The NCR seems to represent the real world government and what is normal in reality. They have made missteps that have led to tragedy but overall, are still good and probably the best chance that world has to returning to how things were before the bombs fell.

The BOS are technofascists and the Legion are Luddite fascists. They have practically the same ideas for how they want to control the world, but have opposite ideals about technology.

The only faction worse than the previous two is the Enclave, which represent the fear of government; they embody every aspect of every anti-government conspiracy featured in pop culture. The shadow government; the illuminati; the men in black.

I want to mention the Institution, but they're just so poorly written and can swing from Enclave-like evil to not being evil at all after the Sole Survivor takes over that I honestly just hope the show never bothers to mention them because they don't fit as neatly into the world as the rest, which were created by better writers.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

The NCR is a direct metaphor for Westward Expansion era America, complete with democratic ideals and a reality of rampant corruption, conquest of territory and the genocide of the natives, and a brewing slavery/"sharecropping" crisis. They even have a belief equivalent to Manifest Destiny, as they consider themselves the rightful inheritors of America, sea to shining sea.

The only question is whether that means the Legion is their metaphorical Confederacy, if their Slaveholder Rebellion is coming, or if maybe it's silly to take the metaphor any deeper.

[–] captainlezbian 3 points 6 months ago

I agree. And with the institute I find it particularly frustrating because of what they could be: scientists and engineers unconstrained by obligations or laws. They shouldn’t be the enclave, they should be defending themselves by talking about the calculation of the risks, and how they produced these good things as well. They should be mostly kept in check by internal conflicts and a lack of desire to rule. When they’re enclave level boogeymen they aren’t as interesting.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Kinda makes sense that emulating prewar government will have the best chance of returning life to how it was before, but then again same thing lead to the war so probably not the best option eother5