Quote Originally Posted by ToriJ View Post
You know that whole situation in Dollet early on in the game which ultimately spirals down to wanting to fix a communications tower so they could air a live broadcast all around the world? Makes me wonder if they even asked beforehand or if they just decided to steamroll it. I can imagine the conversation they would have had, actually.

Galbadia Soldiers: We need to come through here and fix your communications tower.
Dollet Soldiers: Why? The thing has been busted for years.
Galbadia Soldiers: Because the President wants to make a live announcement!
Dollet Soldiers: A taped announcement is just as good as a live one.
Galbadia Soldiers: We said the President wants to make a live announcement...
Dollet Soldiers: Smurf the President!
Galbadia Soldiers: No, SMURF YOU! *open fires*
Dollet Soliders: *fires back* Ack! Our guns aren't working. Quick, bring us teenagers with attitude!

Discuss

Note: This shouldn't have to be said, but I feel it probably does, this is for fun and not to be taken as a serious critique of the game.
I lol'd irl at the "teenagers with attitude" part.

Truly, that aspect of FFVIII raises quite a few questions. Invading a neighbouring city-state to secure access to a single transmitter tower seems pretty extreme. Especially since Galbadia's invasion force includes a giant, autonomous killer robot spider. If they've got that kind of technology, surely a jury-rigged transmitter wouldn't be too much of a challenge, rather than sacrificing a bunch of dudes to take over Dollet's radio tower?

Then there's the SeeD response. The Duke asks for reinforcements; Cid replies that he'll get *some* of his best people on it, but he'll mainly be sending a bunch of 15 to 17 year olds who haven't fought any real people in battle before. Just, y'know, as a practical exam. And the Duke of Dollet was somehow OK with this, or simply didn't have a choice.

Then there's the issue of the SeeD exam itself. Cid tells his students, "Good news! It's time for your final exam. You're going to fight a bunch of soldiers in another country. If you follow orders and kill many men, you'll pass. If you screw up, you'll fail the test and also probably die. Why are we going to fight the Galbadian army and kill scores of people on foreign soil? Why, for money of course. Dollet's paying well for this service. That's all the justification you need, now go forth and slay!"

Remember, you can become a SeeD from age 15. Quistis was that age when she graduated. Which means there was likely a time when 15-year-old Quistis was ordered to flog strangers to death with a steel chain whip for no reason except that her superiors told her to.

The ethics and morality of Seed are deeply smurfed up when you think about it. Does Dr Kadowaki have extensive PTSD training? Does the Garden brig have the facilities to house and rehabilitate scores of teenage psychopaths? We may never know.