Comments on: Annotated 48-1

By: Abnaxis

Abnaxis — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 03:54:16 +0000

I think the point Rolan7 was trying to make is that monarchies produce bad people as rulers eventually. Power corrupts, etc, etc.

That’s all kind of overlooking the fact that until Iwatani Sr. executed his coup Gastonia was not a monarchy, but rather an oligarchy. In fact, I don’t even think Iwatani Sr. had finished consolidating his power to the point where Iwatania can actually carry on as a monarchy before Taro murdered him. If Iwatania actually managed to win the war, Taro would probably be murdered in his sleep within a week as soon as their common enemy was gone.

By: Andreas

Andreas — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 06:14:21 +0000

I don’t follow.
Yes, monarchies tend to spectacularly fail whenever a particularly psychopathic heir comes along.
But that does sort of hing on Taro being, in fact and deed, bad.
He’s a bad person, and will likely never learn.

By: Rolan7

Rolan7 — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 22:48:33 +0000

A grim classic!

By: Rolan7

Rolan7 — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 22:46:55 +0000

I meant to add: The takeaway for me is not that *Taro* is bad, but that despotic monarchies are. In some ways the timeline is accelerated here, but Gastonia was doomed to such tyranny sooner or later. It was just a question of how many generations it would take. Perhaps Taro’s deadly impulsiveness saved lives in the long run by collapsing the Gastonian Empire. (the former oligarchy was deeply unjust, but the Iwatani Empire likely would have been much worse, even under Taro’s father)

By: Rolan7

Rolan7 — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 22:40:14 +0000

I interpret it as Taro being underdeveloped – just too young. With more time and attention from his father, I’m sure he would have matured into another charming, diplomatic backstabber. A long-term plotter. He’s still a horrid little monster, but philosophically I wouldn’t “try him as an adult”. Of course, trial is not on the table here – tragically he must be stopped, as he says, “with force”.