#transformers primacy

[kryptonitecore]

Re-Read: Transformers: Primacy

Primacy is a bit of a disappointing way to end this trilogy, as I think it’s the weakest part - it continues some of the ideas of Autocracy and Monstrosity, but what really killed it for me was the characterisation. The challenges to Optimus’ character are rapidly eroded, but it’s Hot Rod/Rodimus and Megatron who are really in trouble.

Hot Rod shows up, having apparently completed Autobot training in the background, and is now completely and unambiguously in support of Optimus. Any skepticism regarding the Autobot cause and its connections to the old Senate have disappeared while he was off page, and his actively Decepticon-leaning sympathies have also disappeared right along with it. In fact, to prove that Hot Rod has moved on, there is a brief and mostly one-sided confrontation with Slinger, his friend and one of the few survivors of Nyon, who has recently joined the Decepticons. Rather than dig into this, the writer makes Slinger abruptly hostile and he disappears from the book until he can be brought back for a death scene where he confesses how wrong he was. (Slinger and Fasttrack can both join the ‘former friend to Decepticon to corpse’ club!). Facetiousness aside, I think the real issue was the feeling that this story wanted Hot Rod to be a different kind of character than Autocracy and Monstrosity had created - for example, pairing up Grimlock and Hot Rod as grizzled veteran and inexperienced, optimistic kid just does not work for me considering Hot Rod’s past as an insurgent, everything that happened to Nyon, etc. I just feel that once you’ve been forced to destroy an entire city, you may no longer qualify for ingenue roles.

Megatron is similarly a point of strange characterisation. Characters making mistakes is not necessarily a problem, but having a supposedly intelligent, strategic character who is intended to serve as a major villain repeatedly make daft choices? Less good, and it is especially not good when the behaviour of the character is described differently from what actually happens in the story. The writers continue to define Megatron’s version of villainy in terms of dominance and control, the implication (to me, at least) being that he is precise and focused in a way that other villains, like Scorponok, were not. However, Megatron’s actual behaviour and dialogue in the comic does not live up to that - he repeatedly takes massive risks or makes obvious tactical errors, relies on fear and blunt, brutal tactics, and can be quite self-indulgent. Although obviously mistakes and character flaws are fine, I think the writers settled for mistakes that were just too, too obvious in terms of tactics and created a bit of a clash between what they wanted Megatron to be and where the plot actually took the character.

First up, there is the decision to place Pentius’ spark inside of Trypticon. Megatron is aware that Pentius is actively malevolent, but seems to find no potential drawbacks to placing his spark inside the most powerful physical body available and only afterwards does he apparently think to ask ‘How am I to trust you?’. He is then shocked when the evil alien whom he had been able to control on Junkion because Pentius was literally a head on a chain, can suddenly be far more independent and dangerous when placed into a giant hell-dinosaur. Later things are smaller, but moments like Megatron only realising that acid rain would damage his air force as well as the Autobots’ halfway through a battle added to the impression that the writers were scrambling for a way to end the series quickly.

Optimus fares better. For example, his enjoyment of the mission to the pole has interesting implications for his tendency to isolate himself, but the flaws or challenges that gave him a lot of texture in Autocracy and Monstrosity have been shaved down - his main personal issue in this book seems to be a generalised sense of the pressure that comes with leadership. Compared to the Optimus of Monstrosity, this is a very smooth Optimus. Overall, the story seems more interested in propping up Optimus as the hero - Omega Supreme’s interactions with him spring to mind - but that comes at the cost of the specificity that previous books had given the character, which is a shame, as I think they helped me appreciate him more.

In fact, a lack of specificity is the cause of a lot of my problems with this book. The battles between Trypticon and Metroplex are so huge that it is difficult to really engage with them, they take place on a disaster movie scale, but named characters are in little danger and I wasn't attached enough to Iacon or Harmonex to really feel their destruction. Other threats are similarly poorly defined, like Pentius, and resolved through vague solutions, like Optimus showing Megatron the Matrix, which apparently removes or destroys Pentius' spark or its connection to Megatron for reasons that are sort of unclear.

There are still things to enjoy about this book and I fully intend to read it again at some point, but the plot holes and characterisation are glaring enough that it is definitely weaker than its predecessors.

Well, that was the last of the -acies series and I’m actually glad I read them, even if this last instalment didn’t do as much for me. Time to move on to Spotlight: Thundercracker!

[darkcybertron]

screamers from transformers: primacy (2014), art by livio ramondelli

[steelthroat]

I think Cybertronian atheism should work differently than ours like:

"It's not that primus doesn't exist, I just don't think of him as a god just because he's a creator and created me"

Like yk. He's there, he's a giant robot, he's the planet the Cybertronians inhabit... this doesn't have to mean something on a spiritual level for everyone.

Like i imagine the discourse in theology boards being like "when people say "oh look Primus created us all" okay but maybe we could do it too... WE ACTUALLY DO IT TOO DOES IT MAKE mechs in cold constructed factories GODS?"

Idk. Like i think that the fact that primus exists as a planet and giant Cybertronian/Cybertron is a hard one to miss, maybe there may be some skeptics sure, but few of them.

I think it would actually be interesting arguing about whether his will is something to keep in mind or not when talking about politics or society and that also bleeds into "primacy/no primacy" discourse.

And also i imagine there may be some Unicronian cults out there etcetera? Peopel arguing about his figure as a mythological or historical one? Hrrrrrrnnnn

[lets-try-some-writing]

SOTP, AI, and TMLOOP Optimi are wishing you lovely lot a fantastic Halloween!

Stay safe and hydrated!

[witchofthesouls]

Tbh Star Saber’s reaction is justified. Sentinel just claims this random bot as a bride (probably doesn’t even know their name too) I’d be miffed too if I was his protector. But what about said bot’s reaction? You wake up after passing out and suddenly your hitched, I’d be backing up Star Saber in the background as he yells at Sentinel.

(You're going to be busy trying to deal with alien biology to start yelling. If anything you're yelling at whatever drop-kicked you into this timeline that's the dumpster fire that makes up Bayverse.

Get ready for misunderstandings and failed negotiations:)

Consciousness doesn't gently trickle back. It kicks you in the teeth without any warning. One moment, darkness. The next moment, you're heaving up and accidentally slamming into something hard.

That something yelps.

While you have the grace of facial protection, Sentinel isn't as lucky. You still have a throbbing headache, though. It flares whenever there's the incomprehensible electronic noise of their native tongue is being spoken.

Your head pulses to an excruciating degree when suddenly it clicks. The noise becomes words.

And you don't like them.

"Look, it can't even speak. Let alone understand us." Star Saber - your HUD factually pings, rapidly scrolling all of his positions, achievements, strengths, and possible weaknesses - says like an absolute cunt.

"Oooooo. Cooon-tuh." The High Lord Protector sounds out the English your ass of a mouth that not even a supercomputer brain could leash have shot out. The Seeker is unamused, and you don't even resist the urge to stick your tongue out since you're wearing the visor and he can't see.

You have a vague sense that you're forgetting something important. The wisps of a strange dream linger in the periphery edges of your mind, but a hiccuping wail interrupts everything.

Nearby and attached to the berth (fanon terminology don't fail you now!) are the infants. You immediately pick up the crying one. The tiny face warps from the force of their distress. Something compels you to cradle it up to your chest, and they settle down to snuffly whistles.

Of course, the other one starts up when your hands are full.

Sentinel picks the second infant to maneuver them to you. You never expected this asshole to have gentle hands, but he does. At least for the babies.

"They're split-spark." He explains as both of them grab a hold of each other, whistling and chirping between a songbird and a hot kettle. "They have to remain close together until they're third in-star."

There's a moment of silence in the room, only interrupted by the newsparks' chirping babbling and fretful meeping.

"Not to be rude," you slowly test out the digital language, and Star Saber doesn't snort or move his expression, but he definitely disproves. Fucker. "But why am I here?"

"Yes, Prime," the Seeker knows how to turn a soft voice into an assassin's thread. "Why do we have such a guest here?"

The words he chose have so many insulting undertones and stresses that if you didn't have your arms full, you might as well slap him. High Lord Protector be damned.

He wants you far away, and you want to be farther than Star Saber could dream of.

Of course, neither you nor Star Saber gets those desires granted.

"You're here," Sentinel’s tone shifts. Formal. Very formal. A strange mix of anticipation and... duty? "In the privacy of my household and in the presence of my most trusted-" Star Saber's expression is set in stone and just as cold "-to declare our sparks together in front of Primus."

Unlike fanfics where Sam Witwicky has the Allspark to handily act as a translator, you only have the equivalent of a more sensible Google translate with all of the additional kinda-helpul-but-not-really dings of subharmonics and underlying glyphs to provide more context. It sounds like a marriage proposal, but the way Sentinel emphasized it is more akin to a 'Guardian seek out an equal partnership in a (business) venture.'

Thanks, Google. Great help as always. Never change.

Unless you've taken over the body of a noble with capital to buy out galaxies or some sort of daring pirate/elite assassin with that ghostly possession of hidden skills, you have no idea why he's asking you for this kind of proposition.

You need to bite the bullet because you don't know what you're walking into, and maybe you can jump out another window and speed away.

You start searching the lexicon for the right words. Hopefully.

_____________

Even with the visor eclipsing your face, you're refreshingly honest and it's something Sentinel profoundly misses ever since he's been taken from the Guiding Hand's Towers.

And right now, they know your possible intention to jump again beneath the tangle of confusion and worry.

The windows here are reinforced and capable of withstanding artillery blasts and extreme heat resistance as well.

:: The foundlings are completely attached to this one. :: Hard and unforgiving Star Saber may be, but there are a few things that soften the mech. It may be the Seekerkin-coding in him that invokes protective feelings towards the very young.

You and the newsparks have sealed a guardian/parental bond. They can't separate them from you. The strain will most likely kill them, and possibly you with your recent recklessness. You may have a powerfully dense spark -a hallmark of mecha with Primal heritage- but you're still young, barely past the ninth in-star, and still developing towards an adult frame.

Ratchet had been torn between absolute fury and begrudgingly impressed by the one that had done your frame-schematics. It's a remarkable mix of stealth modifications, hidden components, and security. Your systems had literally chewed up suppression codes and medical overrides and spat them out.

Either you have a creator that's a fiend of a weaponsmith or you have ties to the legendary War-Forged, too. Unbelievable, but no one expected any frames out in the Wastelands to be blessed by Primus, and yet here they are with not one, but two individuals.

And Sentinel is asking the mechling for a formal courtship with the intention of bonding.

"Are you-" you speak carefully, testing out the glyphs, and he wonders what kind of dialect the Wilders speak "-asking me to bond with you?"

The phrase makes logical sense. However, Sentinel can't help but choke at the subglyphs you used. Instead of 'unity of wedlock between two parties,' you attached something akin to sponsoring a courtesan for an exclusive relationship. An explicitly sexual one.

Star Saber doesn't budge. The Seeker's body langauge is impeccable and beyond reproach to stand as a witness to this mess, but Sentinel feels the icy talons of their shared bond flare to a vicious burning grip.

:: If you say any sort of agreement to that poorly worded question, Sentinel Prime. :: Star Saber's terrible words cut into Sentinel's spark. :: I will personally make the rest of your limited time on this planet a new level of Unicron's Pits. ::

Sentinel had to lock his joints to keep himself upright and not sprawled on the floor. After a long moment, he manages to grapple with the bond to sear away Star Saber's influence. :: I wasn't! ::

Slag all those that deify their partnership as the original split-sparks Prima and Megatronus, it's a slaggen mockery of a marital bond.

Sentinel gathers every scrap of his intentions to make it work with the newly found Primal-descended and throws it at Star Saber's end. It's still a raw wound. He finds it deeply discomforting to be intimately tied to the Seeker upon the confirmed demise of an unmoored Zeta Prime. Just barely after the Temple's blessings to establish suitable compatibility as a Prime and a new Protector.

(If Sentinel thinks too much about it, he will scream until he burns out and -)

Star Saber quirks a plate at his efforts and releases the onslaught. :: Look at that. Perhaps there's a warrior underneath that softness, librarian. Correct your Intended before the Wilder escapes with the newsparks. ::

During their internal spat, you pressed your back against the wall, plating closed to minimize noise. You've silenced your biosignature as well. Even the foundlings are silent -a natural defense that's driven by terror of the sudden tensions and your own reaction.

Fan-fragging-tastic.

[serotoninisheldinkiwis]

tf:one au where the spirits of the primes can walk around in the real world and they don't use that ability bc to be frank it's really depressing- at least until they find a red and blue mech with a spark of destiny in his chassis. and now they're following him around and oh primus is this what parenthood feels like. is this how it feels to be a carrier/sire how does anyone do this ORION STOP PUTTING THE ROCK IN YOUR MOUTH. they're also his biggest cheerleaders ofc

[jay-birbs-can-draw]

Sooo the ‘great idea’ I told you guys about didn’t actually work out but I did end up with a bunch of drawing for Servant of the Primacy so eat up

Why is the fire green you ask? Because Cybertron is made of metal and copper burns green. Also it looks cooler.

[primal-con]

More ponies!

[enby-rodimus]

What will always kill me whenever I think about the IDW1 continuity is the potential of Autocracy!Hot Rod and how better writing for him (honestly, just better writing in general) could have made Autocracy and Primacy infinitely better. Because the idea of Rodimus being much older than he previously was portrayed as, a destitute insurgent, and someone who has so much blood on his hands not by choice but to spare his home and people of the pain that Zeta promised to inflict is so fascinating. He's neutral but more sympathetic to the Decepticons because of their aligned cause and beliefs. He and others are making deals with Swindle for access to resources to fight back and it seems like Nyon had a pretty good relationship with the movement itself prior to the events of Autocracy.

It's interesting because despite all this, Hot Rod hasnt' joined the war on the side of the Decepticons because he's focused on helping his home and community first. And in a story that's tackling the early days of the war, that is an amazing concept to introduce and explore further.

And yet it's squandered in favor of trying to adhere immediately to a four million year old status quo in the early days of the war. The early days when the Decepticons were still fighting back against a violent functionist government, which the Autobots worked for as a police/security force.

This is frustrating because they showcase Autobot crimes with Autocracy, revealing how they've been draining citizens of Nyon dry of their precious energon and in fact is not only limited to this city. It's happening all over Cybertron. Hot Rod is taking a gamble by exposing himself to Orion and his team to show the truth, something incredibly risky because Orion is still siding fiercely with the Autobots despite being confronted by Megatron with the truth and Hot Rod is a wanted domestic terrorist. Zeta wanted to make an example of him and it wouldn't have been pretty, likely in the lines of what was done to Shockwave or worse. He knew this and still risked it because he hoped that Orion had a shred of, for lack of a better word, humanity in him. But it was too late for Nyon. And they speedrun the social progression of the war to have Hot Rod immediately wary of the Decepticons, like the insurgents hadn't been making deals with them earlier.

Further into the trilogy, Primacy shows Hot Rod having graduated from the Autobot Academy after the events of Autocracy. Allow me to reiterate. Autocracy where the Autobots had been slowly killing the people of Nyon and is stated to have NUMEROUS facilities across Cybertron harvesting energon from people directly hooked up to the tanks. And they never do anything about it. Hot Rod apparently having gotten over that the faction he just joined has so much blood on their hands and was complicit in numerous crimes. Crimes he's a witness to.

To add to it, Slinger, an old friend of Hot Rod and member of the insurgency returns as a Decepticon and this is the first sign we see of the conflict of Hot Rod being a survivor of Nyon's destruction and yet a member of the faction that made it happen. Not much is done by it either because the writers were so focused on making the Autobots look like the actual good guys and the Decepticons the bad guys they killed Slinger off with his quick change of heart and forgot the explicit information they gave to us, the readers.

Hot Rod is destitute. He's an insurgent. The Autobots were committing horrific crimes in the name of their cause, draining innocents of their energon during an active energon crisis. All this to crush the Decepticons who were fighting back against their corrupt government. Hot Rod was actively fighting back with the resources given to them by the Decepticons. He's a victim of the Autobots. Enforcers helped round all these people up into the tanks to die. Optimus assumed his new position as Prime and never really did anything to fully dismantle the system because its sentiment is still alive 4 million years later.

Yet Hot Rod is there, as if nothing had ever happened.

The only reasoning we get is somehow the Decepticons are worse. As if the Autobots hadn't committed bigger crimes he was witness to or understood what made them. It's so frustrating because with his origins, it should've taken longer for him to fall in with the Autobots or an outside force forcing him in with them.

Because you don't forget or forgive an institution that ruined yours and others lives, that murdered them for daring to take a stand against them.

[solardrink]

My mind controlled optimus au …

[antenanotaic3]

IDW Rodimus be like

[thecatundertheladder]

Post Transformers One in an Ideal World:

Optimus: Fuck the primacy.

Megatron: But you are the primacy.

Optimus: Exactly come here.

[steelthroat]

The conflict between ethics and aesthetics when thinking about making anything Optimus Prime-related is gonna crush me one day.

[lets-try-some-writing]

For Secret of the Primacy: I don't know if anyone else has asked this, but does Optimus accept Megatron's request? If he does, how to the other Decepticons and Autobots react? If he doesn't, what is Megatron's reaction? Does Optimus take his time to answer?

(Feel free to delete this if someone has already asked/requested something like this.)

Ah yes, an excuse to write for this au. Fantastic.

Previous part here.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

Megatron's offer was a... delicate thing for Optimus to consider. Megatron was his life long foe. Adhering to his request and coming to the Nemesis was akin to stepping into a burning building and praying to any watching higher power that a beam didn't drop on his helm and kill him. But failure to comply was not only an emotional risk, but also a lost opportunity. If he went with Megatron, he would potentially gain access to Decepticon data as well as information regarding his Sire. It was a win for him, and yet it left him suspicious. What did Megatron want?

Out under the stars, Optimus considered in silence until he decided to simply ask.

Optimus: What do you desire from me in return.

Megatron: As I already said, I wish to know more of your origin.

Optimus: You know everything of relevance. What is it you truly seek?

Megatron: Confirmation, or perhaps closure. I am not unfeeling, Prime.

Optimus hesitated, his logical processors left running through countless scenarios as he contemplated. This could end horribly very very quickly. And yet... the offer of information and the chance before him could not be overlooked. Megatron would have killed him already if that was what he wanted. The warlord was looking to gain something from their interactions, and Optimus highly doubted keeping him as a hostage was the full plan. He was, at his core, replaceable. Not to mention if need be, he could still do severe damage to the Nemesis before being brought down.

It was a logical and relatively sound offer. Thus, Optimus requested a day to prepare, and they went their separate ways with a place and a time to meet. Optimus returned to his team and informed them that he would be going on a week long scouting mission and due to the distance, would largely be out of contact. Ratchet wasn't pleased, Arcee wasn't either. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were confused more than anything. But none present wanted to deny Optimus what they assumed was a poor attempt to ask for some alone time. To them, there was no other mech who could use a break more than their Prime.

Ratchet prepared Optimus some rations and requested an update daily. Arcee slipped Optimus a hidden blade to keep in his arm guard in the event that something happened. Bulkhead patted Optimus on the back and wished him well, and Bumblebee gave his Sire a hug. It was a simple but heartfelt farewell for what the team assumed was a simple trip. Guilt plagued Optimus's mind as he elected to not tell them of his plans. They would never allow him to leave, at least not with Megatron. This he needed to do alone. It was dangerous, but in the worst case scenario, he could always call for a ground bridge, or even fight his way out. He'd been on the Nemesis before, and he could hold his own for a limited amount of time against the Decepticons. Megatron was a mech of honor when he felt like it.

It was risky, but there was much to be gained... at least, that was his hope.

He made his way to the designated meeting point even though he knew the team would worry the moment they saw his signature moving far faster than it should have. Once he was at the meeting place, Megatron emerged from a ground bridge and beckoned him to follow with a smile. It was unnerving and Optimus quietly readied his hidden blade just in case things fell apart. However, after venting deeply, he followed Megatron through the portal with only a quick message back to Ratchet.

[[If this doesn't work, I hope you will forgive me. I want to know the truth, and if all goes well, I will gather other vital information as well. Thank you for everything Ratchet. I pray that I will return to you soon.]]

With his message sent, Optimus followed his enemy and stepped aboard the Nemesis. Unease rattled his spark as Megatron smiled and led the way to the Command deck. Optimus did not know what he should have expected, but a vial of sedatives to the neck was not on his list of potential outcomes. He wheezed and his vision blurred, but before he lost consciousness, Arcee's gifted blade found its mark, slashing across Megatron's face even as Optimus was forced into recharge.

When he returned to consciousness, he was strapped down on an examination table and a series of cables connected to his processors through ports normally well hidden. He was too sluggish to move and his whole frame ached. All he was able to do was listen as Megatron began to make plans with Shockwave and Knockout.

Megatron: Does he possess the correct coding?

Knockout: Surprisingly, yes. Despite his physical age and maturity, his coding has not completed its development. He could still theoretically be moved from one frame to another-

Megatron: Excellent. Get that relic out of him and prepare to transfer his spark to a protoform. Ensure the protoform in question is adequately adjusted.

Knockout: My Lord, I will gladly obey, but you must realize that tampering with the relic is highly dangerous! Not to mention moving him to a new frame could cause incredible stress-!

Megatron: What are the issues that concern you, Doctor?

Knockout: The Matrix is tied to him. Trying to remove it could kill him! If you want him dead then by all means go forward with this plan, but if you want a live Prime, he needs that relic at least until I can create a stabilizer to replace it.

Megatron: Very well. Leave the relic until there is a way to remove it. Anything else?

Knockout: He may have the correct coding, but putting him in a protoform is just asking for all sorts of mutations. He needs a stabilizing element, a CNA contribution of some sort considering there are no hot spots for him to go roll in.

Megatron: Then find someone aboard the Nemesis. I want him and that relic dealt with before the cycle's end!

Optimus watched in horror as Megatron grinned down at him. Knockout simply sighed and raised a blade with a murmur about not wanting to damage such a fine frame.

Optimus Prime finally came to fully understand just what his Sire endured as he was picked to pieces for a purpose he did not know. Memory faded in and out as the Doctor worked, but all the while Optimus recalled searching for Ratchet, desperately hoping the mech who treated him so tenderly would come save him. His attempts to call to the team were fruitless, and in his moments of awareness, he noted Knockout had removed his tracker or otherwise blocked the team's ability to find him. He was stranded and alone.

What a foolish decision it was to come to the Nemesis. He regretted it more with every moment and only found himself aware enough to actually process data once more when he came online in a far smaller frame. He was without many features, his new body not yet adjusted to his CNA. The Matrix wrapped around him almost like a ribcage in order to fit his small form. But aside from a few familiar features such as his finials, he also noted a few smaller adjustments, namely the duel datacables that he sensed distantly on his back.

He could not speak, he could not act. Alone and weakened, all he could do was go limp when Soundwave and Megatron came to look him over.

"He has accepted your CNA well. Take care of him Soundwave. Orion's sparkling should be preserved at all costs. I refuse to allow his memory to fade."

Soundwave collected Optimus and carried him as if he weighed nothing. Optimus, having endured his forced reformat, merely groaned. Of course, Megatron was not to be trusted. What a fool he was to even believe in a vague concept of honor. Megatron was always obsessed with his Sire. Was it really a surprise that he would try to claim what little remained of Orion Pax? He was lucky to be alive...

Soundwave took him away, and before Optimus knew it, a new schedule formed for him. He did not fully understand, but the warlord, seemingly drunk on whatever the dark energon did to him, had fully devoted himself to preserving that which remained of Orion. Megatron held no love for him. Instead, the Decepticon instructed Soundwave to tend to Optimus. That tending came... with adjustments. Every cycle he was trained in the craft of the spymaster and dutifully educated in the ways of the original Decepticon creed. Soundwave was not loving or affectionate, but he was a devoted teacher.

Cycle in and cycle out, Optimus obeyed. He couldn't fight, not when his very frame seemed so frail. He could not trust his limbs, nor could he trust his mind without wondering if his thoughts were influenced by the Matrix or Soundwave's teaching. He'd fallen for Megatron's trap, and now he remained until the warlord grew tired of him. He could only hope his team were safe and that they could continue the fight without his aid.

Locked on the Nemesis in a frame not his own, Optimus learned. And given time, he learned one important skill.

He learned to bide his time and scheme.

[metamatar]

i have a question and sorry if it sounds incoherent. why is it so important to marxists to distinguish that marxism is not “moral” or “ideological”? i understand that marxism is grounded in historical materialism and that it aims to understand how existing structures and institutions function with the specific goal of abolishing them in favour of a marxist state, but when it comes to understanding how to move forward past capitalism, how can MLs claim that it’s entirely objective and scientific? isnt the fundamental purpose of marxism (abolishing the oppressor class and putting the proletariat in power) a subjective one, given that it to support that you need to believe that abolishing the oppressor class is desirable in the first place? how would ML “scientifically” help people decide where the line is drawn on subjects like the death penalty and incarceration if its committed by a communist party (given that the decision that the cost of killing/imprisoning people is worth the boon it would give in establishing a communist state is still based on subjective goals?)

i don't think modern marxists should claim they're not ideological. im sure some do, but imo the correct claim is marxism is not idealist. i think some of this confusion comes from a popperian view of science as "neutral" or "objective" outside of time. how the political economy affects the propagation of ideology and the process of science as practiced in reality is very standard marxist analysis now. some of the claim to objectivity is something that most people claim belongs to their favourite philosophical project see the rawlsian veil of ignorance in liberalism. marx is also writing in a world where theological and religious reasoning have a lot of primacy in philosophy and he is drawing a clean break from that by hewing to scientific characterisation of his methods.

idealism, in the kantian sense is a philosophy that argues that our ideals (about say, fairness, justice etc) inform how we organise society. marxism, as philosophical project develops in response to kant and hegel to argue that the political economic base, ie the productive relations of society actually inform superstructure of ideals. to quote marx in the preface to critique of political economy: "it is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness."

for clarity's sake the idea that changes in the mode of production (mostly due to technology) transform the relations of production which is the main driving force of history is historical materialism. the analysis of why existing structures and institutions must be abolished therefore has to be grounded in analysis where such structures are considered variously – unstable, internally contradictory etc. if you view historical materialism as true, your theory of change cannot be that you'll change the world because it is unfair (an idea.) you can view the world as unfair as a marxist and talk about it to propagate the necessity of your project but that doesn't actually give you a blueprint on how to change it.

capitalists are oppressors, but marxism doesn't view the problem in their oppressive or evil natures. capitalist economies demand even the most moral capitalist to exploit the proletariat. but! it is desirable to abolish there class relations not merely because they are unfair and exploitative but because these class relationships cause workers to develop class consciousness, recognise their power and abolish capitalism.

on your specific example, i don't think marxism can or should claim their are no moral dilemmas. historical materialism doesn't assert that there are no conflicting understandings of history. walter benjamin's theses on the philosophy of history is imo good reading here.

so i dont think your concern about why it's important for marxists to believe this makes sense, because this is what marxism is. if you don't find this convincing, you're not a marxist. you could be an anarchist, or a social democrat or a radical liberal.

[witchofthesouls]

The image of the false prophet haunts us all

OHHHHHHHHHH, what a title!

One, TFP canon compliant exploration of Alpha Trion and why he kept himself buried in the Archives - the reasons and motivatiors as he's the last of the Guiding Hand with Prima's death and Alchemist's disappearance along with his Primal Artifact that allows him glimpses of the future and the multiverse. He tried calling on Vector, and his brother only sent him the very insignia that would come to represent the Autobots.

Two, Bayverse fic that focuses on Sentinel Prime's ascension to a new Prime and what drove him to become the mech in the films. After the death of Zeta, his own position became unstable with only Star Saber as his Lord Protector. The foundlings that would eventually become Optimus and Megatron had sparked hope, but a nearly successful assassination attempt had gotten him. Only Star Saber sacrificed himself to ensure the Sentinel's spark didn't gutter out. The catch: Star Saber and Sentinel had melded together, and the zealot that left a huge imprint of what a Prime was meant to be. And it cements canon events. Any personality changes were thought to be a trauma response as, once again, Sentinel Prime stood alone.

Three, TFP fic that focuses on Soundwave in the Shadowzone. Delves deep into the life of the gladiatorial clades and the motivations that drove him to serve faithfully to Megatron. He talks to the 'ghosts' of Ravage, Frenzy and Rumble, and a few other mecha that shaped his outlook in his youth.

Four, is a messy crossover between TFP and One. (Messy because I haven't seen the film, but my boy Megatonus Prime didn't Fall?! Oh, I'm interested!) Specifically, Other!TFP AUs were a cyberized June Darby who ascended to the Primacy as Nemesis Prime because of the Fallen (like directly taking his mantle in burn your sins and wash away your virtues or as a direct descendant) had summoned into Transformers One verse. Go forth, Juno Nemesis, and execute Sentinel and devour the Quintessons! Get yourself a bladed staff!