Are Earth Ponies just Useless compared to Unicorns and Pegasi?

[TheLeastEvil 50]

considering earth ponies seem to grow all the food they are not useless

They also seem to be the most innovative and hard working. Example: Stinkin' Rich built a successful business and Filthy Rich took over with the work to make it even greater. Wealthy unicorns, however, seem to inherit most of their wealth and focus more on magic educations. Pegasi seem limited to a rigid military structure not interested in wealth.

[Archangel 143]

Unpopular opinion time! Earth ponies, are useless.

 

There, I said it. Now here's why I believe that is the case.

 

Earth ponies have been shown to be good at generally two things. Strength related tasks, and farming. Anything else is typically treated as an exception rather than the rule.

 

So strength related tasks can easily be overcome by a unicorn. Twilight's come to life spell on the plow during Winter Wrap Up is a good example. While the plow wasn't really controlled and did more harm then good, with practice and study, I'm sure that unicorns could figure out how to enchant things so that whatever strength used to be needed for a task becomes irrelevant. 

 

Plus, unicorns have been shown to typically be the CEOs, the leaders, the thinkers, the inventors. Just look at the Flim Flam brothers. Who really should've won Sweet Apple Acres but that's another topic. If there was something their magic couldn't do they could probably invent a machine to do it for them.

 

So let's look at the big issue here. Farming and producing enough food for all of Equestria. At Equestria's current technological level, yeah, Earth ponies are pretty useful. They are good at growing things. But what about when ponies approach our level of technology? The only farmers now-a-days who are like Applejack's family are either in really poor countries, growing a niche product, or nothing more than a hobbyist.

 

Most farmers are number-crunching Twilight Sparkles, running the math and numbers employing every scientific technique from chemically enhanced soil to genetic alteration to grow more and better food. Drones that spray pesticide on only infected plants, vast watering machinery, tractors and what not. When operating on that big a scale, one does not treat each individual plant or tree with care and love. Because that's not what grows crops. They optimize, and optimize, and optimize.

 

If my use of Twilight Sparkle wasn't obvious, this task is perfect for unicorns. Unicorns seem to be the kind to want to run the numbers and do the math, the science and thinking. The kind that would build a drone in the first place.

 

But even if we don't go into the hypothetically future Equestria, are you really going to sit there and say that unicorns and pegasi wouldn't be able to farm at all leading to the starvation of the pony race? That's ludicrous. If Earth ponies didn't exist, either Unicorns would figure out how to use magic to grow more crops and Pegasi to control the weather with more precision for farming or, worst case scenario, the population of Equestia would simply be less than it is. As ponies wouldn't reproduce if they were having trouble feeding themselves, let alone a kid. Thus, the population wouldn't grow without more food rendering the problem in such a low-tech society rather mute.

 

Besides, y'know what's also really important in farming? Weather and sunlight. Celestia controls the sun, but she didn't always do that. The show tells us that once upon a time it was unicorns who raised and lowered the sun. And that no matter what Earth ponies did, without the sun they couldn't grow crops. Unicorns could control the sun to make crop growing optimal, Earth ponies can't.

 

Not that the sun is even all that needed any more. Helpful and cheap? Absolutely! But we have full-spectrum lighting now, we can grow crops without the sun. It's just much harder.

 

Either way, that all says that in the long run unicorns will be better than earth ponies at strength related tasks, and farming. But there is one other thing I mentioned.

 

Weather. Pegasi are nearly as useless as earth ponies except they have natural weather control abilities and can fly. Except, Starlight Glimmer proved that unicorns can fly well enough for aerial combat too. Without even needing the fragile wings that Rarity did. Though, I'll grant that Starlight is probably more the exception than the rule.

 

Though really, as technology in Equestria grows more and more advanced the only outcome I can see are unicorns becoming more and more dominant and Earth ponies and Pegasi growing more and more useless. Needing to overcome barriers that unicorns don't have.

 

It's possible unicorns could also develop weather control that wouldn't require a pegasus (Fallout Equestria's Single Pegasus Project anyone? That's now being run by everyone's favorite apocalyptic unicorn mare...)

 

TL;DR: There is nothing an Earth Pony, perhaps even Pegasi, can do that a unicorn cannot figure out some way of doing either equivalent or better. While there is plenty that an Earth pony and Pegasus cannot do that a unicorn can.

 

Making unicorns the most valuable and important race.

 

And I can say all this incredibly racist stuff, because my favorite pony is an Earth pony. Though I'm sure she'd appreciated being able to float her cello along with magic rather than carrying it on her back. But whatever. That's how the internet works right? I get a free pass on criticism now right? (I'm kidding.)

Edited December 31, 2015 by Archangel

[Malinter 3,064]

Besides, y'know what's also really important in farming? Weather and sunlight. Celestia controls the sun, but she didn't always do that. The show tells us that once upon a time it was unicorns who raised and lowered the sun. And that no matter what Earth ponies did, without the sun they couldn't grow crops. Unicorns could control the sun to make crop growing optimal, Earth ponies can't.

 

 

But do you know why Celestia now raises the sun? It is because when a unicorn or several unicorns use their horns to raise the sun, it drains their magic and it does not come back, this will continue until the unicorn can never perform magic ever again. This is explained in the book "Journal of the Royal Sisters". Starswirl aged rapidly just from doing the spell all by himself as well as it destroying his magic.

 

It is at this point that he tells Celestia that if an alicorn raises the sun, not only will they not be drained, they wil actually be rejuvinated by it. This is how Celestia gains her cutie mark in raising the sun. (she can also heal people who were depleted but not much for starswirls now white beard. XD)

Edited December 31, 2015 by Princess Malinter

[Archangel 143]

But do you know why Celestia now raises the sun? It is because when a unicorn or several unicorns use their horns to raise the sun, it drains their magic and it does not come back, this will continue until the unicorn can never perform magic ever again. This is explained in the book "Journal of the Royal Sisters". Starswirl aged rapidly just from doing the spell all by himself as well as it destroying his magic.

 

It is at this point that he tells Celestia that if an alicorn raises the sun, not only will they not be drained, they wil actually be rejuvinated by it. This is how Celestia gains her cutie mark in raising the sun. (she can also heal people who were depleted but not much for starswirls now white beard. XD)

 

Whoa whoa whoa, wait what? Book? There's a BOOK!?! AND NOBODY TOLD ME!?!

 

*Ahem* Pardon. I had no idea this was the case. I figured magic in Equestria was one of those "you can temporarily drain yourself but if you sit and rest for a while it'll come back" magics.

 

Could you clarify for me if the magic draining is due to them raising the sun or if their magic is permanently drained for everything magical they do?

 

Because if it's the latter I may have to rethink my entire racist belief... Does Pegasi magic count too, would that mean that Pegasi wouldn't be able to fly if they fly too much?

 

Also is this book on Amazon for a half-decent price? I have no interest in the comics and generally regard them as bunk, but books are usually cheaper and better in my opinion. I'll accept a book as canon. 

[Malinter 3,064]

Could you clarify for me if the magic draining is due to them raising the sun or if their magic is permanently drained for everything magical they do?

 

 

it is drained by raising the sun and the moon only. That is why it took several unicorns to do it to share the burden across several ponies. Starswirl cast the spell all by himself and it drained him more or less instantly as well as aged him from the shock of it.

 

And it might be on amazon i'm not sure. The book also covers other stuff like Luna trolling Princess Platinium.

[Archangel 143]

it is drained by raising the sun and the moon only. That is why it took several unicorns to do it to share the burden across several ponies. Starswirl cast the spell all by himself and it drained him more or less instantly as well as aged him from the shock of it.

 

And it might be on amazon i'm not sure. The book also covers other stuff like Luna trolling Princess Platinium.

 

 

Ah, good, I'm safe then. That does answer a few questions I used to have, like why no one ever got the idea to move the sun and deprive Celestia of power over the common pony.

 

Also, for those who are interested, http://smile.amazon.com/My-Little-Pony-Chronicles-Princesses-ebook/dp/B00KVK3WNQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1451594709&sr=8-1

 

I did manage to find the book on Amazon. The e-book is fairly cheap too, I'll probably pick it up myself.

[Blackshirt Brony 415]

Earth ponies are definitely not useless. They have a long tradition of keeping the land and sustaining the other races. Twilight is not a realistic example regarding the superiority of the unicorn over the pony because Twilight's special talent is magic itself (she therefore is more capable than more limited unicorns, hence her being accepted into the ruling class). The pegasus on an individual basis may or may not be as strong as the ponies, but because of its wings (unique to all three races) they are tasked with moderating the weather, which is just as much a service to the farmer ponies as the production of food is a service to them.

 

Each pony has a unique talent and that talent is always applied for the good of the nation in the way which is most fitting for the pony. Comparing the races is misleading because they are best at all their own native tasks (it is not fair to judge Twilight's flight skill because she was not born a pegasus).

[KikiTwilight 90]

Well, they appear to be stronger than pegasi, and (especially) unicorns. They also appear to be the only ones who can grow food, so Equestria would practially starve without them.

[ARagY 1,152]

If the unicorns are lost, things are less convenient.  If the pegasi are lost, the weather becomes like that of the Everfree Forest.  If the earth ponies are lost, the whole country starves and dies.

QFT. Earth ponies, despite all the jokes, are pretty useful, in fact, probably the most important pony 'race'. Now despite this, you don't see a whole lot of Earth ponies other than the apple family really working with the Earth/food (Except for our episode right before the finale)

Edited December 31, 2015 by ARagY

[Johnny1226 14,674]

Unicorns and pegasi would never work the land they view it beneath them and probably wouldn't even know how to begin with so earth ponies are very important to them

[-Octavia- 1,176]

I feel as though the argument is asinine, and not just regarding earth ponies. To suggest that any one of the three main races is superior to another undermines the quintessence of the show: harmony. There is no useless race, for each bore equal weight in their service to Equestria before the Alicorns arrived. But, for the sake of the original argument, let us reference canonical evidence regarding their usefulness:

 

Hearth's Warming Eve http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Transcripts/Hearth's_Warming_Eve

"During this frightful age, each of the three tribes – the Pegasi, the unicorns, and the Earth ponies – cared not for what befell the other tribes, but only for their own welfare. In those troubled times, as now, the Pegasi were the stewards of the weather. But they demanded something in return. Food that could only be grown by the Earth ponies."

 

Now, I realize there will be some that cry "semantics!", and say that perhaps Pegasi and Unicorns have their own food, but simply prefer that which is grown by the Earth ponies. Let us for a moment put our target-audience caps on. How do you imagine they might interpret that phrase? Besides, later in the script, the Earth ponies are accused of "hogging all of the food," suggesting the other races do not, in fact, have means of getting sufficient amounts of it themselves.

 

It is their passive magic, I suspect, that—as they physically interact with the earth, putting themselves into their work—is imbued in the crops. Not an effect that can be easily replicated, I think. Efficiency through the use of technology is another debate entirely, though perhaps one needs only to look to Smart Cookie growing a plant in her hoof over several seconds to see how potentially efficient they can be. Of course, we can still use the other side of the coin here as well, as we have seen Applejack running an industrialized Sweet Apple Acres in wartime.

 

Which leads to another argument: how does one measure the capability of one race to another when each individual has a special talent they bring to Equestria? Not only special talents, but ones that transcend race? Earth ponies such as Prim Hemline, Hoity Toity, Suri Polomare, and Coco Pommel that have made names for themselves in fashion despite not having telekinesis like Rarity. Renowned musicians such as Octavia Melody, Fiddly Faddle (less so), Parish Nandermane, Coloratura, et al. who remain unassisted by magic unlike counterparts such as Lyra Heartstrings. Popstars like Sapphire Shores. Nurses like Redheart. Bussinessponies like Filthy Rich. Teachers like Cheerilee. Pastry chefs like the Cakes (and Pinkie).

 

Are we saying that simply because these ponies are of a different race, they should be valued less? That they aren't as capable as they've proven themselves to be? That they should be cast aside because another race is theoretically inherently better? I'd hate to see the state of the world if that were the mindset today. I think someone even tried it once.

 

*sigh* Apologies for the rant that went astray. Something about inequity always eats at me. They are fictional cartoon equines, not fictional cartoon tools to be measured for usefulness.

[cider float 2,538]

We've seen civilized diamond dogs though.

That's a comic they are not canon to the show.