Thread:Love Robin/@comment-1672596-20160203212759/@comment-366087-20160204010922

I didn't see that quote by the Wachowskis, so I can't speak on it. Got a link or citation?

As *I* see it, this is a war.

The "non-combatants" could only be considered as such in that *they* did not in most cases take direct action against the Neo and Company. There were a few times they did, such as in the Lobby Shootout rescuing Morpheus. Problem is, in a war to liberate a country or other group, collateral damage is usually unavoidable. That can include low-level peons who don't really deserve to be in the untenable positions they find themselves in. Yet the fact is in a war, "if you're not with me, you're against me."

Now, add to this that so-called "non-combatants" were cooptable resources for the enemy. At any moment a citizen's "avatar" could be taken over to become an Agent, and thus a Combatant against the heroes.

"Saving everyone" is a great IDEAL. But if the person you save can suddenly turn into the enemy and shoot you in the back, well, that's far from ideal, isn't it?

So IMO, in a war with an objective to free Everyone, if a small percentage has to be lost, unfortunately that can be the awful and unavoidable price of freedom.