>>157866"Okay. So. I guess I have to explain this to you. In a good, functioning, productive society, the State organizes its ponies so that they may all work towards their natural ends, usually a Timocracy. The Pegasi, who are courageous, virtuous, loyal, and willing to sacrifice for the sake of others, are warriors and civil servants who serve the State most directly. The unicorns, who are, for all of their faults, at least crafty and conscientious, serve as the most skilled workers. And the earth ponies, who are... hardworking when properly motivated, serve to grow food, mine, are auxiliaries in battle, and build buildings. And so in the State where ponies are ordered to follow their natural ends, they may follow their highest ends. The Pegasi have time for philosophy and culture. That of course is in the best of societies.
Equestria hasn't been so lucky in its history as other pony nations. Instead, it functions as an oligarchy. Sure, there's that fat white whore and a bunch of squabbling tribes to deal with, but realistically it's the same as most mixed race pony nations - everything is ruled and controlled by a select few unicorns, and the purpose of the State is to bring pride and wealth to these unicorns. This kind of society is of course less virtuous and less productive of culture than a Timocracy, but at the same time, it could be worse. I'd call it second rate. The earth ponies still have to work, the unicorns still have to craft, and the Pegasi still have to keep the wolves at bay, even if less efficiently. Diligence, hard work, and moderation are some of the more valued mores. You can call it a merchant republic, you can call it Capitalism, all the same.
But then... sometimes, the spoiled runts of unicorn race manage to weasel their way into positions of influence. Using persuasion, they manage to fool the inexperienced and unworldly. They subvert loyalty, moderation, and hard work. They undermine their fathers, because they know they could never equal their fathers. They cannibalize society so that it may serve themselves, and sacrifice a part of it to feed the rest. Liberalism, Democracy, Socialism. These are licentiousness, the enshrining of mediocrity, and the condemnation of creativity and work. And it is in places like these that their sedition takes place.
That is why we are here."