hypocrisy)

- Using the set of beliefs that controls everyone to cut down innocent creatures who did nothing wrong. (Mass Genocide)

- Tricking others into killing for the cause as well (They're still guity, but it's not entirely on their heads)

- He probably turned families against each other as well! Mainly over beliefs. (I... I have no words for this. It's too horrible to even imagine.)

Yes. The list of crimes for this cookie is long. I wouldn't even be surprised if they were the evilest of the Beasts.

Now for the million dollar question: How do you beat Silent Salt cookie?

Well, their power comes from unity under their constrictive control, and that control comes from the strong beliefs in the orders followers. So, the only way to beat them, would be to turn everyone against them. More specifically, dividing the order, and getting them to disband somehow. The number one way to do this is by exposing the order to the truth. And it's no stretch to believe that Pure Vanilla himself will be involved with this part.

Just as White Lily beat Shadow Milk with the power of free will (She chose her own option over the two options Shadow gave her), Pure Vanilla is going to use the truth and expose the Pastry order, having them turn on themselves in disarray. With infights and zero control, Beating Silent Salt is just a matter of skill. Of course, you'd have to be pretty convincing to go up against the order's core beliefs. So, what if Pure Vanilla bought the witches into the picture? It would be cool if he could find out the real reason why the cookies were baked the way that they were. Though I'd imagine that Silent would actually turn the order against him at first, get Vanilla killed, then the witches would re-bake pure vanilla cookie in front of the order. That would be super cool! :D

Also, I forgot to add that the St. Pastry Order will probably invade the Fairy Kingdom. Just as Christianity Settled in northern Europe.

Where Silent Salt Is Sown

Living Things can't be Grown.

Small Note: There may be more that I forgot. Feel free to add to the list!

[lesbiansforboromir]

My lukewarm defense of the whole Crow redemption tour thing in Veilguard is that they never actually disprove any of the things we have been taught about the Antivan Crows. Lucanis confirms he was abused by his grandmother and justifies it to you as her 'trying to make sure he was ready for life as a crow, she was protecting him'. And there's a banter dialogue with Harding that claims the Aranai family were so disgraced by the whole business in Fereldan that they do not take contracts in that country anymore (hilarious) and they also killed a dozen 'Eighth Talons' before finally settling on a decent one.

They do not mention buying the orphaned children of sex workers and brutalising them into killing machines, but that's also not something the leadership of the Crows WOULD talk to Rook about, is it? So, essentially, the Crows are still the Crows, it's just you the player are not allowed to engage with that information at all. And when a Govenor comes up to you and says this;

You are just not allowed to be like;

Which... is pretty frustrating in a franchise that did kind of build a reputation for allowing player freedom of perspective to a certain degree. Now that has been diminishing by magnitudes for every game released post-origins, so I guess Veilguard's iteration is essentially following the trend. But this is the game where you simply cannot be bad to any measurable degree, so it's kind of bizarre we have a whole plotline about the Grey Warden's skeleton closet yet the Crows get to just never draw attention to theirs once!

And I feel like that would have been a pretty cool narrative to explore with Lucanis, who claims he no longer resents his grandmother for her abuse, to then be confronted by an outsider's perspective on not only his childhood but the abuse and exploitation of children who were not even born into this life to begin with. Would have been kind of neat, is what I'm saying. Like keep the Crow's self perception as noble assassins bravely defending their beloved Treviso from tyranny, that's great, cus it can then be used to balance this fight between Lucanis and Davrin about whose job is the most righteous vs who is a pawn of a shadowy amoral military organisation free from any government oversight. Spoiler! It's both of them! Did I say this was a defense? I meant 'canon retcon' is not the actual problem at hand here.

[selfish-cat]

Veilguard Re-imagined

Given how DAV turned out to be, I think it would've been much more interesting if it was more in line with what Trespasser was hinting at. Spoilers below:

Instead of ooo bad evil gods and bad evil people, the factions could've been so much more nuanced. And you know who would've been super involved? The elves. Elves still struggling with the truth of their Vallaslin. Elves tired of being treated like dirt. Elves who are proud of their heritage.

I'm imagining the main 3 factions would be:

Evanuris: The base of their followers would be the Dalish who have worshipped them for centuries and don their Vallaslin. Whether or not the Inquisitor spreads the news about their tyranny (and whether or not they're believed), as a people who have lost everything time and time again, why would you turn away the chance to regain the former glory your people once had? The gods wouldn't have to try very hard. They were leaders once of course they know how to sway people. Make them sympathetic! Show them mourning their friends and lovers and lost empire. Have them cast doubt over Solas' claims! They can still have their "bullies and tyrants" and their blighted dragons but they would also have the desperate and disillusioned, maybe some of whom you can still reach out to and pull back.

If you want to bring the Blight in, it would be easy enough to blight their followers under the premise of empowerment (Solas isn't the only one who can lie). Instead of throwing a billion reavers at me, give me intelligent blighted creatures who think they're reclaiming their agency, who think they're avenging themselves, their loved ones, and their ancestors by spreading the blight to cities. It would also be a good way to distinguish between the gods' followers and other factions.

You know who wouldn't be joining them? Tevinter supremacists whose Imperium past prided themselves on conquering the elves. Or the Antaam who haven't renounced their beliefs and upbringing—you don't shake off that lifelong wariness of magic unless a lot of people get real chill with a lot of things real fast. I'm not touching the Butcher part because I still don't understand it although confused, lost track of the plot, wanting to turn yourself inside out? Relatable.

Fen'Harel: Rather than being relegated to a troll in the comments, let Solas lead the army he amassed in Trespasser??? All the Dalish and the city elves who are tired of being systematically oppressed and have been for literal ages?? He clearly cares for their freedom, as established in DAI (I had feelings when he finally called the Dalish "our people" but then it was followed by EA/Bioware nonsense). Other than the one line about him breaking the chains of slaves at the beginning, his deeds are never mentioned again other than to berate Rook.

I think his forces would be smaller. More scouts and spirits that specialize in skirmishes. It would be a three-way fight between the Evanuris, Solas, and Rook (with support from the Inquisitor and different implications depending on whether you disbanded or not). I think it'd be very interesting if you established a friendship/romance with Solas' and his forces withdrew when the Inquisitor appears vs. continue fighting if you decide to burn that bridge because choices matter EA. None of the elves in his forces will have their Vallaslin.

Keep the flashbacks. Keep the lore. Keep Mythal. But also keep the character instead of teehee lied to you again why would I listen to reason uwu.

Rook: None of the party needs to change or even the order of recruitment or any of the powers at play. They're all so charming and fun and clearly written with love.

Of course Harding will be there as a rep from the Inquisition. Let her work through her struggles with the Maker and the Golden City lore. Let her explore Titan lore but in a way that doesn't end with welp guess that's that and now let's not bring it up again since there definitely won't be implications with dwarves across all of Thedas. Neve works with the Shadow Dragons and would be sympathetic to the whole situation. Keep Aelia and involve the Venatori that way—strictly in Tevinter and unrelated to the gods. I imagine their forces were severely weakened after Corypheus. They can still kill the Archon in preparation of installing one of their own in if they want because that'd be in line with their established motives.

Bellara and Davrin can help shed a light on their perspective of things. Bellara tries in DAV but given how elf involvement was basically dismissed with "nah they're steering clear of the evil gods and we defs don't have a problem with any of this" t'was rough. It would've made more sense bringing Cyrian back aligned with the gods than suddenly bringing up a Forgotten One (excellent DLC option in the Tirashan though). Davrin struggling to distance himself from his heritage and empowerment via Wardenhood and fatherhood (lol) is very interesting to explore instead of idk being a farm boy even though it'd be awfully hard to farm without a permanent settlement, which apparently was a thing but I digress. Keep the griffons and Isseya but tie her to Ghilan'nain in a sympathetic but warped way (of course Ghilan'nain loves the griffons and is sympathetic to their plight. Why not make them better? Isseya's a city elf but why would she doubt the Mother of Halla?) Also definitely keep that chat with Solas and have more of that!

Lucanis and Crow lore. Imagine debating with him about practices of kidnapping and torturing children to train them. Characters can grow and learn (look at my best boy Dorian) and when he gets promoted to First Talon, maybe he'll keep your words in mind if your bond is high enough. Taash and Emerich had more personal things to deal with which is great. Not every character arc has to be directly tied back to the Big Bads. In DAV's case, it would've made more sense if they were just standalone issues instead of trying to be like "yeahh y'know, Venatori support. Yup."

And if you play Rook as an elf, there should definitely be a city elf and Dalish option because they're different cultures EA. You can't just have options like "I'm Dalish where it counts" and say "Our Gods" and "Your People" in the same scene because what even does that mean EA. Very good posts about this stuff here and here and here

Ending: At the end of this power struggle, where the gods are inevitably taken down, instead of a uwu everyone lived happily ever after except those who died, there are! Ramifications! Those were elven gods that almost destroyed everything! Why would they just let elves be and the Dalish chill and settle in Arlathan Forest (nvm why they were allowed back in the first place given how the Dalish treat the Dales and how they expect people to react to their presence there)?

Depending on how you play all your games (or a neutral score for new players), I think this is where you see the results of your choices. Did you garner sympathy and support from leaders? What leaders did you put in place? Will things return to a tense status quo? Will there be another Exalted March where they're driven even farther away? Or will there be introspection and understanding maybe resulting in a new Halamshiral for the Dalish somewhere and more rights for city elves?

As for Solas, I think his outcome would depend on the Inquisitor's choice in Trespasser. Do you kill him, leaving any future attempts to breach the Veil a risk? Do you fade into obscurity with him to live out a peaceful life in secrecy? Or do you convince him to give Thedas as is a second chance now that the gods are gone? He can disappear, maybe he occasionally has visitors or visits those he considers friends while keeping an eye on the world and the Veil (he'll be the new Veilguard which would make that ending line make more sense)?

[whiteboi-inferiority]

Hello sir, I absolutely love the push towards making it much more well known that the BNWO is here to stay! The decline in superiority of the white man vs the black man is something of the future and continues to bring with it a whole new amazing world of sissies and devoted white men proving themselves to such a higher power and I thank you for making it so.

I have been showing and grow in my devotion for a number of years now and really hope that I can reach more people like myself and bring this news further across the globe.

The humiliation of the white male race is something I find invigorating and super satisfying to see, it not only brings me endless amounts of pleasure and gratification, it really makes me feel a sense of happiness that ultimately, one day, I hope there to be no more white male breeding.

Thank-you, many times over, I bow to you sir, and I beg of you to make this passion grow where you can.

A loving and sincere sissy

Tilly x

Thank you Tilly,

The future is now. People know it in their bones. Elections are being stolen trying to deny that fact, by pale, stale males who preferred it when they and their kind were on top. That they know they are not is terrifying to them. The war is over. It's already been won. It's just aftermath, adjustment and acceptance now, as in any grief cycle.

Whiteboy humiliation - let's be specific, this blog focuses on whiteboy inferiority rather than catch all 'whites' - is undeniably cute. I dabble in it myself from time to time. But what's important now is easement. Violent retribution and humiliation only foments resentment, resistance and counter-revolution. Culture change must come with benefits for all and forgiveness if its to stick, hence why this blog mainly focuses on the sunny upsides of BNWO.

It's better to be a minority of any sex in the bnwo, obviously. That goes without saying, so I don't devote a lot of time to it.

It's better to be a white girl in the bnwo. Better sex, more focus on pleasure, farming white gooners for easy money. Active encouragement to explore all your favourite vices and discover some new ones. Freedom from the tyranny of trying to have it all. Just be slut. Have fun. Get yourself (and keep) a dominant black master boyfriend for the status! Bear his child for the ultimate flex! Do whatever you want!

It's better to be a whiteboi in the bnwo. A much more accepting, permissive society where you can fag out as much as you like. If you work hard you might rise to the dizzying heights of a black master's cocksleeve (until you get old, ugly, boring, or someone hotter and more fun comes along). No need to struggle and strain under the weight of having to be a provider, protector or God forbid parent anymore. Just dress, look and act forever twenty-one! Stan pop stars and actresses! Be cute! Be hot! Be the girlie girl you always wanted to be! Good submissive whiteboi sluts make more good submissive whiteboi sluts!

It's better to be a gooner and a paypig in the bnwo. Transactional sex is no longer stigmatised and we thank you for doing your part keeping the sex economy going, and for encouraging your favourites to explore sex with black men further. Obsess over BBC porn. Talk about it constantly in your chat with your favourite cam girls, encourage them to make bbc superiority/whiteboy rejection & sph content. It's hot! You create the demand for the girls to supply! The more you talk about it, blog about it, pay for it, obsess over it, the more of this type of reinforcing porn gets made!

And finally it's better to be a sex pest in the bnwo. You keep society from slipping back by standing as examples of the kind of loathsome, entitled, impulsive creatures you were when you were running things. Now you're just muzzled dogs frothing at the mouths, tugging at those grey little shrimps you call cocks. All bark and no bite. You value is in your ability to startle rather than harm. A silly jumpscare that is easily laughed off, scorned or beaten to a pulp if you step out of line. Everyone loves ridiculing you, you love being ridiculed. It really is win-win.

Everyone in their place and a place for everyone.

Humiliate away, for shits and giggles, but remember to also enable self enlightenment and humility from within if you really want to help.

[shera-dnd]

Once again trying to talk about Themes™ and probably just saying the obvious again BUT

Baldur's Gate 3 is a game about freedom of choice, both mechanically and thematically

Not in the "Your choices matter! (not really)" way most game market themselves on

But in a "The fact you can choose matters" way that is much spicier.

Like that's literally the core driving point of the plot. You shouldn't be able to choose, you shouldn't be free, but you are and now it's up to you to fight to maintain that freedom, and decide for yourself what to do with it

(funnily enough this is also why this game doesn't hit my trigger, because all the mind control is completely opt in)

And every single companion reinforces that in one way or another.

Gale freeing himself from his past and choosing who he wants to be now, without Mystra.

Astarion killing Cazador and stopping generations of abuse in their vampiric line

Karlach escaping Zariel and choosing to make the most of the life she still has

Wyll breaking his contract with Mizora so he can choose for himself what he fights for

Lae'zel and Shadowheart both unlearning years of indoctrination at the hands of their messed up cults

And if you're playing Dark Urge you get to reinforce this again with your conflict about trying to determine for yourself who you want to be, when every fiber of your being demands that you be a monster

It's not even just the main characters. Like how often do you get sent on quests to free people who have been imprisoned or enslaved.

Volo, Halsin, the deep gnomes, the tieflings, Aylin, Volo again, Minsc, Orpheus, even Hope itself

Hell, one of the main bad guys is the chosen champion of the God of Tyranny and is using a magical mind control mcguffin to control a giant magical mind control GIGA BRAIN!

I guess that's why it feels so obvious. Every last bit of this game is used to forward this theme of freedom vs control, but it's this consistent reinforcement that makes it so good for me

And then of course this all comes to a grand conclusion towards the ending. My own feelings about the ending's execution and the parts I felt were a bit... lackluster, can wait for a different day

But thematically speaking they managed to end with a real bang, and it's all thanks to the narration

Because whatever decision you make, that woman sells it. No matter what you want your ending to be, she will fucking deliver it in just as triumphant a way as any other

BG3 doesn't want you to leave the game thinking "did I make the right choice?" it wants you to feel like whatever you choose WAS the right choice for you

I literally had my character turn into a squid and them kill themself and she still managed to make that a glorious moment to finalize my story on.

"After so many deaths in the name of your father, this one is just for you"

(god so many lines from the durge playthrough have my brain in a vice grip)

And speaking of daddy dearest, the only endings that come across as being bad, are the ones where you surrender your freedom.

When you surrender to the Absolute, when you do as Bhaal commands you, when you give the crown to Raphael

The entire game is one giant conflict between your freedom to self determine vs more powerful beings and their drive to take absolute control

And so the only way for your story to end "badly" is if you surrender to those powers and give up

...so yeah... that's all I got

Baldur's Gate 3 is a good game

Could use some work here and there, and my nitpicks could make their own needlessly long post, but it's still really good

Go play it

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Is it wrong that I honestly view customers as being as much of the problem with media consumption and their generally awful behavior towards artists?

Because for all of the bleating and righteous anger against corporations, it sometimes feels immensely performative, and them basically exonerating themselves from any responsibility for anything that THEY might have done against artists. Being cruel and nasty, hypocritically talking about artistic freedom while bullying anything that doesn’t conform to their mob bias, tendency to treat media as a product instead of art depending on their erratic interests..

I’m gonna say it, the only real difference between customers and corporations is that the latter has a systemic power backing them up, but the former is filled with people completely blinded by their own desire to avoid culpability who have internalized absolutely nothing about the evils of the system they oppose or are part of, and thus act no differently the minute they even get the smallest hint of power.

Tyranny of the powerful vs Tyranny of the crowdfunded (at best) mob.

Oh absolutely. Fans bully actors and writers horribly when given the slightest excuse, and I do mean slightest, like Kelly Marie Tran for being Asian or Laura Bailey for voicing a villain or the 18 billion examples of harrassing writers for not shipping correctly. There's a reason the "Fan Dumb" article on TV Tropes got way too big for actual examples and had to resort to classifying each individual flavor of fans being horrible to creators and each other.

And of course, Die for Our Ship has no less than 25 fandoms with their own personal examples, and "Why Fandom Can't Have Nice Things" is a trivia trope for when fans got so toxic it impacted the stories themselves in some way.

[xdistorted-realityx]

Please, help Venezuela.

Nicolás Maduro's regime is murdering Venezuelans through paramilitary groups called collectives. The national police are kidnapping and disappearing people who were table witnesses in the presidential elections of July 28, because they do not want to accept their defeat. Since July 29, spontaneous protests have emerged throughout the country, and Maduro responds with bullets. In less than 72 hours, state security forces and government paramilitary groups have murdered dozens of young people, including minors, and injured hundreds of people. Please, we beg for international help. They are murdering us. This is no longer about left vs. right. This is freedom vs. tyranny. Democracy vs. dictatorship.

[y-rhywbeth2]

In a recent ask you mentioned that Lolth isn't a part of the Faerunian pantheon, she's a goddess of the Dark Seldarine.

How do the various pantheons interact? Do gods maintain relationships with deities from other pantheons at all? Only certain ones who influence their business on Toril? Tiamat didn't like the idea of sharing Tyranny, but dragons are kind of their own thing.

On inspection, by 3.5e Tiamat had successfully joined the Faerûnian pantheon (she came to Toril as part of the Untheric pantheon, and is also part of the draconic pantheon, although Toril's resident dragons got fed up with the gods over 10,000 years ago and pointedly ignore this fact.) While she is tyrannical, she doesn't hold the portfolio of tyranny in human or draconic aspect so there's not much clash with Bane per se*, although the concept is within her domain. Her doctrine espouses that she is a freedom fighter railing against the 'real' tyrants (other gods), so she's not a god of tyranny within the Untheric or Faerûnian pantheon even though she would be if she won. (She'd be god of everything if she won).

*Tiamat didn't get along with Xvim, so one assumes she and Bane are also rivals.

Pantheons are their own spheres of influence, and as a whole are divided along geographic/cultural lines, and as groups mostly ignore each other so long as the other doesn't intrude on their territory or start pinching their worshippers, at which point things start getting tense (pantheons - particularly the demihuman pantheons - get snippy when other gods start trying to lure their mortals into their clergy or worshipping them too much, and the Mulhorandi pantheon does not care overmuch for having to share areas like Unther with the encroaching Faerûnian pantheon due to the land having such a mixture faiths that neither pantheon can claim the area is 'theirs' (and the locals are sympathetic to Tiamat's cult despite her CE ways, because she's basically the last of their original pantheon left and railing against the foreign priesthoods in their lands).

When a pantheon loses too much ground - by worshipper count, or geographic territory, or too many deities destroyed, or whatever - Ao dissolves the pantheons and the survivors have to move into other pantheons, as with the Untheric pantheon, which used to have Tiamat, Bahamut and Hoar as members. Bahamut was once Marduk, but that aspect of his died early, and Hoar used to be known as Assuran.

But pantheons don't generally seem to fight, with exceptions where one pantheon's group historically threatens the others' (Seldarine vs Dark Seldarine, Orc Pantheon vs the Seldarine and the Morndinsamman, etc).

Minority groups take their gods with them into other pantheon's territory, but it doesn't generally affect the hold of the dominant pantheon in the area (which is the way gods like it)

The peace holds on the understanding that followers of other pantheons do not attempt to proselytise or build temples and otherwise take members of that pantheon's faiths away from them while in their territories.

Pantheons don't really seem have relationships with each other as a unit, it's more that individuals within them cultivate relationships with deities from other pantheons. By and large it seems inter-pantheon relationships are between the demihuman pantheons and the human pantheons, probably because the former don't have the worshipper numbers to hold geographic territory and they live within the latter's territory.

Pantheon membership isn't the be all and end all: While the Dark Seldarine is opposed by and to other pantheons like the Seldarine and the Morndinsamman, Eilistraee still has allies in those groups and is given exception by those allies in their opposition despite belonging to the Dark Seldarine.

Generally those with overlapping portfolios hang out. Hanali gets along with Sune and Sharindlar as other goddesses of love.

Due to the inherent magic of elves tying them to the Weave when they're on Toril, plus his position as elven god of magic, Corellon has a close working relationship with Mystra and her predecessors.

Sometimes the allyship is less because of overlapping portfolios and more to do with events and deals: Eilistraee and Mystra (the one before this one) became friends when Mystra helped Eilistraee save one of her priestesses as part of a deal to ensure the seventh Sister, Qilue Veladorn could be born.

And sometimes it's just making alliances because you both oppose some other dipshit in the political mess that is divinity.

Of course some of these deities are parts of more than one pantheon as a political middle ground:

Mielikki has an elven aspect known as Khalreshaar - the half-elven child of Hanali Celanil and Silvanus. Hlal, the dragon god of mischief, likewise has an elven aspect in Avachel. The gnome god Nebelun has kind of blurred together with/been displaced by Gond. Tymora is also part of the halfling pantheon, and sometimes they call her Shalamora and say she's actually always been a halfling goddess and Tymora the human goddess is just her playing a prank on them.

And then there are cases like Sharess, who is a fusion of the Mulhorandi goddess Bast and the elven goddess of hedonism and lust Zandilar the Dancer, born when Bast fused with Zandilar to save her from dying. Their fusion is of the Faerûnian pantheon, but these aspects are still worshipped in their original pantheons as they were.

Then there's the question of how many of these gods are aspects. During 4e it was decided that a lot of gods were actually just aspects of the Faerûnian pantheon: Sehanine Moonbow was Selûne's elven aspect, Yondalla was what the halflings knew Chauntea as. This is apparently how Ed Greenwood runs things in his own games, but in the larger scope of DnD may pose problems, because the Faerûnian pantheon is really tied to Toril and does not span the Planes and the demihuman pantheons often do. 3.5e on the other hand places the demihuman pantheons in the immigrant deity category rather than the native deity category Selûne and Chauntea belong to, so whatever I guess.

[venusianpulp]

Ancestral Karma Through Astrology

Lately, I have been wondering why I seem to always experience such heavy karma in situations that are unjust on my side. I examine my actions, recall any wrongdoings or lack of integrity, and evaluate intentions as best as I can, and every time, I come out on the other side feeling as if I have been accountable in all areas and most importantly, aboveboard.

Maybe this isn't just me, or that's the thought that prompted this; So I decided to look into ancestral karma and let me tell you... What I have found to be my personal inheritance of karma that I have been doomed with since birth, completely aligns with issues that go unfavorable for me in this lifetime.

I checked my 4th and 8th house placements, 12th house placements, saturn placement and harsh aspects, pluto placement and harsh aspects, as well as north node. Combining all of these was so incredibly helpful because now, I can actively address these issues if that is my choice, or I can severe chords with inherited karma, knowing exactly what it is I am healing or severing. I'll post a synopsis of what my ancestral karmic inheritances are and how I can go about healing them in case anyone would like a reading.

DM me, it's an $18.00 guide toward healing ancestral karma and will include a chord cutting ritual I have done thorough research on.

If you feel like life just constantly brings you tower moment after tower moment, yet you are living in your purpose, doing right by yourself and others, you may also have pent up karma that needs to be addressed in some capacity!

this is absolutely a form of self love and in perfect time for the full moon we are gearing up for!! this is also an 8 karmic year, universally, so if you take action, with intention, you are for sure likely to receive all the fruits of your labor x10!! I'm so excited for this full moon, who wants to join?!

Ancestral Lineage Signatures:

Jupiter in 12th House Libra - Foreign cultures, global connections, working across divides, issues around truth vs deception.

Moon in 8th House Taurus - Generational resilience, survivalist instincts, loyalty, and possessiveness.

4th House Capricorn/Aquarius Stellium - Legacy/dynasty builders focused on establishment of enduring structures.

Pluto in 2nd House Scorpio - Financial power struggles, regenerative capabilities around resources.

Inherited Psychic Gifts:

12th House Jupiter - Prophetic visions & dreams, spiritual attunement.

8th House Moon - Unconscious psychic absorption abilities.

Water Astrology Emphasis - Intuitive receptivity and emotional intelligence.

Sagittarius North Node - Exponential wisdom over lifetimes.

Karmic Patterns Needing Healing:

Hidden agendas and denial of truth - Jupiter lies

Addictions and avoidance of emotions - Moon

Control issues and power battles - Pluto square Saturn

Past life tyranny and lack of integrity - Pluto

Ancestral Lineage Signatures:

Occultists, healers, strategists and potent mystics rest in your genetics

Executives who forged dynastic outposts

Forces who worked unseen realms behind curtain

Wisest counselors occupying chambers of power

Those governing populous regions stamp your ancestral tree

Healing Directions:

Process pain through rituals and artistic expression

Practice brutal self-honesty

Establish healthy boundaries

Forgive self and predecessors through spiritual practices

Invoke freedom from contracts binding you to past errors

Step fully into destiny as a teacher, healer, guide

[darkmaga-returns]

Brace yourself: a tsunami approaches.

While we squabble over which side is winning this losing battle to lead the country, there is something being concocted in the dens of power, far beyond the public eye, and it doesn’t bode well for the future of this country.

Anytime you have an entire nation so mesmerized by the antics of the political ruling class that they are oblivious to all else, you’d better beware.

Anytime you have a government that operates in the shadows, speaks in a language of force, and rules by fiat, you’d better beware.

And anytime you have a government so far removed from its people as to ensure that they are never seen, heard or heeded by those elected to represent them, you’d better beware.

We’ve got to get our priorities straight if we are to ever have any hope of maintaining any sense of freedom in America.

As long as we allow ourselves to be distracted, diverted, occasionally outraged, always polarized and content to view each other—rather than the government—as the enemy, we’ll never manage to present a unified front against tyranny (or government corruption and ineptitude) in any form.

Mind you, by “government,” I’m not referring to the highly partisan, two-party bureaucracy of the Republicans and Democrats. Rather, I’m referring to “government” with a capital “G,” the entrenched Deep State that is unaffected by elections, unaltered by populist movements, and has set itself beyond the reach of the law.

This is the hidden face of a government that has no respect for the freedoms of its citizenry.

So, stop with all of the excuses and the hedging and the finger-pointing and the pissing contests to see which side can out-shout, out-blame and out-spew the other.

Enough already with the short- and long-term amnesia that allows political sycophants to conveniently forget the duplicity, complicity and mendacity of their own party while casting blame on everyone else.

This is how evil wins.

This is how freedom falls and tyranny rises.

This is how good, generally decent people—having allowed themselves to be distracted with manufactured crises, polarizing politics, and fighting that divides the populace into warring us vs. them camps—fail to take note of the looming danger that threatens to wipe freedom from the map and place us all in chains.

The world has been down this road before, as historian Milton Mayer recounts in his seminal book on Hitler’s rise to power, They Thought They Were Free.

We are at our most vulnerable right now.

[gch1995]

Luke should have killed Vader in ROTJ. He should have cut off Vader's hand then said "you betrayed your friends, the Jedi who raised you. You broke Obi-Wan's heart and caused him to live in exile. You killed my sister's family and killed my mother and my aunt and uncle. And now you're going to pay the price, Anakin." And then Luke kills him.

Luke absolutely would have had every right to despise Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker for all the atrocities he committed, enabled, and/or participated in against him, his adoptive guardians, his sister, Obi-Wan, the rest of the Jedi, and many others. I haven’t come across anyone in the Star Wars fandom who genuinely believes that Luke and Leia were in the wrong to have serious issues with their biological father’s atrocious attitudes, behaviors, and crimes. Not even those of us who are Anakin/Vader stans believe that his two children were somehow entitled to just blindly accept and forgiven him for every terrible thing he did to them and many others throughout the galaxy. Of course, they weren’t. Just because Anakin had a tragic backstory, constantly suffered under shitty circumstances of compromised agency under abusive, corrupt, and oppressive authority figures, felt guilt, and eventually felt inspired to at least partially atone for his sins by killing Palpatine to save his son’s life, it doesn’t mean that we think that invalidates all the loss, pain, and suffering he directly caused to both his children and many others throughout the galaxy by victimizing them as Darth VaderIt’s also true that he occasionally committed acts that he knew were wrong of his own volition. He also has occasionally committed crimes against some of his victims out of a personal desire for cathartic release, freedom, protection, and/or vengeance that he wasn’t pressured into doing by corrupt and oppressive authority figures. He occasionally made bad choices that he knew were wrong for himself.

Anakin became a horrendous villain, and, while the compromised agency and shitty circumstances that got him to that point in the first place aren’t his fault, it’s also true that he always retained enough rationality and conscience to know the core difference between right and wrong and feel guilt. Everyone in the fandom agrees that none of Anakin’s many victims were entitled to ever forgive him for his crimes against them throughout the galaxy. We just want it to be understood that it isn’t just his fault alone that he wound up becoming and remaining such a horrible villain.

That being said, committing murder or hurting someone for hatred and revenge vs hurting and killing in self-defense are two different things. While it is true that you are completely in your right to take a stand against abuse, crime, and oppression for freedom and protection, there’s also a line between doing what’s necessary to survive because there’s legitimately no other choice in the moment versus being willing to stoop to that adversary’s same level out of anger, hatred, fear, and revenge. In the prequels, we saw that Anakin went dark and struggled to come back because he fell into the same mindset as those who hurt him and those he loved of “Two wrongs make a right” and “I’ll coldly and indiscriminately commit and enable systematic abuse, crime, and tyranny as necessary ‘for the greater good’ if the authority figures, community, mentors, and politicians in these broken systems I serve tell me to because they don’t offer me much opportunity to feel adequately safe and supported standing up for what’s right within it in battle, anyway, since that would mean taking a risk to trust the other side.”

The feelings of anger, fear, and hatred from constant abuse, oppression, and trauma that never got fully resolved are justifiable on Anakin’s part. Palpatine, Watto, the Tusken Raiders, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Qui-Gonn Jinn, his other elders and mentors in the Jedi Order, and the Republic government he got recruited to serve before he could even have the opportunity to properly understand what he was being signed up for as a child definitely did both enable and/or perpetuate completely acts of systematic abuse, crime, elitism, oppression, and violence against him, his mother, his people, the clones, and their own recruits for their own benefit. Whether their intentions were pure or evil doesn’t matter. They caused a lot of harm and trauma.

It’s the horrendous actions that Anakin becomes willing to take in response to avoid having to deal with confronting those issues bravely, honestly, and honorably that are the problem. It’s not easy for him to do the right things, he has good reason to be angry, and you can make a valid point that many of the crimes he ends up enabling and perpetuating as an adult are things he learned from personal experience as a victim and witness of them from a young age.

Anakin is always at least partially oppressed by a corrupt authority figure. Palpatine pressure him to turn to the dark side by encouraging him to act vengefully to try to avoid and quash those feelings of anger, fear, and hatred that adversaries or potential threats trigger in him, rather than dealing with them. The Jedi he served under weren’t as harsh in their methods and intentions as the Sith. That “greater good” defense mechanism is something Anakin picked up from their teachings to justify doing terrible things out of fear of the unknown and pressure of corrupt authority. Their desire to have control to avoid the dark side and recklessness went into abusive territory multiple times throughout the OT and PT sagas because they became too afraid to actually take the risk to be the heroes for the galaxy they presented themselves as. They usually played the role of heroes in the old Jedi Order when they believed doing so benefitted their dictatorial military superpower organization’s ability to have total control in regards to all force-sensitive individuals and matters in the galaxy, their public reputation, their role as the Republic’s army, and their security. Otherwise, they ignored many of those in need, enabled, perpetuated whatever abuse of power and crime benefitted their “greater good.”

Nonetheless, as an adult Anakin became guilty of wrongdoings when he repeatedly decided to respond to all his anger, fear, and insecurities hypocritically by stooping to the same awful levels as his adversaries did with him and worse throughout his life. Thus, he actually res cycle of systematic abuse, crime, oppression, and vengeance continues with him because he decided to take the easier path of following it.

When Luke was in altercations with Darth Vader where there seemed to be no other way out, he would have been completely in his right to immediately end the duel by swiftly killing his father in self-defense when he had his light saber poised with the threat to kill him. Sure, by the end of ROTJ, we know Anakin’s heart wasn’t really in it to kill Luke for Sidious, if he refused to turn, but he was still threatening to. However, once Luke disarms Darth Vader/Anakin of his mechanical arm and lightsaber, he has the advantage over his father. The self-defense law can only be used when there is absolutely no other way to escape or survive under an adversary or threat in an active altercation. After disarming Vader, the immediacy principle of the self-defense argument is lost for Luke because he’s mitigated the threat of him. It could no longer be the justified as theonly thing he could do to survive because there was no other way to stop him in their altercation when .

What’s more, Luke doesn’t even attempt to kill him out of a sense of duty or protection at all at that point in ROTJ. Luke starts taking a needlessly cruel route by briefly choosing to start beating his disarmed father up with his fists out of feelings of anger and a desire for revenge when he gets the upper hand, which is why Sidious points out “Yes, yes, you’re becoming like him.”

While we’re never obligated to forgive, trust, or take back those who hurt us terribly in relationships, it is also true that most adults who grow up to be enablers and/or perpetrators of abuse, crime, and tyranny against other people had to have the influence(s) to be that way built up from within them over time in relationships with others, which often began throughout their childhoods or very young adulthoods. Hurting people will become increasingly willing to hurt others needlessly, as they have been hurt by others, if they repeatedly decide to deal with their anger, insecurities, and trauma under shitty circumstances and adversity by stooping to the same level as those who hurt them to try to maintain and take control back because it’s easier than taking a risk to do the right thing by being vulnerable.

Luke caught himself before it was too late when Palpatine pointed out he was “becoming like him,” but giving in to an desire for control, revenge, and/or security by stooping to the same level as those who hurt you when faced with the opportunity to do so because it’s easier than actually taking the risk to address those issues and face them bravely, honorably, and openly, is what creates very angry, broken, controlling, dangerous, hateful, and insecure abusers and criminals down the road. They see that it’s such an easy feat to commit acts of “necessary” abuse, crime, and revenge to immediately avoid and shut down anyone or anything that acts as an adversary or potential threat to themselves or those they care about, but they only gain a short-term sense of catharsis in the heat of the moment. In the long-term, though, their anger, depression, hatred, insecurities, and trauma hasn’t actually been resolved at all by their decisions to stoop to their adversaries levels to completely avoid, control, and/or destroy everyone and everything that causes those issues in the moment. Instead, they end up making things worse for others around them, and end up hating themselves more in the long run. Yet, they keep allowing for and doing terrible things that can/could allow them to avoid conflict in the short-term as the years go on because it becomes an addiction that keeps getting enabled by others in Star Wars until Luke comes along. It’s what happened to Anakin in the prequels. It’s what happened to the overall Jedi Order and Republic of the prequels with their increasingly obsessive and unhealthily “greater good” and “us versus them” mentality.

No one in the SW fandom on here has ever blamed Luke and Leia for having serious issues with their biological father’s many atrocities, regardless of his constantly tragic and shitty life circumstances. Aside from the fact that they see he’s Sidious’s attack/guard dog, for the most part, they never even witnessed all the abuse, loneliness, oppression, and trauma he experienced before he fell to the dark side. Even with that, though, the point is not that Luke and Leia are supposed to excuse Anakin for all of his crimes and wrongdoings because he is their biological father who they eventually learn suffered constant tragedy under lifelong shitty circumstances from which safely escaping was always compromised. The point of Luke ultimately choosing to stop angrily and vengefully beating Anakin/Vader to a bloody pulp before he can kill him after he gains the upper hand in their duel in ROTJ is about breaking the generational cycle in his predecessors of enabling and perpetuating rampant “necessary” systematic abuse, oppression, violence, and vengeance without much hesitation at all costs to gain short-term catharsis, peace, and security against any and all conflict or potential conflict, which actually led to greater conflict in the long-term instead because they all became too afraid to actually risk doing the right thing most of the time under pressure with shitty influences and limited to nonexistent healthy support options outside of these broken systems they grew up in and got recruited to serve under pressure until then.