A dumb question about Axis, Neo-Zeon and ZZ

[mutantshark]

If that's the case, I'm gonna have to retract my previous comment. This like Bravaria challenging China, and China taking them seriously. It also raises all kinds of problems with logistics. How could this small amount of people credibly produce and maintain as many mobile suits as it did, and still have a functional economy? Fanticism only goes so far. Something more beleivible would be Axis functioning as focal point for terrorism (in fact the very thing the titans were supposed to fight).

I don't think Axis was supposed to function as any kind of economy, just a base of operations untill Haman's hold on side 3 could be consolidated. If the federation could be intimidated/stalled for long enough, Haman had a decent chance of resurrecting a 'Zabi' dynasty on the old Zeon colonies. This would have provided ample resources for continuing conquest of the earth sphere or whatever Haman had in mind.

[HalfDemonInuyasha]

With that in mind, it doesn't matter how small Axis is. After all, who's going to oppose them? The Titans, with their eviscerated fleet and lack of support from the Federal government? The AEUG, which was in nearly as bad a shape, with only an orphan-staffed Argama and other, less notable ships to its name (pursuing the Argama, when it came down to it, was likely for the prize of taking Char Aznable's ship)? The Federation, which didn't make a single move throughout the Gryps Conflict and therefore had made its aversion to war obvious? Haman had the Earth Sphere by the proverbial balls, and it didn't matter how large or experienced her forces were, or even how good the mobile suits were, because there was no credible opposition.

In addition to this, there's the fact that the Federation, through the actions of the Titans AND lack of their own action to police their own forces (which the Titans merely were just a branch of the Federation at first), pretty much screwed ANY sort of hope the colonies could've possibly had in them. I mean, who in space, besides the most dedicated believers (which would be abnormally small) would want to trust a government who basically lets their OWN branch force walk all over them and even taking over its leadership???

[Ork_dreadnought]

You know, I'm starting to wonder if the creative staff had something against democracy. The Federation seems come off badly in every single production. With axis its just especially obvious.

[mcred23]

You know, I'm starting to wonder if the creative staff had something against democracy. The Federation seems come off badly in every single production. With axis its just especially obvious.

It really does seem that way, the Federation Government usually does come off as the bad guy in some way (As opposed to the Federation Military, who often go out on their own to do the right thing).

[Chris]

You know, I'm starting to wonder if the creative staff had something against democracy. The Federation seems come off badly in every single production. With axis its just especially obvious.

I don't think that Tomino specifically has anything against democracy. Lots of people just blindly view democracy as the best type of government in the world. But the truth is that no matter how good the type of government is, it's only as good as the people who are in it. Any government, no matter how good, can be corrupted or grow until it reaches the point that it's no longer functioning for the sake of the people, but only to maintain itself. What Zeta, ZZ and CCA show is a government run amok, and ZZ especially shows Federation leaders who are more concerned with themselves rather than their citizens.

[Imperial]

I don't think Tomino is anti-democracy.

There was a thread on the matter over on Gundam Evolution, actually. To sum it up, Tomino makes a dig at virtually every sort of government style under the sun, be it in the bloated democracy that is the Federation to the insanely autocratic Zanascare Empire to the dictatorial Principality of Zeon.

For all the problems the Federation has, they're the only truly enduring aspect of the Universal Century. Every other faction or insurgent group falls by the wayside, usually cripped by its own infighting. As corrupt as the Federation is, at least it can usually work on a united front toward a greater good once they can be bothered to do something about that uppity Spacenoid militia.

[ShadowCell]

And the Federation always seems to be portrayed as the lesser of two evils--where the Federation is corrupt and sedentary, its adversaries are outright dictators or bloodthirsty warmongers.

[HalfDemonInuyasha]

As corrupt as the Federation is, at least it can usually work on a united front toward a greater good once they can be bothered to do something about that uppity Spacenoid militia.

Yep, that's true...even though a few times, they were a little too late, lol.

Like in ZZ, the Federation and AEUG fleet didn't get there until after everything was pretty much over. In Char's Counterattack, being so far away for some, they didn't make it until Axis was already falling into the atmosphere.

The best example of their united front, to me, would be in Victory Gundam when a portion backs the League Militaire in the latter half of the series, even going so far as sacrificing themselves and their ships (like the Jeanne D'Arc) to take down some of Zanscare's best.