Nature of Adeptus Astartes

[Marshal Rohr]

There is 3-4000 years of history before Gaius Marius, and thousands before that of feral humans fighting and killing each other. You’ve chosen examples that aren’t relevant to my point. An American can’t join the military until 17. Three years longer than when he could become a space marine in 40k. Are you saying that the Assyrians, Akkadians, Chinese proto-States, African civilizations, and American indigenous populations followed the same rules? Space Marine recruitment is as consensual as child athletes, I.e. the decision is made by the parents. For every gladiator match recruitment story there’s one of it being an honor to be chosen.

[Brother Tyler]

The problem with this debate (each and every time it rears its head here at the B&C) is that political science experts disagree on the exact definition of "fascism" and "fascist," with different experts providing different definitions. There are enough elements of the fictional WH40K Imperium of Mankind that correspond with multiple elements of a variety of those experts' definitions of fascism, though, that the comparison isn't necessarily inaccurate.

 

Moreover, while individual Chapters might have discrete deviations from any overarching definition of the Adeptus Astartes, taken as a whole, it is possible to apply a generalized description that applies to the majority of Chapters (and even those Chapters that are exceptional will match a significant percentage of the elements of any generalized definition).

 

All we're doing at this point is thumping our chests at what is clearly a generalized statement (especially given the limited number of characters in which the "definition" can be presented).

 

There's nothing constructive in this, and all we have so far is a dysfunctional academic lynch mob forming.