Strawman Has a Point: Difference between revisions

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(Doesn't really fit on consideration. The excuse for conquering and military buildup is only added in after the fact, by writers who are clearly planning to have the point lived up to, so Palpatine and Thrawn are never actually strawmen.)
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** [[Alternative Character Interpretation|Arguably]], the "heroes" are supposed to be callous to the suffering at this point, as they haven't been "saved" and are still unrepentant sinners. The problem is, even after they are saved and supposedly become model Christians, they are [[Ignored Epiphany|still obnoxious jackasses who consider others' suffering an inconvenience]]. The only notes of genuine regret or contrition come from the supposedly un-saved.
** [[Alternative Character Interpretation|Arguably]], the "heroes" are supposed to be callous to the suffering at this point, as they haven't been "saved" and are still unrepentant sinners. The problem is, even after they are saved and supposedly become model Christians, they are [[Ignored Epiphany|still obnoxious jackasses who consider others' suffering an inconvenience]]. The only notes of genuine regret or contrition come from the supposedly un-saved.
** The overall premise of the entire series is this. God is set up as the good guy and Nicolae Carpathia (the antichrist) is the bad guy. Although Carpathia is definitely a murderous tyrant, his actions pale in comparison to the billions actively killed by God.
** The overall premise of the entire series is this. God is set up as the good guy and Nicolae Carpathia (the antichrist) is the bad guy. Although Carpathia is definitely a murderous tyrant, his actions pale in comparison to the billions actively killed by God.
* In the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]], [[Complete Monster|Palpatine]] (and later [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|Thrawn]]) justified his massive military spending by citing the threat of an extragalactic invasion, which he knew was coming based on evidence from the Chiss, the events of ''Rogue Planet'', and a couple other bits of material. 25 years after Episode 4, [[New Jedi Order|that's exactly what happened]].
* In the ''[[Fate of the Jedi]]'' series, Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala enacts various policies to reign in what she see as the unchecked power that the Jedi have within the Galactic Alliance. Coming off a major galactic civil war started by a corrupted Jedi who enacted a coup and seized control of the Alliance, she is not entirely without precedent or reason to be concerned over potentially uncontrolled actions by Force Users. These policies grow excessively draconian and begin to cost her public opinion due to various publicised incidents. However, instead of using the mounting public pressure and political scandals resulting from her actions to legally reign in Daala's excesses (as had already proved effective in overturning the siege of the Jedi Temple and eliminating the [[Kangaroo Court|Court of Jedi Affairs]]), the Jedi embark on a coup to remove her from power that involves taking hostages, attacking government facilities, killing the appointed acting Grandmaster of the Jedi Kenth Hamner, and removing Daala from power to install Hamner's killer as part of an acting Triumvirate over the Alliance.
* In the ''[[Fate of the Jedi]]'' series, Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala enacts various policies to reign in what she see as the unchecked power that the Jedi have within the Galactic Alliance. Coming off a major galactic civil war started by a corrupted Jedi who enacted a coup and seized control of the Alliance, she is not entirely without precedent or reason to be concerned over potentially uncontrolled actions by Force Users. These policies grow excessively draconian and begin to cost her public opinion due to various publicised incidents. However, instead of using the mounting public pressure and political scandals resulting from her actions to legally reign in Daala's excesses (as had already proved effective in overturning the siege of the Jedi Temple and eliminating the [[Kangaroo Court|Court of Jedi Affairs]]), the Jedi embark on a coup to remove her from power that involves taking hostages, attacking government facilities, killing the appointed acting Grandmaster of the Jedi Kenth Hamner, and removing Daala from power to install Hamner's killer as part of an acting Triumvirate over the Alliance.
* ''[[The Turner Diaries]]'': a strawman proclaims the "[[Designated Hero|heroes]]" of the book as "depraved, racist criminals." He's supposed to be a strawman, yet this is a 100% accurate description of the "heroic" white supremacist [[Right-Wing Militia Fanatic]] group known as the Order.
* ''[[The Turner Diaries]]'': a strawman proclaims the "[[Designated Hero|heroes]]" of the book as "depraved, racist criminals." He's supposed to be a strawman, yet this is a 100% accurate description of the "heroic" white supremacist [[Right-Wing Militia Fanatic]] group known as the Order.
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** Dolores Umbridge is rather a poster child for this trope. For instance, her pronouncement “progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged.” Anybody who has worked in the corporate world and suffered through a succesion of new bosses with big egos who want to change everything just so they can leave their mark on the company will be nodding sympathetically with this staement. Unfortunately, Dolores was a sadistic administrator spouting reasonable-sounding slogans while pushing her own agendas. Hence, the straw.
** Dolores Umbridge is rather a poster child for this trope. For instance, her pronouncement “progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged.” Anybody who has worked in the corporate world and suffered through a succesion of new bosses with big egos who want to change everything just so they can leave their mark on the company will be nodding sympathetically with this staement. Unfortunately, Dolores was a sadistic administrator spouting reasonable-sounding slogans while pushing her own agendas. Hence, the straw.
* Isabel Allende's ''[[House Of The Spirits]]'', arguably, provides an example of this trope. Esteban Trueba's feudalistic views on his workers are unacceptable by today's standards. Still, it would indeed be quite idealistic (if not downright unreasonable) to believe that barely literate people are fully qualified to participate in political life.
* Isabel Allende's ''[[House Of The Spirits]]'', arguably, provides an example of this trope. Esteban Trueba's feudalistic views on his workers are unacceptable by today's standards. Still, it would indeed be quite idealistic (if not downright unreasonable) to believe that barely literate people are fully qualified to participate in political life.



== Live-Action TV ==
== Live-Action TV ==
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