Was getting ready this morning and the ending of MGS2 came to mind.
It states that GW was the only AI destroyed, and that the S3 Plan’s real purpose is to control human thought to prevent society’s regression in the digital era from trivial information drowning knowledge and truth in the belief that humanity is too immature to handle the flow of information responsibly
Though the villains in MGS2 seemed to have better intentions than the nation states / trolls that are flooding the internet today.
I disagree that Armstrong didn’t approach that situation in good faith. I think he meant every word he said. Armstrong was a caricature of American Individualism and a diehard fanatic. If you watch his speech now, there’s a lot in there that sounds familiar to modern politics. Including “they’ll make America great again!”
He’s a villain who comes off as a “might makes right” true believer. It doesn’t matter if it’s physical strength, underhanded tactics, cleverness, or sheer endurance. So long as you win, you make the rules.
He believed that the strong should squash the weak, while Raiden believed that the strong should protect the weak, and they both used violence to enforce their beliefs. In his eyes, neither of them were right. Who would decide the rules merely came down to which of them was stronger.
Raiden is Armstrong’s beliefs made manifest. From surviving as a child soldier up to the very moment that he kills Armstrong, he’s enforcing his will on the world around him through his strength. A shift in perspective, which side of the sword you’re on, and Raiden’s justice becomes the same as Armstrong’s oppression.
This is the danger of a true believer of “might makes right.” Because even when you beat them, you didn’t prove them wrong - you merely played by their rules and beat them at their own game. Your might made you right, and nothing more.
Drag doesn’t think Armstrong is capable of good faith. Good faith means acting with a bare minimum of prosociality. Raiden thinks Armstrong would agree violence breeds violence. Technically that’s true, but Armstrong doesn’t have any problem with that. He’s pure, unashamed evil. There’s honesty, but no good faith.