Fullmetal Alchemist Has a Genocide Problem. 

Everybody like to think they would hero disobeying unjust orders saving many lives, but the reality is most people don’t. That is why free speech and accountability for the people in power is so important.

A day with a new Out Of Frame is a good day.

I feel the need to point out that Mustang and those involved in his coup attempts knew and accepted that they would be tried and convicted of high crimes for their actions in Ishval, it was a childish Edward who could not accept that Mustang and Hawkeye would be punished for following orders and threw a fit with his promise to return the money lent. It was a bitter moment, and very much felt based on moments that you wonder about historically, such as what went through the minds of the Valkyrie conspiracy, if they knew they would also be tried.

A cop in the modern US could probably get away with disobeying an immoral order. But a soldier in Nazi Germany? Not chance. Some people are just trapped and have no choice given the potential reprimands against themselves or their families.

Führer is the title, King is a first name. If that was missed. I missed it the first 3 times I watched it.

In general, Genocides are problematic at times

Possible Spoilers: I feel as though the vague reasons for not knowing exactly what is equivalent or equal value actually makes sense. The fact that the alchemists think they are all knowing and that everything can be put into a math equation makes them run into problems in literally the first episode when they think that equivalent exchange works for everything and attempt to bring their mother back from the dead. This theme of hubris Is shown in the main systems of the world building as well as with the homunculus and his desire for knowledge and control. When he comes directly into contact with "God" who basically tells him that he knows nothing and destroys him for his greed. The question in the background of "who decides what is equivalent?" is answered at the very end and the answer is "God" and that's why you truly never know in the show what is or isn't equivalent exchange because like in real life it's complicated and you don't get to decide how the world works, Now that's some dang good writing!

This is my favorite anime, and I really appreciate the analysis you've given. Another interesting dimension to your topic is how others end up viewing those who were "just following orders." Though revenge is wrong, it is understandable that Scar views State Alchemists as monsters, just as we tend to portray the Nazi soldiers that assisted in the Holocaust. Their decision to accept the orders they were given opened the door to committing monstrous acts, yet all the while they never cease to be human. Though I like to say that those who dehumanize others end up dehumanizing themselves in the end, it is such a potent reminder of the abyssal depths of depravity we all are capable of without moral integrity, which should help us to pity - even just a little - those who allow themselves to become monsters in the name of "loyalty."

*"Some of them are trying to atone. But atonement doesn't bring back the dead"* *Woke Twitter:* "Write that down, WRITE THAT DOWN!"

one thing fma does well is also that it doesn't advocate forgiveness for these actions. looking specifically at winry's closure with scar (how her gun is set down, casting aside paying violence with more violence, instead helping scar at a later juncture despite explicitly never having forgiven his murder of her parents). how scar's journey throughout the entirety of the plot is moreso his vengeance for retributive justice being shaped into restorative justice back into the ishvalan community that still lives. personally, one thing that i feel could've been done better is mustang staying blind. something that rubbed me wrong was how he used the stone made of ishvalan lives to heal his colleagues and himself, thereby actively profiting off these spoils of genocide not just once (in the awarding of his status as a "war hero"), but twice now.

King Bradley wasn’t the embodiment of wrath itself, just the wrathful side of his creator the dwarf in the flask. But I like your words on everything else. As of now(12/26/2021) I’m currently questioning weather or not I should still forgive Mustang, Hawkeye, Armstrong, or even Marcoh. Yes they were following orders but they knew what kind of pointless cruelty they were being ordered to carry out, but they went through with it anyway. Kimblee I can’t forgive because he actually enjoyed the Genocide of the ishvallans, but Mustang, and all them actually came to regret their actions and made efforts to atone for their sins.

*Never been a fan of Anime, but I'm a huge fan of FEE, so I'm listening to this Anime talk.*

i like how you said blindly while showing footage of roy mustang

I think Dr. Stone would be a really good subject, in a way, it's a lot like a modern take on the story Lord of the Flies, if you take modern life away from people, what do you expect will happen? One side wants to cleanse humanity of it's corruption, the other wants to bring everything back to the way things were and let the chips fall where they may? But which side is right you may ask?

One of my favorite parts of the 2003 version of FMA was Mustang's arc (which was made quite different in Brotherhood). In the 2003 version they'd all been told that the war was justified, and given the humonculous were manipulating things, the 2003 version made it a bit less clear how destructive the war actually was (we even see refugee camps being set up and maintained by the authorities), with the implication being the genocide was not the intention of the military command... if I remember correctly... I do know a young Mustang was still horrified by the war, particularly after (spoilers for FMA 2003) having to kill Winry's parents because they were treating enemy combatants who would then go right back to fighting the war. That act leads him to strive to become Fuhrer in order to prevent needless killing like that, and he even gets in the way of other officers who may want to push for a more violent solution, and in the end he... sort of fails and sort of succeeds. He succeeds in deposing the Fuhrer but fails in becoming one, his revolt allowing the government to become a bit more democratic. In the end, he chooses a demotion and is moved to a border outpost which is basically a prison for him until he's needed later on in the finale of the series, where he meets up with Hawkeye and it was adorable and I wish they had continued it. I just love redemption arcs and I do have a personal soft spot for the 2003 adaptation because of this so I'm pretty biased.

Colonel Mustang does state, near the end of the series, as he's studying the cultural and political history of Ishval in order to reestablish it and bring peace, that one thing he intends to do on his road to becoming Fuhrer is to hold all parties involved with the War of Extermination accountable for their war crimes, including himself. He fully acknowledges that "following orders" is no excuse for the crimes committed against an entire race of people. Most of the main supporting characters are also fully aware of this, feeling that facing trial, and answering for the wrongs they have committed, is the only way to face up to what they did, no excuses.

I will be more than happy with more anime stuff. I will personally become a patron if you do another one of these.

Trusting an authority figure in FMA? (still laughing at the idea)

I fully agree that "I was just following orders," is no excuse for committing an atrocity. But, I would also say there is no excuse for not holding accountable those that issued those orders. When it comes to the police, when something horrible occurs and a life is lost as a result, we prosecute the officer, and rightly so. But what of the laws that put them there in the first place? When war crimes are committed, what of the civilian officials who declared that war and sent those soldiers to enact their will? Yes, the soldier, or police officer, should be held accountable for their willingness to follow what they should have known was an unlawful order. But too often we forget, what about the one that gave that horrible order in the first place? Should they not be held accountable as well, even if they were hundreds, or thousands of miles away? Even if their hands literally have no blood on them, were they not the ones that metaphorically pulled that trigger? As in Vasili Arkjipov's case, he deserves honor and recognition for refusing to follow a genocidal order. But what of those that gave that order, who knowingly put him in the position to decide the fates of hundreds of millions of people? Were they ever charged for issuing the death notices for an entire world? They metaphorically pulled a trigger, but the weapon, thankfully, failed to fire. Those officials should have faced the consequences for their murderous intentions. But somehow, I don't think that they did. That just isn't how the real world works.

As an FMA fan and admirer of Arakawa’s work (and after recently rewatching “Brotherhood”) I appreciate this.👊🏾🔥🔥🔥

6:12 In the defence of these solders who illegedly commited war-crimes under the "just following orders" excuse: 1) War is hell. Perhaps it was hard to know what the moral thing to do was in the heat of the moment, or maybe there was no good option available, so they went with the lesser of two evils. 2) Some lokely feared the legal consequences of a court-martial, for questioning orders.

Another great video man

I just recently finished *Rising of The Shield Hero* . Apparently it caused a great deal of controversy due to its portrayal of slavery. The main protagonist, the Shield Hero, was framed for a crime he didn't commit, and as a result lost trust of everyone. He would later resort to buy a slave because slaves were bound to their masters via use of a spell and lack of trust would no longer be an issue for him. From then on, the Shield Hero (Iwatani Naofumi) treats every interaction as transactional.

I would've imagine Spice and Wolf as the first anime on this channel, or that you'd go more into a focus on one Alchemy state law from FMA "Turning Lead into Gold is illegal" based on how ruinous it would be. Or maybe an episode on Dr. Stone based on the conflict of ideals between Senku and Tsukasa, the concept of pure Libertarianism and the utilities of unlimited sciences vs Primitive Communism and vastly overlimited scientific restriction and censorship. But, if you are looking for more anime that have worlds with their own political ramifications, might I recommend Berserk 97. True, it doesn't really have much in the case of economics, but the political actions based on the Feudal system that Midland runs under is interestingly interwoven with the main story. Be warned that Berserk is a tough anime to get through; not because of poor quality (that's the Other one), but because of the darker moments that really make the more heartfelt moments shine.

fullmetal alchemist brotherhood was the first anime i watched

Funny enough, one of the characters in the show, Kimble tells both Riza and Mustang a similar point as they both knew what being soldiers would ential, what they would be told to do when they deployed, but they chose to go anywhere and because of that, they have no right to turn away from it the and instead have to own thier mistakes just like thier achievements. Funny enough, depending on who you ask, having a good sense of morality makes one a terrible soldier such as Steve Rogers since good men don't hurt the innocent, but soldiers do if ordered to.

You may want to try the first Fullmetal Alchemist adaptation from 2003. It's a divergent adaptation that is much more pointed in its critiques of state power, since it deals very heavily with themes of imperialism and state violence -- far moreso than Brotherhood does, because the director and writer used it to critique the Iraq War. It also takes a very different direction with Scar's character that breaks away from "Revenge is Bad", and instead asks "what responsibility does an individual with power have to protect those who are in danger from racist state-sanctioned violence? What is the line between revenge and legitimate resistance?"

actually a gundam wing video or mobile suit gundam the red comet one would be great

I cannot wait... Absolutely cannot wait...to see your take on Code Geass

To be fair, that was what Mustang's whole side plot was about. He was trying to overthrow the government as one who had done the most damage in the massacre to become the leader and give land back to the Ishvalans and create a democracy where he and the rest of those who partook in Ishval would be put on trial and possibly executed for their crimes. That is a lot more than America could claim for.

If you haven't already, you absolutely have to watch the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon. Among other things, it's one of the best presentations of the horrors of war in all of modern children's media, and it's a show that adults love too.

I saw someone mention Spice and Wolf in the first set of comments! Woohoo! Always happy to see one of my favorite series getting recommended these days

Say what you like about brotherhood but the original series has a better opening act

Glad you liked it Sean.

7:20 I disagree. It's easy for us now to say that people should rebel against evil, and that if 'we' were in the position of those who were committing horrible acts we would do something different. It's a very fine thing, but it is a very different thing nonetheless to be in that situation yourself.

A must watch anime for this channel is Legend of the Galactic Heroes. The themes and ideas that the movie and series that followed it are built on basically everything this channel is built on, and it's an amazing series on top of that (or more accurately because of that) though it's only available for streaming on HiDive there was a reason I was willing to pay 800$ for the limited edition box set.

I really enjoyed the video and the discussion of the genocide problem in FMA, both series and manga. I have seen lots of good suggestions in other comments that would definitely be good topics for a video. I recommend the anime Ergo Proxy because of it’s dystopian city of Romdo and the references it makes to Descartes and Michelangelo.

The private sector vs. government comparison is samewhat unfair here. The amount of force, that can and is used in the private sector is smaller and less severe than what the government could do. The question to ask is: Should we hold a hitman accountable for doing his job, when him not doing so would put his life and that of his family in mortal danger because the mafia has them kidnapped? That is the standard we should judge state actors by. Because that is what an out of control state apparatus is. At least as bad if not worse than a mafia. That is why the Nürnberg Defense holds water in my eyes.

Two things, !. Code Geass is pronounced Gee-aas 2. Aside from the ones mentioned, I would recommend checking out Spice and Wolf, it's an anime following a travelling merchant named Craft Lawrence that travels with a Pagan harvest deity named Holo, in order to escort her to her homeland in the North, while evading what appears to be the Catholic Church, in medieval Europe.

If you hire someone to kill somebody it’s soliciting murder, and you still go to jail… and so does the guy who agreed to do it.

Nitpick, that soldier killing the child was Envy. Great video

I suggest Mobile Suit Gundam, specifically the shows in the Universal Century timeline(Gundam: The Origin, Original show, Zeta Gundam, ZZ Gundam, Char's Counterattack, Gundam Unicorn, and Gundam Narrative), which are almost more so about the Federation government and the Principality of Zeon than they are the characters. It has many themes about war, politics, corruption, and all that good stuff. I really want one of these episodes to be about Gundam.

3:17 The nebulousness of the concept of inherent value needed for Equivalent Exchange is not only addressed in both version of the anime series, it enables some fudging of the numbers, so to speak, when it comes to getting over on The Truth at the end of the series, well, in Brotherhood, anyway. The conclusion that they come to in the first anime is that more is always lost in the exchange than one gets back just like in actual chemistry (something that they could not avoid seeing the truth of when they learn the source of alchemical power for their world).

FMAB is excellent. You will note that Kimblee is also another principled person even though he’s different than Ed (where killing is concerned).

Do note that the Ishvalan genocide participators do intend to stand trial for their action in a civilian court, once the Military State is disbanded.

Would love to see your analysis of Code Geass (pronounced gee-awss). The concept of trying to make change from inside the government vs making change by rebelling and protesting is a major one, alongside others like the meaning of life, what it takes to change the world, and media's impact on society's views.

I have two counters to throw back at this. 1. In regards to the argument that we hold both criminal thugs and their bosses accountable for the crimes they commit in the private sector therefore we should hold soldiers (and others) responsible in government: While, of course, we should always hold *government* responsible, and those who are making decisions within it responsible this seems like a false equivalency to me. The criminal's actions have been vilified from their very first choice to the last one that lands them in hot water. Society doesn't prop up being a criminal as something great and just and honorable. It doesn't put criminality on a pedestal and tells people they should be like them and become a criminal. While yes, criminals are obviously influenced and encouraged by those around them, the entire rest of society is more or less telling them not to do any of it from the very start. Being a soldier or police officer, on the other hand, is not vilified. It is not discouraged. In fact, it is encouraged, respected, and even honored. Now whether that should be the case or not is another matter entirely. But the fact that a young man who barely knows anything about the world can go and sign up for the military - or in bad cases, get forced into it via draft by his own government - being praised all the way and drilled and instilled with the idea that orders are there to be followed by him really changes the dynamic entirely. No, it doesn't take away free will entirely, but a good part of military training does and is intended to. Not to turn you into a raw killing machine, but to encourage you to put the many above yourself. The problem is, that is a double-edged sword. Yes, you can put the many above yourself by standing against immoral orders and facing the penalties for it, but you can also follow those immoral orders because from day one society has been telling you that you're doing the right thing by being there and doing what you're doing. 2. This is a more practical counterpoint to the idea as a whole that we should hold individual soldiers, officers, and more just as responsible as those giving the orders: In many situations, particularly the most dire and obvious ones, the choice is often between following orders and death. Now you're saying we should hold those people responsible for essentially following their self-preservation instinct. Ignoring the philosophical parts. Ignoring the morality of it. Ignoring whether it's unfairly judgmental from the standpoint of someone who's never been there or not. Ignoring all of that. How is making the choice between death and a jail sentence going to change anything except making life altogether more miserable? The jail sentence, in practical terms, is still going to be preferable to death itself. You're not changing anything there. The person who falls back on their self-preservation instinct will still fall back on it, and if anything is going to now be incentivized to cover it up, not say anything, and not risk self-incrimination to point out those actually making the decisions. Those who would choose the more virtuous, but self-sacrificing path, will still choose it. So what did you gain by prosecuting them? Some small sense of justice, maybe? Maybe? Far better gained from prosecuting those actually making the decisions and responsible for it in the first place. What did you lose, though? God only knows how much information that gets withheld in fear of self-incrimination, covered up, destroyed, forgotten. How many real monsters go free because the 18-year-old who was told "Shoot or die" is scared shitless that his life is over if he says something? Practically, not worth it. And if you instead opt for the death penalty, yet another entire discussion of its own, then you get the same effect, but even more severe. You put them between assured death now, or only a possible death later... if they don't cover it up well enough. Funnily enough, they're just even more incentivized to cover it up and hide it with the threat of death penalty. I'm all for holding people who have not just the most basic level of free will but *actual practical choices in the matter* responsible for it. But we might want to think about just what unintended effects we might have on future justice and investigations by hammering at those who, yes, may have the most fundamental level of free will in the moment but not the privilege of exercising fair choices. As a capitalist, incentive should be understood to be an extremely powerful force.

Deathnote would be a good one.

Code Geese: The Honkening.

Edward, friend.

iron blooded orphans is a great show about child soldiers

Two things deserve to be pointed out. First Major Armstrong did disobey brutal orders although the anime may not make it clear, he did not kill the Ishvallan child he is seen holding. Indeed the slaughter of women and children caused him to cease the fight and undergo a near nervous breakdown. This is why despite his obvious talents he is so low on the military food chain. Second, the Ishvallan People and their situation are not comparable to major genocides like the Holocaust or the Armenian Genocide as they were (by all appearances) the aggressors.Oh sure, the audience knows that Envy murdered the child quite deliberately but consider the Amestrian point of view. A moderate soldier, and open opponent of the annexation of Ishval was charged with killing an Ishvallan child and the official line is that it was an accident. Well yeah, anyone who wasn't there but was made aware of his record would assume that was the case as an intentional murder would be vastly out of character for him (which it was as Envy points out during the monologue revealing that Envy started the war). Then the Ishvallan People lead a military uprising that not only drives Amestrians out of their homeland but devastated their countryside as far west as Resembool (which is in the middle of the country on the east/west axis) and this went on for Seven Years.It was only after that long protracted conflict that Bradley ordered the extermination campaign and sent in the State Alchemists. (Now of course this was all Bradley and Father's intention from the beginning but only central command's highest echelons know that) When that campaign began, they were not assaulting defenseless civilians but driving off an invading force, one that had killed many of their countrymen. At some point this does stop being a valid conflict of course but aw what point specifically? When they reached the Ishvallan homeland? When the outer defenses were breached? Or perhaps when their leader attempted to surrender but remember that attempt would not necessarily have been known (although it was to Basque Gran as he defied orders to make it happen and Roy Mustang as he was Gran's subordinate.) My point being this was in point of fact a war, with casualties on both sides till the very end. If you are calling for a Nuremberg after such a conflict that is fine. But I would like to know where you'd draw the line in such a messy affair before you started handing out executions.

Kaji is the anime you are looking for.

Rezero, hiruashi when the cicadas cry, and demon slayer were 3 really good anime that ive watched. If you choose to watch rezero or higurashi, i do really recommend using the japanese audio since the english voice actors just dont work with it. Rezero has a massive focus on character development with the lead character "resetting" to a checkpoint in time after each death in a fantasy world, higurashi has characters slowly descending into insanity with a wacky timeline and interesting reasoning, and demon slayer is about, well, demon slayers. An illegal paramilitary group that kills demons in (meiji period?) japan.

Great video, FEE. Nice to see you all dipping your toes into the anime genre. Lots of great stories there that get overlooked by western audiences. As for my suggestion going forward, I really do think Code Geass would be a target rich environment for you guys. So many topics to delve into, from imperialism, to the complex reality of terrorism, to exploitation, racism, collectivism, and free will. Can't go wrong when it comes to analysis, because all the characters and systems in it are so incredibly nuanced. Anyway, I do wish you'd gone a little more in-depth with FMAB, but, as usual, loved hearing what you had to say. Keep up the good work! As for you other viewers, I also analyze various stories on my channel, including Death Note and Code Geass. Give 'em a look if that kind of content interests you!

I think you will really like code geass! Another anime that actually directly deals with economics and I would argue is essentially an introduction to economics in anime form is called spice and wolf. It follows a traveling merchant who picks up a woman who is the embodiment of a wolf. While it has some more fantastical elements, the main thrust of the anime is exploring several economic issues like valuation of currency, stock prices, and trade practices.

Leave nothing for Wisecrack. Wisecrack is composed entirely of pseudointellectual hacks

Everyone loves Armstrong eventually

We participated in a genocide Barney - The Flit Stones

The voice that dub mustang is so weird for him 💀

2:11 Will do. See you back in a soon.

i am suprised you didn't talk about the cost of alchemy. That being the energy from an alternate dimension.

I still hope to one day be as manly as Armstrong.

I really want to recommend Madoka Magica because it has so many philosophical and moral themes, but I honestly am not sure if any of them would be applicable for FEE, plus it is a magical girl show, which is a hard sell to anyone just getting in to anime.

Anyone here firing unvaccinated employees because they are just following orders?

Dude i fuckin LOVE armstrong. He is the best.

Psycho Pass and Ghost in the Shell are good ones to analyze.

@Foundation for Economic Education Black Lagoon is a good one you might like.

You show watch the 2003 fma I like to see what your thoughts on it.

Oh, you watched the dub... Anyways, I'd highly recommend adding explicitly economic shows to your list, such as Spice and Wolf. There are some others, but that's the best known.

10:17 he said Code Geass instead of Code Geasse lol. Also, what would FEE think about Magento's reaction to the fleet in Cuba from Xmen Origins. Seems to relate to this video a lot.

Considering the channel, the best TV work I’d recommend would be the live action show called White Collar.

Better to end as a martyr than to try to be a hero but instead become the villain

Dr Stone is definitely the best one out of those three for your video style and content. I think you’ll enjoy the dichotomy between the two kingdoms, science and might.

*Reads title* “Well what’s wrong with genocide?”

I'm surprised you didn't make the connection between the Japanese writers of the Anime and the real-world atrocities the Japanese committed in China during WW2, and that maybe that's why such themes were prominent in the show.

There is a lot of complications that really have to be addressed in these type of situations. For one is pretty much never just 'follow orders or not'. Quite often it is 'follow order or go to jail' or even 'follow orders or die', or possibly worst 'follow orders or not only will you die, but potentially your family too'. Then you have the issue of psychology where even with no pressure, we're heavily wired to conform to the group. There is numerous psychological experiments showing just how ridiculous this is. It isn't absolute, but it is something that has to be acknowledged. Still, ultimately, this is one of those odd times were excuses probably should remain just excuses, not defenses. We don't want to give people get out of jail free cards for absolutely abhorrent behavior.

"at the end of the day, you are the one who has to live with yourself and the things you've done" Truer words could not have been said better.

Just saying, Death Note would make for an excellent libertarian analysis

NGL I’m pretty sure everyone who recommended this was doing so with the expectation you’d pick something involving the people in power for your topic.

Just gonna point out that ‘equivalent exchange’ in the context of alchemy is physical materials. For example you can change 10 lbs worth of stone into a 10 lb stone statue by simply rearranging how the molecules are structured; what you cannot do when bound by the normal limits is change one thing into something completely different, namely coal into gold. It’s all bound by the law of conservation of matter.

One of my favorite things about FMA is that the characters who participated (but regret) their actions were very willing to receive consequences for their actions. Edward was shocked when Hawkeye told him that she and Mustang wouldn’t fight any convictions against them, but they do deserve it. They wish they didn’t do it, but people are dead. It allows for atonement, but also is very realistic about how that won’t fix things that already happened. I love how they don’t do the usual anime thing if forgetting atrocities because villains become “good.”

Spice and wolf is much more up this channels alley to be honest

By equivalent exchange. They typically mean in the matter and energy sense. The first law of thermodynamics.

I will point out that King is his first name, not part of his title

Somehow you missed a core part of what this entire series is about. Taking ownership of your actions sounds good from an armchair critics point of view. But what if a single word of dissent costs you your live, or worse, those of your loved ones. And what if, even then, nothing changes at all. The dilemma of those living in a dictatorship. If you don't pull the trigger, someone else who actually cares for his family, will do it in your stead. And all you have achieved is more death and misery, this time from those close to you. How do you handle the fact that sometimes, no matter what choice you make, nothing will change. How will you handle the result of your choices, if every choice leads to death. How will you handle the fact that people, who are forced into choosing between bad decisions, are still human in the end? There is a reason you are first made to like the characters, before the backstory is revealed. Big part of the reason that the Elric brothers could stay that pure, is because there was Colonel Mustang standing behind them. Doing the dirty work, so that he could one day change the system from within. He acted as an umbrella for them. The following quote illustrates a part of the problem: “Morals are a luxury of the rich.”― George Bernard Shaw Speaking of morals is always easy, if you don't give a thought about who exactly you are talking about and the struggles they go through. You speak of Arkhipov, but for every Arkhipov there are 100,000 people that are too low on the totem pole to achieve anything with a refusal. I never heard you talk about about the thousands of people shot dead for the refusal to obey orders. Orders, that got finished by someone else regardless. We only remember the rare few, that actually achieved something. Cherry picking at its finest.

This makes it seem like the decision was simply following orders or not. Often, not following them can come at very high costs - it might not be death, but in a highly patriotic country it can often result in being shunned as an outcast and/or spending your days in a prison. Sure, at that point you still have your morals, but it definitely isn't an easy choice.

In the military today we have a rule called unlawful order. Any order deemed to take a life of a non combatants or go against articles in the uniform code of military justice are unlawful. You have the right to choose to not follow these orders but I can tell you that it is hard to not be swept up in the brotherhood and comraderie of the experience. The other thing that drives someone to follow unlawful orders is fear, fear of being attacked by others in your Corp if you go against them or fear of being discharged dishonorable because you didn't follow something you don't agree with. I'm not justifying any unlawful order and haven't been presented with any myself there are reasons people follow them.

I served in the Marine Corps. When I became a non-commissioned officer I had thought heavily about this issue of free will and immoral orders. And sadly I was ostracized by my command, peers, and platoon where they sent me away to the armory. My argument was to train the Marines under me to make conscious, ethical, and just decisions beyond the scope of taking care of each other. Instead I was met with a very lazy counter point of “you’re an nco, they need to be obedient to your commands” now I have rebuilt those relationships with my old platoon, who just as you mention live with some of the questionable decisions they made in active duty. Think about your moral framework before arriving to a situation like these.

Sorry but no. Simple fact of the matter is war is terrible there are lines that shouldn't be crossed but it unjust to expect a soldier to be able to see the full situation. For example a soldier shoots a civilian child war crime right? No turns out the child was strapped with an explosive and would have killed the soldier. Even one of the examples you use is crap. The separation of families at the border is to ensure the adults are the actual parents. Your standard of behavior would lead to hundreds of children being sold into sex trafficking because you're view is short sighted and to overarching to account for realities on the ground.

His title is not "Furher King" His name is King Bradley, his title is Furher.

When I see an out of frame, it must be Christmas. Double points since its about Full Metal Alchemist.

Code Geass will very much be up "Out of Frame"'s alley. Especially towards the end of season 2 where three major characters basically espouse direct political philosophies and ideals that they strive for.

Haha. I might be wrong, but I believe it’s “Code Gee-Oss” not “Code Geese”. Awesome FMA review though, can’t wait for more. :)

Another anime I would highly recommend doing for this series is Psychopass.

FMAB is one but my favorite animes. Also you should watch code geass it’s an amazing and beautiful show

I believe that the "equal value" is very much defined on the chemical level... although I can't be sure the chemistry in their world is the same as in ours...

I just got done watching "Uniquenameosaurus" talk about Fullmetal how nice.

Fullmetal Alchemist is my ALL TIME favorite anime. Whether it be the manga, 2004 or the brotherhood version. Everything about it is simply amazing.

Thank you for making a great anime video. By the way its pronounced Code "Ge-aws".