21st January
21:06 GMT -5
"…next guest doesn't need any introduction-"
But you're going to introduce-.
"-but I'll introduce him anyway."
Hah! I actually smile as Jack Ryder mugs for the audience. The stands are packed with a cross-section of America and a
few of my family. Lynne and Hybrid-lad-whose-name-I-can't-think are here so they can write an essay on it for their civics classes. Better this than one of those idiotically jingoistic '
explain-how-America-is-the-best-country-in-the-world' things. I invited Scott and Barda, but they felt that showing me support would risk the League's apolitical stance during national elections.
Well. Scott did. I somehow doubt that Barda would have done anything to support
my position.
"From the Planet of Ultimate Tyranny to the Land of the Free: show a warm welcome for
Grayven!"
I stroll onto the stage as the-. Hah! As a couple of technicians wheel what looks suspiciously like a Throne of Doom onto the stage next to the host. I did
warn them that I'd flatten their regular guest chairs, but I'm surprised that they went to
this sort of length. I wave to the audience as they applaud, then wait until the crew have the chair positioned to their liking and give them a polite nod in thanks before sitting down upon it.
Not exactly
comfortable, but I suppose that it'll do.
"Grayven, thank you for coming on."
"Not a problem, Jack. Glad to be here."
"We've got a lot to talk about this evening, but before we start, I.. ah… I've got to do another one of these
tomorrow night, so I can't really afford to get shipped off to the other side of the universe..?"
"Oh, don't worry." I shake my head as the audience titters. "Tricks like that lose their impact if you keep repeating yourself."
"Well… Okay then." He leans back. "I guess I'll look forward to whatever you've got planned?"
I pantomime an expression of complete innocence, and get a small laugh from the crowd.
"So as I'm sure that you've noticed, we've got an election coming up. And as everyone knows, you're pretty tight with the incumbent."
"I've…" I nod. "Worked productively with President Horne on a few issues. Speaking as an Apokoliptian, I find this whole… Four to eight years thing a bit strange."
"Oh, come on. You saved the man's life, he gave you a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and-."
"With distinction." I point to the ribbon.
"And you've basically become Secretary of State for Metahumans."
"That's.. overstating things somewhat.
Yes, I was consulted on policy, as were a number of other specialists. And I've participated in a number of missions, some under the auspices of the Department of Metahuman Affairs. But I'm just an agent, certainly not a Secretary of State."
He frowns. "Are you.. backing away from President Horne?"
"No, it's…" I sigh. "I like Jon, but when you get right down to it… I'm a foreign citizen. More to the point, I'm a foreign citizen of a place that's hostile to the United States, even though I.. obviously disagree with that policy. I feel-. I don't think it's appropriate for me to have…
Undue influence on your domestic politics. I have a good working and personal relationship with President Horne, I like to think that together we've done a lot of good for the country, and for the Earth. But if the American people choose to elect someone else, whether it be Senator Bishop or a.. third party candidate, I would endeavour to form a similar relationship with them. Ultimately, it's not about-."
"Senator Bishop?"
I blink. "The Repub-?"
"I think you mean Senator
Knight."
"Oh…" I wave my right hand in his direction. "Sorry, yes, that's his.. name, isn't it?" I shrug in mock embarrassment. "Sorry, I was.. playing chess with my son earlier today-" And I
was, too. "-and I-.
Yeah."
"R
ight…"
Okay, it was a clumsy
jab, but even if it doesn't make Knight look silly it at least makes me look a little more human.
"Ah… Sorry, as I was saying. It's not about personality, it's about the task, the.. job of making American laws relating to metahumans a little more
sensible. With the passage of the Destructive Persons Act, the lion's share of the job is done. Implementation does not require constant presidential involvement. It might actually be
detrimental for it to be a partisan issue."
"So the President's leaving you out in the cold?"
"The President has a country to govern. And as much as I admire his patience in talking people into putting his legislation into practice
sensibly, it's not something with which I can really
help. And… There's probably a limit to how much help is really appropriate. He.. knows where I am if he needs me, and that I'm happy to butt out when he
doesn't."
"Okay, so, this new federal agency is going to train and regulate superheroes. W-?"
"Not-.
Sort of. It trains metahuman agents. In a.. few years, they might be training magic using agents. Superheroes-. I'm a superhero, so this isn't intended as a
slight against people who risk life and limb for the greater good. That whole.. go get 'em attitude is one of the things I find most fascinating about this country. But… There's a reason why police forces exist. Top calibre superheroes like members of the Justice League are.. not exactly the rule. Information sharing is generally poor quality, training is
patchy and that's not even getting into the lack of accountability-. A lot of the time there really
isn't a difference between a masked vigilante and the street thugs they claim to be fighting. I've seen the figures on assaults and… In some cases
murders."
"Little bit of hypocrisy sneaking in there, huh?"
"Probably. But I wouldn't have done that to someone the conventional authorities could handle. Political recognition of
that fact is why I was pardoned. After the second Belle Reve breakout I didn't kill anyone because I knew that the situation could be brought back under control. And in any case, there wasn't any doubt about Klarion's guilt. A lot of the people that get targeted by vigilante campaigns haven't.. done much, if anything. Certainly nothing which justifies hospitalising them with life-changing injuries. America's security services are required by law to behave and investigate in certain ways, and I think that's a good thing. The fact that organisations like those, which are largely competent, incorrupt and law-abiding, can exist is a sign of the strength of America's social conventions and contract. Vigilantes… Where they can be said to have legitimacy, is when they are symptomatic of an underlying problem. If Gotham hadn't been hilariously corrupt and dysfunctional for
years, no Batman."
"And what about Superman?"
"Organisations are designed to standardise processes, so that they can be performed reasonably well by as many different people as possible. What kind of police force could come up with procedures for the only kryptonian on the planet? And if they could, would limiting him to a single city really be the best use of his talents?" I shake my head. "With people that powerful, the
sensible thing to do is give them a
few restrictions,
some oversight, and then let them get on with it."
"I thought the President
didn't want to conscript Superman."
"The fact that Superman is a good guy, and has
proven that in over a decade's good service to the nation and the planet, does not guarantee that the next person in his weight class
will be as well. If people could be relied upon to treat one another well, we wouldn't
need a police force. The balance President Horne has to strike is between supporting those who are fine acting on their own recognisance and guiding those who -though well-intentioned-
aren't. And so far, the implementation appears to be going reasonably well. Not.. perfectly, but that's to be expected with any major piece of legislation and that's why he's still working on that aspect."
"What do you think about how
China handles it?"
As if Jean didn't prepare me for questions about
that.
"It's excessively interfering. Their natural tendency to regiment anything related to security is causing far more harm than good. Conscripting every metahuman in the country is extremely wasteful, and I'm glad that they're starting to recognise that fact. On the other hand, it's unrealistic to expect that to produce the sort of independent superheroes the US has."
"Their department of defense claims that they can field 'an army-group worth of superheroes'."
"That's… Technically true, if you count someone whose power is to turn leaves from green to blue and who had two months' military training a decade ago as a 'superhero'. The Standing Committee on Metahuman Affairs has a
lot of people on its books who have no business being there but who can be recalled to active service at five minutes' notice. It's a foolish system because the people involved would be no use to them."
"Have you studied the Chinese system?"
"Yes, and I've tried to help
them modify the way
they do things as well. At present, however, I consider it a good example of how
not to do things in this country."
