Here are some white cards from the original set: Crusade. Wrath of God. Armageddon. Disenchant.
White feels oppressive because of course it’s oppressive, it’s the rules-imposing, order-loving color, but also because it’s winning. And the winning kinds of white are not the good kinds. Ra is white, obviously. New World Order and the Technocracy in Mage is white (The Syndicate is black which is a hint that it’s not actually in the Technocracy but rather the victim of a vicious propaganda campaign by the traditions). The AIs and AGIs we are worried about are white and we’re trying to make sure they’re blue.
You need white but you cannot let it win. When white wins the world dies. Of course, when most of the other colors win, the world would also die—red would see the world burn, green would see our cities crumble into dust, black would sell our souls to Moloch or worse. Blue wouldn’t do the work to keep the system working, so even it needs balance. White talks a good game trying to make us fear those scenarios but the suffocation via white is the one that might actually happen. So rebelling against it is a reasonable immune reaction, especially if you feel vulnerable to its commands and slogans. Balance is necessary, although we can argue where balance should be—I can basically say, screw red mostly, but you absolutely cannot let it die.
This is as opposed to some other such systems—e.g. Spiral Dynamics talks a big game about how all the colors are valuable and important but at least one of them really should go die in a fire.
You need white but you cannot let it win. When white wins the world dies. Of course, when most of the other colors win, the world would also die. White talks a good game trying to make us fear those scenarios but the suffocation via white is the one that might actually happen
This was an interesting crystallization of some earlier comments of yours, that I think helps me understand your point of view on some other things.
I’m 100% sure I buy it but it is at least a compelling concern.
My favorite Mage homebrew has them merging with the Sons of Ether and taking Forces, and the Solificati merging with the Order of Hermes and taking Matter.
Here are some white cards from the original set: Crusade. Wrath of God. Armageddon. Disenchant.
White feels oppressive because of course it’s oppressive, it’s the rules-imposing, order-loving color, but also because it’s winning. And the winning kinds of white are not the good kinds. Ra is white, obviously. New World Order and the Technocracy in Mage is white (The Syndicate is black which is a hint that it’s not actually in the Technocracy but rather the victim of a vicious propaganda campaign by the traditions). The AIs and AGIs we are worried about are white and we’re trying to make sure they’re blue.
You need white but you cannot let it win. When white wins the world dies. Of course, when most of the other colors win, the world would also die—red would see the world burn, green would see our cities crumble into dust, black would sell our souls to Moloch or worse. Blue wouldn’t do the work to keep the system working, so even it needs balance. White talks a good game trying to make us fear those scenarios but the suffocation via white is the one that might actually happen. So rebelling against it is a reasonable immune reaction, especially if you feel vulnerable to its commands and slogans. Balance is necessary, although we can argue where balance should be—I can basically say, screw red mostly, but you absolutely cannot let it die.
This is as opposed to some other such systems—e.g. Spiral Dynamics talks a big game about how all the colors are valuable and important but at least one of them really should go die in a fire.
This was an interesting crystallization of some earlier comments of yours, that I think helps me understand your point of view on some other things.
I’m 100% sure I buy it but it is at least a compelling concern.
If we’re sympathizing with the technocracy in this thread I just want to note that the Void Engineers are blue and also precious.
Agreed, but they got pushed aside a while ago and are trying to find refuge with the traditions.
Tradesies for the order of hermes? They can run universities or something?
My favorite Mage homebrew has them merging with the Sons of Ether and taking Forces, and the Solificati merging with the Order of Hermes and taking Matter.
Why did the SoE and OoH switch spheres?
And anyway Void Engineers are obviously there to pick up the slack of the dying dreamspeakers and get spirit back into the technocratic paradigm.
Loren ipsum