Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Comments: Veritas 38

I disagree, at least mostly. It occurs to me that if you meet a powerful individual with even a slight inclination towards helping you, and discover that there is something he wants, you will likely want to suck up to him by offering to help him out.

It could be that China wishes to express gratitude, or genuinely feels for the people in question, or wants to get in Superman's good graces, or some combination of all of those things, or none of them.

I think attributing *strictly* malicious intent to the Chinese government, though, would be at least partially contradictory to the humanization Shayne has given them in this story. It would be awkward at best to flip flop from "China is human" to "China is conniving and evil".

Furthermore, consider if the roles were reversed. A powerful Chinese superhero appears in the USA, does wonderful things for people without asking anything in return, and then you learn that he is from another world and his people are hostages of the Chinese government. What would you do? Any red-blooded American, I'm sure, would rally around him, decrying the "evil, commie @$(=$&@!*#'s" who are mistreating innocent human beings. We would considerate our duty, as representatives of America, Freedom, and all that is good, to right these horrible wrongs! It'd be an ego-fest for us. We'd be the rescuers, whereas our enemies are painted as the villains. No malicious *intent* is needed.

Does any of this make sense? Sorry, I'm not at my best debate-ability at 1:00 am.

When I wrote disparagingly about the Chinese government's offer of asylum, I should have made myself clearer. I was not accusing them of being evil or dishonest. I was simply offering the observation that governments rarely, if ever, do anything which is not in their own best interests. I did not intend to deride the offer as "malicious," just self-serving. Much as the US government has been portrayed in this story.

Patrick, I don't think this is the proper forum for debating history. If we're going to do that, we need to be in the Off Topic folder. If you'll start the thread, I'll contribute, and I promise to be a gentleman about it.

Ann, you have to keep in mind that Al-Queda's goal in Spain was to get Spanish troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, not to occupy and run the country. They succeeded. That sure looks like a win to me.

Shayne, please bring on the next chapter!

Point taken. I will stay on topic and refrain from sarcastic responses.

I have removed my off topic replies and moved them to here

Clearly we agree on the most important point, Shayne please post.

Ah, okay. I can agree with that assessment, then. Of course, there is also the possibility, however faint, that this is a case of genuine altruism, but you're right; such is rare in governments.

Sorry, I just have to go off-topic for a moment to say I *love* this Fandom.
/hugs FoLCs

*cough* Okay, sappyness aside...

Shayne? Don't you think the next part is about due?

Terry, a very clear majority of the Spanish people were against the idea that Spanish troops should be sent to fight a war in Iraq. The Spanish government was certainly within its rights to send troops there anyway, because that is what representative democracy is all about: the people elect their own government and the government makes decisions for them. However, precisely because the government can make very unpopular decisions, they are obliged to regularly put their power at stake in general elections. If the voters are unhappy with their government's overall performance, they will send their government packing and get themselves other representatives to make decisions for them.

That is what happened in Spain. The people didn't want Spanish troops to be sent to Iraq. The right-wing government sent troops to Iraq anyway. Before the upcoming election, the left-wing party promised to bring the Spanish troops home from Iraq, if it won the election. Three days before the election, Al Queda attacked Madrid. The right-wing government refused to even acknowledge the possibility that the terrorist attack may have been the work of Al Queda, and instead they blamed the local Basque terrorist organisation, the ETA. Instead of trying to argue that Spain fought a larger war, and that terrorist attacks may be the cost that Spain had to pay in order to help win a war that might bring democracy to the Middle East, the Spanish government stuck their heads in the sand and refused to even discuss and defend the costs of the unpopular war in Iraq. A majority of the Spanish people may not have bought the idea that Spain ought to make itself a target for Al Qeada in order to bring democracy to the Middle East, or that a victory in Iraq was in any way necessary in the larger fight for freedom, but the Spanish government did not even try.

A majority of the Spanish people were outraged at the fact that their government had not only sent troops to Iraq, but now they refused to acknowledge the possibility that Spain had suffered an Al Queda attack because of it. The Spanish people wanted to get rid of their present government, and they wanted the Spanish troops to be brought home from Iraq. So they voted for the left-wing party, which had promised to bring the Spanish troops home.

The left-wing party won. It had promised to take the Spanish troops home from Iraq, so it did.

You may call that surrender to Al Queda, Terry. I call it democracy.

Ann

While we don't jump all over posters on this forum when a thread wanders and have a fairly easy policy on the matter, I do think this one has wandered so far away from the point of the thread that it needs to be brought back into line.

Thread drift can be fun and I've always thought that it enhances a discussion rather than detracts from it, in most instances. And, for the most part, this has been an interesting conversation. But it has nothing to do with leaving feedback for Shayne's story.

So, although your opinions on the subject are more than welcome here, if you want to discuss world politics in depth, without any reference to how they connect to Shayne's story, then please do post your views in the thread that Patrick currently has ongoing for the purpose in the Off Topic folder.

Thanks!

I now return you to (hopefully) lots more lovely feedback for Shayne's story.

LabRat

Great story, Shane. Lots of political maneuvering going on. Keep it coming.

Artemis

Hopefully our drifting off topic has not discouraged Shayne so much that he lets the story sit and age.

When last we left Clark And those of us here are depending on Shayne to post more of this delightful tale. For those coming in late the TOC for this tale.

I'd love to see some of the media coverage. I keep going back to the young reporter, Anita Mendoza, Action News, in part 30

She has seen Superman in action in person. Likely she was saying things inside her station that caused them to treat the story less as a hoax and cover the events in serious tone.

I would love to watch some more behind the scenes bits. We looked at events standing on the shoulder of Lois's exboss We need some more such views.

I'm having withdrawal here!

It's June 20 and I haven't seen a chapter for a few days.

Shayne, Shayne, Shayne - I'm begging you! Write more!

Terminal Boredom chuckled quietly as Lois Reader struggled against the ropes binding her to her chair. "I'm afraid you'll have a hard time freeing yourself. I know your reputation, and I've tied you up extra-carefully."

Lois put on a brave face. "All right, so maybe you've got me where you want me. But you still won't get away with this! Veritas will find me."

Boredom raised an eyebrow. "Veritas? What makes you think Veritas will save you?"

"It's saved me from you more times than I can count!" Her face colored slightly, as she reflected that perhaps she should rely a little less on Veritas to escape Boredom's clutches and little more on herself.

Boredom smiled blandly. "Have you considered that Veritas may not be coming this time?" He waves his arms. "Lead-lined, you know."

Lois blanched inside, but met his gaze firmly. "Veritas has never let me down, and it won't this time, either! I know it's coming!"

Boredom shrugged. "We shall see." He walked to the door. "Meditate on your faith, my dear. In a few hours I shall have my way with you." He turned out the lights and left Lois in darkness.

Lois shuddered at the thought of what Terminal Boredom could do to her. "Veritas," she whispered. "Where are you?"

Sorry about the delay. A combination of lightning storms which left me unable to use my computer, family visiting from out of town, and not feeling well has slowed things down a bit.

I've got most of the next chapter done however, so hopefully it won't be much longer.

I have family staying with me right now too... I know how busy it can keep you.

I hope you feel better soon, Shayne. Don't let our importuning distract you from that.