@Darth Sonic  
I agree; for the target demographic, it’s important, even if we are past that as (mostly) adults. This is how I saw it.
 
The Mane Six go to the village to help. When they do, the ponies are free to choose who and what they want to be. This means they can choose to keep the equalist philosophy if they want, but they are no longer forced to. No one in the episode wanted to, but if they had, they could’ve kept it. And their friends would’ve respected that. Just like there are believers of Juche outside of North Korea, and (for the most part) they’re not getting arrested or anything.
 
As an aside, the way the cutie marks were released, they would’ve gotten them back anyway. And the result would probably look like CapnPea’s comic “Three Apples.” (>>559644, >>567090)

@Darth Sonic  
Still way to seriously ;p

@Perteks  
Yes, let’s shut down all discussion because that be “taking it too seriously”. :/

@Darth Sonic  
You take it way to seriously :P

@AndytheDandy  
Certainly agree with you on the episode by itself, though it becomes a bit more special when one remembers the target demographic. Little girls being shown such a blunt example of communism? Outside the Equal Marks, there’s very little magic symbolism covering up the politics here. Reeducation camps, state backed snitches, government approved hairstyle, cult of personality. This was Sugar Bowl North Korea flat out.
 
Of course, the whole Equal Mark thing is why I think this comic is unintentional bullshit. This comic is supposed to bring to mind the Red Scare and the McCarthy Trials. However, due to the connection Cutie Marks have to a Ponies identity and abilities, this is less them supporting a opposite political opinion and more them being in support of mental violation.
 
Besides, Individualism Vs Collectivism is not about whether one should have individuality or not. It’s about whether the individual should exist to uplift society, or whether society should exist to liberate the individual.

@Dashu  
I mean, specific politics, but I left out that crucial word.
 
Derpi really needs a comment editing feature.

@Darth Sonic  
Eh, all I’m seeing is that extremism is bad, which isn’t exactly a controversial thing. When Bioshock did the same, most controversy came from people thinking that it made a statement about politics (not hard to see why, really). The actual intended message, that all extremism is bad, didn’t garner much dispute.

One thing I didn’t think about the first time, is what if they had completely shitty cutie marks before? How would others react of somepony discarding their destiny?

@Darth Sonic  
To be honest, I think we all thought pretty much the same things during the episode. I mean, there are a gazillion “utopia-looking dystopias” out there in all sorts of fiction (if mostly science fiction) that most adult fans can be expected to have come across and thought about.
 
In my opinion, this dystopia really brings nothing new to the table that many adult viewers didn’t already discuss in English class while reading “The Giver” or “1984” or the curriculum’s “messed-up utopia” of choice.
 
That’s not to say I don’t think the analysis crowd will go crazy with this one, though.

A guy on the DeviantArt summed up my feelings
 
“also the false marks were actually suppressors. they suppressed magic and they suppressed personality traits too”

Not gonna lie, I thought this pic would get a lot more comments then it did. It made a politically contentious statement, and that’s the sort of thing results in 30+ comments of debate and drama.

I had felling watching this premiere it was just population 436 ponified xD
 
But comic is just pure win

And that’s how it goes.

You know, I knew something like this would pop up eventually. I’m just surprised by the source.

And here come the political consequences fanart. My favorite kind.

Hahaha well at least they are equally imprisoned

That’s the problem when you mention politics in your show.It give endless debate like this

Ha.