Trope-a-Day: My Country Right Or Wrong

My Country Right Or Wrong: Subverted somewhat, inasmuch as not merely the right but also the obligation to overthrow any Imperial government which defaults from the Contract or the Charter is not merely a theoretical issue, but what they teach in civics class in much the same way as in the Military Service they teach recruits about the necessity of disobeying illegal orders and arresting (but reference also: Kill It With Fire) anyone who tries to give them.

Having said that, it is relatively common for people to hold this attitude with regard to many actions said government takes as long as it does so within the approved confines of the Contract and the Charter – but then, it doesn’t do much at all, so there’s still not a great deal that can be reasonably complained about.  And private actions are, of course, entirely off limits.

Trope-a-Day: Just Following Orders

Just Following Orders: Averted – despite being less inclined to this sort of thing anyway, if we take a moment to imagine an in-universe rerunning of the Milgram experiment – Imperial Service training and even basic ethics education makes it very clear that this will not be considered an excuse for anyone, of any rank, ever – and it is specifically never wrong to disobey an illegal or unethical order, even in the extreme cases where you have to shoot the issuer of said order in order to disobey.

Those who have volition and the capacity for ethical reasoning are expected to use them. Or else.