Roughshod

There's been no abusive language or personal attacks used so you shouldn't have to worry about this forum getting locked or edited. Hopefully. "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny." Thomas Jefferson

While I appreciate the effort made to provide those items, I could still make the argument that they're not directly sourced from the show and thus not true and proper canon. Not an airtight argument, but I could still make it with reasonable justification. Besides, why would it have to be unicorns or alicorns controlling the sun and moon?But let's say that the alicorn sisters really are the only ideal source of magic for controlling the sun and moon. It's been shown that this magic can be transferred as well as taken by force. My point is that I don't accept the 'proof' you've provided as irrefutable in asserting the necessity of the alicorns in this matter. In fact I will not likely not concede to any of your arguments so I don't know why you're so adamant. Maybe you're just bored like me. That's not what I said. I said that Luna's seeming capacity to change the weather because of her mood was more for dramatic effect rather than a concrete example of her ability to control the weather. And even if was making that claim how could I go about proving it? Persuade the MLP production team to just make that concept a part of canon? That's just an impossible demand you're using to further your point. Prove it. Oh wait... you can't. But seriously, "dozens"? I was thinking more along the lines of hundreds if not thousands. Try to picture an enormous militia and paramilitary force storming Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. Masses of earth ponies smashing the castles, swarms of pegasi bombarding from above and legions of unicorns blasting at the alicorns. We've already seen in A Canterlot Wedding that the princesses military skill leads a lot to be desired when it comes to handling an invasion. Sure you could say that the situation with the Changelings would be different from ponies but it's also been demonstrated that regular ponies can square off against them in a fight. And Chrysalis? Well she wasn't exactly invincible herself either. She was only defeated by the combined magic of Cadance and Shining Armor, and his position in this scenario was not clarified though I'm sure which side most people think he would take. In any case he's no alicorn. Ultimately, any leader who would oppose the will of their people in such a way isn't deserving of their position. The moment Celestia and the other alicorns attempt to persecute and enslave the citizens of Equestria is the moment they lose their legitimacy. That's a democratic perspective though. Maybe you have more absolutist sympathies than I do. Or you're just far more loyal than I am. Whatevs.

Luna was not technically stuck on the moon, it was Nightmare Moon who was imprisoned inside the moon. The details on her state during this have not been expounded on much, it's possible to speculate that she was in a dormant state at this time, that her dark magic enabled to survive the conditions or that Celestia somehow had a part to play in this. Even if Alicorns can live without basic necessities, which I do not agree with, it doesn't mean they are invulnerable to ailments that affect other ponies or that they absolutely do not need others to survive. And Rarity is not a good case for your argument considering the pitiful job she did controlling the weather. I don't have much to say on the reference to Luna at the end, that seemed more like dramatic effect than canon material and you might be reading too deeply into that. Regarding the Sun and Moon... I need more than just a vague mention of a book to convince of such a claim as that. Show me some proof or have somebody else corroborate this. This canon(if it is that) seems very illogical to me, that the only reason the unicorns could manipulate celestial objects is with Star Swirl's help. Just how long was this unicorn alive? Let me ask you this, if an alicorn suffered physical trauma or was poisoned or had their magic nullified why wouldn't they be vulnerable like a regular pony? They are beings that can be harmed and have been shown to conflict with one another just as regular ponies do. They're not as special as you might like to think. Tirek was able to match their power after absorbing the magic of many, but arguably not all the ponies of Equestria(plus Discord). If only there was a standard of measurement for magical capacity of ponies... In conclusion I might add that passive resistance could be coupled with a more aggressive natured strategy. It seems you haven't convinced me that the ponies of Equestria would not be able to overthrow the alicorn princesses. If anything you've given me more reason why they should. Beings with such power must be controlled or be removed before they become a threat to everyone and everything around them. I don't condone slavery, regardless of the circumstances, and even if it may seem suicidal I would fight for my freedom because it's worth fighting for. Much more so than a group of privileged mares who abuse their power.

One thing that has to be kept in mind is that the this is a conflict between a small group of elites and an entire nation. The sheer number difference is such a factor that it could make magical power insignificant in comparison. Much would depend on the manner of the revolution and the tactics used. A direct physical confrontation may not be ideal, but overwhelming passive resistance could have a huge impact. What would the princesses do if the earth ponies refused to give them food or if the pegasi didn't manage the weather of Canterlot and the Crystal Empire? What I'd the royal guards simply went on strike or even directly rebelled? I've said this before but it has been mentioned in the series that unicorns once controlled the sun and moon so Celestia and Luna are not absolutely needed. The Crystal Empire could always find a new type of government. I'm not sure what could be done about Twilight Sparkle and the remane 5; whether they could be replaced or if Equestrian society would have to go without them. It really depends on what side the remane 5 would be on. Because of the hierarchy of Equestria the regular ponies actually have an advantage in that they're needed more by the princesses than the princesses are needed by them.

I would certainly be interested in such a concept. One idea that comes to mind is the period between the banishment of NMM and the current time line of FIM. There are practically no details about this millenium of Celestia's reign and I'd like to see some creative ideas worked into it. Because it would take place after the mentioned historical events and current time of MLP there's plenty of room for artistic liberty. Other ideas I can think of would be the Crystal Empire and it's history, including the time leading up to King Sombra's rule and his back story. Maybe a 'Rise and Fall of the Crystal Empire'. Another one I've thought about is the Equestria before the princesses took over. How did this society function and what kind of threats did it face? How did Discord come to rule it? What is the origin of the Alicorns and why are they not mentioned in Hearth's Warming Eve? So many unanswered questions.

I have a theory that this trait is partially resultant of the general rejection bronies face from other mediums and fanbases. As a consequence many bronies ponify other media and pop culture memes and icons to compensate for our alienation from the mainstream. It's sort of like saying: "If I can't bring the ponies to them, I'll bring them to the ponies."

It's likely just a play on words, a reference to traditional carousels that often had horses and unicorns children could ride.

Why doesn't this exist yet? Seriously? I agree with most of the features you suggested. I would add that perhaps the CMC's could be added for smaller children. i'm not sure how big this carousel would be but there are lots of characters to choose from so it could definitley work in that regard. Also decorating the sides with images of the show, including a medieval like one on the top resembling a tapestry could work. As for music I don't see why clips from the show's soundtrack couldn't be used intermittently.

I feel partially responsible for this. I'll try to refrain from running roughshod too much from now on. BUT I STILL SAY THAT CELESTIA SERIOUSLY NEEDS A PERFORMANCE REVIEW! So what if she was appointed by the three tribes and Star Swirl the Bearded? Is absolutism automatically justfied because it's attained democratically? That's nonsense. That's like saying a robbery is justified because the victim opted for it. What about the people who will be affected by the act who weren't given a choice? Celestia is not omnipotent or omniscient, it's been shown that she can be overpowered and lacks knowledge in areas where others may possess it. What reasonable justification is there for her ruling a thousand years over an entire nation and continuing to partially rule it? Not enough if you ask me. She's aight but she isn't all that. Perhaps a poll should be taken on this issue? That would be much more democratic.

No, the world of Equestria is not as great as many of us may think, or are lead to believe, or deceive ourselves into believing because of our esteem for the brand and our unwillingness to point out and examine it's flaws. Well if you read my posts which you apparently must have, then you would see the reasons I've outlined. Maybe you should go back and read them again, in their entirety this time. I've also made similar arguments on this forum: http://mlpforums.com/topic/114295-should-this-show-have-a-more-prominent-male-in-the-line-up/page-2 Okay? I am judging this show by what I have seen and learned of it. In fact by your definition there's no other way I could. Aside from that what's your point? Are you attempting to give me a lesson in Empiricism? Thanks for the offer, but I'll have to decline. I can underatand why you would feel that way. But I would rather have an existing government than an imaginary one. To say that such things are not possible in our world is a very big assumption, you don't know the limits of reality and neither does anyone else for that matter. And who is this "we" you're referring to by he way? Because Equestria is not model of government that I aspire to despite it's attributes that some may find appealing. I was not making a comparison between our world and Equestria in that manner and in fact had avoided doing so for this reason. You say on one hand that females dominate the culture but that males also have prominent roles and see no irony in that belief. Yes the male gender has dominated mos t of human history but that's not what I'm advocating and you're misrepresenting my stance if you're trying to present it as such. Not once did I ever advocate that males should have more importance than or take the place of female characters simply because they're male. That's not a rational basis for an argument, it's just sexist and stupid. I don't have to imagine that Equestria is a female oriented society because as you stated above that is the reality. I take issue with it because I don't see it as the best possible situation in any context, regardless of the fact that MLP is a younger girl oriented brand. Shining Armor's position as Captain of the Royal Guard was likely little more than a pretense for him to appear as an approptiate suitor to Cadance. By describing his familial realtions you've also admitted that his regal prominence only stems from the fact that he is related to members of royalty. He may be a 'prince consort' now but it does not appear that he has any substantial authority. He doesn't even have his own throne. So you're going to list some minor characters who have had maybe a handful of appearances as support for your argument? That's your refutation? These characters may have positions of high standing but that does not change the fact that Eqeustria's political leadership(that is apparently based on elite based absolutism) is fundamentally female based. Not helping my case? It's the entire premise of my argument or at least a large part of it. As for the rest, you have no basis for that claim. Unless you can provide some type of evidence that prooves the amount of influence said citizens have that isn't just a vague description of what their job funtions are(baker, apple farmer) then it's not valid to me. Well unlike most minor characters the cutie marks of the Mane 6 are a bit more abstract and metaphorical. There are some exceptions but for the most part minor characters tend to have cutie marks that are simple and indicate their interests or hobbies e.g. Bon Bon and Doctor Horse. You can thank Magical Mystery Cure for that. It may surpise you to learn this but I actually do like the franchise that is My Little Pony: Frienship is Magic. As much as i value what I find good about it so do I criticize that which I find lacking. Cherry-picking? The aspects of MLP that I tend to criticize are those which I find to be fundamentally objectionable, things I disagree with on principle, not just lillte trifles or minor details that have no overall impact or message. I still very much appreciate most of what MLP has to offer, but I also belive it has room for growth. Perhaps you could try being a bit more critical of this subject, or not, that's your choice. I've made mine.