#Elite theory

[utilitymonstermash]

Coogan casually mentions in his history of Visa video, that when Bank Americard first launched, banks couldn't do business across state lines. It seems like these rules were ended by the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994 signed by Bill Clinton.

Sometimes when discussing 20th century forms of American Elites vs 21st century forms, the notion seems to come up that 20th century elites seemed more anchored into local communities than their 21st century counter parts.

I wonder how much things like each state needing its own banking infrastructure contributed toward the cultivation of local elites. Alabama needed bankers. Alaska needed bankers. Arizona needed bankers. Arkansas needed bankers. And by bankers I don't just mean branch managers.

[omegaphilosophia]

Theories on the Philosophy of Power

The philosophy of power encompasses various theories that seek to understand the nature, sources, and implications of power in human societies. Here are some key theories in the philosophy of power:

Pluralist Theory: Pluralist theory posits that power is dispersed among multiple groups and individuals in society, and no single entity holds absolute power. According to this view, power is decentralized, and different groups compete for influence through political, economic, and social channels.

Elite Theory: Elite theory contends that power is concentrated in the hands of a small elite group within society, such as political leaders, business magnates, or cultural elites. According to this perspective, elites wield disproportionate influence over political decisions and societal outcomes, often at the expense of the broader population.

Marxist Theory: Marxist theory emphasizes the role of economic power in shaping society and maintains that power relations are fundamentally determined by class dynamics. According to Marxists, the bourgeoisie (owners of capital) hold power over the proletariat (working class) through the control of economic resources, leading to exploitation and inequality.

Foucauldian Theory: Drawing from the work of Michel Foucault, Foucauldian theory examines power as a diffuse and pervasive force that operates through disciplinary mechanisms and social institutions. Power is not solely held by individuals or groups but is embedded in societal structures and practices, shaping norms, behaviors, and subjectivities.

Feminist Theory: Feminist theories of power highlight the gendered dimensions of power relations and critique patriarchal structures that perpetuate male dominance and female subordination. Feminist scholars analyze how power operates within families, workplaces, and political systems, and advocate for gender equality and social justice.

Poststructuralist Theory: Poststructuralist theorists, such as Jacques Derrida and Judith Butler, challenge essentialist notions of power and instead focus on power as performative and discursive. Power is understood as fluid and contingent, constructed through language, discourse, and social practices, rather than being inherent or fixed.

Network Theory: Network theory conceptualizes power as emerging from relational connections and interactions between actors within complex networks. Power is distributed unevenly across network structures, with some nodes or actors exerting greater influence due to their centrality, connectivity, or resource control.

Rational Choice Theory: Rational choice theory models individual behavior as driven by rational calculations of costs and benefits, including the pursuit of power. According to this approach, individuals seek to maximize their utility or achieve their goals by strategically deploying resources and forming alliances to enhance their power position.

Critical Theory: Critical theories of power, influenced by the Frankfurt School and critical social theory, emphasize the role of ideology, culture, and social institutions in perpetuating power inequalities. Critical theorists analyze how power operates through processes of domination, hegemony, and ideological control, and advocate for emancipatory social change.

Intersectional Theory: Intersectional theory considers how power operates at the intersections of multiple axes of identity, including race, gender, class, sexuality, and ability. This approach recognizes that power relations are shaped by intersecting systems of oppression and privilege, and emphasizes the importance of addressing multiple forms of inequality simultaneously.

These theories offer diverse perspectives on the nature and dynamics of power, illuminating its complexities and providing insights into its effects on individuals, groups, and societies.

[geopolicraticus]

Peter Turchin on End Times

I have finished listening to End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration by Peter Turchin. Turchin comes out swinging on the first page asserting that history can be pursued scientifically. The first appendix digs a little more into why he thinks cliodynamics is the answer to the ancient question of whether history can be a science. I find it strange that Turchin cites two fictional examples—cliology from Michael Flynn’s In the Country of the Blind, and Isaac Asimov’s psychohistory—but does not seriously engage with the significant literature in history, historiography, and philosophy of history that explicitly takes up this question.

In any case, Turchin argues that societies pass through integrative periods (marked by income compression) and disintegrative periods (marked by income disparity). Disintegrative periods are largely driven by popular immiseration and elite overproduction, the latter process largely driven by what he calls the “wealth pump,” which sluices most of a society’s wealth to the elites when these elites serve only their own interests exclusively instead of the interests of wider society. Getting the wealth pump under control is one of his policy prescriptions.

At several points in the book I was saying to myself, “But what about…?” and then he took up the objection I had in mind. For example, in his discussion of popular immiseration I was wondering about those who argue that things have never been better, and then he discussed exactly this objection. So, for that, I give him credit. On the other hand, his normie assumptions (he cites the ADL, the SPLC, and the NYT as though they are credible sources) blind him to certain developments in society. For example, he cites some elite financial publications as promoting “market fundamentalism” and discusses how injurious he believes this to be. And not too many years ago this was true, but all of the elite organs of opinion now follow the same ideological line, and it certainly isn’t market fundamentalism. (Are ESG scores and DIE mandates “market fundamentalism”?)

I have run into something like this on several occasions, and I always take the opportunity to throw it back in the face of anyone who utters something they think can be passed off as common knowledge and will not be challenged. The most glaring example of this, as far as I am concerned, is the common claim that the captains of the tech industry are “libertarian.” Again, some years ago this was the case, but now the technology industry is onboard with the same party line ideology as all other institutions. I recently pointed this out in a discussion, when someone brought up this talking point, so I said that the technology industry has produced the most elaborate censorship regime in human history, and my point was acknowledged. Turchin doesn’t make the libertarian tech bro claim, but the claim that elite organs of the financial industry are promoting “market fundamentalism” is comparable.

I have a lot of sympathy for elite theory, and have discussed it (for example, in newsletter 227), but I think it requires some tweaks to get it right. While Turchin does recognize the role of both the one percent (and, he often adds, the 0.10 percent) and the ten percent, which latter largely consists of aspirant elites, I think that elite theory could benefit from a greater focus on these classes and the differences between the two. The relation of the one percent, the true elites, and the ten percent, the aspirant elites, is like that in fiction between vampires and the human beings who serve them. Vampires possess the special power of their undead status, and the human beings who serve vampires have none of these powers, but are promised to gain these powers if they faithfully serve the vampires.

The existence of a class of aspirant elites who feel they are on track to ultimately join the elites, but only if they obey, creates a class of persons who are willing to do anything to please their masters. This is a promise that is held out, but is always vulnerable to being snatched away at any moment, whether by circumstance or by the whim of the vampire elite—as such, the ten percent constitute a different kind of precariat (a power precariant rather than an income precariat). Because of this tantalizing promise, seemingly within reach, but always potentially withdrawn, the aspirant elites who have been allowed into the charmed circle of power, even if they do not yet themselves wield power, may be more vicious and craven than the elites themselves. To take a real world example (not vampires and the supernatural), when dictators like Stalin or Kim Jong-Il hold absolute power of life and death over their subjects, these subjects vie with one another to prove their loyalty. No one wants to be seen as the first to cease clapping, and so the applause goes on and on.

The larger pool of aspirant elites consists both of those who are on track to real elite status, and those who have no realistic hope of “success” so defined. The further into the margin of potential power we trace the aspirant elites, the more desperate they are to prove their loyalty to the elites, and so it is we find that lower-level functionaries are the most brutal and unapologetic in their enforcement of the dictates of the elites; they are hanging on to their potential elite status by a mere thread. These contemptible actions of the aspirant elites in their quest to retain their grasp on potential power serve as a kind of self-hazing and self-blackmail, by which their perspective on the world is irredeemably damaged. They cannot understand that others despise them for the lies they tell, because they can no longer recognize them as lies. The aspirant elites, on the other hand, who have no possibility of ultimately joining the elites, have their perspective sharpened by the bitterness of the denial of their (potential) elite status. They can see all-too-clearly the transformation of their former fellows and take a certain pride in not having engaged in the same craven behavior of the aspirant elites who are confident in ultimately gaining power.

Where this touches on Turchin’s argument is that quite a larger pool of aspirant elites see themselves as viable candidates for elite status than would be apparent from their place on the fringes of the outer party. Turchin discusses the difference between two bumps in the income distribution of lawyers, noting that being a lawyer is not sufficient to be a viable aspirant elite, and that the two groups—viable and non-viable aspirants—are separated by their average income. But I think the important lesson to take away here is that even the lawyers in the lower income bump are not likely to break ranks with the lawyers in the upper income bump (any number of psychological and sociological arguments could be made to show this).  

The power of the elites is largely maintained through the threat of what happens to those who break ranks with the elite’s preferred narrative (exemplary justice is meted out to those who break ranks), and this serves to corral all aspirant elites, and not only the viable aspirants. How far down does this extend through society? Morgoth recently wrote that, “The primary function of journalists in the modern West is to tell lies on behalf of Power and hold the weak and powerless to account.” Morgoth humorously compares narrative policing to a superorganism, and says that journalists are the lowest caste of the superorganism. That is how far down it extends. Marxists had a similar niche in their social ecology, which they called the Lumpenproletariat.   

[teachanarchy]

Elite vs. Pluralist Theory | Power and Politics in US Government | Stud...

[secretagentsagainstwhatever]

If 9 or 12 are your favourite doctors i automatically assume the majority of your doctor who opinions will be correct

[cielettosa]

fanfics, headcanons, theories, fanons and fanarts keeps a fandom alive, even after it ends

[dreamingpichu]

I would like to present to everyone...

The Clayspiracy.

Aka the biggest family tree conspiracy theory in the Pokémon fandom, all curated by moi.

The centerpiece of this theory is of course as the name implies gym leader Clay of the Unova region.

The goal? To decipher the family tree and further beyond.

As we know this begins with Lian, a warden of the Pearl Clan in Hisui and obvious ancestor to Clay.

However... Have we ever considered that maybe Lian has another descendant? My proposal, is Gym Leader Byron of the Sinnoh region.

Of course then if Byron is related to Clay (which I'd say they're brothers) then that would mean his son Roark is also part of this family tree.

With Roark canonically being Byron's son, then that would mean that if Byron is in fact Clay's brother, then Roark would have a cousin. That being Clay's canonical daughter, Lacey.

Now this has been under contention for a while...who is Lacey's mother? If you've been on my blog for a while you might be familiar with who I think it is. I believe that Lacey's mother is Gym Leader Tulip of the Paldea region.

Now of course, what would Tulip be doing all the way in the Paldea region away from her family? What if...there was another child? What if she and Clay were divorced? Divorce is a common reason for children to be bullied in school...

We know Ortega has an unnamed mother, and that his family owns an apparel company. Tulip is a model, and seems rather busy, like she's making a lot of money...

Now by now I'm sure that you're assuming I'm finished. However there's one last piece in this puzzle. One more character...a character with an unnamed father, mother, sister, and brother...

Yancy/Nancy!

So now, let's go over everything in a more fanfic-y description. Clay is the descendant of Lian, and is the brother of Byron, and uncle to Roark. At one point he moved away from Sinnoh to Unova, where he married Tulip and had three kids, Yancy, Ortega, and Lacey. Yancy would become the TV personality Nancy. Eventually, Clay and Tulip got a divorce, and Tulip left for Paldea taking Ortega with her, where he would be bullied for having divorced parents and thus join Team Star. Meanwhile, Lacey would start attending Blueberry Academy.

And that's finally the end of it. Dropping the MatPat act, honestly do I really believe this? I mean, I don't think it's canon, but it's a cute headcanon. And obviously there's some small details that while not disproving anything do make things muddy. Like, Yancy's brother is said to own a Leavanny, and when she's on her show as Nancy, her interview with Clay doesn't read like someone talking with their father (though that could also just be viewed as just being professional for the sake of television).

Overall, don't take my words as gospel, and just have fun.

[fromtheseventhhell]

If we get a scene of Arya crowning Jon, it needs to parallel the scene of Jon gifting Needle to Arya for me. A personal scene between the two of them that's about their unconditional love for each other. It isn't about Jon becoming King but about Arya supporting him in the same way he supported her. "Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms" come full circle with two outcasts supporting each other occupying spaces that society says they can't

[slytherinchillvius]

Could you imagine if the boys did photoshoots as Disney, Superheroes and tv show characters? (Btw these pictures aren't mine).

P.S. Most of these pictures are wallpapers for your desktop but Idk about the last one.

Hogwarts/their Hogwarts houses

Disney Princes 🤴 🫅

Star Wars

Marvel/Avengers

Teen Wolf 🐺

Stranger Things

Squid Game 🦑

The Vampire Diaries 📔 🧛 🧛‍♂️ 🧛‍♀️

The Maze Runner 🏃‍♂️

ELITE

Grey's Anatomy

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

The Big Bang Theory ❗️

The Outsiders

[indigodiskmybeloved]

"Scream and shout all you want! In the end, you'll thank me!"

HELLO @tealmaskmybeloved i bring fanart upon ye

Yeah so this is what I have been working on for like the past hours or so. Anyways go support Ari's AU Toxic Chemicals CONSEQUENCES

I was mostly inspired by a Cookie Run Kingdom ad that popped up when I was watching YouTube, and I'm like fuck it I'm redrawing this cool ass frame

May do something with the audio who knows

Anyways heres the frame, the video can be found here

[starfall-street]

Since Kieran wasn't possessed by Pecharunt after all...there is still a chance we could get that storyline. Thought at this point, Kieran is on the way to his full-redemption (he still has a way to go).

But when the event for Pecharunt is released: What do I think would be interesting? If Pecharunt ended up possessing Drayton instead

This would be very interesting for the duo's dynamic. Drayton spent every encounter with Kieran purposefully trying to get under his skin and was absolutely brutal towards him when he'd just lost against us, and Kieran seems to actively despise Drayton at times.

After defeating the DLC, Drayton mentions that he's glad Kieran seems back to normal now, and he'd thought things would've have been patched up between the two of them by now, but they're just not there yet. Drayton actually wants to be friends with Kieran and says he wants to battle with Kieran again, even though Kieran has rejected his Blueberry League rank entirely.

That leads onto the Pecharunt storyline. As with Area Zero, if Pecharunt appears in the Terrarium, Drayton and Kieran could be the ones sent to deal with the fallout. They'd have to work together, which could lead to them finally hashing things out, or having a fight over everything that's happened.

But what if Pecharunt is gunning for Kieran, but Drayton pushes him out of the way and gets taken over? Or Drayton could just get unlucky and be the one Pecharunt chooses? Or he's silent and literally puppeted around? (It's giving Nihilego & Lusamine vibes). Either way, Kieran sees Drayton go all crazy and has his epiphany "Wait...is this what it was like when I went off the edge?" and realises he has to save the other.

Or maybe this is all just cause I think Drayton should get to go a lil feral. As a treat. Anyway, I just think we need more lore and interactions when it comes to these two together.

[bisexualfemalemess]

Binged ransom canyon and i need a renewal neowww because i need to know wtf is going on with that „wife“ that keeps my babies from getting married (i‘ve promoted yancy x ellie to my elite employees)

[vacantcassette]

I think the Transformer One trailer is trying to trick us

Ok hear me out-

Recently there has been a trend of big-time trailers subverting audience expectations to keep a big reveal a secret. (Looking at Marvel/Spiderman.) I have to give it to Hasbro first because it looks like there is every single Transformer in this trailer. (People were even spotting Jazz, Mirage, etc. in that wide shot of the team looking down.)

But what stuck out to me was the scene with Soundwave, Starscream, and Shockwave.

Because those three (from my knowledge) don't really interact until they are a part of the Decepticon force. And this is the origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron.

So what's going on???

My big out-of-the-pond theory is that Soundwave and Shockwave were edited in for the trailer. Hear me out!

Hasbro wants to include all their major hitting characters in the trailer to grab the audience's attention and add a few easter eggs to get everyone looking closer. (A lot of seekers I've noticed.) Okay, a lot of seekers. I counted several. I know that they were in abundance in the G1 show. (I know it was probably budget reasons but still.)

My shot-in-the-dark theory for the main plotline is that this is like a round-up for both of the factions to fight whatever enemy it is. (Quintession???) Orion Pax already has Bumblebee and Elita and will probably meet Prowl and Ratchet. From what we've seen D-16 will meet his three commanders. But not at once like the trailer shows!

I need to get to the point.

Starscream already having a sort of leadership role but it's with the seekers. D-16 and Orion Pax have to convince them to join their side to fight the bad guy and it's possibly a point of contention between the two because, we all know Starscream and violence. (Also there were a lot of shots showing seekers in explosions and my Primus if they reference Vos-)

Soundwave and Shockwave aren't gonna be at Starscream's side, but other seekers. (Please Hasbro I beg give me Skywarp and Thundercracker.) Soundwave and Shockwave will already be teaming up with them or about to team up with them or refusing to team up. (Who cares this post turned into seeker central.)

Or the movie is gonna oversimplify everything and have the three of the high command be there to meet D-16. (Give me strength I hope not.)

TLDR: Soundwave and Shockwave were edited in for the trailer only and Starscream is ruler of the seekers. (And this post is a mess.)

[noctusfury]

Is There a Dragon Flyer "Elite"? (RTTE Headcanon/Theory)

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another HTTYD post! Sorry for the hiatus, but I'm back with another article of lore on the Dragon Flyers. Please enjoy!

This article is a continuation of my previous post on this topic (here) about dragonskin uses. And this will start my other articles about Hierarchy and Ranks.

Today's topic will discuss if these skins provide an established hierarchy of elitism in these Flyers (and Hunters) — particularly the Malevolent Twelve, a squadron of Flyers personally led and taught by Krogan who defeated the Dragon Riders in Season 5's episodes "Dawn of Destruction" and "Wings of War".

This is probably just me, but I have a headcanon that there's an elite among the Dragon Flyers under Krogan's command. Of course, naturally, there'll always be an elite group — "veterans," in other words — in every organization or unit. Doesn't matter if it's a small unit, a military or business organization, or anything else. The same with the Dragon Hunters and the Dragon Flyers.

In fact, Viggo even talked to Ryker about moving the "elite guard" (of Hunters or more possibly the Grimborn Family's personal guards) to prepare for the Riders' attack on their secret base in Season 4's episode "Twintuition".

But back to the Flyers. I've noticed something very interesting. As you know from both the picture earlier above (the top photo), and down below, you'll see that the only Flyers that are often seen with Krogan are these guys. Particularly this guy below that's standing next to Krogan in Season 6's episode "Chain of Command".

Of course, since this is DreamWorks Dragons, and since there isn't any rhyme or reason when it comes to the minion character design, I may be just imagining things and that them being near Krogan is just a coincidence.

However, as I've stated in my previous article, when it comes to the Flyers with the Zippleback skins and the gold dragonskins, respectively, they look to be more seasoned and ruthless compared to the Flyers with the poorly tanned Nightmare skins (or whatever those skins are), who often look nervous or act like they just graduated from Dragon Flyer Cadet Academy. 😂

In the Season 6 episode "Darkest Night", one of Stoick's main attackers is this guy in a gold-dragon-skin outfit, and also the Flyer with a similar outfit but different dragon (compare to the Flyer above) who tag-team to grievously wound Stoick.

(You'll find him again in later photos)

It's possible that these two were part of the "Deadly Dozen" from Dawn of Destruction and Wings of War, since it's likely that Krogan or Johann would've sent some of their best Flyers to take out an important figure, especially since Johann would've known about Stoick's legendary martial prowess and would've most likely not wanted to take any chances. Taking out Stoick would've stalled Berk's capability to continue their fight against the Hunters.

in "Dawn of Destruction", this Gold-skin Flyer was able keep up with Astrid and was able to hit her if it hadn't been for Hiccup's trap.

And let us not forget the infamous Mr. "Murderous Pile of Yak Dung", the Gold-skin Flyer that the Gang captured and interrogated in the Season 6 episode "Guardians of Vanaheim". Even while held captive, "Yak-dung" not only tries to recruit the Twins and use them to help him escape, but takes his chance to break free and steal the Dragon Eye Lens that Fishlegs and the Twins were turning Osvald's hut upside-down and inside-out to find, before leaving to escape the island. That is, if he hadn't fatally run into a pack of very hungry Grim Gnashers. RIP. His sacrifice will be remembered. 💀

"Krogan's Best"

In the Season 5 episode "Dawn of Destruction", we are met with a squadron of 12 Flyers who commence a surprise early-morning raid on the Dragon Riders' main base and quickly neutralize the Riders and forcing them to make a tactical retreat.

These Flyers are well-trained, well-armed, and well-coordinated, able to work together to out-maneuver the Riders and corner them. It's obvious that Krogan trained them in air-to-air combat for this very purpose.

In this very same episode, Ruffnut and Tuffnut even commented after nearly getting roasted by a passing Flyer protecting his wingman's six:

|| Tuffnut: Hey, not for nothing, but these guys are pretty good! || || Ruffnut: They're are kicking our butts! ||

And Snotlout even warns Hiccup that:

|| Those Flyers are all over the place and well-trained. ||

In "Wings of War, Part 1", after getting harassed and pursued by those Flyers from Caldera Cay (DOTW's home), Snotlout and Tuffnut say this about the Flyers:

|| Snotlout: Whoa! Oh, man, those guys are good! || || Tuffnut: I'd like to train with their trainer. ||

In the same episode, talking about that particular team of Flyers — whom I'd like to call "Krogan's Disciples" and "The Malevolent Twelve" or "The Deadly Dozen" — that were chasing the Gang from Dragon's Edge, Krogan himself told Viggo:

||"Those are 12 of my most fearless and gifted warriors. I doubt they'll have much of an issue."||

The Flyers which made up those 12 elites are those with Zippleback and the gold-scaled dragonskins. So it's very much possible that these skins are only given to elites, of a sort.

Furthermore, most of the Flyers I saw in those shots had Nightmare dragonskin skirts (kilts? lol). The Flyers with the gold-scaled dragonskin shirts seem to have vambraces made of Gronkle dragonskin, based on the coloring. Don't quote me on that, since I could be wrong. Since these dragons are hard to kill, that would definitely make them skilled dragon slayers.

Also, speaking of which, there was at least ONE Flyer amongst the "Deadly Dozen," wearing Nightmare(?) skins and a Nadder wing skirt, and flying a green Singetail. You can find him if you squint in "Wings of War, Part 1".

I've edited the shots to make them more easier to see, but please forgive me for the blurry close-up shots. Nothing I can do to prevent that unless somebody has a better photo editing software than I do (I use Canva).

You see him again, here, with the others when they hit the fog bank, which covers the length of the Inner Isles.

(That alone makes me wanna do an article that goes in depth into the reason the Inner Isles in Berk seem to have a different climate from the rest of the archipelago.)

Here's a clearer shot from "Chain of Command", in S6. Considering that he's wearing the same garb and riding the same colored Singetail, he could be the same guy. However, with DreamWorks Dragons being DreamWorks Dragons, who enjoy making clones of the minions, we can only guess. 🤷‍♂️

Not gonna lie, though: that's a really nice getup. 👀

Flyer Leader: Krogan's Right-Hand!

In several episodes, but most memorably in "Family Matters," one notable Flyer stands out from the others: the Flyer Leader.

As far as elites go, he's probably as far up as one can go outside of Krogan's position as Headmaster of the "Flyer Warthunder". He's his right-hand man. His leftenant/lieutenant. His chief subordinate.

Sadly, we don't know anything about his past or about his history with Krogan and the Flyers. 😔 (I should just go and write a fanfic and create my own lore for the Flyer Leader at this point. 🤩) However, at some point, after passing his training as a Flyer, I assume he became a direct disciple under Krogan in the same way Krogan was under Drago, and he was competent enough to be entrusted with various administrative and martial tasks and to lead warthunders out for certain missions whenever Krogan either wasn't available or couldn't be bothered to do it himself.

As seen in every episode he's been in, the Flyer Leader is shown to be a capable and reliable man to whom Krogan can leave things without much thought. This is amazing considering Krogan isn't the type who shares power with anyone but himself — as evidenced by his treatment towards Viggo and Johann. Though it probably helps that, so far as we know, the Flyer Leader isn't interested in more power and authority and is content being the Chief Lieutenant. (Though it would be pretty interesting if he is capable due to his ambition to aim higher and eventually replace Krogan as Chief of the Flyers.)

Anyway, the Flyer Leader is, aside from Krogan, the head honcho of the Flyers, and, as such, has much field command whenever Krogan's not around. He's Krogan's representative, almost (if Krogan was interested in allowing that).

The fact that Krogan was confident enough to entrust the all-important task of protecting the Singetail Rookery from any intruders once again proves, in my opinion, how adept the Flyer Leader is and how much Krogan trusts him enough to leave this vital facility to him.

And he's not stupid. Even when the Riders were able to free the Singetails captured in Deathsong amber, the Singetails, in order to protect the eggs, didn't leave as expected, unexpectedly giving the Flyer Leader extra pieces to drive the Riders into a corner. And instead of attacking them, knowing that doing so in cramped quarters and risking attacks from the Singetails due to the rookery being in the cave labyrinth, he instead orders word to be sent to Krogan about the incident and to focus everything he has onto the cave entrance and pin the Riders there until help arrives.

Little did he know that the Riders (thanks to Fishlegs impromptu problem solving) did something completely unexpected and did something that no-one could've thought that they would dare to do: lure a Cavern Crasher — an egg-eating dragon — into the Singetail Rookery and cause a disturbance that would cause a panic, allowing them to escape.

Honestly, if they hadn't done that, I think he would've been able to either capture them or kill them. The Riders themselves, before Fishlegs came with his crazy plan, were beginning to doubt they'd be able to break out before reinforcements arrived.

He is sadly left behind in a cocoon of amber. How tragic. 😔🙏🏻😂

I kinda find it ironic how he lost because of plot armor. I mean, when you watch the episode, you notice that he was given everything he needed to make sure that the Rookery stayed in their hands: About 100 or so Hunter grunts to do the patrols, guard-duty, and menial tasks such as taking care of the dragons; a squadron of Dragon Flyers, assumedly all elites from his own squad (so probably between 4-8 Flyers, certainly no more than 12); no more than 5 or so catapults and ballistae; presumedly several trap devices like net ballistae or whatever; and I'm assuming he has a reserve force of men at hand to rotate shifts and replace any troops that are injured, killed, or absent. So around 100-200 men, give or take a hundred. This is a LARGE GROUP to be commanding and organizing.

I don't care what the episode showed, you'd need that much personnel, if not more, just to do patrols, manage the dragons, man the catapults and traps, etc, etc, AND have a reserve to use to rotate shifts — this is an important base, after all! It's a BIG JOB!

That being said, I could be overestimating the numbers here a bit based on my assumption that they'd need that much personnel to deal with the Riders AND any Singetails they capture and guarding the two Deathsongs and Singetail eggs as well. With that being the case, I will minus this and assume that he has, at minimum, no less than 100 men, split into companies of 50 men so that they can rotate around the clock.

Regardless of the actual numbers, the fact that he was given a lot of resources, and still lost due to an unexpected wild card the Riders played on him is just bad luck.

Personally, I don't think that Krogan would let him live for having failed his expectations and mission so thoroughly. They basically lost their source of Singetails and the island is now useless and can't be used further.

However, that being said, perhaps after hearing the explanation, and not wanting to lose a valuable fighter, he could've just let him live but demoted him, since after this, we no longer see him again, and Krogan takes over direct command in the finale episode.

Or heck, maybe the Flyer Leader deserted, knowing what his fate would be, and didn't want to be there for Krogan to find.

I'm considering the possibility that losing his Singetail Rookery didn't waylay Krogan that much, since he had a bunch of Flyers scout out and attack the Sentinals and the Riders for the next two episodes. And in the final two, it appears that Krogan came with a force no greater than 50 Flyers, including himself. I don't know if he already had this force gathered up some time before "Family Matters," or if he had another Rookery(ies) besides the one handled by the Flyer Leader.

If that's the case, then it could be likely that Honcho is doing swell but demoted. But since we know that Krogan dislikes failure, much like Drago does and — like master, like apprentice — punishes his failure with DEATH.

For more on the Flyer Leader and his possible fate after "Family Matters", click the link to my old article here.

What's also interesting is that the Flyer Leader is also the one who led that certain "Elite Dozen" team that pursued the Gang in "Dawn of Destruction" and "Wings of War, Parts 1 and 2" as well.

Personally, I love this character, and I personally wish he showed up in more episodes. He was quite the competent minor villain who was able to corner and pressure the Riders more than a few times. (He certainly did a better job than Savage and Vorg did.😤)

Conclusion:

So I conclude this article by stating that I believe that those 12 Flyers — and any other Flyers with the same garb — are elites due to the garb they wear and experience in combat. They're also, presumedly, among the most fanatical and ruthless of Krogan's Flyers (though the same could be said for all of the Flyers, as a whole). Plus, they were the ones who gave the Gang the most trouble with their excellent training, coordination, and teamwork.

What do you guys think? What are your thoughts on this? I'm curious.

Anyway, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this article! See you in the next one!

Long Live the Night!

— Noctus Fury

[kuiperoid]

The new ContraPoints video is conspiracy theories, not a debunking video, but an analysis of the history of conspiratorial thinking since the Roman Empire.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Pitch for a comedy TV show:

* Title is “Midcard Hell”

* The premise is that it’s a workplace comedy/mockumentary show that follows the staff and performers of Total Elite Wrestling Zone (TEWZ).

* The main protagonist is Herbert Mallari, ring name Dallas Strategy. He is a Filipino-American pro-wrestler stuck in midcard hell after he fumbled the company’s attempt to push him into the main card. Herbert/Dallas is played by Manny Jacinto (Jason Mendoza, Qimir). For real-life inspiration, I based him off of Austin Theory and Shinsuke Nakamura.

* The deuteragonist is Herbert’s best friend Jason Ballinger, ring name Jason “The American Experiment” Knox. He is the face of the company and is dealing with burnout due to how hectic his schedule is. Jason is played by Tyler Hoechlin (Superman, Derek Hale). For real-life inspiration, I based him off of John Cena and Cody Rhodes.

* The tritagonist is Herbert’s crush Aoife McCarthy, ring name Max Murphy. She is an Irish wrestler stuck in midcard hell. Unbeknownst to her, the current women’s champion is secretly making sure Aoife/Max never rises in the rankings in order to secure her place at the top. Aoife/Max is played by Katie McGrath (Morgana Pendragon, Lena Luthor). For real-life inspiration, I based her off of Becky Lynch and Paige.

* The CEO of the company is played by CM Punk, but only in a guest capacity. It’s basically Punk pretending to be Triple H.

* Finn Balor makes a guest appearance as Aoife/Max’s brother who works as an indie wrestler.

* Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods make a guest appearance as members of the creative team who can only come up with terrible storyline ideas.

* Asuka makes a guest appearance as a famous J-Pop idol who is brought in as the celebrity host for a PPV set in Tokyo. The joke is that she somehow out-wrestles the entire women’s roster, even though her character is supposed to be a non-wrestler.

* Jey Uso makes a guest appearance as a widely-hated social media influencer who is considering a career in pro-wrestling. (Hmm…I wonder who this character is based on coughLoganPaulcough excuse me, I got the coughs).

* Liv Morgan and The Miz make a guest appearance as the really eccentric acting coaches who are trying to teach the new recruits how to cut a promo.

* R-Truth is in a recurring role as a pro-wrestler named J-Honest. He’s basically the Creed Bratton of the show.