#smart boy
Another problem with all the “If only the Jedi had [done this; allowed that; been nicer/less strict etc etc] then [Anakin wouldn’t have fallen/the Jedi wouldn’t have been genocided]” takes is that they completely disregard the fact that Palpatine’s plans don’t exist in a vacuum. He’s already set things up so that every choice his enemies and pawns could make benefits him, and in the event that one of them makes a choice he didn’t account for (such as Padmé, frequently, but especially in TPM), he’s extremely effective at adjusting to that and taking advantage of the situation.
Obviously the Jedi had agency in their decision-making and are responsible for the choices that they made (which I’d argue were mostly the best ones given the individual situations and information they had available at the time - again, character knowledge is not the same thing as audience knowledge), but that doesn’t change the fact that the entire war was set up so that they would be destroyed no matter what they chose to do. Palpatine would’ve exploited any choice they made, he would’ve seized on any crack that could be found or manufactured in Anakin’s trust in the Order; he would’ve twisted anything and everything against the Jedi, because he wanted them dead. And he held all the cards in this situation. So to say that the choices the Jedi made, or flaws in their culture “led to their own downfall/genocide” is incredibly disingenuous. They certainly weren’t immune to making mistakes, of course, but those flaws and mistakes are absolutely not, in any way the reason they were genocided. They were genocided because Palpatine/the Sith wanted them dead and manipulated things to make sure that happened, and only because of that.
So the only fill-in-the-blank that could possibly work in the statement at the beginning of this post is “had gotten Palpatine killed or incapacitated” or “had somehow been able to keep Anakin away from Palpatine during his childhood” (though that latter one would’ve only saved Anakin, not necessarily the Jedi as a whole). And without knowing in advance that he was Sith, how would they have known that they needed to do either of those things, or had the means to do so?
It’s Sheev’s Fault. Yes, it is. What a lovely Big Bad.
Extra kisses and treats for this smart boy tonight!
Brutus is a creature of habit. He needs routine. All dogs do, but blind dogs especially so. So imagine my surprise when we enter our normal, at-least-three-times-a-day stairwell and he WILL NOT go past putting his front paws on the first step down. Nope, no way, nuh-uh, not happening, Momma. In fact, he got just past the first step with gentle urging and immediately skittered back up.
So I talk to him. I ask him what he smells, what he hears. I stay quiet and I listen for clues. Nothing. I hear absolutely nothing. I look down the center but of course can only see to the ground floor, nothing of each individual flight of stairs.
I try again. He won’t go. I talk some more. Eventually I say into the limnal space the stairwell has become, “Hello?”
And I get an answer. “Yeah.”
Wtf. Dude apparently heard me talking to Brute the whole time and decided to just stay quiet. So I say to Brutus, “So there’s someone down there, it’s okay.”
And I get, “Upstairs, actually.” Which, fine, whatever, at least you weren’t going to murder me on my way down, kudos to you, you’re still creeping me out.
Brutus is Not Having It and is headed back to the door inside. Fine by me. I tell my brave boy that means the elevator, which he is terrified of, and I dread having to shove him in there when he’s already freaked out.
But my smart bubs has a better idea, and he turns immediately towards the hallway that leads to another stairwell, one we used months ago for a few weeks while ours was closed off for repairs. A hallway he’s never liked going down and a stairwell that’s backwards from the other, forcing him to veer right to get to the first flight and turn left at each landing, the exact opposite of what he’s used to.
He nailed it. No hesitation, no accidental right turns. All excitement and haste.
Brutus loves everybody. EVERYBODY. I believe animals can tell the Inherently Good from the Inherently Bad. I don’t necessarily think that guy was up to anything tonight, but I do believe he was of the Not Good variety.
If nothing else, this is a perfect example of men needing to realize just how fucking creepy they can be, and why we are always cautious. And you can bet I triple checked my deadbolt before climbing into bed tonight.
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Ready for the Wimbledon…
