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The first few chapters seemed like someone took all their antisemitic conspiracy theory / murder fantasies and model-swapped aliens for Jews.

I can't unsee it, and I wish I could suspension-of-disbelief harder, because I was initially really interested in the premise.

Edit: Maybe xenophobic / immigrants is more apt.

Well that's a rude thing to say to your... girlfriend?

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. ... But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socio-economic unfairness. (Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms)

Culturally sensitive depiction of... what exactly? Knowing nothing, I see a person with a laser sword and a gargoyle.

Source: Solo Leveling(?)

I'm guessing based on the art style.

Fair enough. I get overwhelmed by all the ethical questions that come with being in the real world.

My partner outsourced most of that mental work and focused on trying to be a good person from moment to moment. I think she would've broadly agreed with you from a karma standpoint.

As long as they punch down and kiss up to the right people, assholes can usually reduce "tit for tat" to "tit for slap-on-the-wrist".

I agree you that they are more likely than not to produce a suboptimal future.

I just disagree with the premise that "winning less" is the same as tit for tat.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think tit for tat was written from the perspective of nation vs nation decision-making.

It assumes you have roughly equivalent power, i.e. person vs person or business vs business.

I don't think it applies in person vs boss, or mom 'n pop shop vs international conglomerate.

I was going to say The Matrix was ackshually a closeted trans allegory, but it turns out it's both (but also, whatever you want it to be, kinda).

Source: Kowloon Generic Romance?

What is TBATE?