video

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty's voice is a little strained. ]

Right, so...Hullo, Kitty here. And we've already had a bit of input on glorious-war and glorious-war-but-do-be-careful-about-it-because-the-Russians-are-a-bit-scary, and at this point everyone's probably like shut it won't you. But for anyone who's still out there and still listening, just...

This is hard for us. We've lost our friends. That's scary. But remember that no real harm has been done yet. They've been kidnapped, but no one's been killed. The situation right now is not that bad. But it has the potential to get so much worse if we let loose our anger. Remember, the weapons in the Russians' possession - and in the Americans' - can scorch the earth. Kill everyone. Everyone. It won't just be us who go if we escalate this war: it'll also be the little kids in the school down the street from you, and the girl who always remembers your order at the malt shop, and the bloody...puppies in the animal shelter.

So those of you who are thinking that it's time to go burn down Russian cities, or join up with the army as they march to destroy our enemies - close your eyes and think of the entire baskets of puppies and kittens that'll get scorched into nothing but atoms when this war gets stepped up and the bombing starts. Okay? So instead, maybe let's give thought to negotiation. Forgiveness. Stepping down the violence. Some of the kidnapped have gotten word out - I bet you anything they'll agree.

Comments

[rathercommon]

Well - no. Not when they're socialized to trust their government. Not when they're socialized to do what's asked of them in the name of patriotism. Which is true both of the Soviets and the Americans here.

[countdone]

Exactly. Blind loyalty to your country is a very dangerous thing.

I hope I don't sound like I'm trying to shoot you down, though--we need an optimistic voice like yours to keep things from getting out of hand.

[rathercommon]

Oh -

[ Aw. That makes her feel better, and she offers him a very small smile. ]

Don't worry. I know the difference between someone thinking aloud and someone being negative.

You're awfully right, though. My worry is...Well, it's less for us, really. We come back from the dead. It's for the local people who might go and enlist in the army because of all this.

[countdone]

Yeah--I don't think enough people worry about the locals, honestly. Maybe some of them will at least hold back expecting us to be the heroes.

Though I also have to wonder how well we'd come back from the dead if everything gets nuked to hell and back.

[But he's also a comic book character so y'know. Anything is possible.]

[rathercommon]

Horrible thought, isn't it. All of us wandering a barren wasteland, unable to really perish because of the technology installed in us. So maybe pro-war types should think on that fate that might await us.

[countdone]

But at least we'd be safe from those pesky commies right?

[Heavy sarcasm, of course.]

[rathercommon]

Oh, yeah. They're threatening our way of life. So the best way to show 'em we mean business is to blow up our way of life, right?

[countdone]

Of course! "Better dead than red" after all. God forbid we actually try to learn anything from this.

[rathercommon]

And never mind that Communism is a perfectly rational system that's just been...twisted into something unfortunate by the Soviets.

[countdone]

Oh, but you see, the idea of not exploiting other people and forcing into poverty is just so un-American.

[rathercommon]

Oh, right, yeah. You know what's really noble? What's just so...gee-whiz grand and brilliant? Is grinding down those born into disadvantage and then blaming them for their own circumstances. Thanks so much, capitalism, that's so nice.

[countdone]

And everyone's so used to it and all the propaganda surrounding it that they don't want to hear a word against it.

[rathercommon]

Well, and it's not helped by the fact that socialism has been hijacked by some real idiots.

[countdone]

But you tell someone that those morons aren't even real socialists and they don't want to hear it, of course!