Tales from the Dawn #4: "A Question of Death" (Jullus)

[SentioftheHoukai]

This is not quite true.





While it is true that early on its history, the Garlean Republic was victim to raids by other tribes, it appears that in a number of decades, they were able to rally with the help of espionage and mercanaries to be minor nation, weak compared to thier neighbors, but still a firmly established sovereign state. For a period of over 500 years, which even by Eorzean reckoning, must be a pretty long time.

The idea that the Garleans are history's victims, forever doomed to be enslaved and subjugated by stronger nations (and therefore, we must become strong and subjugate those barbarians first) is not historical fact. It is a narrative that draws on disparate facts about conflicts that happened centuries ago, in order to tell a founding story about the Garlean Empire that justifies xenophobia and paranoia. Much like how real life fascist movements have foundational narratives about barbarians at the gates, ready to destroy thier pure civilization at any moment.

I don't know how many times I'll need to state that so long as you continue to overlook the crimes of the city-states, and the good guy factions up to and including Venat it doesn't matter how many times you call every Ancient ever psychopathic murderers or the Garlean children inevitable proto-Fuhrers. But, at least for tonight I think I'm content to stop trying.

I will never take any of these lazy, half-arsed Fascism! accusations seriously when so many on here are under the delusion that none of the main cast or their allies have ever wronged anyone, or if they did that it's justified. Perhaps when this forum does change, I will finally overlook the fact you all seem damn well near stone-sturdy convinced that some of us are secretly scheming to get Square to prepare for the Rising of the Eternal Garlemald Empire, mk. II. We are not the ones with the nefarious agenda here, of that I can assure you even if I'm certain my words will yet go unheeded. As ever.

I don't know when caring for defenseless innocents became such a sin, but I do know it needs to cease.