Comment on Marauder Shields 42: Without Remorse by koobismo
I can certainly believe this is what TIM and the rest of Cerberus tell themselves.
The ends justify the means.
We do what others are afraid to do.
We do what needs to be done.
We make the hard decisions.
Its all a bunch of self-indulgent crap.
People are more than capable of lying to themselves. We do it all the time.
People rarely think of themselves as the badguy. People find a way to justify their actions that makes what they are doing to be not as bad as others think, and maybe even make them the hero.
Looking through history, people who have done horrible things usually claim what they are doing is right and just, at least from a certain perspective. Terrorists are fighting for their people against evil oppressors using the only means they have. Tyrants 'know what is best' for the people. Conquerors are doing it for their nation, maybe even bringing civilization to barbarians. Genocide is removing an evil enemy of their people. Rapists say 'she wanted it' or 'she deserved it'. Greed is justified by the belief that they deserve it - no matter how they get it. And so, and so.
And the claim about the 'hard decisions' is the biggest load of crap at all.
Making a decision that gets what you want through killing a bunch of innocent people isn't hard. No, that's the EASY decision. You get what you want, you're not the one dying or losing loved ones, and you can still look at yourself in the mirror because you are 'making the hard decisions', in fact you're the hero for 'taking this on'.
Horse pucky..
Figuring out how to do it without killing a bunch of innocent people, that's hard.
The ends justify the means.
We do what others are afraid to do.
We do what needs to be done.
We make the hard decisions.
Its all a bunch of self-indulgent crap.
People are more than capable of lying to themselves. We do it all the time.
People rarely think of themselves as the badguy. People find a way to justify their actions that makes what they are doing to be not as bad as others think, and maybe even make them the hero.
Looking through history, people who have done horrible things usually claim what they are doing is right and just, at least from a certain perspective. Terrorists are fighting for their people against evil oppressors using the only means they have. Tyrants 'know what is best' for the people. Conquerors are doing it for their nation, maybe even bringing civilization to barbarians. Genocide is removing an evil enemy of their people. Rapists say 'she wanted it' or 'she deserved it'. Greed is justified by the belief that they deserve it - no matter how they get it. And so, and so.
And the claim about the 'hard decisions' is the biggest load of crap at all.
Making a decision that gets what you want through killing a bunch of innocent people isn't hard. No, that's the EASY decision. You get what you want, you're not the one dying or losing loved ones, and you can still look at yourself in the mirror because you are 'making the hard decisions', in fact you're the hero for 'taking this on'.
Horse pucky..
Figuring out how to do it without killing a bunch of innocent people, that's hard.
Well, it certainly makes for a more interesting look at Cerberus. I personally never bought their story (outside the Cerberus members serving on the Normandy) in any of the games, so when they turned out to be evil again in 3, I wasn't as angry as a lot of other people. Unsurprised may not have been the best reaction for Bioware to evoke, but it didn't break my suspension of disbelief.
That being said, this really does make for an intriguing take on Cerberus, not just for 3, but for the entire preceding events. Even if one can recognize that TIM and Co.(TM) are still in the wrong, one can still understand WHY they are the way they are, as well as see how they were pragmatic enough to stay around for all this time. It also provides for an interesting foil to Shepard (assuming a player's Shepard was Paragon or Paragade). While Cerberus aims for results regardless of cost, ParaShep aims for results with minimal cost.
In short, props to Koobismo and the rest of the team for shaking up the general perception of Cerberus, or at least mine. I await the next upload eagerly.
That being said, this really does make for an intriguing take on Cerberus, not just for 3, but for the entire preceding events. Even if one can recognize that TIM and Co.(TM) are still in the wrong, one can still understand WHY they are the way they are, as well as see how they were pragmatic enough to stay around for all this time. It also provides for an interesting foil to Shepard (assuming a player's Shepard was Paragon or Paragade). While Cerberus aims for results regardless of cost, ParaShep aims for results with minimal cost.
In short, props to Koobismo and the rest of the team for shaking up the general perception of Cerberus, or at least mine. I await the next upload eagerly.
I always assumed Cerberus as bad guys, even while working with them in ME2. And yes, it is appropriate write them as thinking they are justified in their actions. Most criminals think they are justified, even if it only makes sense to them. That lunatic in LA the other week thought the people he killed deserved it, mass murderers who go into schools and shoot everyone they can think their victims deserve it to.
Only the most insane have no motive to their actions, and the bigger the actions, the more likely they think they are actually heroes, or doing "god's work" or some other crap.
Of course, we won't always know the motivation of people. I think that was part of the failing of ME3; EA wanted to explain the Reapers, they shouldn't have. The Reapers were huge, alien, and old. It is perfectly acceptable to not understand why they did what they did, all that was really important was that they needed to be stopped.
Only the most insane have no motive to their actions, and the bigger the actions, the more likely they think they are actually heroes, or doing "god's work" or some other crap.
Of course, we won't always know the motivation of people. I think that was part of the failing of ME3; EA wanted to explain the Reapers, they shouldn't have. The Reapers were huge, alien, and old. It is perfectly acceptable to not understand why they did what they did, all that was really important was that they needed to be stopped.
Well, Koobismo says he's gonna explaine the Reapers. Do you suppose that's a bad idea? I don't mind an origin to the Reapers, so long as it's done right. Like the Borg.
He may as well. EA already already opened that Pandora's Box, so Koobismo may as well try to work with it.
And yes, a good explanation is fine if you have one, but if you can't think of one - which EA more or less admitted they couldn't - then don't use a bad one instead!
And yes, a good explanation is fine if you have one, but if you can't think of one - which EA more or less admitted they couldn't - then don't use a bad one instead!
It's funny, I didn't actually mind the "official" origin TOO much until Koobismo started pointing out all the flaws in his review of Leviathan (except for the part where the Reapers are suddenly sympathetic instead of still bastards, that bugged me from the start).
I had problems with it right from the start, and while the 'enhanced' ending made it tolerable, it still wasn't good.
Oh I had PROBLEMS with the ending from the start, just not with the origin of the Reapers. Until later, that is.
In hindsight, I probably should have separated my paragraphs more.