On the other hand, the rebellion made it harder to stop her. In the first place, deposing Elaida while a major rebellion is still in the field smacks too much like acquiescing to their unlawful demands. In the second place, when there is a war on, the executive authority requires greater authority. It is easier for tyranny to sneak up on people in such circumstances, which is why tyrants so often use wars and crises to facilitate their taking power.

But she exacerbated and accelerated the course of the rebellion. When they were hesitant about taking further steps along the path, it was always Egwene (or her eventual minions, before she showed up) pushing them to take the next step.
- Setting out on actual campaign from Salidar
- Confronting outsiders with the fact of their war
- Formally declaring war
- Traveling to Tar Valon to bring on the actual fight
- Attacking Tar Valon's defenses
All of which were solely the doing of Egwene, who either used her authority to make a unilateral decision or else manuevered the Hall or the faction leaders into going along with her agenda. If rebellion IS that bad, she was the single person with the best chance to end it, and never did.

Even if an accurate statement of her position, her direct involvement in affairs negates that nuetrality.

As far as charges of hypocrisy go, that's politics and how the game is played. If she uses her edge gained from this distasteful and dishonest manuevering for good, it can be lived with. Expecting great moral behavior from Egwene is a bit much at this point. On the other hand, if she goes on to promote the cause and supremacy of these miscreants to the outside world, that is a whole other kettle of fish.



I go with the last. In addition, she was maintaining the moral high ground. By scolding them, she keeps them off-balance and less likely to question or oppose her in the future. Much like when she reprimanded Romanda after the war declaration passed, and turned around and smacked down Lelaine to prevent her from thinking she had any sort of advantage over Romanda. By finding things to reprimand both sides, she prevents either from thinking they have won or that they have a claim to Egwene's loyalty or support. It's excellent tactics, and the sort of thing I normally deplore in political leaders - it comes all to close to being Elaida all over again. As I said in the subject, it depends how she carries on. If she takes this superior position and uses it only to expedite measures against the Shadow and prevent the sort of short-sighted, petty, tradition-over-sensible-tactics mentality all too typical of Aes Sedai, especially the politicians of the bunch, from derailing matters, all well and good. But if she uses it to ram her own agenda through because she can, to advance the Tower's interests over the Dragon Reborn's or the normal people, or to prop up this same pack of idiots she was calling out and showing up throughout tGS, then we have a problem.

What all of this means, is Egwene has now got enough rope to hang herself. The last two books, we'll see how she does.