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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Oct 2009 : 19:08:01
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I'll just launch in. Go with me for a sec. :) Having just finished The Pirate King, it occurs to me that there are a lot of parallels between PK and the invasion of Iraq. I don't want to get too political here, so I'll just lay out the facts as I see 'em.
First, we have a character named "Brambleberry" (which sounds supiciously like Bush to me: 'bramble' and 'berry'...get it?) who, in order to finally garner a heroic reputation sends a massive military force to liberate Luskan, and justifies it by citing the rule ofa horrible dictator who is in league with pirates across the Sword Coast.
Once the Hosttower is defeated along with its evil overlord, some of the populace greets the invaders as liberators, but then, as the warring factions of "Ships" prevent any real justice from being done, it becomes woefully apparent that Brambleberry and Deudermont simply did not understand the complexity of the situation, or the culture of Luskan at all for that matter. They have no plans to rebuild or backup to supplies with which do it. The food and help simply doesn't get to the people, and the corruption of the other overlords prevails time and again.
Eventually, they are forced to admit (by Drizzt and Regis' suggestion) that the evil overlord's brutal tactics at least were able to keep some sort of order in the streets and preventing utter chaos from breaking out. On top of which, the vast majority of the people actually preferred what the more 'civilized' characters detested in traditions like Prisoner's Carnival.
In the end, there is no exit strategy or a way to prevent the pirate culture from taking over. Our heroes beat the bad guys and lose the city.
So, yeah. As a member of a family chocked full of military men, this seems uncomfortably familiar to me.
I will admit that I could just be reading-in. But Brambleberry's name, the resulting chaos after overthrowing the dictator, and the complete lack of an exit strategy really remind me of our recent history in Iraq.
There are a few things lacking in the tale that don't fit as a perfect allegory - the oil issue, Brambleberry's ultimate fate (though one could suggest that Bush's policies 'buried' his political career alive, along with his would-be successors), and the WMD justification, but I don't think it's a hard sell that Salvatore was perhaps inspired by the quagmire that Iraq became.
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My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
Edited by - Arion Elenim on 11 Oct 2009 19:10:46
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2009 : 04:32:38
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| Glad you didn't want to get "too political". I would hate to read a scroll where you did go political! That's all your scroll is, a thinly( poorly?) veiled political rant. Not the place for it. Please leave that stuff at the gates when you are granted entry into these hallowed halls. |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Amarel Derakanor
Seeker
97 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2009 : 09:43:36
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Interesting, Arion. It could very well be true. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36880 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2009 : 14:30:21
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True or not, this does veer into some political territory, and I'm quite uncomfortable with the potential for ugliness. I think it's best to close this one before it does erupt into a big mess.
That said... As I understand it, on his own website, RAS has forums. It might be interesting to ask him if these parallels were deliberate. |
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Pirate King as allegory? (SPOILERS...last warning)
Topic Locked
