Re: [gundam] *Spoilers* Gundam 00 Episode 4

[Joseph Riggs]

Latin America still has a lot of bad feelings due to US interference in the "Banana Republics".  While Castro's bad in Cuba, it's easy to forget that initially a lot of Americans thought that he'd be a good thing because he got rid of the US supported strongman Somoza.  And these days in Venezuela, Chavez uses bad feelings toward the US to help keep his popular support high by making references to a supposedly inevitable US invasion of the country to remove him from power (going so far as to apparently hold mock beach defense drills to help prepare his army to defeat the supposed American invasion).  The reference to the "Halls of Montezuma" in the Marines' Hymn is an actual reference to when US troops entered Mexico City in the mid-19th Century.  I had a blond-haired, blue-ey! ed friend who spent a couple of years in one of the countries a while back (Costa Rica, iirc, though it's been so long that I don't remember for sure), and when he got back he told how kids would sometimes follow him down the street chanting, "CIA!  CIA!"   So I suspect that most of the South and Central American nations in Union aren't too keen on any alliance dominated by the US.   But it's been 300 years, so who knows.     As for Russia - I'm not really sure how that could have happened, either.  Siberia is currently viewed as part of "Russia Proper", and it would be unlikely that Russia would voluntarily give it up.  It would also seem unlike Russia to voluntarily become a subordinate part of someone else's alliance.  If I had to guess, it would be that the HRL seized Siberia once technology made it feasible to think about extracting all of the resources under the frost.  Either a Russian collapse triggered the invasion, which caused the AEU to sieze Moscow, or Moscow joined the AEU to keep the HRL from seizing the rest of the country. The Taribia operation seemed fairly clear-cut to me.  Taribia's revolt was the spark to start a new war, and it seemed pretty clear that Taribia was counting on CB to keep Union out (even if Taribia's own military was destroyed as a result).  CB's operation did two things -   1.)  It made it impossible for a large-scale battle to occur by destroying Taribia's ability to fight. 2.)  It discouraged other countries from trying to start a new war in the hopes that CB would act as a buffer.     As for "wait and see"...   I'd probably be content with it except for a few things.   1.)  The idea behind CB is just so "out there" (i.e. four Gundams stopping all war) that I can't help but try and figure out "what's really going on" 2.)  While both the Union and the HRL have put anti-Gundam programs in action almost immediately, AEU has been VERY quiet (we've literally seen nothing from them except hand-wringing by their council) - almost suspiciously so.  IMO we, the viewers, are being carefully focused away from the AEU, which suggests to me that the proverbial plot twist out of left field is going to involve the AEU. 3.)  While Marina is trying to figure out how to use the CB situation to help her country, the OP suggests that Setsuna will be chasing after her (in a good sense) and receiving something positive from her.  I'm just wondering how that all plays out.     As noted in your earlier post, all of the characters in the series have been fairly agreeable people (if somewhat withdrawn in certain cases) - with the possible exception of the nut that was acting as test pilot for the AEU's mobile suit (and in that case, the individual merely has too high of an opinion of himself).  That doesn't mean that there isn't room for some truly twisted characters, of course, since we're only on episode 4.  But given how much of the leadership of each faction we've seen, it's nice to see.     junior   ---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- Subject : Re: [gundam] *Spoilers* Gundam 00 Episode 4 Date : Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:16:28 -0400 From : "Dr. Core" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To : list@gundam.com In the version I saw, there was a very fleeting mention of "U.N." so it is quite possible that the U.N. broke apart at some point and some number of countries, headed by the United States, formed the Union retaining U.N. rhetorics/charters. I don't have any evidence except for the word "equal". In the U.N. general assembly, each member country has one vote, so in theory Vanuatu and Tonga can gang up together and cancel the votes of U.S. and Russia. In theory being the key point. So I suspect in the Union, all major matters are also decided in a kind of assembly in which 50 member nations cast their votes. But in practice, everything is decided by Anglo-Americans in the White House (BTW the exact phrase "White House" was used). As for how the current atmosphere in Latin America could possibly lead to a Union. To me, it doesn't seem crazy at all. If anything I am surprised that Anglo-Americans would accept Latinos as "family". The break up of Russia is far more incredible, I'd like to hear an explanation of that. Stray thought... > > Also, given CB's founder and the vulnerability of the elevators (as seen > in episode 1...), it's possible that CB's ultimate goal is to eliminate the > possibility of a threat affecting them, and at the same time somehow make > the energy that comes from them freely available to everyone on the planet > (as opposed to the solid control that the three alliances have them under). > I am more comfortable with wait-and-see on CB's true motive. But it seems very clear to me that Sumeragi, the computer Veda and possibly Aeolia Schenberg (if he does exist) has a grand action plan that's only unfolding now. Snuffing out Taribia independence is manifestation of only a small part of this plan. I look forward to more of this plan unfolding (and it better be smart!). Seems the stage will shift to HRA for episode 5 and of course there will be more talking scenes in Azadistan. At this stage, I dare not expect a major plot twist on how this plan eventually falls apart and then there's a change of course and in the end everything come out (sort of) ok. In Dai-Guard, I also expected some plot twists and got burned. Episode 4 had done enough to hold my patience up to episode 10 or so. -- Dr. Core

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