The game of politics, in fiction, not RL

[NotaNuffian]

"If Justice Bao is under a corrupted emperor, do you think he still can be Justice Bao?"
-A statement made by my aunt when talking about how Justice Bao is righteous.

So after going through not enough books and novels as I try to find a solution for my MC, I have decided to just ask this question out then.

So to be in the game of politics and power, both in RL and fiction, one must sink their foot into the cesspool that is the centre of power and just like a new kid wearing new shoes and walking into the playroom filled with other kids that have dirty, worn out shoes, that new kid is going to get stomped and bullied by them until his shoes are just as bad as theirs. The inevitability that is politics is that no matter how "good" you are, you will get sodomized until you become the next sodomizer.

So in Supreme Magus' case, Lith's political road is plotted out thanks to the fact that he allied with one of the more powerful family at the time and got really lucky to not turn into the next Death Mage. His path is the orthodox "join the club" but because he is more active in murder than meeting people, he is hated by both old and new nobles. The former because of how outstanding he is and the latter is because Lith did not bother to ally with (used by) them. Also, the power dynamic is rather simplified for the benefit of both the readers and author with royalties vs nobles with the occasional infighting between nobles. So far there had been "you have outlived your usefulness" happening to everyone except Lith because all he get is "hold still you monstrous cockroach!"

Speaking about power dynamics, politics exist not just in the court, but rather, it is everywhere people are at.

What I want to ask is, how to deal with such an issue as bad Superman (the Lois is dead edition Superman)?

 

[CrypticalFlint]

Unless you've got another Superman or Batman, I don't think you can.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Whelp, I complete fudged my wording.

Then again, this is a brainfart topic, knowing that unless there are friends in high places to guide in the game of politics, it is hard for a novice to survive in it without "buddies".

The whole "superhuman" thing has made it worse.

 

[greyblob]

if you have one shrewd noble, he should band all of the rest together. their goal is to orchestrate the public against him and paint him as a villain, which from what you mentioned shouldn't be too hard to do. start with one or two single incidents on the streets, where he is forced to show an ugly side, and steadily upscale to burnt villages under his name. and if he has any loved ones, go after them as well and do the same - it'll his image as a madman.
with all of the public against him, tracking his movements is a breeze. MC has to be incredibly patient. if he lashes out, it'll do him more bad than good. his mental will be slowly chipped away. the main noble could get rid of one or two of his colleagues; steer the MC their way. their focus should be on the offensive. either they find his kryptonite or he's finally driven away

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

"If Justice Bao is under a corrupted emperor, do you think he still can be Justice Bao?"
-A statement made by my aunt when talking about how Justice Bao is righteous.

So after going through not enough books and novels as I try to find a solution for my MC, I have decided to just ask this question out then.

So to be in the game of politics and power, both in RL and fiction, one must sink their foot into the cesspool that is the centre of power and just like a new kid wearing new shoes and walking into the playroom filled with other kids that have dirty, worn out shoes, that new kid is going to get stomped and bullied by them until his shoes are just as bad as theirs. The inevitability that is politics is that no matter how "good" you are, you will get sodomized until you become the next sodomizer.

So in Supreme Magus' case, Lith's political road is plotted out thanks to the fact that he allied with one of the more powerful family at the time and got really lucky to not turn into the next Death Mage. His path is the orthodox "join the club" but because he is more active in murder than meeting people, he is hated by both old and new nobles. The former because of how outstanding he is and the latter is because Lith did not bother to ally with (used by) them. Also, the power dynamic is rather simplified for the benefit of both the readers and author with royalties vs nobles with the occasional infighting between nobles. So far there had been "you have outlived your usefulness" happening to everyone except Lith because all he get is "hold still you monstrous cockroach!"

Speaking about power dynamics, politics exist not just in the court, but rather, it is everywhere people are at.

What I want to ask is, how to deal with such an issue as bad Superman (the Lois is dead edition Superman)?

Just throw out the old power structure and re-establish an aristocracy

 

[RepresentingCaution]

It depends on how popular he is among the people.

 

[SilvCrimBlac]

Just throw out the old power structure and re-establish an aristocracy

People laugh at this idea, but monarchies are still the most inherently stable form of government in spite of the bad rep they get.

And with monarchies, forms of aristocracies inevitably form, usually beginning as extended relatives or bastard children of the royal family in the first few gens, with eventually high-ranking military officers becoming ennobled over time as well which expands the size of the aristocracy. Hell, eventually, merchants and peasants get ennobled, usually as the lowest rank like "knight" and they work themselves up over generations. Quite a few Earldoms in England and Counts in France have origins from the peasantry. The random peasant did good in one battle or another and impressed either the King or another sufficiently high-ranked noble and was "knighted" as a reward. It carries over to his son who gets trained as a Man-At-Arms for some high-ranked nobles armed retinue (private army) eventually, and then after several generations, the family essentially ranks up since noble families rose and fell all the time via politics.

Anyway, monarchies, despite the bad rep they would obviously get in today's more "freedom-esque" existence, have still proven to be the most stable form of government in human history.

 

[Deleted member 19066]

"If Justice Bao is under a corrupted emperor, do you think he still can be Justice Bao?"
-A statement made by my aunt when talking about how Justice Bao is righteous.

Just on this note...

He will always be just. Because Justice Bao is that sort of character he is, and also why in the story the previous emperor gave him the "imperial sword" which can kill anyone as an imperial decree, without due process and only need to report why afterwards, circumventing any politics and class system.

As the deception of the sword goes [上斬昏君，下斬讒臣]
[Slay the failed ruler above, slay the corrupt officials below]

If he found out the emperor is corrupted, he would have tried to arrest or execute him. And the author will typically make it difficult with the queen-mother and other lords preventing it by framing Justice Bao for corruption. But ultimately it would get overturned by some super OP'd general of the "old guard", a duke that defends the border and is the emperor's uncle that leads 3 armies or something.

The Emperor would get deposed, a young more "just" sibling will become the new emperor, the OP uncle will be the regent or something like that.

this plot gets used quite a lot actually...

 

[NotaNuffian]

Just on this note...

He will always be just. Because Justice Bao is that sort of character he is, and also why in the story the previous emperor gave him the "imperial sword" which can kill anyone as an imperial decree, without due process and only need to report why afterwards, circumventing any politics and class system.

As the deception of the sword goes [上斬昏君，下斬讒臣]
[Slay the failed ruler above, slay the corrupt officials below]

If he found out the emperor is corrupted, he would have tried to arrest or execute him. And the author will typically make it difficult with the queen-mother and other lords preventing it by framing Justice Bao for corruption. But ultimately it would get overturned by some super OP'd general of the "old guard", a duke that defends the border and is the emperor's uncle that leads 3 armies or something.

The Emperor would get deposed, a young more "just" sibling will become the new emperor, the OP uncle will be the regent or something like that.

this plot gets used quite a lot actually...

Well that is why that statement is made, if there had not been so much deus ex machina, he has two paths when underneath a POS emperor. Either he live and bend the knee or die as the righteous man he is. So death then.

 

[AryaX]

Monarchies, despite the bad rep they would obviously get in today's more "freedom-esque" existence, have still proven to be the most stable form of government in human history.

Is being "stable" a good thing when it comes to governments ? ?

 

[BearlyAlive]

Is being "stable" a good thing when it comes to governments ? ?

If it includes "mentally stable", then YES.

Back to question, tho. Easiest way is to actively exclude MC and his comrades until either the "enemy side" effs up and MC has to save the day or MC has to save the day.

 

[RepresentingThree]

Is being "stable" a good thing when it comes to governments ? ?

Yes, they have a job to do. A complicated and difficult job at that. Being unstable just ensures it will fall.

 

[AryaX]

Not all change is bad...