What a horrible idea that "the genocide can be justified by the goal". And it bothers me that a show that spent 10 years accumulating emotional credibility and influence ended up planting an ideological bomb in the minds of many viewers. No, for me Eren crossed the line. The goal does NOT justify the means.
"There was no other choice", "everything is ambiguous". We hear this rhetoric in modern propaganda today. But did Eren and Zeke have a choice? Yes.
1. Throughout the series, Eren was a slave to his anger. Gabi was able to overcome her anger, but Eren could not. In the finale, Eren admitted that he simply wanted to raze the world to the ground. This monstrous desire has nothing to do with protecting Paradise. Eren could not attack Marley, but come there and offer peace. The series did not show any convincing attempts to make peace. In fact, Paradise made friends with a technologically advanced country that already surpassed Marley's strength. All that had to be done was to master technology to protect the island. If Marley had tried to attack, Paradise would have repulsed the attack. Other countries would see that Paradise was only defending itself. And since Marley's militaristic greed had already gotten to everyone, other countries could side with Paradise. Instead, the attack on Marley turned all countries against Paradise. These are Eren and Zeke's destructive actions and could have been avoided.
2. Zeke's goal is to stop the war by reconciling everyone with the Eldians (at the cost of the sterility of the Eldians). However, he participated in the devastating attacks on Paradise and then approved the attack on Marley (eventually rallying everyone in hatred against the Eldians). This plan is counterproductive and stupid.
Instead, Zeke could accumulate authority and influence in Marley and use this to gather like-minded people who want peace. Targeted elimination of war fanatics.
The finale admires Eren (aw, he sacrificed his own happiness; bequeathed a "new world", what a plan he pulled off). Sentimentally flew in the form of a bird, how touching. A mass murderer gains the aura of a hero.
I respected this great show for honesty in depicting difficult issues. But some its ideas and conclusions are terrible. Still we are free to disagree with them.
"There was no other choice", "everything is ambiguous". We hear this rhetoric in modern propaganda today. But did Eren and Zeke have a choice? Yes.
1. Throughout the series, Eren was a slave to his anger. Gabi was able to overcome her anger, but Eren could not. In the finale, Eren admitted that he simply wanted to raze the world to the ground. This monstrous desire has nothing to do with protecting Paradise. Eren could not attack Marley, but come there and offer peace. The series did not show any convincing attempts to make peace. In fact, Paradise made friends with a technologically advanced country that already surpassed Marley's strength. All that had to be done was to master technology to protect the island. If Marley had tried to attack, Paradise would have repulsed the attack. Other countries would see that Paradise was only defending itself. And since Marley's militaristic greed had already gotten to everyone, other countries could side with Paradise. Instead, the attack on Marley turned all countries against Paradise. These are Eren and Zeke's destructive actions and could have been avoided.
2. Zeke's goal is to stop the war by reconciling everyone with the Eldians (at the cost of the sterility of the Eldians). However, he participated in the devastating attacks on Paradise and then approved the attack on Marley (eventually rallying everyone in hatred against the Eldians). This plan is counterproductive and stupid.
Instead, Zeke could accumulate authority and influence in Marley and use this to gather like-minded people who want peace. Targeted elimination of war fanatics.
The finale admires Eren (aw, he sacrificed his own happiness; bequeathed a "new world", what a plan he pulled off). Sentimentally flew in the form of a bird, how touching. A mass murderer gains the aura of a hero.
I respected this great show for honesty in depicting difficult issues. But some its ideas and conclusions are terrible. Still we are free to disagree with them.
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