Darn it, fart in the connection... now I have to re-type it...

I would like to go on record as being a staunch supporter of the Psi Corps as an excellent faction in any story. They have style, elegance, and quiet deadliness that seems to be a perfect blend of corporate, government, and crime-lord styles.

I would also, though, like to point out that they are not a flat 'evil empire' as they are often portrayed. Most of the people in the Psi Corps are, if not happy, at least satisfied. They're easier to control that way. Even Bester had a love in the Psi Corps...

And they're not all evil in action either. Remember, suddenly manifesting psychic abilities just as your biology is pumping hormones into you is, at best, horribly disconcerting. Without training, you could easily go mad (and I have reason to believe that the UF universe is similar, considering Devlin's comments) or manifest sociopathic behaviors.

-Craig
PS: If anyone is truly desperate, I have the crappy fan-subs (not that the fan-subbing is crappy: just that the video quality is) of most of the latter parts of the Utena series. However, I am, most irritatingly, missing the last four or five. If someone would be so kind as to arrange for my possible reception and incorporation of these files, I would be forever grateful.

There are many things in the world and universe that are good ideas, things that one ought to do for the sake of the betterment of themselves or others. However, no matter how positive or necessary something is, no one relishes being told they -have- to do such and such a thing, even if it's something they'd do anyway.

TRB

Have to do what?

-Craig

Oh! You're talking about the Psi Corps, not about the post itself... okay... (Just woke up, pardon the slow thought patterns...)

-Craig

>Darn it, fart in the connection... now I have to re-type it...

>I would also, though, like to point out that they are not a flat 'evil
>empire' as they are often portrayed. Most of the people in the Psi
>Corps are, if not happy, at least satisfied. They're easier to control
>that way. Even Bester had a love in the Psi Corps...

Yes, and even Blofield (or wossname) had a pet fluffy cat.

>And they're not all evil in action either. Remember, suddenly
>manifesting psychic abilities just as your biology is pumping hormones
>into you is, at best, horribly disconcerting. Without training, you
>could easily go mad (and I have reason to believe that the UF universe
>is similar, considering Devlin's comments) or manifest sociopathic
>behaviors.

Sociopathic behaviors like independence, good will to others, feelings of equality with other humans, etc.

There are good, decent PsiCorps officers. One story we've had about half complete for four or five years nowwould show that, if we ever decide to finish it. (No, you don't get to know anything else about it, forget it. It may not even happen.) However, the -purpose- of the PsiCorps is to eliminate any and all telepathically skilled humans who are not completely loyal -to- the Corps. Their methods are, at kindest, suspect, and their general actions and attitude towards non-Corps people do not encourage trust.

And you'll notice that nobody seriously questions why Earthdome responds to a purported fear of telepaths by giving a group of telepaths massive government power and authority and the ability to either assimilate or exterminate any other telepaths it finds...

Redneck (Corps is mudda, Corps is fadda, goin' ta Mars, I dun wanna)

Red wizard needs money badly...
www.wlpcomics.com
White Lightning Productions - don't tell the Pope

Congratulations, you have it exactly the way I like it.

-Craig

Not to rain on your parade, but most people portray them as as Evil because they ARE!

Yes, the Psi Corps might have been a good idea at first, but what the corps has become by the time we are introduced to it in B5, it has become a self sustaining monstrosity, in which you are either with them, or against them.

So, if your a Psi, your options are limited: Join, physcial incarceration, or chemical lobotomy. This does not sound like an organization with the best interests of others in mind. And once in, you're whole purpose in life is to be on the lookout for people like yourself who have refused to make one of the three authorized choices above. Oh, and let us not forget that the Shadows had probobly already infiltrated deep into the Psi Corps command structure by the time they're introduced as well.

Can people be happy in the Corps? Yes. Is the Corps evil? In my opinion.

Is there a reason for the Corps? Not in its present form. Rather, the Corps should have become a testing, education, and monitoring organization, with its enforcement powers limited to the use of psi powers in the commision of crimes, or other such unethical behavior.

In fact, though we never see it, this was probobly the original intent of the Psi Corps when it was originaly chartered, before it became twisited into the organization that we've all come to know from B5.
___________________

Vaughn doesn't know I exist. I guess this explains why the rest of reality keeps ignoring me as well. >_<

That's not raining on my parade. That's exactly right.

-Craig

>Not to rain on your parade, but most people portray them as as Evil
>because they ARE!

I doubt that. Was Lyta Evil? Talia (not counting her implanted persona)?

>Yes, the Psi Corps might have been a good idea at first, but what the
>corps has become by the time we are introduced to it in B5, it has
>become a self sustaining monstrosity, in which you are either with
>them, or against them.

The problem is actually mostly the fact that the Corps *knew* about the shadows a hundred years before B5, so they were trying to get themselves into a situation where they could fight them without having to worry about mundanes. That, and the Vorlons got to the first Director, and sort of imprinted there "order is good, make sure everyone follows your directions" ideology. Hell, he was *helping* the underground...

>So, if your a Psi, your options are limited: Join, physcial
>incarceration, or chemical lobotomy. This does not sound like an
>organization with the best interests of others in mind. And once in,
>you're whole purpose in life is to be on the lookout for people like
>yourself who have refused to make one of the three authorized choices
>above. Oh, and let us not forget that the Shadows had probobly
>already infiltrated deep into the Psi Corps command structure by the
>time they're introduced as well.

Shadows, no. Vorlons, Yes. And so what if you join the Corps? really, all it means is that you wear a pin that anounces that you are Psi, abide by their rules and regulations, and submit to a psi-scan once every 6-18 months, depending...Not a horrible thing is you ask me...

>Can people be happy in the Corps? Yes. Is the Corps evil? In my
>opinion.

Not in mine. Bester, I'll not argue. Hell, most of the psi-cops, I won't argue. But the Corps itself, no, not at all.

>Is there a reason for the Corps? Not in its present form. Rather,
>the Corps should have become a testing, education, and monitoring
>organization, with its enforcement powers limited to the use of psi
>powers in the commision of crimes, or other such unethical behavior.

And what about deathbed-scans, criminal deep scans (with a proper warrent, or permission) and the like. Think of the Psi-Corps as a government run Psionic's Guild. And think of the lengths that many guilds went to to stop someone else from doing their work?

>In fact, though we never see it, this was probobly the original intent
>of the Psi Corps when it was originaly chartered, before it became
>twisited into the organization that we've all come to know from B5.

See, that's the problem. We *don't* see the organization in B5. We see a madman, with his groupies, and flunkies, and the like. And most of the time, Psi-Corps and earth-dome sanction what he does, because there is a need for it, and he's very good at what he does. But then the Regime changes, and the winners (the "Good" teeps) hunt him down, and kill him. Now, I'm not saying that bester's not a madman, but you shouldn't base a *very* large organization (teeps being something like 2% of humans, Psi-Corps holding about 60% of them) based on the actions of him.

--
-Pasha
Corps is Mother, Corps is Father.
I have no loyalties but the Corps.

>PS: If anyone is truly desperate, I have the crappy fan-subs (not that
>the fan-subbing is crappy: just that the video quality is) of most of
>the latter parts of the Utena series. However, I am, most
>irritatingly, missing the last four or five. If someone would be so
>kind as to arrange for my possible reception and incorporation of
>these files, I would be forever grateful.

I'm desperate...
...but not desperate enough to cross the Atlantic again, given current events and the state of my wallet.

drakensisthered

So I simply said one of the great trite truths: "There is generally more than one side to a story." - Corwin, Roger Zelazny's 'Courts of Chaos'

Pardon? No, I'm talking bandwidth.

-Craig

>Pardon? No, I'm talking bandwidth.
>
>-Craig

Forget it. Not entirely sure why I wrote that. Must have been a month enting in R.

drakensisthered

So I simply said one of the great trite truths: "There is generally more than one side to a story." - Corwin, Roger Zelazny's 'Courts of Chaos'

But if you want access, e-mail me, and I'll give you an FTP password to that directory... that goes for anyone else, too. It looks like I might be aquiring the end of the series, too, so it'll be whole.

(Yay free bandwidth! Okay, it's not MUCH free bandwidth... but I think I can handle the few requests I'm gonna get).

-Craig

>But if you want access, e-mail me, and I'll give you an FTP password
>to that directory... that goes for anyone else, too. It looks like I
>might be aquiring the end of the series, too, so it'll be whole.
>
>(Yay free bandwidth! Okay, it's not MUCH free bandwidth... but I think
>I can handle the few requests I'm gonna get).

Great! Errr... what's your email?

drakensisthered

So I simply said one of the great trite truths: "There is generally more than one side to a story." - Corwin, Roger Zelazny's 'Courts of Chaos'

LAST EDITED ON Sep-13-01 AT 07:26 PM (EDT)

Where did it go? I thought it was in my profile...

clef@cephiro.com is the one I'm using.

-Craig