The internet is supposed to be the font of all knowledge and a tremendous educator for mankind, but it's also responsible for many incorrect memories and outright falsehoods, as Final Fantasy Tactics' most quotable piece of dialogue attests.
Many people on the internet would have you believe that the line, "If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class," is taken directly from the game. However, as this excellent piece of reporting by Aftermath proves, the quotation is an invention (albeit one that is perfectly in keeping with the game's tone and narrative).
It turns out Leftist Gamer Memes circulated the false quote around 2020, and it has become so connected with Final Fantasy Tactics that even Google itself considers it to be legit (not that Google believing things is any indication of truth these days, of course).
Amusingly, the writer of Final Fantasy Tactics has only just found out about this meme:
If Matsuno feels that the line is close to something he would write, it's not all that surprising. There's a line in the game which he did create which reads:
"What purpose do laws serve when even those who would enforce them choose not to pay them heed?"
That's pretty close to the meme quote, to be fair.
Final Fantasy Tactics launched on PS1 back in 1997 and was remastered for PSP in 2007. It's getting a new update this September—subtitled The Ivalice Chronicles—for modern systems.
[source x.com]
Comments 14
I've actually never understood this quote. Is it saying that a law enforceable only by fine is irrelevant to the wealthy because breaking the law has no effective consequence for them?
@Gryffin I've never understood anything that happened in FFT at all. I really enjoyed playing it though lol
@Gryffin I think that’s what it’s trying to say. Fines are regressive; they land harder on the poor than the wealthy. Nevertheless I think this is another example of a pithy political meme that is actually simpleminded and dumb if you slow down at all to think about it (lots of these on all sides). So I guess my reaction is, I’m glad he didn’t write it! It speaks well of him that he was too smart to write this, lol.
@Gryffin yes. A common example: a parking fine can be rationalised into a mere “parking fee”. If you have enough money, the fine is just tax/price for a privilege (to park where others don’t)
Whether he wrote it or not, it's true. Flat fines, fees, and taxes mean little to the wealthy. But the follies of late-stage capitalism require far more than just a fix to that system.
I actually don't find this line dumb at all. I recognized it as a fake from the beginning, simply because it had Weigraff's face, but it's so in-line with the other themes of the game that it's a convincing fake.
What it means is that if the same penalty is felt strongly by someone who is poor, but isn't even of notice to someone who is rich, then the penalty isn't a deterrent to the rich person. If that's the only punishment, then it won't stop them from doing it.
The author is dead, except when the author agrees with us, so then he’s alive again. It’s called media literacy, I don’t think you guys would understand
One of my favorite Laws in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is the one prohibiting attacking Monsters. Moreso thinking about what kind of morals is it teaching us?
How are you even supposed to win an encounter when it comes up?
I'm guessing you are supposed to use Anti-Law cards. Or Escape. Reroll the RNG.
But what I found is better: Get a Beastmaster to control the enemies to attack each other. Then for the last one get it to attack a player character with auto-counterattack abilities. Forgiveness mechanic abuse!
@GhaleonUnlimited Explaining the FFT plot definitely feels like the Always Sunny Charlie Day pin-up board meme.
@KingMike I spent so much time in FFTA just walking back and forth across the map to game the law system. I HATED it so much.
@Gryffin
Yeah, for example, do you think a billionaire would care about a $1,000 speeding ticket? So for them, it is meaningless.
But there are some countries that fine you based on your income. In 2010 a wealthy Swedish motorist was fined $1 million in Switzerland, for driving his Mercedes at 290 km(180m)/h.
@MSaturn @Gryffin Or maybe it means "Rules for thee but not for me"
That is how I read it anyways.
@axelhander A % based system fights it, say, 10-15% of your income
@Gryffin What's not to understand? Well to do people don't get hurt from fines and they don't get hurt from inflation, only the poor do. Makes sense to me.
@Wezlypipz I understand the principle. My issue is with the phrasing. I find it unclear.
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