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Re: Using the word "Hogwash" is inviting flames, but I will be nice about it fionwe1987 Send a noteboard - 05/11/2009 02:54:52 AM

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?

Many come out of respect. And the same TR folk who were worried about Moiraine end up missing her greatly in tGS!
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.

What is the relevance of this? The Seanchan too gain power by having more and stronger damane. What is the point of this comparison?
And neither Moiriane nor Cadsuane use their strength in the Power to do what needs to be done. Cadsuane gives equal respect to even the weakest of Aes Sedai, and commands them due to the genuine respect they have for her.

Yes, the Tower has flaws. I don't see how that makes it worse than an empire that enslaves every woman who can channel.



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.

But what about the slaves? People are born slaves because of crimes committed by their forebears ages ago! And these property can become more important property, but are granted freedom only rarely. Else, they are to be used as nude playthings and fanatical soldiers.

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?

The kind of tyrant who is someone else's prisoner and has no access to her power?
In tGS, Toun is surprised Tylee dares to make a statement that contradicts hers, clearly showing that no one can speak against the Empress except one woman whom she chooses to be honest with her. What is that if not tyranny?
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?

Of course they don't stop all wars. They only stop as many as they can.
As for letting those raids go on, did you read why they did that? The point was to bring stability to a nation, prevent more internecine conflicts in Murandy, not bring down Andor!
As for the Whitecloak wars... how they hell are they supposed to negotiate with idiots who will shoot them on site?


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.

They needed Hawking's help because they never set themselves up as a military superpower. I'm discussing a hypothetical situation where they do do that. What then?


Hmmm, like brainwashing all Randland channelers to become WT's slave, and claim to like it?

Please show me some proof of this. The vast majority of the channelres in Randland have no affiliation with the Tower at all!

The damane channels to serve the Empire, and love it. The AS channelers to serve the WT, and love it.

the first are tortured with the a'dam till they obey. the second are protected from any kind of torture whatsoever! Elaida, the Amyrlin Seat, is given penance for beating Egwene, a mere novice.

The Aes Sedai love Tar Valon because it is their city, the source of their power and influence. Not because they are forced to. An AS who wishes to stay away from the WT and its politics may do so, as Cadsuane amply proves.

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.

That is another flaw of the WT, but why exactly is this comparable to the Seanchan?
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.

Bull shit. The WT never broke hosts of women (and never tried, any way). You can leave the Tower any time you want.

By the way, do you notice that I'm dealing with facts about the Seanchan Empire and you're dealing with selective beliefs about the Tower?
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Yes, but not me - 30/10/2009 11:32:45 PM 711 Views
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Except the Seanchan are not spoiled chidlren who mistake "wishful thinking" for a plan - 31/10/2009 04:48:45 AM 698 Views
Or he could have used the Choedan Kal - 31/10/2009 12:21:42 PM 654 Views
What Choedan Kal? *NM* - 31/10/2009 10:15:24 PM 253 Views
The big shiney ball thing he destroyed at the end of the book - 01/11/2009 07:50:15 PM 602 Views
Destroyed. My point exactly. *NM* - 06/11/2009 04:40:16 AM 240 Views
For what? - 31/10/2009 12:03:57 AM 649 Views
I dont think it's compulsion. - 31/10/2009 12:16:00 AM 592 Views
Actually, I think it's the other way around. - 31/10/2009 12:21:49 AM 565 Views
He did the same thing with Cady - 31/10/2009 12:25:51 AM 577 Views
Personally, I thought he was using the TP to do those things. - 04/11/2009 07:37:31 PM 536 Views
It wasn't Compulsion...Sanderson just sort of messed up IMO - 04/11/2009 11:38:38 PM 481 Views
No - 31/10/2009 12:06:13 AM 605 Views
Why not Highlords in Tear? - 31/10/2009 02:10:07 AM 689 Views
You dont really get it. - 31/10/2009 12:23:35 PM 537 Views
That is just POV trap - 31/10/2009 04:20:07 PM 528 Views
Flawed Argument - 31/10/2009 08:54:05 PM 523 Views
Not at all. Their position is perfectly justified by their experiences. - 31/10/2009 04:29:25 AM 632 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 623 Views
Which is why people should NOT be MORE angered toward Seanchan than toward WT. - 31/10/2009 06:22:13 PM 519 Views
That's complete hogwash. - 31/10/2009 10:23:50 PM 570 Views
Using the word "Hogwash" is inviting flames, but I will be nice about it - 01/11/2009 05:44:16 AM 591 Views
Re: Using the word "Hogwash" is inviting flames, but I will be nice about it - 05/11/2009 02:54:52 AM 890 Views
Think it through - 31/10/2009 10:25:08 PM 653 Views
I have... - 31/10/2009 11:05:20 PM 620 Views
Re: I have... - 01/11/2009 02:27:20 AM 786 Views
Well that was rather silly. - 31/10/2009 12:27:03 PM 493 Views
Several valid points... - 31/10/2009 05:17:09 PM 582 Views
The sul'dam should be destroyed - 31/10/2009 05:14:06 AM 545 Views
The people themselves shouldn't be. - 31/10/2009 05:26:08 AM 524 Views
^ *NM* - 31/10/2009 05:33:04 AM 231 Views
Only the Empress can remove the custom - 31/10/2009 05:48:09 AM 540 Views
Due to their conditioning. - 31/10/2009 06:03:32 AM 553 Views
Random - 31/10/2009 10:26:34 AM 532 Views
Agreed - 31/10/2009 02:52:33 PM 523 Views
Yes. - 04/11/2009 06:15:08 PM 477 Views

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