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Not at all. Their position is perfectly justified by their experiences. Cannoli Send a noteboard - 31/10/2009 04:29:25 AM
Like really, really angry?
I found myself wanting Rand to balefire the Seanchan at the end of the book, even if it ment putting up with another 20 chapters of Rand being broody and the same in Cady trying to make him smile. Just some kind of retribution for it.

It's really begining to get to me. I now really dislike Tuon and want someone to beat her down, I would give everything I had to see her leashed to Egwene for a few minutes, hell I'd even take that scenario with Elaida at the end.
Normally things dont get to me much in books, I can sit back and watch injustice, bullying, stupidity and not get emotionally implicated, but these, there is something about them. Ever since we saw Ewgene suffer at the end of ones of these I've just had a hatred of them ingrained.

Am I the only one?
You're not, but wrong is wrong no matter how many people agree. Little things like the very presence of the Dark One and Shadowspaawn in the world suggest that unrestrained and uncontrolled channelers ARE a problem. I don't agree with the practice of leashing channelers, but I also disagree with the White Tower's policies refusing to allow any other channelers to organize, conscripting eligible trainees, imprisoning women they do not wish to let go, and using Compulsion on them (the Oath Rod is nothing else, morally speaking. The particulars of a weave are irrelevant when considering the effects). I disagree with the Aiel practice of compelling them to go through a lethal test regardless of whether or not they have a vocation to be Wise Ones. I disagree with the Sea Folk practice of choosing their careers and occupations for their entire lives, and basing their career track on someone else's actions. There are no good guys when it comes to the way channeling organizations handle the issue in the world of WoT, aside from perhaps the Black Tower.

The true ancestors of the Seanchan Empire were the people who followed Artur Hawkwing's son to Seanchan to conquer it. The people they found were untrustworthy in the extreme, with everyone out for himself, and not even lip service was paid to the concept of honor or obligations. The land was ruled by capricious Aes Sedai who did whatever they wanted to get their own way. The Seanchan imposed order and honor on the chaos they found, but they were up against hostile, power-hungry and irresponsible channelers, with no way to oppose them. They leashed their enemies, and they needed to do so in order to survive. And given the nature of channeling, they have had no other choice. They are not the pinnacle & epitome of their society, they are a foreign occupying force, keeping the lid on a dangerous and hostile population. They have rebellions that rival a major war in the wetlands, such as those in which men like Furyk Karede cut their teeth, so they have never had the option of giving up the damane even if they could. In Seanchan channelers are the cast-down tyrants who tormented a continent, not innocent victims! Letting them off the leash for the Seanchan is like Israel giving a Nazi party some seats in the Knesset. And given the lifespan of channelers, there are undoubtedly living damane who can recall the days when their kind ruled Seanchan, before the Empire. Alivia, after all, is over four hundred years old, in an Empire that only finished its conquests no more than two centuries ago. It is entirely possible that some former tyrant petty ruler of a portion of Seanchan is right now on a leash. Given what they have endured at the hands of people calling themselves Aes Sedai, condemning them for the use of the a'dam is extremely short-sighted. How is there any difference between what they are doing and what the Red Ajah does? The major difference is that the Reds capture people who can't help themselves and don't necessarily want to harm anyone, while the Seanchan go after a class of people who very deliberately chose to abuse their power. As for their practice of leashing people now, conscription is hardly a Seanchan invention, and has been practiced in nearly every successful nation ever in the real world, and presumably in WoT. Rulers conscript soldiers into their armies because they need them to defend their people from other armies and they conscript damane to protect their people from the One Power.

In addition, look at how the White Tower does in serving the same function for the wetlands. They have repeatedly proven to be poor combatants. They were beaten by the Seanchan themselves in the raid on the Tower, despite being on their home ground and having abilities the Seanchan do not, such as linking, and access to angreal. Which would you rather have defending your hometown when the new Dreadlords come? The self-proclaimed "Battle Ajah" whose leader was snatched up in a second? Or the damane who whipped the "Battle Ajah" and their sisters, while fighting in a completely new way, hundreds of miles behind enemy lines while greatly outnumbered? And you don't even have to kiss the damanes' ass or let them rule you!
Cannoli
“Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.” GK Chesteron
Inde muagdhe Aes Sedai misain ye!
Deus Vult!
*MySmiley*
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Is anyone angered by the Seanchan and a'dam? - 30/10/2009 11:14:00 PM 1449 Views
Yes, but not me - 30/10/2009 11:32:45 PM 712 Views
Re: Yes, but not me - 31/10/2009 12:49:42 AM 655 Views
I hated him - 31/10/2009 12:57:52 AM 648 Views
Re: Is anyone angry by the Seanchan and A'dam - 30/10/2009 11:39:45 PM 825 Views
Re: Is anyone angry by the Seanchan and A'dam - 30/10/2009 11:45:29 PM 666 Views
Except the Seanchan are not spoiled chidlren who mistake "wishful thinking" for a plan - 31/10/2009 04:48:45 AM 699 Views
Or he could have used the Choedan Kal - 31/10/2009 12:21:42 PM 655 Views
What Choedan Kal? *NM* - 31/10/2009 10:15:24 PM 254 Views
The big shiney ball thing he destroyed at the end of the book - 01/11/2009 07:50:15 PM 604 Views
Destroyed. My point exactly. *NM* - 06/11/2009 04:40:16 AM 240 Views
For what? - 31/10/2009 12:03:57 AM 652 Views
I dont think it's compulsion. - 31/10/2009 12:16:00 AM 594 Views
Actually, I think it's the other way around. - 31/10/2009 12:21:49 AM 566 Views
He did the same thing with Cady - 31/10/2009 12:25:51 AM 580 Views
Personally, I thought he was using the TP to do those things. - 04/11/2009 07:37:31 PM 539 Views
It wasn't Compulsion...Sanderson just sort of messed up IMO - 04/11/2009 11:38:38 PM 483 Views
No - 31/10/2009 12:06:13 AM 607 Views
Why not Highlords in Tear? - 31/10/2009 02:10:07 AM 691 Views
You dont really get it. - 31/10/2009 12:23:35 PM 539 Views
That is just POV trap - 31/10/2009 04:20:07 PM 529 Views
Flawed Argument - 31/10/2009 08:54:05 PM 526 Views
Not at all. Their position is perfectly justified by their experiences. - 31/10/2009 04:29:25 AM 635 Views
The a'dam and leashing of channelers does not change the fact that the OP can be misued... - 31/10/2009 09:17:20 AM 624 Views
Which is why people should NOT be MORE angered toward Seanchan than toward WT. - 31/10/2009 06:22:13 PM 521 Views
That's complete hogwash. - 31/10/2009 10:23:50 PM 572 Views
Think it through - 31/10/2009 10:25:08 PM 655 Views
I have... - 31/10/2009 11:05:20 PM 622 Views
Re: I have... - 01/11/2009 02:27:20 AM 788 Views
Well that was rather silly. - 31/10/2009 12:27:03 PM 494 Views
Several valid points... - 31/10/2009 05:17:09 PM 584 Views
The sul'dam should be destroyed - 31/10/2009 05:14:06 AM 547 Views
The people themselves shouldn't be. - 31/10/2009 05:26:08 AM 526 Views
^ *NM* - 31/10/2009 05:33:04 AM 232 Views
Only the Empress can remove the custom - 31/10/2009 05:48:09 AM 542 Views
Due to their conditioning. - 31/10/2009 06:03:32 AM 556 Views
Random - 31/10/2009 10:26:34 AM 534 Views
Agreed - 31/10/2009 02:52:33 PM 525 Views
Yes. - 04/11/2009 06:15:08 PM 478 Views

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