Was Yang a transexual?

[Mr. President]

This thread is all manner of wrong.

[sir_schwick]

Santiago had a lot of quotes about how individual military abilities were necessary to ensure maximum levels of individual freedom. I think the military structure was a collective defense one. Her quotes often seemed very strictly military(no politics at all) or libertarian.

[WotanAnubis]

Originally posted by sir_schwick
Santiago had a lot of quotes about how individual military abilities were necessary to ensure maximum levels of individual freedom. I think the military structure was a collective defense one. Her quotes often seemed very strictly military(no politics at all) or libertarian.

Which quotes have Santiago talking about the protection of individual freedom?

The Spartans are all about survival. Armed survival.

Also, their willingness to readily submit to a certain amount of police/military control in times of 'crisis' suggests that the Federation's politics are not exactly libertarian.

Though, to be honest I don't know much about libertarianism. I am, however, fairly certain it doesn't include a certain relaxed attitude towards martial law.

So I suppose you could argue the Spartans have a small government by virtue of having no government, because the military is in charge of everything. This does indeed sets it somewhat against Lal's democratic principles, but not as much as Yang's police state I would wager.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by WotanAnubis

So when you start up a game of SMAC one of the factional options is "the Labyrinth"? And one of the faction leaders is called 'Saratov'?

No. Didn't think so.

No, the but the story is based on this. Onless you think Zak's change of name (or the Hive's for that matter) affected his personality or the quotes chosen.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by sir_schwick
Santiago had a lot of quotes about how individual military abilities were necessary to ensure maximum levels of individual freedom. I think the military structure was a collective defense one. Her quotes often seemed very strictly military(no politics at all) or libertarian.

I could not disagree more, Sparta is about survival and military dominance. There is nothing libertarian about them, you could perhaps find a libertarian quote from Morgan, but not from Santiago.


The only quote vaguely made in this sentiment is “Against such abominations, we organize our defenses on the principle that one strong and able mind can shield the many.« and this is a practical opinon rather than some kind of "smallest possible government" ideal. Their value is power, I must say you are seeing what you want to see not what is there. The Spartans were originally a paramilitary Earth group, probably labelled terrorist by one government or another. They accept and embrace strict police control of the populace in the name of security, they glorify the military and war.

You are again misinterpreting the whole thing. If anyone is about big government then its Yang, with his omnipresent state.

The inefficiency of Lals system doesn’t stem from the lack of democratic institutions, it stems from their overabundance. The desire for consensus before adopting policy, the overly delicate legal system, the bureaucracy of a dozens of commissions which oversee thing, a UN like system of many, many representatives ect. Lal is trying to do what on Earth would be a democratic global government, something inspired by an idealistic vision of the UN. Or perhaps a cross-cultural Centaurian EU. Many people in these arguments confuse the UN of today with the UN of SMAC. Remember the institution of 2060 is efficient enough and has enough influence to save a small portion of humanity from extinction while local governments across the world squabble and fight atomic wars. That kind of UN would earn my respect and perhaps admiration as well.

[WotanAnubis]

Originally posted by Heraclitus


No, the but the story is based on this. Onless you think Zak's change of name (or the Hive's for that matter) affected his personality or the quotes chosen.

I think you missed my point.

The point being that if you want to call Yang's faction 'The Labyrinth', I wouldn't be able to make a gay crossdressing joke. Instead, I would have to settle for a David Bowie one.

Yang the glam rocker. Now there's an image.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by WotanAnubis
Yang the glam rocker. Now there's an image.

Just as valid as Yang the transexual.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Mr. President
This thread is all manner of wrong.

You are sooooo right.

[Illuminatus]

This thread is very interesting.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I agree. Bump for sheer oddness' sake.

[Xian]

Also notice his name: Yang

The Yin is the masculine side, the Yang the feminine.

Also, his quote about "I maintain that Yin and Yang dualism can be transcended..." actually makes more sense in this context. If Yang is indeed a transexual he has indeed transcended the yin-tang duality of gender.

Actually, a lot of his quotes ("take control of the input and become master of the output" for example) make sense in this framework.

At first I thought this thread was absurd, but the more I think about it the more I think you've got a point.

[Alinestra Covelia]

First posted by Xian

The Yin is the masculine side, the Yang the feminine.

Eh?

You have it the wrong way round, Xian!

The Yang is the masculine side, the Yin is the feminine side, not the other way round. Even if Yang's name is the relevant Chinese character (which would be quite unlikely - most "Yang" names are 杨 instead of 阳 ) it would be the correct gender for him as it means male.

The Chinese word for vagina 阴道 translates literally as "Yin passage". The Chinese word for penis 阳根 translates literally as "Yang root".

[Xian]

Whoops, although his quote about Yin Yang duality is still relevant.

Is Yang a common name in China?

[Alinestra Covelia]

It's my father's surname so it's not entirely unheard of.

It's about a common as "White" or "Roberts". It's not in the top five but it's common enough that you'll generally find somebody with the same name as you.

I'm not sure if the Chairman's surname is Yang though. The way his voice actor pronounces it suggests that it could feasibly be Sheng, which is a much rarer surname.

[Illuminatus]

Chairman is Chinese, right?

Considering that family name comes first shouldn't Sheng be his family name?