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Using the word "Hogwash" is inviting flames, but I will be nice about it redhand Send a noteboard - 01/11/2009 05:44:16 AM
What Gleeman's stories?
And Randland fols vary from deep distrust to genuine respect and regard for the Aes Sedai, so I'm clueless on ow you make this generalization.
Either way, we as objective readers know that while Aes Sedai want power, they are far from megalomaniacs as a whole, do not resort to bullying (until recently, with Elaida), and deliberately fetter their power by refusing to use it in any destructive fashion. There can be no comparison between the way the Aes Sedai use the One Power and the way the Seanchan Empire does.


In tEOW, Rand and the TR folks recall the storys and the saying, "AS help always comes with a hook". When Min goes to the Tower, and see other folks seeing audience with the WT, which one comes with respect instead of fear?

Just look at the ranking system of AS. They think about the strength, and power differential every single day. Everything is reduced to a power struggle in the end. Whoever has more power has more say. The ones are not shown bullying because there is a bigger bully present.



But they are. The Aes Sedai are mistrusted, but not tyrants who rule by fear (unlike the vaunted Seanchan Empire). Aes Sedai seek to use their power to stop wars, and never use their vast power to enforce their will on the populace.


1. No tyrants ruling by fear last long. The Seanchan is ruled by merits much more so than other kingdoms. Any one successful enough are adapted into the Imperial Family, and that is much more direct than the Randland approach of successful folks marrying into the ruling family/House. In Seanchan where there is the Hand, the Shadow, the Voice, the leader actually listens to advices. Go check the military chapters, how often the High Lords and High Ladys sought advices. Seeking advice, people exchanging information, people actually talking to each other, these themes that are central to these books occur naturally in the Seanchan examples. That is institutational in Seanchan culture.

Clearly, you see Tyrants where there is none. What kind of tyrant is Tuon? Which tyrants will disagree clamly with a mere inn keeper like Setalle?

2. AS do not stop all wars. They select which wars they allow, and which they stop. Suian allowed that Murandy lord to start a war to unite his country, and stop Andor to wage war against that guy. They DO use their vast power to enforce their will on the populance. They just don't use their own soldiers to so do. And where are they during the White Cloak Wars?


Take, for example, Artur Hawkwing's siege of Tar Valon. Had this been Seandar, and Hawkwing a rival claimant for Tuon's throne with no damane, Tuon wouldn't hesitate in chopping up his army with her damane.
The Aes Sedai, with all thier sa'angreal and angreal, could have give the siege the short shrift, but instead waited for 20 years, and then negotiated their way out.


They could not. If they actually could, the WT would not needed Artur Hawkwing's army to help defeat the army of the Second Dragon. With their angreal, they can prevent Hawkwing from taking the city, but not to break the seige.


What wrong has the Tower committed that is in the range of capturing all women who can channel and then torturing them into being obedient slaves?


Hmmm, like brainwashing all Randland channelers to become WT's slave, and claim to like it? The damane channels to serve the Empire, and love it. The AS channelers to serve the WT, and love it. Any channelers that do not love the Tower as such are "exiled" into the other worlds during the Accepted Test. And why is the love of the WT the most important thing in the world, more than the love of anuthing else? Clearly not morality, or no BA can ever pass the Accepted Test.

I do give you that the WT takes much longer, like years, to slowly break the more capable channelers. The saying goes, "You are not done with the White Tower, until the White Tower is done with you." The way they kill off dissidents leaves no blood directly on their hands. That is being clever.
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^ *NM* - 31/10/2009 05:33:04 AM 228 Views
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