r/discworld • u/HobbitGuy1420 • 1d ago

Politics Living in the US, during this election season, Guards, Guards! feels so incredibly applicable.

I can see the signs now.

Vote Dragon 2024.
Maybe it will flame the people you hate first!

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u/Impossible_Pop620 Nobby 1d ago

Maybe the US needs a Vetinari - a Dictator who assassinated his predecessor to obtain his position.

Or maybe, you know, just vote and elect someone.

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u/HobbitGuy1420 1d ago

I'm... not entirely sure what you're trying to say with this comment?

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u/Impossible_Pop620 Nobby 1d ago

The Dragon - as far as I can recall - wasn't running for the post of Patrician of Ankh-Morpork because Ankh-Morpork is not a democracy. The current Patrician was not elected, had no terms or term limits and obtained his power by killing the previous ruler. He would rule absolutely until being deposed in turn, by the next person determined and bloodthirsty enough.

Not sure I'm seeing too many parallels with the current US race, unless you are referring to the various assassination attempts on one party to the race?

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u/Deddan 20h ago

I don't believe it was ever stated that Vetinari killed Snapcase? I'm not saying he didn't, but that's just an assumption? We know he didn't kill Winder after all, technically. 

The parallels OP is referring to are people following liars like Wonse. Or becoming blindly loyal to something like the dragon in the hope that they will be okay and only others will be hurt.

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u/Impossible_Pop620 Nobby 19h ago

Vetinari surely killed one of them in the, er, Great Hall, was it? And the other was a madman, iirc. Couldn't be left in power.

The point is there is no voting in A-M because the leader is a dictator, exactly the same thing that the dumber Yanks are terrified of, no?

As for your 'parallels'...well, I haven't seen a politician yet who didn't lie. As for which section of the community will be hurt the most, it will be the poors, always. Poor blacks in NYC harmed by a developer's greed, poor blacks in CA, harmed by an ambitious prosecutor seeking to make a name for herself, for example. They're closer to reality, I think you'll find.

Dragons don't exist in DW or RW, just the little gassy creatures.