I just don't understand how the private is surprised that the Lord General knows who he is. That suit probably gives off besides FoF, a rfid tag linked to the gun. I would suspect the Lord General of Dereliction of Duty if all the records of ALL the people stationed at the palace are probably loaded into the suit computer.
There's knowing that the boss has everyone's name on the company roster in his smartphone, and then there's having him casually call you by name while you're standing in a burning corridor in the company of armed rebels.
Yeah mjkj. Another great line. :-) The poor Private is now in the Lord General's spotlight. He can't hide in the faceless mass of the rest of the Army right now. Anything he does is going to be on his record, good or bad. Including asking Kat out, once Maxus gets Noctis' information on the fight (and aftermath). :-D
I freely admit to having been slightly influenced by recent stupidities on a few American college campuses when I wrote Dust's lines. Idealistic youths who finally get a chance to voice their political complaints directly to a figure of authority tend to sound a lot like whining infants.
" ... a running dog of the regime ... " Heh. Mao Zedong would be proud of Dusty. He just left out 'capitalist' after 'a'. The 'because I have' speech is another way of saying "Your ass is grass and I'm the fuckin' lawn mower, if you don't start talking, junior."
For the longest time I always wondered what that "running dog" thing was all about. Apparently it's a bit of Chinese culture. After trying to look it up I found (clipped for relevance):
"a. a person or institution subservient to counterrevolutionary interests."
"b. a manipulable, servile follower; lackey: to be reviled as a running dog of the colonialists."
This makes me very curious: Are people still reading and following Mao's little red book all these centuries later?
The 'Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung' will probably be read as long as there are 'oppressed' peoples anywhere as it is one of the primer texts in among other things, fourth generation warfare and revolutionary struggle.
With the rise of Deng Xiaoping ('78) onward, veneration of the "Treasured Red Book' has fallen off considerably in China and glorification of Mao's thoughts is considered a 'leftward deviationism' from approved Party ideology.
As for the concept 'running dog,' that far predates Mao's writing in Asiatic cultures. It was just with the Communist victory in China that the West was forced to take note of such phrases and concepts as they entered popular Western Culture. When I was a grammer school kid, it was something the 'bad guys' yelled on the playground as we hadn't yet learned what ^%*&*^%#@#$&%$^*() was. ;)
The Red Book is sure to be a very useful guide to strategy as long as powermongers prefer conquest and repression to outright genocide as a tactic for eliminating asymmetric forces. Most powermongers should, however, prefer such a guide not exist at all. They ought to spend a fair bit of effort repressing such things, or hiding the legitimate sources in disinformation..
Looking at panel 2, I don't see how everyone immediately recognizes Lord General Maxus. I mean, we can -barely- see his face. It could be any extremely large, bald man in that suit... right?
Okay, so perhaps it's extremely likely. But nobody is questioning his ID. Is that "Ironman" suit exclusive for the Lord General's use? Is there a rank or insignia on it somewhere?
Maybe everyone recognizes his distinctive voice. (Admittedly, that's hard to portray in a comic.) Or maybe it's how there's a Cassian who seems to be following his orders? Granted, if I was there I don't think I would be brave enough to ask for proof. o_O
Actually the suit IS custom made for Maxus Also although its cut out of most of the scenes he does have a standard pole ( that also serves as a comm antenna. And the suit is well known in Roma as belonging to him. ) along with his custom hand cannon and Sword.
Another quote i get to trot out for the second time in as many days: "While the pen is, in the long run, mightier than the sword, at any given moment, the sword speaks more loudly and convincingly." - the First Duke Grand Fenwick
Only if the person with the sword decides not to kill the person with the pen. Or, to put it another way, that classic phrase is complete BS.
The pen isn't mightier, it just gets a lot more use, both socially approved and otherwise, so we have forgotten how mighty the metaphorical sword truly is.
Just for fun, here's a poem on the topic from Christopher Stasheff's _Her Majesty's Wizard_.
Unto Greece, whose name lives yet,
Cadmus brought the alphabet.
Men then learned the written word,
Bites far harder than the sword
Kingdoms grew and spawned empire,
Written words then did inspire
Warriors to the scribe's desire.
On a green and fertile Heath
Cadmus sowed the dragon's teeth,
Reaping from them fighting men.
Let it work this time as then.
At least Dust realizes his position when Quintus explains it to him. And also that his allies AREN'T allies now. He is all on his own down here if he goes against Maxus.
I really don't think Kat had to look at everything to arrive at her action, Mark. Her legal superior has arrived and issued an ORDER. Like a good soldier, Kat responded to it immediately! Part of it from military discipline, part of it from devotion to Maxus. He is one of the leaders that troops WANT to follow, because he is going to do everything he can to preserve loyal troops.
Thought Kat was support military, what is called Staff. She called Maxus Sir after all. Guess she could be a 'polite' contractor (thought those were a myth! :-D).
Not a COMPLETE idiot, sigpig. When Quintus listed reasons to comply with the request, a complete idiot would have kept arguing. :-D Dust avoided that at least.
Little Buddy? Quintus isn't wearing Skipper's hat... And Dust isn't wearing a sailor's hat either (though admittedly he might remind one of Gilligan). [Damn, I just dated myself horribly, didn't I? :-D]
Ok I know This place is suppose to be behind the times technologically but you have a guy in power armor and a radio that looks like it came strait out of some 80 action movie all in the same shot lol.
Sometimes there is just no replacing a simple design. There is a trope about it. And the radio may look like a museum piece but its electronics are still higher tech than today.
a) Form follows function
There are only so many way to make a safety pin, layout a touch interface or armor a body.
b) Fingers are large and clumsy things when attempting to use a 'chicklet' keypad at 'speed,' especially during a high stress situation, so design must be in a form that can be used without taking your eyes off the situation or opposition. At least she wasn't wearing gloves. In other words, the 10-key layout will probably be immortal.
(For example - why my iPhone sucks! No tactile feed back)
Rule number one about designing military gear: It will without fail be subjected to hits, shocks and jolts and still have to function. If making it a bit thick and sturdy is the way to reach that, that's just what it's gonna have to be then.
that's just... OMG, that's awesome!
They could'a even been listed with bullet points... lol
And I LOVE Pvt. Denzic's reaction/comment. heheheee Please Ladies, don't make 'em famous last words.
There's knowing that the boss has everyone's name on the company roster in his smartphone, and then there's having him casually call you by name while you're standing in a burning corridor in the company of armed rebels.
...does he not want to save his fellows?
Oh, I really love that "he knows my name" line - so great :)
"a. a person or institution subservient to counterrevolutionary interests."
"b. a manipulable, servile follower; lackey: to be reviled as a running dog of the colonialists."
This makes me very curious: Are people still reading and following Mao's little red book all these centuries later?
With the rise of Deng Xiaoping ('78) onward, veneration of the "Treasured Red Book' has fallen off considerably in China and glorification of Mao's thoughts is considered a 'leftward deviationism' from approved Party ideology.
As for the concept 'running dog,' that far predates Mao's writing in Asiatic cultures. It was just with the Communist victory in China that the West was forced to take note of such phrases and concepts as they entered popular Western Culture. When I was a grammer school kid, it was something the 'bad guys' yelled on the playground as we hadn't yet learned what ^%*&*^%#@#$&%$^*() was. ;)
Okay, so perhaps it's extremely likely. But nobody is questioning his ID. Is that "Ironman" suit exclusive for the Lord General's use? Is there a rank or insignia on it somewhere?
Maybe everyone recognizes his distinctive voice. (Admittedly, that's hard to portray in a comic.) Or maybe it's how there's a Cassian who seems to be following his orders? Granted, if I was there I don't think I would be brave enough to ask for proof. o_O
Doesn't leave a lot left to the imagination to figure out who he is.
==============
"...and would you like to know my underwear size, Sir? I think it just got smaller."
=============
"Now we see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!"
{Second time tonight i got to trot that one out in a comment...}
Only if the person with the sword decides not to kill the person with the pen. Or, to put it another way, that classic phrase is complete BS.
The pen isn't mightier, it just gets a lot more use, both socially approved and otherwise, so we have forgotten how mighty the metaphorical sword truly is.
But it's much less helpful if you don't happen to have those swords with you when you need them.
Unto Greece, whose name lives yet,
Cadmus brought the alphabet.
Men then learned the written word,
Bites far harder than the sword
Kingdoms grew and spawned empire,
Written words then did inspire
Warriors to the scribe's desire.
On a green and fertile Heath
Cadmus sowed the dragon's teeth,
Reaping from them fighting men.
Let it work this time as then.
A slightly vulgar take on the question's inverse...
"Never piss off a Bard."
A sword can win a duel. Kill an opponent.
A pen can win a war. Kill a system.
Loving the past couple pages! So cool! :D
There are only so many way to make a safety pin, layout a touch interface or armor a body.
b) Fingers are large and clumsy things when attempting to use a 'chicklet' keypad at 'speed,' especially during a high stress situation, so design must be in a form that can be used without taking your eyes off the situation or opposition. At least she wasn't wearing gloves. In other words, the 10-key layout will probably be immortal.
(For example - why my iPhone sucks! No tactile feed back)