Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-26213507-20150715194939/@comment-26896471-20150925150801

@Ferris: To your first paragraph. Yes, what Galmar says is slightly xenophobic, but only to the same extent as to be expected in Tamriel and therefore of minimal consequence. Secondly, the Empire clearly doesn't treat all races equally and if it does, this doesn't translate to actual equality. Look at the Khajiit, Dunmer in the Grey Quarter, Reachmen etc... The question of who is more accepting is irrelevant if being so still leaves racial tensions so entrenched.

You ask "what good does making enemies based solely on race do?". Sorry, who is making enemies based on race? While I've heard it argued that there are racial elements to the Stormcloak uprising, I've never heard it argued that the rebellion was launched on racial grounds. Nords and Dunmer have always been natural enemies. Its what makes the plot of Online slightly untenable. It isn't like rivalry with the Dark Elves is something the Stormcloaks have suddenly decided to start, it is something that has always existed. I've seen no evidence whatsoever of the Stormcloaks actively making enemies based solely on race.

You say that not saying "no" to the suggestion he mistrusts other races is a "yes". Well, I agree with you. But almost everyone in Skyrim is 'distrustful' of the unknown, whether a Stormcloak or an Imperial. Distrust of other races is a very, very common theme throughout all of the provinces of Tamriel and all of its peoples. The Empire is only marginally better, but not to an extent which means that not being 'mistrustful' should be a deciding factor.

Equally, I hardly think that their attitude to outsiders is costing them men, simply because how many outsiders actually are there in Skyrim who care enough about the conflict to join either side? The percentage of potential non-Nordic manpower in Skyrim is miniscule. Even the Empire, drawing from its remaining provinces, only has two named elven NPCs. At the end of the day, the number of Nords not willing to fight for the Empire due to the WGC is considerably larger than the number of Dunmer in Skyrim who don't want to join the Stormcloaks.

Ulfric is no fool and will not spurn the opportunity to side with Hammerfell, and possibly, in the future, with the Empire in a Second Great War. Skyrim will field a larger army if the WGC is not in place than if it were. Economically, an independent Skyrim would be better off as currently its resources are being drained to rebuild a decimated Empire. The Empire needs Skyrim more than Skyrims needs it, therefore the East Empire Company will not cease trade either. That would be insane. Skyrim is better off focusing on rebuilding its own strength and pursuing competent alliances, not acting as a feeder state to the Empire.

@Vive. Are you saying that people weren't racist before globalisation? Jews have been persecuted for centuries, attitudes of the British during the time of Empire were monumentally rascist by our standards. The concept of 'racism' or 'racialism' didn't really come about until much later. So no, the concept of racism is not linked to globalisation. Even if it were, there is no way that Tamriel is 'globalised' until we have Nords populating Black Marsh and a High Elf as Jarl of Whiterun.