My Journey Through Babylon 5

[ORCACommander]

in some ways B5 is a product of its time.

However we are shown women have much autonomy and can rise to rank within the corp. it is of my belief that most of the corp are willing participants in breeding and eugenics programs. However willing might be a stretch since most of the corp are raised at a very young age within its ranks its more akin to Stockholm syndrome. The forced breeding to me is probly more the exception when one of them does not want to play ball and the R&D department are given far to much latitude

No please keep positing your opinion summaries.

[Yukaphile]

Even so, it's creepy AF.

That paints a stereotype. That most brainwashed German civilian women were okay with being breeding stock. I think that is at odds with the actual reality.

[Beastro]

Even so, it's creepy AF.

That paints a stereotype. That most brainwashed German civilian women were okay with being breeding stock. I think that is at odds with the actual reality.

It's to show how fucked up the culture of the telepaths has become under Psi Corp and doesn't just extend to women, thought they inevitably get the worst of it being the bearers of children: All are to subordinate themselves to the idea of telepaths as a separate group, to make them grow and grow stronger.

While I don't hate Sheridan as character what he did to Lyta is unforgivable. After all she had went trough and role she played in 2nd Shadow War (Vorlons did make her beyond P12) he threatened her just for daring to go against him without even thinking how she might feel or even ask her. I don't know what JMS was thinking when he wrote that but maybe he should had though that trough.

One thing is clear through Season 4, Sheridan's capture and torture changed him. He's a harder, tougher, and scarred, man, something which seems to have finally cut the cord on his end with serving the Earth Alliance anymore and working to solidify his own plans with the Interstellar Alliance of which he is now in charge of.

Keep in mind the way things end at Season 4 he's effectively a man without a country. Forgiven for helping end Clark's rule, but no longer welcomed by Earth for his betrayal.

I also think that for a worldwide organization, it's... mostly centered on the Commonwealth or similar Western-type structures in appearance. There's ministries, sure, but there's also the Joint Chiefs, the President's Office, the Earth Senate, and it's really like the American government. That feels a bit lazy to me. Just my thoughts.

It's reflective of the dominant position of the US and the rest of the Anglosphere in the Earth Alliance.

It was formed from an alliance of Anglosphere countries and their closest allies, Japan and the Netherlands after WWIII. They were opposed by France, which singled handedly went against them and lost a war (getting so sweetly nuked as becoming the French, yes, yes). After that the other "consortiums" around the world bowed to the EA and joined up while remaining in place.

The consortiums were JMS' name for things like the European Union or African Union, though the EU appears to have fallen apart given that Europe is the heart of Earth that is free of supranational rule (All of North America seems to have formed under the US after the rise of the EA).

So, just like how the UN was formed under the hegemony of the US and tweeked (HQ in the USwhere it can be kept an eye on and not back in Geneva again like the LoN; Earthdome in Geneva is a major issue I have with the EA, but I can see it as a concession the EA, especially the US threw to rest) to bend to its will (and the other Great Powers included with their Security Council seats), so to is the EA dominated by those nations which founded it.

Keep in mind the EA is not meant to be some fanciful union of Earth like what inspired the UN and Trek's Federation, it's got a darker underbelly to it, especially given JMS injecting bits of the 90s fade about nations disappearing and replaced by companies where EA politics seemed to be dominated more by companies than by nations, even if the ruse is still maintained.