The Philosophy of Peacemaker

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How Peacemaker got a moral makeover
The new HBO-Max Peacemaker series set out to do something challenging: turn one of the most reviled characters of Suicide Squad into a protagonist. So how does James Gunn’s new take on this DCEU superhero complicate our understanding of him? Let’s find out in this Wisecrack Edition on Peacemaker: Peace, Love and Bullets.
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=== Watch More Episodes! ===
MCU vs DCEU: Mortals vs Gods ► wscrk.com/3IqR0xU
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU): What Went Wrong? ► wscrk.com/2SLpeUY
The Snyder Cut: What Went... Right? ► wscrk.com/3yrLjeo
00:00 - Intro
02:15 - Just War Theory
05:58 - Securitization
10:55 - The Real Enemies
13:28 - Conclusion
Written and Hosted by Michael Burns
Directed by Michael Luxemburg
Edited by Mark Potts
Motion Graphics by Jackson Maher
Produced by Olivia Redden
Additional production assistance by Griffin Davis and Matias Rubio
Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
#Peacemaker #JohnCena #DCEU
© 2022 Wisecrack / Omnia Media, Inc. / Enthusiast Gaming

[@WisecrackEDU]

Who's your favorite character from the DCEU so far?

[@Tomha]

Shazam, faithful to the source, fun character, really good movie.

[@owennorcross4407]

Shazam is my for one pic with number two being rat catcher two.

[@thewildcardperson]

you stupid commies need to grow up war is coming and if you keep hating America someone else will be incorrect and make sure you are loyal to the country that gave you so many freedoms you spoiled over

[@thewildcardperson]

you philosphers are pathetic while you think what to do a warrior will have already killed you burned your town down and taken your wife and kids action matters don't think just act also stop hating the nation that protects you from being a slave go kill some people or shut up you have no say to anything your a boy till you kill then your a man and start the only thing worth doing in life

[@thewildcardperson]

you are what's wrong with America take this video you would side with mind controlling g aliens who want to take over government and save the world because we're to dumb aka woke mob in America please die you want them to rule us over heros says alot about you siding with parasites over people you evil hypocrite

[@DinoJake]

In an interview, John Cena once described Peacemaker as Captain America, but a douche. This led me to develop the pet theory that Captain America is who America WANTS to be...and Peacemaker is who America really is. Peacemaker's attitudes towards Peace is, as described in this video, an allegory for America's obsession with security theory. And Peacemaker's neo-nazi dad is likely a reference to America's many past sins against minorities. That may sound bad, but remember - Peacemaker killed his dad and stopped the butterflies. Those actions imply that America is similarly capable of moving past its racist past and rejecting a securitized view of the world.

[@floatingdisembodiedhead8975]

That's an interesting pet theory

[@coletrain583]

And still a better man than Homelander.

[@deannal.newton9772]

Weirdly enought I thought that Peacemaker was like the DC equivalent to Marvel's the Punisher, since they're both doing the same thing in both of their respective comics but for different reasons. I can see how you think that Peacemaker is of an opposing viewpoint of Captain America but at the same time we both know that Peacemaker is just as violent as the Punisher if he wants to be.

[@RockyRZ]

Thanks for the spoilers, clown

[@BizarroJoe]

Here's what you can expect going into a James Gunn project. Loveable losers Compelling but disgusting villains And you WILL fall in love with a CGI creature. Also, this video seems timely.

[@Hevvvyyy]

Eagly has more character depth than some TV characters

[@bethmarriott9292]

You forgot about the absolutely cracking soundtrack he'll fling in there 🤣

[@dachristianrocks100]

James Gunn's scoooby do movies checks all. -Lovable losers? Mystery Gang, especially Shaggy and Scooby -Not compelling, but disgusting villains? Check (Especially Scrappy) -Fall in love with a CG creature? Absolutely, we have Scooby for that. This checklist is solid.

[@herloss448]

eagly has more personality than the frickin superman in DCEU 😪

[@saml302]

and daddy issues. don't forget daddy issues

[@victor-oh]

I was afraid that Peacemaker was another glorification of villains, but to see it's actually using him as a critique is refreshing.

[@RicardoPetinga]

This comment might make me give it a try. Still more inclined not to though. Edit: OK, just finished the video and now I'm more inclined to watch it. xD

[@LuisSierra42]

@@RicardoPetinga It is not as good as some people make it look, but it is fun sometimes

[@ferrm1992]

Agreed. It’s not a nationalist war propaganda, whereas is a revisionist take on the issue

[@KHEENGS]

@@ferrm1992 that’s why it fails. Liberals hate America

[@pphyjynx8217]

@@KHEENGS Most of the world hates america.

[@fuzzynuttz5092]

A bit off topic but one of my most favorite scenes in this show was when economos was explaining why he dyes his beard

[@Burritomouth]

I did NOT expect that performance from the guy opposite Brian Posehn in The Sarah Silverman Program.

[@swaggrokrag]

*dyes

[@theignorantninja]

Gotta love it when one unexpected speech has you rooting (heh) for the bad guys for a minute.

[@alexjames2264]

@@theignorantninja well done 👏

[@Jake-fm5my]

I cried

[@LemonArsonist]

More than any of this, I think the most important question this show asks, and the question that has the most philosophical weight of any show I've watched in a long time is; "Do you really wanna taste it?"

[@atrain3441]

The thing about Peacemaker is that his character is rooted in irony. They call him the *Peace* Maker yet he wages *war* (the very opposite of peace) on all those who don't support peace.

[@Alex_Barbosa]

Hmmm, almost like it's all based on the hypocrisy of the narrative around war being for national security.

[@bigdiddyzp1762]

WHAT????

[@andrewgreen5574]

Philosophical contradictions. Though it makes him extremely human and irrational at times (normal human stuff lol). Also, this video is mostly about the Government's philosophical position on security, rather than Peacemaker's. Peacemaker is a hyper nationalist, who generally trusts the government as an inherent good. This keeps him "in line" and is used to justify his violent actions. This comes into question after Peacemaker kills Rick Flag, "a national hero". His crying scene, "Flag was right, you are a joke", was likely more than remorse for Flags death but a questioning of his own values. Zizek had a similar critique of ideology through "They Live". Time Stamp @ 04:25. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iofafJ19l99pZs0 His moral code is a contradiction within itself, giving much more moral ambiguity to his actions or a moral justification of immoral actions. this further reinforces wrongful actions performed on behalf of the U.S. government.

[@NotShowingOff]

The reason why it’s a contradiction or paradox, is because peace doesn’t necessarily exist. It’s a concept. The true state of human interaction goes from a little violence to mass extinction. The issue is that “violence” can still be in the form of exploitation which breeds resentment. Most people don’t regard exploitation and fascist economics as violent per se. They are only violent when ppl resist.

[@Alex_Barbosa]

@@NotShowingOff People aren't inherently violent and hostile. I really wish this fascist myth would just be seen as what it is already.

[@ayanabeads1614]

It’s not lost on me that Peacemaker and crew are fighting butterflies, the least dangerous Earth animal that’s also known as an alien invader we fail to understand and in both cases who’s environment we are destroying..

[@alastorcorvus]

Butterflies are also commonly associated with Peace

[@TheDSasterX]

Butterflies are also carnivorous. Take that as you will ^_^

[@alastorcorvus]

@@TheDSasterX except they're not, they use their proboscis to drain salt, nitrogen and aminoacids from dead bodies, but that's not what "carnivorous" means and adult butterflies cannot be carnivorous simply because they don't have mandibles designed to eat solid meat. The only carnivorous lepidopterans in existence are only carnivorous during the larval stage, many of their caterpillars feeding on other insects and arthropods.

[@trapchurches555]

@@alastorcorvus damn you know your butterflies

[@alastorcorvus]

@@trapchurches555 thanks, I'm a biologist.

[@WarpedLord]

Teeeechnically, James Gunn didn't "make" Peacemaker's father a Nazi. In the comics, Peacemaker's father was a Nazi also... James Gunn just made Peacemaker's father a DIFFERENT Nazi. Sort of.

[@B1gCh33sy]

He went from a death camp commandant to basically a Klan/Aryan Brotherhood leader. A good transfer idealogically but the original seems much more gruesome in comparison.

[@rav3style]

You forgot to say Um.. actually, so I’ll have to award the point to somebody else

[@jebeda]

@@rav3style "Um, actually..."

[@WarpedLord]

@@rav3style Damn it, Trapp! You caught me. I forgot the ONE rule... again. LOL

[@victor-oh]

@@B1gCh33sy i guess that's a tradeoff if you want to bring the timeline closer to the present day

[@brya9681]

Can murder be justified? The US government: it better be or we're in trouble.

[@Alex_Barbosa]

CIA: It doesn't have to be if you pretend it never happened.

[@Hoshimaru57]

Well if it can’t be what happens to the people who only get by because of it?

[@technomad9071]

Yeah they're armies are just murdering thugs

[@michaelbrooks742]

It absolutely can. Is it always? Absolutely not.

[@jacobhuff3748]

What I found interesting about August Smith is that he was framed for a murder he didn't do(in this case self defense by his son) rather than things he did years ago. Being taunted By Adrian and learning the truth of his incarceration only lead him to the paranoid idea that his son was trying to kill him which became a self- fulfilling prophecy. I wonder if that's a comment on how poorly thought out actions by gov'ts and other actors about legitimate concerns(even if involving fringe groups) might create the very events that lead to justification of such actions and more extremist behavior both internationally and domestically.

[@rav3style]

That’s an interesting insight. And it seems to hold water.

[@Kirkenburer74]

You're the only person online who caught that the way I did. August literally had a news channel up that spoiled the plot too, (Alex Jones ripoff was talking about creatures that take over your body) the problem was that he knew things that if he wasn't a horrible person, he could have done so much to help the world. It showcases how deep down Chris wanted him dad to get better and it wasn't until he had a Luger to his fathers head did he realize he only had one choice and he was too far gone.

[@QuantumCuttlefish]

It's literally just the Pygmalion Effect on a sociological scale. Yeah, I think about that a lot too.

[@arcturionblade1077]

Unintended consequences are a thing, yeah. Good intentions, paved roads to hell, etc.

[@dougdimmedome5552]

Peacemaker is quite literally just a satire on the entire ethos movies like American sniper portray.

[@DSzaks]

I mean when the butterflies are killing people already the threat isn't really speculative anymore is it? I think that might be where the analogy breaks down.

[@GiantButterKnife]

Not really. They're killing in the name of preventing speculative disaster (in this case, environmental destruction).

[@DSzaks]

@@GiantButterKnife But they are killing. So the threat of dying is real. Because it happened. And is happening. AKA not speculative.

[@BigMikeMcBastard]

@@justaguyyknow8730 No, the government cared that people were being taken over. They had no idea what the butterflies were actually doing and the environmental angle isn't revealed until the very end. Why are you even posting if you haven't watched the series, anyway? Are you seriously that desperate to talk about "environmental propaganda"?

[@Words-er5ez]

I really enjoyed Peacemaker it's just a shame that John Cena can't do live appearances to promote a season 2. It might possibly work if he keeps the helmet on. People might be able to see him if he always wears the helmet.

[@Mi11imani]

I would have loved a comparative study of Peacemaker vs. The Boys.😌✌

[@RM-bw7df]

“We're not going to wait for the person to mobilize on his own time line" is a chilling quote from Michael Steinbach, the former assistant director of the FBI, that insinuates the government will encourage ordinary people into terroristic actions only to be brutally crushed by the state.

[@Dr0]

To me what is outlined by war theory is the right way plus taking some preventions, as actions should only be taken as a defence but not to attack “in the name of peace”. Of course, that one nation doesn’t attack doesn’t stop the others from doing so, hence why I think it’s also necessary to have preventive plans, however once that goes to the point of securitization it’s just the government being paranoic or even a bully to the other nations and to its own citizens. Even then the greater problem is that people in power tend to be even more power hungry and only use possible threats as excuses to have even more power for the sake of having more power.

[@andreburruss11]

Can you do one on Murn? He was willing to let his entire species go extinct because he had empathy for humans.Theres got to be some good philosophy there

[@andreburruss11]

@daiyoukai01 yeah and he thought it was wrong ergo empathy. what do you mean?

[@jonathandavis8578]

The Disney Moonknight series could offer another medium for the debate between “Just War Theory” and “Securitization”. Konshu acts as the avatar for “Just War Theory” and Ammit as the avatar for “Securitization”. While both ultimately engage in unethical practices one seeks to combat and eliminate those who have done wrong by them and the other uses the pretext of future harms to justify any violence done in their interests.

[@nina9565]

Maybe pedantic, but isn't murder, by definition, killing without justification? We can argue on what makes killing justifiable, but if it's justifiable for someone, it's not considered murder for them.

[@aaronwalley3077]

Never been this early to a Wisecrack video. I loved this show. It’s up there with the Boys for my favorite bit of Contemporary Superhero media

[@robot8582]

Eren is on the front row taking notes

[@justinianthe1st790]

I need to watch this show. From what I've seen PM seems to be a pos. But a likeable pos. It's easy for people to justify "the greater good" when they arent the ones getting shot. Seeing those butterflies perish was pretty satisfying. You do not harm the innocent.

[@TheDSasterX]

"Innocent"

[@justinianthe1st790]

@@TheDSasterX Til families arent innocent even if they did nothing wrong

[@tnightwolf]

It is a great show! To me it is easily the best "super-hero" show ever!

[@jarod2828]

Now that we've prevented them from repeating our mistakes, do we keep them our de-facto slaves or do we sort of let them make decisions again? -Question the video seemed hesitant to ask

[@acevaver5425]

Most of moral legality depend on whose side you take. Take for example the American Revolution, the original purpose of government is to unify and protect each other, but if those very people who you're supposed to protect reject your protection, then are you the protector or the exploiter? Mafia for example, is similar to government in how they uphold law and protect those in their territory, but they also look out for their own interest first like how the US government sells weapons to the Middle East and import drugs into the US. In a company, the investor are the stockholders, in government the investor are the people. Stockholders get dividends, but the people won't ever see the spoils of war as you can tell by the lack of infrastructure, health, and happiness. Sure, some might profit, and this is because they were already wealthy, while some of you for example, will never get to see the benefits of your taxes if you can't even afford a car to take advantage of oil prices. So yes, morals and justification is nothing more than convoluted linguistic, while the crux is whose side you take or are apart of- even if it happens to be a social or hierarchical class.

[@Lucarioguild7]

Something to note about that bookend is that's exactly what pitted Waller and the Justice League against each other in the first in the comics was the conflicting sources of securitization coming from heroes versus the US government

[@El.Grillo]

Wow, I am currently learning about JWT in my ethics class. This is very well studied.

[@craigjones7343]

There are laws in the real world that allow justified murder and how to determine if that murder was justified

[@guillermoelnino]

In what use to be known as the united states of america it was called self defense

[@AntonHellsten]

Great video!! Thank you for sharing!

[@camiloiribarren1450]

This is a great thing to do, break down the allegory in comics and what the characters represent in their respective stories. I’m wondering if there’s one for Superman, can a god/god-like being ever be human? Can an alien adapt to a different planet’s population? Can immigrants integrate into their adopted homes without losing themselves?

[@hobojoe4668]

doctor manhattan from the watchmen

[@nashsanadiki3104]

We can’t forgive him for Rick flags murder or his betrayal towards task force x But his relationship with Waller parodies his relationship with his Father he seeks validation from people in a position of power to make himself feel secure confidence

[@DracoMagnius]

So Peacemaker is just an insecure mess that seeks a controlling voice to tell him his actions are justified?

[@nashsanadiki3104]

@@DracoMagnius No that would undervalue why he still feels guilt for his brothers death, His idea of justice comes from figures who don't have the same moral compass he asires to embody. He is like a toddler in a mans body and emulates what he assumes is justice but in reality its plausible deniability to preserve a delusion waller and his father think is justice

[@phonkp]

"Try not to be a literal Nazi". James Gunn sets a high bar.

[@bluecanine3374]

it didn't use to be that high a bar, but apparently it starting getting higher in the last decade

[@guillermoelnino]

but that's the aspiration of every lunatic leftist. to play the role of a n azi while calling everyone who sees them acting like n azis n azis

[@letfireraindown]

John Cena has executed on the character and brought both the show and that Suicide Squad movie up to quality. Well, all of the cast I think executed well in delivering on the screen plays and works. When I started watching Peacemaker with my buddy I didn't really have any idea other than where the Movie left him at the end and that it was going to be somewhat comedic. A not to serious character to keep the pace moving. I think, as this video suggests, that the plot and several character moments moved to having Peacemaker reevaluate his morals and what even is "moral" in the collective experience. The actor playing Vigilante executed the role exceptionally well, mostly cause I really hated the character sometimes, but I'm fairly certain that was the point. Vigilante parallels Peacemaker in that he is never challenged in killing, never questions morality once he has decided he has a reason to kill, but is neurotic about anything from adhesives on skin to illicit drugs once he's decided he's not going to kill. I've completed the series and it's only in retrospect that I see Peacemaker's father and the whole White Dragon/KKK/NeoNazi stuff was a B plot to the series. It gave traction and motivation to some parts of Peacemaker's growth, but never really intersected the TEAM vs Butterflies main plot outside of that. I thought that was a dangerous line to walk with the contents of that plotline, but executed well. The racists were never really given any humanity or qualifying character points and any rambling of white supremacy was shot down or made the butt of a joke. I'm think they executed well and I have no confidence in my writing to touch on hot button concepts unless I have personal experience and do some research. All in all I agree with the points Wisecrack made about Peacemaker from the movie and through the series. In the movie he was much more so Mission driven which started the fight between him and his teammates. He did not think adjusting the mission (Keeping that harddrive from leaving the building) was enough to challenge him, where the rest of the team was shown to have flexible, human safety focused morals, to adjust to the plan and move toward fighting a monster even against Waller's direct orders.

[@Gzilla313]

Makes sense given Peacemaker is also the inspiration for Watchmen's Comedian.

[@vincentvoillot6365]

Peacemaker explain clearly his pov during is rant on Batman. For Chris there no redemption for criminal in contrast with Murn who inhabit the most evil man he can find and still thinking even him can change. Are humans inherently flaw or corrupt by society ? I have one answer "activate human torpedo"

[@Mister-Thirteen]

I think like linking Security theory and Just war to what Superheros do in there narratives is a false dichotomy. Superheros are as much rebellion against injustice as enforcers of law. It is merely that the flanderization of superheros and killing has become in vogue post-Watchmen. Because often critics attack the tropes of the genre rather then looking at the actions and motives of individual characters. The irony being that people attack a character like Batman for not killing his most violent rogues well still using the critic of violence against his actions. There are characters that fit the bill Peacemaker is trying to satirize, but the thing is these are anti-heroic characters like the Punisher and Spawn who's actions run counter to the ethics superheros often embody.

[@SubjectiveObserver]

Thank you. I think you summarized all the reasons why I don't usually participate in these conversations about superhero ethics...

[@MaxIronsThird]

Most Marvel heroes kill "bad guys" without batting an eye, it's not a exclusively thing from characters like Punisher, Deadpool, Moon Knight or Spawn.

[@Mister-Thirteen]

@@MaxIronsThird Not really? The films certainly make that a precedent due to drawing mostly from the 90s zeitgeist of the characters. But you're not entirely wrong that the most popular Marvel character do engage in lethal combat fairly often. However the fact the most if not all of them uphold a standard of not killing when at all possible suggests that more due to the kinds of story lines that have been popular post Watchmen.

[@thehowlinggamer5784]

This series is pushing itself up to be one of my favorites. A lot of the things I see in it are exactly why Magneto is my favorite villain/antihero from x-men. You might not agree with the methods, but you can certainly understand the why and often times relate as a result. Noone saw this one coming, and it blew me away with how rich in dark twisted humor and emotional/political chess it is, and as a political junkie myself, I adore it for that!

[@TheCreepypro]

man this video couldn't have come at a better time in the light of current events well done wisecrack? even though I'm pretty sure you guys didn't plan or do this on purpose

[@jobo12345689]

I haven't even seen this show but as a student of IR am all to familiar with securitization. Very interesting video!

[@rogeriofuruma7086]

I may be wrong but, doesn't the term "securitization" presented here sound more like the security dilemma in IR?

[@jobo12345689]

@@rogeriofuruma7086 they are related but not the same. Securitization is a theory from the Copenhagen school of IR. It's actually very helpful when analyzing which topics are "hot" at a given time in public discourse in any specific country.

[@rogeriofuruma7086]

@@jobo12345689 I know they're not the same. I've done some research about it but I am not very familiar with the theory, so when they started talking about it it sounded more like security dilemma to me. But thanks anyway!

[@KFC5747]

Omg i love ur guys videos, you guys are amazing!!

[@s.a.v.o4658]

This show was awesome cant wait for S2

[@faasoofootsign1038]

well done man

[@emmanueldelmoral4771]

I've been waiting to taste this

[@Kenjiro5775]

We justify it all the time. It's called war. Humanity's favorite pass time.

[@Necrophadez]

Murder by definition, is an unjustified killing of another. So, to say a justified murder would be a paradox within its own framework. However, what constitutes as murder/an unjustified killing is itself subjective.

[@Alverant]

Part of the purpose of the State is to control violence; say who gets to use it and under what circumstances. The State can also disagree with itself. What is justified to one part may not be to another. For example, consider the police officer who decides to look the other way when seeing his friends attack a stranger for being different. Is that justified violence?

[@Armstrong1781]

AMAZING love the content

[@SilverScarletSpider]

I hope we get to see Bloodsport, Green Arrow, Red Hood, and Harley Quinn appear in Peacemaker soon.

[@cannonmann]

Damn it I'm going to have to go finish the series so I can watch this

[@deannal.newton9772]

After hearing about Peacemaker, I thought that the Peacemaker was like the DC version of Marvel's The Punisher. The only difference is that the Punisher doesn't care that he's killing bad guys since he's motivated purely on revenge whereas Peacemaker isn't purely motivated by revenge to get where he is.

[@EvilSupahFly]

I'm not saying Peacemaker was a good guy, but he wasn't exactly a villain either. All I know is that the soundtrack to the series was some top-tier gold and the opening credit sequence was fantastic. 🤘😎🤘

[@vivianworden2706]

The butterflies "say" their here for the environment. Just another "greater good" tactic.

[@epicbruhmoment6985]

Wonderful thumbnail

[@snackplissken8192]

It's interesting since it seems that securitization is the framework by which non democratic nations now justify their aggressive acts as well. It could just be that people always use the popular justifications of the day to convince themselves that they are the good guys. But it is worth asking if we (as a global human society) have changed things for the better or worse with our modern security notions or whether we are just doing the same thing we have always done; namely telling ourselves that the other guy had it coming.

[@dororo101]

I actually want to watch this now.

[@lisafolsom4947]

Peacemaker by Gunn is my favorite thing from all of the times, ever. I wanna taste it!!

[@Nobody-dl4tm]

James Gunn always deals with deep discussion

[@Geoffreyvexer]

Can murder be justified? Sure! That’s the short answer. The long answer is a long ethical debate. In which I’m not sure what the accurate answer is.

[@guillermoelnino]

just label them n azis first. then you can murder anyone without consequences :D

[@Samson_Quardav]

Is it ok to kill for peace. Wisecrack's disclaimer [...] Roll credits.

[@nrsrymj]

Murder is by definition unjustifiable.

[@Drkice-te3cy]

I was pretty sure this episode was going to tackle utilitarianism. But as long as i didnt miss it i think the word wasnt even mentioned once lol

[@dswynne]

Peacemaker is an example of a character sees himself as the hero of his own story, not at all dissimilar to every political activist and pundit, Left or Right, that is currently active. Peacemaker is also an example of what happens when there those activists and pundits that have become disillusioned with what they believe in, and thus flip politically.

[@pablosilva6932]

Exactly. Bad deeds are always ok for the greater good, but what's the greater good? "On they fight, for the right, yes, but who's to say?"

[@GoodAvatar]

Clearly Peacemaker is a mockery of the Right. As well it should be. The left produces it's share of weirdos, but they don't produce horrifying psychos like the Right seems to crank out in huge numbers.

[@pablosilva6932]

@@GoodAvatar "but they don't produce horrifying psychos like the Right seems to crank out in huge numbers" what exact;y do you mean?

[@GoodAvatar]

@@pablosilva6932 Trump, Putin, and the *millions* of American Right-Wing idiots who believe absolutely anything the Big Right Wing Government says. As long as it's Right-Wing, the "conservatives" in America absolutely love saying insane, vicious garbage. They do it all the time. It doesn't need to be true. You're probably familiar with that, right?

[@dswynne]

@@GoodAvatar it can be, but that goes for anything, including left wing activists, like Antifa and BLM, only to have their so-called "activism" blow up in their collective faces. Ergo, I stand by my original statement.

[@nickmagrick7702]

if our media outlets and politicians were have as introspective as Wisecrack, the world would measurably be a better place

[@TASmith10]

Of course murder can be justified, just as it's obvious that Peacemaker isn't all that good at it. And the people around him are even worse at it.

[@NoInfoAvail]

Yes. Morality isn't law and law isn't morality.

[@lykos2738]

But law is derived from morality.

[@NoInfoAvail]

@@lykos2738 Sometimes. The Nazis made laws. Derived from their morality. Do you think their laws are morale or based in morality? How about the Mongols? Morality is interchangeable based circumstance and the culture your talking about. Both of those horrific empires had their own morality. We, generally don't view their laws and morality as valid or moral. So. Laws are informed by morality. But that doesn't really mean much of anything. We don't have human rites because a god says we do. We have them because we say we have them, and want them.

[@tnightwolf]

This show is the best super-hero show ever! And it is the best by far! I dunno what kind of magic James Gunn draws for super-hero powers of his own, but (goddam!) does he know how to make a fkn show!

[@PK-MegaLolCaT]

i mean the point if the justice league is to avoid that kind of mentallity .. the after all the justice league is also know as the Super Friends.. they are not there to be the world police .. they are there to catch people when they fall.

[@beezysbeatz4924]

It's basically the same idea Anakin was trying to sell to Padme in Attack of the Clones.

[@cedricjustina.alcoseba6880]

Peacemaker is basically DC's Punisher

[@haxerhuen]

I half expected the last word of the video would be "Peace" or "Peace out".

[@Lorddacenshadowind]

Thing about the heroes though(and the problems with the modern renditions) is that they aren't supposed to kill people. Batman number one rule is no killing, Superman also doesn't kill and when they do things end up going bad(justice lords, injustice)

[@jcfranco231]

Former UFC fighter Cain Velasquez definitely falls in the category of green light to kill

[@Ironcabbit]

This dilemma was posed much more effectively between Frank Castle and Matt Murdock in the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil series.

[@MrXXpainkillerXX]

peacemaker its 100 times better at satire and cultural critique than dont look up

[@Skaz1hiphop]

He’s not evil, he’s an antihero and he’s the effin man!

[@whodatboi2567]

I think the thing I'd personally disagree with is the insinuation that Securitisation could never be justified. In reality, there are instances where Securitisation could fall under a sort of preeminent Just War and/or instances where doing nothing is the greater evil.

[@jackdailey5238]

Actually when he kills Flag and has to kill RatCatcher 2 in the movie he is noticeably upset

[@fireaza]

What's the name of the actor playing Peacemaker? I've never seen him!

[@DrakoDragonis]

Ha! :P

[@bpayne3602]

Please do raised by wolves

[@DocEonChannel]

Around 6:00-6:15 there seems to be a bad edit. The stuff you say has no lead-in, but is repeated a few seconds later after getting a proper introduction.

[@bubbledoubletrouble]

6:00 , 6:27: “Whoa. Deja vu.”

[@richardskettini3323]

YES.

[@JedoDre]

Loyalty to feelings instead of to reason. Loyalty to the current hype instead of to your family. Loyalty to whatever impulsive cause pops up rather than to the cause you signed up for (essentially the absense of loyalty). These are the morlals of the modern generation that I see being pushed in all modern media, directly or indirectly as satire. From the description, this one's no different.

[@donovan6206]

Since the new season of Mayans MC is coming out PLEASE DO AN EPISODE ON SONS OF ANARCHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 Im certain you could find some seriously interesting philosophy to explore given its influences from Hamlet, Greek tragedy's and general morally grey philosophical musings that are super present in the show

[@locomadman]

I take the Capt. Mal Reynolds approach on such matters; if someone is trying to kill you, you go ahead & try to kill them right back.

[@h-dawg969]

Peacemaker was a wicked show.

[@alexong2542]

By the end of the Peacemaker series, Peacemaker seemed a lot better, compared to his old self in the Suicide Squad movie.

[@saml302]

I'm 100% team butterfly. It's not lost on me that a lot of murders would have to happen in the highest offices of commerce and government irl, and I have mixed feelings about it. But ultimately, the inaction of these people is killing more than would need to be sacrificed for the butterflies to infiltrate these offices, and while there are a few "good ones" who might get sacrificed too, the majority would be the worst our species has to offer. 100% team butterfly.

[@Shiny_Hunter_Rob]

4:05 Huh, it's almost as if, I dunno, war is bad...

[@NotSoGoodDark]

Random guy: KIlling is cruel and cannot be justified! Peacemaker: Just because you're right doesn't mean you're correct!

[@obitouchiha2581]

Will you make a video about the new batman movie? Would be nice

[@johnnottellingyou2402]

yes

[@thegangsternerd5230]

Yo!! Wise Crack. Yal ever gonna do, "The philosophy of SAGA". (The awesome comic by Brian K Vaugn and Fiona Staples

[@gospelofrye6881]

Just to bring some pedantry of language to this comment thread: "Murder" by definition can never be justified because murder is "the unlawful killing of another person without justification or excuse". What may or may not be justifiable is homicide. Homicide is the factual act - when your direct actions result in the death of another person, that's homicide. Society then analyses and judges that homicide to determine if it is murder, manslaughter, or even a simple accident. Murder is a homicide for which there is no justification.

[@thedolphinhand5]

Still waiting on the philosophy of the mandalorian

[@Kevin-cy2dr]

Cool video but can't see the thumbnail for some reason.

[@masterbeanboi9423]

6:53 in reality tho its more like keeping their profit margins safe

[@huangpopupcam]

Ok. Getting better.

[@robwallace8582]

Anybody else see Jim Varney in peacemakers face

[@starknifez4846]

Wanna hear them talk about the Just War Theory for the Rumbling

[@thedoctor2871]

I also see Peacemaker as a middle-class Batman.

[@bluecanine3374]

yeah, it is easy to "not kill" henchman and villains when you got billions of dollars worth of protective armor in your suit and alien tech tazers or jets or god tier superhumans on speed dial. If all you got is a costume from party city and guns you got from private sellers things get bloody pretty fast.

[@stormbreak13]

The major threat of the butterflies could be prevented in the same way that the starfish coulda been prevented in suicide squad-- basic facemasks.. is that a James Gunn commentary?