its not about giving up
its about seeing the flaws
its about seeing what they DID, rather then what they SHOULD have done
the problem was that they COULD have made lelouch's plan more heroic by having him focus on stopping shnizel
by having him make it clear that he is becoming a monster, because normal people cant fight against something like the damocles
that a normal commander who cares about his soldiers could never send them against something that could wipe them out by the thousands with every shot, and there for the only one who can fight it is someone who views his soldiers as disposable ants
that a ruler who cares about his people would be forced to surrender the second the damocels shows up on his front door, and so the only leader able to oppose it, is someone who could not care less if his entire country turns to dust
that he HAS to attack the UFN in order to make shnizel want to side with them, and thus spare them from the flejias
that the end result of having him conquer the world by taking over the damocles was a RESULT of winning the battle, rather then an INTENTION all along
and that having suzaku kill him was done, not out of some bullshit claim that he would earse the worlds hate, but out of a belief that he (monster that he has become) has no place in this world anymore
he doesnt try to CHANGE the world with some bullshit plot, but he SAVES it from a greater evil, and then leaves it in the hands of its people
they COULD have done that
but they didnt
instead lelouch sets out to conquer the world as a GOAL, and shnizel is simply in the way of his larger plan
and lelouch's plan is just as arbitrary and egomaniacal as shnizel's
instead of having lelouch be a tragic hero FORCED to become a monster to stop a greater monster
he is instead just as much of a prick as shnizel and charles for deciding that "he knows best whats good for the world"
and the end battle is basiclly two "well intentioned extremist" villains battling it out over who gets to implement his own masterplan
and yes, its suppose to be a bullshit allegory for the US i suppose
