History YMMV / OrsonScottCardsEmpire

* DontShootTheMessage: Although the book suffers from a BrokenAesop by only portraying the liberals as extremists, it doesn't negate how dogmatic [[TheHorseshoeEffect both sides of the US political system]] have become in real life. As he states in the afterword, people in the middle who are reasonable and sane get lumped together with the extremists of whichever side they support, and that modern politicians focus too much on calling out and demonizing the opposing side instead of acknowledging when their side messes up.

* WordOfGod: The afterword where Scott Card speaks about the problems of extremism in the American political system. It's very apt, but is slightly hamstrung by virtue of it following a book that only had one side be at all extreme. And by Card's nonfiction writing where he holds some very right-wing views, contrasting to his call for moderation.

* AcceptableReligiousTargets: Islam in the second book.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Let's just say this book is not subtle in its execution and leave it at that.

* HoYay: A massive amount with its two protagonists. Ironic, given the author.

* TheWoobie: Cecily, poor Cecily.

* HarsherInHindsight: Political extremists destroying or at least damaging America would hit a little too close to home for many in 2020 and 2021 as politics became increasingly violent, from the riots that sprang from the national George Floyd protests in 2020 to the insurrection in the Capitol in 2021, all in the midst of a global pandemic that saw the medical response repeatedly hampered by politics, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths and a noticeable dip in the national life expectancy.

* ValuesResonance: [[AuthorTract Regardless of what one may think of Card's politics]], political extremism is a slippery slope regardless of which end on the spectrum it is. More than a decade after the book's release would see the increasing polarization of politics, from the rise of [=QAnon=] and the alt-right on one side of the spectrum to BLM and Antifa protestors on the other.

* DontShootTheMessage: Although the book suffers from a BrokenAesop by only portraying the liberals as extremists, it doesn't negate how dogmatic [[MirroringFactions both sides of the US political system]] have become in real life. As he states in the afterword, people in the middle who are reasonable and sane get lumped together with the extremists of whichever side they support, and that modern politicians focus too much on calling out and demonizing the opposing side instead of acknowledging when their side messes up.

* DontShootTheMessage: Although the book suffers from a BrokenAesop by only portraying the liberals as extremists, it doesn't negate how dogmatic [[NotSoDifferent both sides of the US political system]] have become in real life. As he states in the afterword, people in the middle who are reasonable and sane get lumped together with the extremists of whichever side they support, and that modern politicians focus too much on calling out and demonizing the opposing side instead of acknowledging when their side messes up.

* ValuesResonance: [[AuthorTract Regardless of what one may think of Card's politics]], political extremism is a slippery slope regardless of which end on the spectrum it is. More than a decade after the book's release would see the increasing proliferation of political extremism, from the rise of [=QAnon=] and the alt-right on one side of the spectrum to BLM and Antifa protestors on the other.

* ValuesResonance: [[AuthorTract Regardless of what one may think of Card's politics]], political extremism is a slippery slope regardless of which end on the spectrum it is. More than a decade after the book's release would see the increasing proliferation of political extremism, from the rise of QAnon and the alt-right on one side of the spectrum to BLM and Antifa protestors on the other.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: The book's main theme is more and more relevant each year since it was written (2006), if the major political blogs and TV news shows are any indication.

* HarsherInHindsight: Left-wing extremists destroying or at least damaging America would hit a little too close to home for many in 2020 going on 2021 with the rise of many radical, left-wing ideologues such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez[[note]][[Main/{{Hypocrite}} vehemently opposed detainment facilities for undocumented foreign minors during a Republican's presidency, discreetly downplayed the same facilities during a Democrat's presidency]][[/note]], Ilhan Omar[[note]]Advocate for open borders, despite the severe human trafficking problems it creates[[/note]] and Maxine Waters[[note]]notoriously interfered in a trial in complete disregard of American fair trial laws[[/note]], and a mainstream media that is too eager to amplify the clout and incendiary rhetoric of such individuals.
** And then the sequel hits even harder after we saw how a politically divided America handled COVID-19.

** HistoryMarchesOn: 2020 would later demonstrate how similar groups would do so.
* ValuesResonance: [[AuthorTract Regardless of what one may think of Card's politics]], political extremism is a slippery slope regardless of which end on the spectrum it is, the fact that 14-15 years after the book's release would see the increasing proliferation of Left-leaning extremists like the pro-socialist ''Black Lives Matter'' organization aligns with this aspect of the book well doesn't take away from the inherent anti-extremist stance it conveys.