I tink this disscussion will never end, every single time you are bringing stuffs that either it was never intended in the manga or its my shitty memory. So lets do the conventional way, I will quote the part that I don't agree, you will provide me proof and you quote the part you don't agree and I will provide the proof. I think this way our disscussion will have a conclusion.
Reminder:
Our disscussion is about whether Hiruzen was a competent leader?
My answer is no.
And yours is yes.
So lets start.
So tell me when Konoha become a village dominated by a single clan but not a democratic system. As far as I know, Hokage is not a sit reserve to any clan. Out of 7 Hokages, 3 were Senju while Tsunade was made only coz Jiraiya didn't wanted to be Hokage.
Senju and Uchiha were known as founding clan but none of them kept the gov under their control. During Thirds reign, I don't see any senju in the higher ups. MInd reminding one?
^Granted your point is also valid. But when has there ever been an Uchiha Hokage? Yes it's democratic, just as much as America. But there are unspoken standards that affect it... Aka Uchiha don't normally get important positions.. and never Hokage. Obviously that is due to the Second's influence and the drumming up of horror stories of the Uchiha started by their rival Clan.
So yes, you're right... It is a democratic system. But again, like any Democracy, it has tendencies to slide towards a particular set of people.
Nope. manga was set to happen Asura vs Indra not Senju vs Uchiha. After Madara's incident, senju become an insignificant clan which didn't even get mentioned in the manga. No notable jounin or ninja so far.
And Uchiha's coup was against the village higher ups, not against Senju. If you insist then provide me the scan.
I disagree. The Uchiha and Senju issue went well into the 2nd Hokage's term in office. Unless by 'Madara' incident you mean the Fox attack? Then yes. You're right. But my point is the Coup would incite the sparks of racism seeded by the Senju. It's more of Senju ideals vs Uchiha than actual physical combat... the Senju (not all, but you get the point) have always acted like the Uchiha were untrustable... So yes. You're right, No senju of note exist. I ment it in a More metaphorical way. So i guess we both agree here if you don't split hairs that is.
It wasn't senju but the higher ups that was treating them like second class citizen. As far as I remember everyone respect them as the strongest clan, everyone hope the best from them until Kyuubi's atack. So if you gonna insist on senju the show me the scan coz I don't remember any senju treating an Uchiha like second class except for maybe Tobirama(but he is the special case)
You can respect someone and dislike them. It's very possible to respect a person for their strength but zero them in as a bad person at face value. Them being 'second class' was a reference to the scan i showed where Oro said that the fact that Uchihas became police officers made them become disliked in the village and sent towards the edges of it as a result. If the citizens themselves came to dislike the uchiha who became lofty and pushed out of the village... i don't understand why you wouldn't think they were treated as second class citizens?
And there's the being forced into a single corner incident. If they were really a priority they wouldn't be treated that way is all I'm saying, but feel free to disagree. If the other citizens felt Uchiha mattered, then they wouldn't sit around and let this type of thing happen.
First French revolution don't include any slavery or solding human but because of nobles discriminating middle class people and peasants which was quite similar to Uchiha's situation. Do you remember RIGHT TO LIBERTY?
-The french revolution.... What? Sir, the french revolution had nobles literally starving the peasant population because there wasn't enough food for them to keep their exquisite life style in tact + feed the lower ends. There were waves of people who died to starvation + famine. They used economics to steal land from the poorer people of society and forced them to sell their kids into human labor to make up the deficit. So no. Nothing like the Uchihas.
But i get your point, and I'm not saying they didn't have an excuse, I'm just saying it isn't anything as heavy as what they make it seem is all. Again, perspective.
Second American revoluion against British rule was due to British treating American as second class citizen.
Every revolution happen due to many reasons, and the most common was discrimination, and it can happen in many form, like racism, sexism or slavery. none of them cannot be justify by any reason. If you are doing discrimination then you are inviting a revolution. You cannot suppress a human race forever.
^I agree with you here. Very valid.
And Itachi wasn't handed anbu, but its was Uchiha's decision to send an uchiha in the foundation as spy. DOn't twist it.
The AnBu is an elite force in the leaf village... You don't just waltz in. You have to be approved in some manner. I'd assume the Head of the Military.. the Hokage would be the one to look over your profile. Or at the very least Danzo would have to approve. But AnBu isn't a normal leaf shinobi rank, you don't just decide to pop in because you can. The AnBu are noted to be HAND PICKED by the Hokage. They don't just raise up in ranks.
One again Senju no longer had much political roles. And tell me what Coup de tat didn't execute old leaders. I have heard of none?

So its obvious they are going to excecute villages higher up provided they succeded.

Village leaders did the same to uchiha didn't they?
And one thing, I think you are under impression that I support the coup, but I am not by any means. All I think was village get what they saw. Uchiha's attempt to coup was the result of Second's and Third's policy(Hiruzen allowing Danzo to run Havoc). Not the Uchiha's fault. It was somthing that could have been avoided provided Third use his brain more and was more earnest in solving the problem.
I'll agree here as well... I think we're getting somewhere. And again, my bad. I ment idealogically speaking, obviously the only 'senju' of note is Tsunade. And i use that term very loosely. Unless you make the argument that most the leaf is of Senju descent... but that's another can of worms.
No uchiha only suspected.
Whether he activated or not, Itachi said he cannot use the genjutsu until that time when he used against himself to break free from Kabuto's control. So manga has given its answer, are you going to say Itachi was lieing there?
No. But i will say... it was implanted in a bird, so i don't know how much chakra that thing gave the eye... In all seriousness, Shisui lost the eye because he was going to use it on the Uchiha. The bit i said about him stopping them comes from here as well... I'm not sure which Game it was (Yes, it was a game, it was the only one that contained the cut scenes for this sequence so go figure) but Shisui was informed about how the peace talks went... he didn't like the result, so he told himself he was gonna cast genjutsu on the clan to make it better. Danzo thought it was a waste of time and took one of his eyes. Before Shisui fought Danzo and Narrowly got away to give Itachi his other eye. Afterwards committing suicide and ... history happened.
If Shisui was preparing to cast the genjutsu on the Uchiha, i assume it was ready. And since it's his eyes i'd take his word over Itachi's. That's all there is to that bit. Shisui wouldn't proclaim he is going to use the genjutsu in Danzo's face and it not actually be functional.
When? Mind giving any proof.
He didn't give Itachi Anbu status to show anything, but it was Uchiha's decision to send Itachi as spy. If you don't know Shisui was already in the anbu so allowing Itachi in anbu won't change anything.
Shisui was already in Anbu before Itachi join it. get for facts correct.
Again, I'm not saying they literally sent Shisui into the Black ops after Itachi. I mean they told him to watch Itachi. Also so we're clear the Databook says:
ANBU are handpicked by their respective Ho[kage] ...
Meaning the 3rd at least had to let Shisui and Itachi in. And there was never any Uchiha before them because of hatred towards Uchiha... so yes. He did something no other leader before him did.
Yes council consist of two old guys and Danzo. Which Tsunade show the middle finger to their advise.

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Again, context. You can tell someone to F- off who deserves respect. And you can listen to them against your will. Tsunade was always hardheaded, and Tobirama indirectly left the village to both Danzo and the 3rd. Obviously you can argue that the 3rd didn't owe danzo and the advisors squat and could've raged at them. But just like some people take their parent's words as law and some people are more than capable of rebelling against their parents, it is a matter of personal perspective and respect level towards those individuals. Arguing about this would be arguing if they deserved respect or not, and That's a gray zone for me so...
Itachi love his clans and his action was the only way to avoid more bloodshed and I didn't deny it, but you are failing to comprehend that my argument is about that situation/circumstances could have been avoided provided Hiruzen was a better capable leader.