Difference between revisions of "Babylon 5"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
(→Relevance: Clark's takeover arc) |
(→Relevance: link to new Centauri sneak attacks page) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
==Relevance== | ==Relevance== | ||
| − | Certain subplots of Babylon 5 are excellent illustrations of various ethical | + | Certain subplots of Babylon 5 are excellent illustrations of various ethical and political scenarios: |
* The [[Night Watch]] story arc illustrates some of the tools used to create [[power structure]]s – such as [[arbitrary requirement]]s, [[gradually increasing requirements]], [[sugar coating]], and [[asymmetric entry-exit]]. | * The [[Night Watch]] story arc illustrates some of the tools used to create [[power structure]]s – such as [[arbitrary requirement]]s, [[gradually increasing requirements]], [[sugar coating]], and [[asymmetric entry-exit]]. | ||
* The [[Morden and his associates]] story arc shows how subtle influence from a malign third party, backed with carefully-planned displays of force, can both raise an insignificant figure to power while at the same time causing him to make disastrous decisions with the best of intentions. | * The [[Morden and his associates]] story arc shows how subtle influence from a malign third party, backed with carefully-planned displays of force, can both raise an insignificant figure to power while at the same time causing him to make disastrous decisions with the best of intentions. | ||
* The story arc about President Clark's takeover of Earthgov -- disbanding the Earth Senate, placing military troops in charge of all the Earth's major cities, crushing open opposition, seizing control of the news media (which he then uses as a propaganda machine), revoking the freedoms of speech, the press, and free elections -- and subsequent military action to remove him from power (including the terrible choice faced by many military at the highest level: whether to obey direct orders, or obey their oaths to defend the Constitution) -- have many uncanny parallels with the present (2007) situation involving the [[Bush II administration]]'s increasing [[Bush's elevation of presidential power|disregard]] for the Constitution and the legal process. | * The story arc about President Clark's takeover of Earthgov -- disbanding the Earth Senate, placing military troops in charge of all the Earth's major cities, crushing open opposition, seizing control of the news media (which he then uses as a propaganda machine), revoking the freedoms of speech, the press, and free elections -- and subsequent military action to remove him from power (including the terrible choice faced by many military at the highest level: whether to obey direct orders, or obey their oaths to defend the Constitution) -- have many uncanny parallels with the present (2007) situation involving the [[Bush II administration]]'s increasing [[Bush's elevation of presidential power|disregard]] for the Constitution and the legal process. | ||
| + | * The [[Centauri sneak attacks]] story arc offers a possible explanation (paranoid as it may be) for why a leader would start unprovoked wars on multiple fronts. | ||
==Reference== | ==Reference== | ||
* {{wikipedia|Babylon 5}} | * {{wikipedia|Babylon 5}} | ||
Latest revision as of 15:32, 22 June 2008
Overview
Babylon 5 was a science-fiction TV series in the late 1990s. It was unusual in that the plot of the entire 5-year series was worked out in advance, with each story advancing the plot in some way (sometimes minor, sometimes major). Through this device, the series creator was able to tell a much more complex story than would normally fit even into a feature-length movie.
|
This page is a seed article. You can help Issuepedia water it: make a request to expand a given page and/or donate to help give us more writing-hours!
|
Relevance
Certain subplots of Babylon 5 are excellent illustrations of various ethical and political scenarios:
- The Night Watch story arc illustrates some of the tools used to create power structures – such as arbitrary requirements, gradually increasing requirements, sugar coating, and asymmetric entry-exit.
- The Morden and his associates story arc shows how subtle influence from a malign third party, backed with carefully-planned displays of force, can both raise an insignificant figure to power while at the same time causing him to make disastrous decisions with the best of intentions.
- The story arc about President Clark's takeover of Earthgov -- disbanding the Earth Senate, placing military troops in charge of all the Earth's major cities, crushing open opposition, seizing control of the news media (which he then uses as a propaganda machine), revoking the freedoms of speech, the press, and free elections -- and subsequent military action to remove him from power (including the terrible choice faced by many military at the highest level: whether to obey direct orders, or obey their oaths to defend the Constitution) -- have many uncanny parallels with the present (2007) situation involving the Bush II administration's increasing disregard for the Constitution and the legal process.
- The Centauri sneak attacks story arc offers a possible explanation (paranoid as it may be) for why a leader would start unprovoked wars on multiple fronts.