She knows how to hunt the BA,
Which would make her something like the resident expert on the subject, no? What experience does Birgitte have to gainsay her?Resident expert yes- look at your next paragraph. She of all people should know that there is no predicting, but that she should at least make an effort to know what she's getting into. Birgitte should not "gainsay" her, but some reasonable discourse on the subject would have been a good idea.
and she knows things never went well when they rushed into a situation before.
You mean when they rushed into the Panarch's Palace with only two channelers against what could have been all 11 and one of the Forsaken hanging around? And won handily? Or the time they took every precaution and laid low in Tear, only to be captured? Or how they went with a full escort of Kinswomen and soldiers in Ebou Dar to the stash, lost most of the soldiers, some Kinswomen and only snared one Black sister, who was silenced shortly afterward? Do think Elayne isn't conscious of the fact that bringing others into her BA hunts tends to get them killed or else compromised to betray her? Yes, of course she's conscious of that, because she got to see it yet again. This time it's her fault because she should have known better.
Regardless of whether the new group was there to be observed or not, Elayne and co. would have had no way of knowing they weren't going into a house stacked full of BA just from Hark's observations and Jaem's statement that all the lights were out but one. Elayne knows better than almost anyone else that if you run into a dangerous situation on one piece of information (which you yourself said even the sneakiest of men hadn't the faintest chance of safely obtaining), you risk everything.
And it was worth the risk. The death of Vandene was only a scheduling technicality and Sareitha was not much of a loss, to catch two Blacks, not to mention exposing and eliminating the traitor in their ranks. The biggest problem with Elayne herself being risked is her effect on Rand and the loss of her children. Since we know that THAT won't happen, no biggie. The only other problem you cite is the possible danger. What is YOUR solution to "a house stacked full of BA"? Leave them alone rather than risk the precious Aes Sedai? Can we infer general cowardice in addition to tactical blindness as reasons against women generals from your responses?Pft. You can infer whatever you like, because you're going to do it anyway. I'm not even worried about Elayne herself, other than the loss the Andor. I'm worried about her taking her crew in there w/o any sort of stake out. Sure, she could have gotten lucky and found just the two. But they should have made an effort to be certain. She did have to move quickly, and I did think it was a good idea for them to link (so the questionable sister would not be in control of the flows), so there are things she did right when they actually entered. It's before that entry that I think they botched.
I am NOT going to type a novel like you did,
Translation: "I don't have as many valid arguments" 
and you're free to disagree, but I think her actions there were ridiculous. With all the speculation you put into your post, answer me this: how exactly does a noble fulfill her duty to her people by getting herself caught by some of the evillest wenches around and then relying on her (idiotic- obv, because she's female) warder to know exactly how to get her back w/o killing her whole army that she needed to keep the city and her people from an idiot like Arymilla? Having healthy babies is NOT the same thing as being free and safe while having them.
One fight at a time. Get Elayne back with the bajillion channelers in the Palace. As it turns out, getting her back was the key to winning the battle. In any event, what is she supposed to do? Hold off on doing anything on the off-chance she might get captured? Ask her sisters to risk their lives, while she cannot risk being captured? If getting rid of the Black sisters costs Elayne the throne, that's the way it would have to be. The Shadow out-ranks a political rival as a priority. No matter how inept Arymila's rule, it's better to keep the Shadow out. The bajillion channelers who were people she felt she couldn't ask/trust to help her against the black ajah? Those bajillion channelers? And they wouldn't have had to save her if she hadn't rushed into an unknown situation. That's all I'm sayin'. The ONLY thing I expect out of her is to at least try to be moderately more certain what she's taking her "army" into. Thinking, "Well, I heard there are only two of them, and I clearly will be fine because of Min's viewing" is not at all a strong basis for a sting op.
Sure, it turned out because it's a novel. Not because Elayne made any brilliant decisions. What she did was put herself into a situation that got people killed (Aes Sedai and a chunk of her army). Birgitte blackmailed the windfinders into saving her over a bargain. They fought the shadow.
Are women really bad generals?
- 01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM
1447 Views
No.
- 01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM
860 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM
961 Views
Lol... too true
- 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM
857 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains?
- 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM
847 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance".
- 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM
698 Views
but you are difficult to please
- 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM
652 Views
But they are lame... they've done minimal damage to the Light
- 02/10/2009 05:06:05 AM
599 Views
You can't have it both ways....
- 02/10/2009 06:47:21 AM
680 Views
Why not?
- 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM
641 Views
Yeah
- 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM
628 Views
Re: Yeah
- 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM
658 Views
I thought the same in the past...
- 02/10/2009 07:01:18 AM
651 Views
Gah! Hate!
- 02/10/2009 04:11:49 PM
658 Views
Ah, come on...
- 02/10/2009 04:41:37 PM
625 Views
No no, I was just being pouty that I haven't read the new stuff yet.
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
627 Views
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
627 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM
725 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops
- 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM
603 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too
- 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM
594 Views
Well, yeah. They're knowledgable and deadly in person. Generalship doesn't come into it.
- 04/10/2009 12:09:50 AM
569 Views
nope
- 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM
752 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin
- 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM
1023 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though.
- 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM
611 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat.
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
535 Views
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
535 Views
Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general
- 01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM
680 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician.
- 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM
661 Views
My opinion
- 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM
1035 Views
That's a poor excuse
- 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM
562 Views
I disagree
- 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM
653 Views
Re: I disagree
- 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM
850 Views
Oh, puh-lease.
- 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM
801 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM
630 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 05/10/2009 05:08:27 PM
3078 Views
I always know I've out-argued an idiot when they fall back on the tired old "RJ wanted it that way"
- 06/10/2009 04:42:11 AM
667 Views
And I can tell you're through when you've gotten to three+ insults per paragraph.
- 06/10/2009 05:46:24 PM
761 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst
- 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM
717 Views
Men and football.
- 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM
634 Views
She didn't kill anyone! Why SHOULD she feel guilty? She gave necessary orders.
- 06/10/2009 03:33:15 AM
726 Views