#hypocrites everwhere

SO, the sheer, absolute hypocrisy that so many fans of the MCU preach is their hatred of Tony working willingly with the military and making them weapons.  Many are enraged that Tony willingly made weapons for the military and believe he should be convicted for it.

But.

They absolutely love and support characters who willingly and happily joined the military, and carry their military stance with pride.

Those who willingly joined the military (Steve and Sam mainly), are seen as the true heroes while Tony is just a military monster pretending to play hero.....but like, huh?

So some arguments they'll make: 

“Steve and Sam (and other military MCU characters) wanted to help people! Tony just loved making weapons that just murdered people!” Um, do you seriously believe Steve and Sam willingly joined the military believing they would just be like servicing the underprivileged in other countries, giving out supplies and then be on their merry way?  Especially Steve, who was obsessed with watching the reels from the War; who saw all the violence happening oversees and reiterating the phrase “I don’t like bullies” with wanting to join the army.  You think Steve thought he would just give those Nazi’s a stern talking to and be on his way?

Steve and Sam (and others) were completely fine with killing others, because they were the enemy; they were the villains and it was their job.  Why is Tony different? Because he makes weapons that can kill more than Steve and Sam can kill with what they’re given?  And I know people will say “but Tony’s weapons killed innocents, Steve and Sam never did!” We don’t know that in a possible crossfire between the US enemy and the military, innocent people were killed from a gunfight or a modest bombing by the US military.  Veterans like Steve and Sam may have been in a battle with the enemy, and innocent bystanders could have very well been killed in the crossfire, even if that wasn’t the intention.  Do you honestly think Tony makes these weapons like “oooh, the US military can kill everybody, terrorist or innocent, using my weapons! Kill them all!”  Honestly, knowing the fans, they probably do believe that.  

But why are Steve and Sam seen as true heroes and Tony is a monster?  All of them were legally involved with the military and have killed.

And to add....what about SHIELD and the Avengers a part of it? What about Natasha, who has constantly talked about having “red in her ledger?” Who has constantly implied that innocents have been killed as collateral damage to her targets, or even on purpose?  Yes, Natasha was conditioned as a child into being a killer, I will not ignore that and say she could have stopped anytime.  But Clint was able to convince her to turn, which means that a part of her somewhere knew it was wrong.  Natasha’s arc was all about her trying to “wipe out the red in her ledger”. Why is it truly heroic when Natasha does it, but absolute bullshit when Tony’s arc was basically the same idea? Tony wasn’t tortured the way Natasha was, but Tony didn’t start this weapons manufacturing company; his abusive father did, his father who constantly pushed him into the role of taking over the company someday and continuing his “legacy.”  It’s not the exact same as Natasha’s situation; but their goals for the future were, but one was praised for their ability to change and want to do better and should be absolved, while the other one was seen as being full of shit and should be convicted for everything they’ve done.

And Clint? Who was an assassin who has killed who knows how many people? Before and after the snap? And I’m not talking about him being controlled by Loki, I’m talking about his days as Ronan; being hired to kill people who may have very well be innocent (or at least, didn’t deserve death).  Why is Clint absolved of all guilt, of having “changed”, of being seen as one of the “true heroes”?  Has Clint taken responsibility of his actions as Ronin, or did he just hide it away and try to pretend it never happened until his past caught up to him?  And even then, he is forgiven because he wasn’t the one who picked the targets, he just killed them on orders? Tony wasn’t picking and choosing who his weapons would kill; he had a legal contract with the military and made the weapons they requested.

Some will admit it, but most will pretend that’s not a reason; it has to do with money.  Steve, Sam, Natasha and Clint are relatable; they grew up poor, wanting better for themselves and their families.  Tony is a born into money billionaire, the favorite saying of “eat the rich.” If Tony was a poor kid who was maybe hired at the company and worked his way up into making the weapons, the opinions would probably shift.  But he’s not, and therefore, any attempts to do better are bullshit, while the others are absolved of any guilt.

Now, to go on to one of the qualifications of a war criminal and everyone’s sheer hypocrisy:

The only line in the definition that can really be applied to Tony is “the conscription of children in the military” with Peter.  Yes, Tony brining Peter to Germany was definitely irresponsible, but there’s something very funny about people’s absolute rage of “Stark brought a child into war!”

Your boy, the true hero Steve Rogers, said maybe a half hour or less earlier about your girlboss feminsit queen Wanda Maximoff “she’s a kid!” when Tony tried to confine her to the compound. Yet, in Age of Ultron, while Steve was weeping at the “poor children Maximoff twins” story of the murder Tony Stark murdering everyone, he was more than happy to add them on the Avengers and into the fight Ultron when they decided to save their own skins and switch sides. If your argument is “Wanda (and Pietro) chose to fight!  They wanted to help!  Steve didn’t do anything wrong, he just encouraged them!”  Peter’s been on the streets of Queens for months fighting crime.  Tony absolutely tried to persuade him to come to Germany, but never forced him.  Peter most likely just wanted to help too. Even in the movie, it doesn’t seem like Tony was expecting Peter to actually fully fight; this is the conversation that happens between Peter and Tony during the fight:

Peter: “Mr. Stark, what should I do?”

Tony: “What we discussed.  Keep your distance, web them up.”

And as soon as it looks like this fight is getting more intense for Peter than he thought it would, he tells Peter that he’s done. But everyone fucking ignores that and is totally cool with Steve encouraging his “sweet kid” Wanda to fight.  Why didn’t he tell Wanda when it was getting too much to back off if she’s “just a kid”?  

And the future of the MCU looks like there’s going to be a number of teenage superheroes being recruited.  America Chavez, Kamala Khan, and probably many more coming in the future.  So will the superheroes who recruit them also be seen as “war criminals”?  The answer: most likely not.

The massive problem with everyones rage and pushing of “Tony is a monster because he willingly worked with the military!” stance is one of the most hypocritical things I have ever fucking heard.  If you hate Tony because he willingly worked with the military, fine!  But then you have to add a whole list of a large portion of MCU characters who have also not only worked with the military, but are in the military and are so with pride.  

But they won’t; Tony was born into money billionaire, so, “eat the rich”; and thats all that matters to everyone.

So in conclusion: