I just have to question why people defending the empire respond with only individual exceptions, and expect them to hold the weight of all the atrocities committed by the Garlean empire over the years. What does it matter that there are sympathetic people like Gaius, Regula, and that guy from Ala Ghiri when the Garlean Empire has razed cities, enslaved nations & otherwise been an absolute plague on the star?

Do they believe their actions are justified? I'm sure they do. And doubtless there will be some part of the population of Garlemald that disagree with the Empire's actions; but until we get to Garlemald & have first hand experience with it that is completely moot.

And to equate the injustices that occur in Eorzea to those wrought by Garlemald is something I find very confusing. That the city states have problems of their own is without doubt, and that Limsa's treatment of the beast tribes hasn't been addressed since 2.2 is something that really irritates me. But having certain wronged factions in Eorzea does not compare having to entire 'countries' be subjugated and be forced to bend to the Empire's self interested whims.