...so what I'm hearing is we should endeavor to set things for a "Phantom Thief"-esque plotline wherein Vi has a tumultuous years long antagonistic "slap slap kiss" dynamic with Caitlyn that culminates in somehow stealing the keys to the vents.
Okay more seriously, I generally agree with the ghist of the post that realistically Zaun does seem reliant on Piltoverians growing a conscious as part of any realistic improvements. With regards to "Zaunite nationalism" gonna say this generally since I think several people have responded about how sometimes shared pride in identity can be good, but I agree with the analysis (I think I even read it on here lmao) that Silco's brand is the type where he actively thinks it's good for Zaunites to die and suffer for the general idea of "Zaunite glory" versus a mindset that sees a state as an entity meant to overall enrich the lives of people in the state.
"Nationalism" in the context of a revolution to break away from an oppressive occupier is kind of a tricky word.
Taken on it's own, Political nationalism is usually about dedication to a particular Ethnic/Cultural identity, and that people who fall under that identity should consider the strength and supremacy of that Identity to be their primary political operating principle. It's the belief that people are intrinsically divided into block-groups that compete with one another, and you should be invested in making sure your group, your nation, "wins". (It should be noted that 'nation' in political science circles often means a specific ethnic/cultural group rather than a
state, as is the case in common parlance. For example, there are native american
nations within the
state of Canada)
It's very,
very stupid. Nations are not intrinsic, they are made, changed, and undone by people. Borders are lines on a map created by human decisions, not the inherent nature of the universe. We are all just passengers on spaceship earth (or Runeterra, as the case may be).
However, within the specific context of an oppressive regime holding down a population (Such as the Piltover/Zaun dynamic) "Nationalism" of a different, more ...
general kind often arises to support the creation of a seperate state for that oppresed population so that they can govern themselves without the interference of their oppresors.
Its really a trick of language more than anything.
The problem is made more complicated, however, because, by circumstance, the two often
end up intertwining in complex ways. For example, an oppressed population is often oppressed on the
basis of their ethnic/cultural identity, and so a person of that group who wants to stop being oppressed will often then see their oppression through the
lens of ethnic/cultural identity, and therefore turn towards the first, bad kind of nationalism as well as the second. A person who
already believes in the first kind of nationalism, will be naturally inclined to support the second as a matter of course, you cant "win" the competition of nations if your are subject to another nation.
In our case, I think we should be looking at Zaunite nationalism and Silco p
rimarily through the second, liberatory separatism lens. Oppression, abuse, and exploitation are obviously the primary drivers of rebellious discontent against the Piltoverian government, Zaunites are angry that they are sick, starving, impoverished, and abused by the enforcers, not because like ... Piltover has a different religious/cultural belief or something. I doubt there's even much in the way of a traditional "national" identity to build the
first kind of nationalism off of, as both Piltover and Zaun seem to be equally diverse in terms of species and population.
Silco might be layering in a little bit of the first kind based on a relatively new
constructed Identity of what it means to Zaunite, with his "Sons and daughters of Zaun" stuff (One imagines this Identity has much to do with becoming stronger through suffered hardship), but it's pretty obvious even then that his
Primary concerns are material, forced labour, Enforcer abuse, complete lack of representation in government, etc.
