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No, you're missing the point. Benevolence is irrelevant. Variant Send a noteboard - 08/01/2011 09:48:51 AM
the Seanchan only have the appearance of happy. In fact every character from Seanchan we've interacted with has been just as trained to play the role of happy citizen as they are to accept the "fact" that damane deserve/must to be collared. Look at the POVs from even the high ranking Seanchan ... underneath the facade they are terrified that they will be taken by the Seekers, or assassinated or in some other way have their life or freedom stripped away.

The government of Seanchan is a brutal dictatorship that demands "happiness" of it's citizens. There is nothing benevolent about their system.


The Romans didn't rule Europe for over 600 years because they were benevolent. They were great organizers, administrators, and engineers. And they were stubborn. The Seanchan are like that. Frankly, I have expected the Seanchan to conquer Randland completely for a long time now. After they do, things won't stay the same under their rule forever. The notion of individual value that much of Randland seems to hold to will still exist, and gradually percolate upward through the society. Eventually, man's desire for freedom will overcome and the bad aspects of Seanchan society will fade away into something better. Notice that in the first, farthest in the future (several hundred years at least, from the look of it), visions Avi gets, they aren't Seanchan (or the Raven Empire) anymore, at least not as we know them now. They'll continue to evolve.

Would I personally prefer for the Aiel to turn out great and the continent to not fall to the Seanchan? ~shrugs~ Sure

In the real world, Carthage and her allies would have preferred for Rome to not win the Punic Wars. Or for Alexander to not defeat the Persians. Or for the Hans to not win against the other tribes in early China. Or for the Aztecs to not beat the local tribes. Or for the Conquisators to not beat the Aztecs in turn. Or whatever.

Point is, Life ain't fair. In the Randland world, it's very possible that the Pattern (which is neither good nor evil, and shows no favorites....it just IS) spun out the Dashain Aiel specifically so they could be forged into the modern Aiel specifically so they could help the Dragon Reborn win the Last Battle. Assuming the Last Battle goes well, the Aiel's purpose in the pattern will be finished, so it would then follow that they'll be woven out in favor of the next needed people. Does that suck for them? Sure. But ask yourself how a semi-nomadic, warrior-based society is really going to contribute to the obvious development of science, technology, and consolidation that's clearly in the works, and that's needed in order for the next Age of Legends to come to pass in a however many thousand years. I'm thinking not too much. The Seanchan, with their stability, organizational and beaurocratic expertise, focus on law and order, tenacity, and code of justice (twisted though it may be in some ways, it is still structured and, apparently, well-enforced without favoritism) are a much better force to facilitate that.
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Avienda's viewing and the Fields of Merrilor (spoilers) - 28/12/2010 06:21:05 PM 3306 Views
Timing - 28/12/2010 06:43:32 PM 1925 Views
Indeed...the bleak future makes the Last Battle almost an anti-climax... - 28/12/2010 08:20:31 PM 2020 Views
And yet, the only places of relative peace and shelter right now are Seanchan controlled lands. - 29/12/2010 03:21:37 AM 1568 Views
+1. - 29/12/2010 04:04:02 AM 1366 Views
Re: +1. - 07/01/2011 05:25:23 PM 1246 Views
Those who would give up permanent liberty in exchange for temporary security, deserve neither.. - 29/12/2010 10:27:35 AM 1369 Views
Says the person defending monarchies and oligarchies, some of them quite brutal. - 29/12/2010 02:12:56 PM 1336 Views
LoL. What is this "POV trap" that people refer to so often to make a point? - 29/12/2010 10:00:11 PM 1495 Views
"romantic characteristics" - 07/01/2011 06:06:31 AM 1210 Views
Re: "romantic characteristics" - 07/01/2011 05:30:33 PM 1235 Views
Don't blame the Seanchan, The Aiel made an excuse to start a war. - 08/01/2011 09:20:36 AM 1648 Views
Re: Those who would give up permanent liberty in exchange for temporary security, deserve neither.. - 29/12/2010 03:06:16 PM 1457 Views
Exactly. *NM* - 30/12/2010 02:50:07 AM 859 Views
They are pretty close to evil. Slavery being the big thing, but the crushing social scale is far - 31/12/2010 06:45:59 PM 1185 Views
The Aiel sold slaves to Shara, does that make them evil? No society in Randland is without flaws. - 07/01/2011 05:10:32 AM 1449 Views
you are missing my point - 07/01/2011 11:31:11 PM 1317 Views
We haven't had a POV from a NON-high-ranking Seanchan - 08/01/2011 03:13:26 AM 24823 Views
As to Bethamin ... - 20/01/2011 04:46:36 PM 1305 Views
No, you're missing the point. Benevolence is irrelevant. - 08/01/2011 09:48:51 AM 1216 Views
Re: No, you're missing the point. Benevolence is irrelevant. - 08/01/2011 10:04:18 AM 1267 Views
Well the Westlands aren't exactly modern Europe or USA either - 08/01/2011 11:00:31 AM 1230 Views
Re: Well the Westlands aren't exactly modern Europe or USA either - 09/01/2011 02:08:17 AM 1224 Views
That's funny, I'd choose modern day China in a second. - 09/01/2011 06:37:24 AM 1211 Views
Hong Kong is not an accurate representation of the rest of Modern China - 20/01/2011 04:50:20 PM 1197 Views
~sigh~ Cosmopolitan China is different than Rural China - 21/01/2011 01:00:17 AM 1196 Views
well there is also the fact that Hong Kong has different "rules" than even other major - 21/01/2011 05:38:46 PM 1258 Views
I'm not just talking about Hong Kong though... - 22/01/2011 09:36:20 AM 1266 Views
I've traveled extensively - 22/01/2011 06:02:47 PM 1212 Views
You've traveled to China extensively? - 22/01/2011 07:41:30 PM 1277 Views
Actually, China is changing. - 09/01/2011 06:32:58 AM 1249 Views
true to a point, yet China has been under one form or another of totalitarian rule for - 20/01/2011 04:57:37 PM 1226 Views
So? - 21/01/2011 01:20:18 AM 1337 Views
Double post *NM* - 21/01/2011 01:21:10 AM 677 Views
It's the comparative to the Seanchan empire I'm really getting at here, not saying China isn't - 21/01/2011 05:43:56 PM 1307 Views
I don't even know why China was brought up in the first place ~shrugs~ - 22/01/2011 10:04:59 AM 1157 Views
I totally agree with your last point, which is why I think RJ set them up to be the "Evil Empire" - 22/01/2011 06:12:46 PM 1239 Views
They're not entirely evil though, and RJ has written them that way - 22/01/2011 08:02:22 PM 1215 Views
not so much - 22/01/2011 09:54:38 PM 1189 Views
Your example is absurd. - 22/01/2011 10:53:06 PM 1130 Views
Ah yes, the "Jews can kill you with their minds" argument. *NM* - 23/01/2011 05:32:23 PM 679 Views
Please. Like anyone else in Randland is really free? - 30/12/2010 02:47:27 AM 1221 Views
It goes beyond the channelers. The Seanchan control the population - 31/12/2010 06:00:57 PM 1172 Views
Re: It goes beyond the channelers. The Seanchan control the population - 01/01/2011 10:58:22 PM 1300 Views
Maybe they're a remnant of humanity - 29/12/2010 04:41:40 AM 1374 Views
Re: Maybe they're a remnant of humanity - 29/12/2010 02:17:33 PM 1336 Views
Couple of flaws here - 31/12/2010 06:54:13 PM 1203 Views
You are right, here is a better analogy - 03/01/2011 06:23:16 PM 1205 Views
Even Hitler didn't think Jews could kill people with their minds - 03/01/2011 07:22:09 PM 1261 Views
It depends on Rand's sperm I guess - 28/12/2010 08:27:59 PM 1300 Views
No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... - 28/12/2010 08:31:27 PM 1384 Views
Re: No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... - 28/12/2010 08:50:28 PM 1272 Views
Re: No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... - 30/12/2010 03:56:55 PM 1302 Views
Because the Aiel are savages who have no place in a modern world - 28/12/2010 11:15:23 PM 1370 Views
Re: No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... - 30/12/2010 04:01:00 PM 1316 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess - 28/12/2010 11:02:34 PM 1247 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess - 29/12/2010 04:37:04 AM 1258 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess - 29/12/2010 02:37:12 PM 1260 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess - 30/12/2010 04:02:31 PM 1495 Views
timeline in the books - 29/12/2010 03:34:45 PM 1327 Views
Re: timeline in the books - 29/12/2010 05:29:11 PM 1342 Views
Re: timeline in the books - 31/12/2010 01:18:32 PM 1227 Views
Aviendha + Mat (and Seta and Bethamin) are the best hopes. - 09/01/2011 01:45:00 AM 1280 Views

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