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They're not entirely evil though, and RJ has written them that way Variant Send a noteboard - 22/01/2011 08:02:22 PM
They're a society that has some serious flaws, but they're not the devil incarnate.

However, I have always felt that RJ wanted us to see through the propaganda the Empire spread to justify damane etc... in fact it was an AS that created the damane system, not some "holy war" to end AS oppression ... Luthaire was a conqueror who allied with an AS to meet a goal. It's heavily implied that Ishamael deeply implanted AS hatred into all of Hawkwings family at the time in an effort to destroy or at least erode the Tower and AS in general.


Yes, it was an Aes Sedai that brought the tool to luthaire in order to ingratiate herself to him. Though it has been written this was hardly the outcome that particular Aes Sedai had in mind.

The Empire took it a step further and vilified all people who can channel ... regardless of how they truly behaved. We have no evidence other than the rote statements of the various Seanchan characters. It's similar to the general German population's view of Jews ... for the previous decade or more the Nazi's had been seeding propaganda to make people view Jews as less than human ... and look how that wound up, and guess what the non-Jewish (or various other oppressed groups) German populace were prosperous and happy on the surface prior to the turn around in the war effort.


Your comparison is incredibly flawed - the difference being that the German population weren't literally terrorized and ruled over by the Jews. I find your constant demonization of the Seanchan to the point of hysteric. If the Seanchan were the Nazi's they would just cull all the undesirables in their empire all together. I find the Seanchan more comparable to the Romans, they went about their conquest with fire and sword, but they also brought trade, wealth, and innovation. Because as we see plainly written in the books - the people in Seanchan lands are prospering. There's no genocide that is occurring, and they accept people in as long as they obey Seanchan laws that also protect the populace, why else would the Tinkers go there?
This message last edited by Variant on 22/01/2011 at 08:56:58 PM
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Avienda's viewing and the Fields of Merrilor (spoilers) saidarisnowtainted - 28/12/2010 06:21:05 PM 3175 Views
Timing moratcorlm - 28/12/2010 06:43:32 PM 1813 Views
Indeed...the bleak future makes the Last Battle almost an anti-climax... Shannow - 28/12/2010 08:20:31 PM 1905 Views
And yet, the only places of relative peace and shelter right now are Seanchan controlled lands. everynametaken - 29/12/2010 03:21:37 AM 1461 Views
+1. Lord Haart - 29/12/2010 04:04:02 AM 1260 Views
Re: +1. Lo'oris - 07/01/2011 05:25:23 PM 1140 Views
Those who would give up permanent liberty in exchange for temporary security, deserve neither.. Shannow - 29/12/2010 10:27:35 AM 1256 Views
Says the person defending monarchies and oligarchies, some of them quite brutal. moratcorlm - 29/12/2010 02:12:56 PM 1230 Views
LoL. What is this "POV trap" that people refer to so often to make a point? Shannow - 29/12/2010 10:00:11 PM 1332 Views
Re: LoL. What is this "POV trap" that people refer to so often to make a point? moratcorlm - 29/12/2010 10:44:12 PM 1223 Views
Why do you have this urge to overcomplicate something as simple as personal likes and dislikes? Shannow - 30/12/2010 10:00:43 AM 1169 Views
Re: Why do you have this urge to overcomplicate something as simple as personal likes and dislikes? Lo'oris - 07/01/2011 05:28:03 PM 1123 Views
"romantic characteristics" Variant - 07/01/2011 06:06:31 AM 1095 Views
Re: "romantic characteristics" Lo'oris - 07/01/2011 05:30:33 PM 1129 Views
Don't blame the Seanchan, The Aiel made an excuse to start a war. Variant - 08/01/2011 09:20:36 AM 1453 Views
Re: Those who would give up permanent liberty in exchange for temporary security, deserve neither.. Zeratul - 29/12/2010 03:06:16 PM 1352 Views
Exactly. *NM* everynametaken - 30/12/2010 02:50:07 AM 808 Views
They are pretty close to evil. Slavery being the big thing, but the crushing social scale is far darius_sedai - 31/12/2010 06:45:59 PM 1090 Views
The Aiel sold slaves to Shara, does that make them evil? No society in Randland is without flaws. Variant - 07/01/2011 05:10:32 AM 1288 Views
you are missing my point darius_sedai - 07/01/2011 11:31:11 PM 1205 Views
We haven't had a POV from a NON-high-ranking Seanchan moratcorlm - 08/01/2011 03:13:26 AM 24698 Views
As to Bethamin ... darius_sedai - 20/01/2011 04:46:36 PM 1195 Views
No, you're missing the point. Benevolence is irrelevant. Variant - 08/01/2011 09:48:51 AM 1126 Views
Re: No, you're missing the point. Benevolence is irrelevant. Lo'oris - 08/01/2011 10:04:18 AM 1166 Views
Well the Westlands aren't exactly modern Europe or USA either Lohikaarme - 08/01/2011 11:00:31 AM 1130 Views
Re: Well the Westlands aren't exactly modern Europe or USA either Lo'oris - 09/01/2011 02:08:17 AM 1097 Views
That's funny, I'd choose modern day China in a second. Variant - 09/01/2011 06:37:24 AM 1086 Views
Hong Kong is not an accurate representation of the rest of Modern China darius_sedai - 20/01/2011 04:50:20 PM 1097 Views
~sigh~ Cosmopolitan China is different than Rural China Variant - 21/01/2011 01:00:17 AM 1107 Views
well there is also the fact that Hong Kong has different "rules" than even other major darius_sedai - 21/01/2011 05:38:46 PM 1134 Views
I'm not just talking about Hong Kong though... Variant - 22/01/2011 09:36:20 AM 1170 Views
I've traveled extensively darius_sedai - 22/01/2011 06:02:47 PM 1103 Views
You've traveled to China extensively? Variant - 22/01/2011 07:41:30 PM 1166 Views
the quesetion you responded too is "would you rather live in Medieval Europe of Modern China darius_sedai - 22/01/2011 09:47:24 PM 1357 Views
I responded, "I"d choose modern day china in a second" Variant - 22/01/2011 10:29:46 PM 1172 Views
Actually, China is changing. Variant - 09/01/2011 06:32:58 AM 1145 Views
true to a point, yet China has been under one form or another of totalitarian rule for darius_sedai - 20/01/2011 04:57:37 PM 1111 Views
So? Variant - 21/01/2011 01:20:18 AM 1210 Views
Double post *NM* Variant - 21/01/2011 01:21:10 AM 631 Views
It's the comparative to the Seanchan empire I'm really getting at here, not saying China isn't darius_sedai - 21/01/2011 05:43:56 PM 1192 Views
I don't even know why China was brought up in the first place ~shrugs~ Variant - 22/01/2011 10:04:59 AM 1038 Views
I totally agree with your last point, which is why I think RJ set them up to be the "Evil Empire" darius_sedai - 22/01/2011 06:12:46 PM 1120 Views
They're not entirely evil though, and RJ has written them that way Variant - 22/01/2011 08:02:22 PM 1097 Views
not so much darius_sedai - 22/01/2011 09:54:38 PM 1072 Views
Your example is absurd. Variant - 22/01/2011 10:53:06 PM 1004 Views
Ah yes, the "Jews can kill you with their minds" argument. *NM* moratcorlm - 23/01/2011 05:32:23 PM 626 Views
Please. Like anyone else in Randland is really free? everynametaken - 30/12/2010 02:47:27 AM 1104 Views
Andor is rather progressive... Allowing the common people to speak their minds darius_sedai - 31/12/2010 06:35:29 PM 1073 Views
Andor is lionized as a huge exception to the general rule moratcorlm - 31/12/2010 11:57:30 PM 1175 Views
Re: Andor is rather progressive... Allowing the common people to speak their minds Zeratul - 01/01/2011 12:18:46 AM 1187 Views
Seanchan is much closer to the Chinese culture. Which has never established democracy darius_sedai - 01/01/2011 06:12:10 AM 1515 Views
Prussia (and with it Germany) would never have changed to democracy if not forced to Voscaia Sedai - 01/01/2011 12:23:34 PM 1036 Views
too easy: they did not have to fight the Shadow, they don't even know shadowspawn really exist as of *NM* Lo'oris - 29/12/2010 02:44:18 PM 678 Views
It goes beyond the channelers. The Seanchan control the population darius_sedai - 31/12/2010 06:00:57 PM 1073 Views
Re: It goes beyond the channelers. The Seanchan control the population moratcorlm - 01/01/2011 10:58:22 PM 1185 Views
Word, even the Tinkers are gathering and migrating to Seanchan held lands in the south. *NM* Variant - 07/01/2011 05:21:09 AM 600 Views
Maybe they're a remnant of humanity Sidious - 29/12/2010 04:41:40 AM 1282 Views
Re: Maybe they're a remnant of humanity moratcorlm - 29/12/2010 02:17:33 PM 1225 Views
Couple of flaws here darius_sedai - 31/12/2010 06:54:13 PM 1107 Views
You are right, here is a better analogy dadof5 - 03/01/2011 06:23:16 PM 1100 Views
Even Hitler didn't think Jews could kill people with their minds moratcorlm - 03/01/2011 07:22:09 PM 1158 Views
It depends on Rand's sperm I guess Skeeve the Great - 28/12/2010 08:27:59 PM 1207 Views
No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... Shannow - 28/12/2010 08:31:27 PM 1293 Views
Re: No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... Skeeve the Great - 28/12/2010 08:50:28 PM 1152 Views
Re: No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... saidarisnowtainted - 30/12/2010 03:56:55 PM 1183 Views
Because the Aiel are savages who have no place in a modern world moratcorlm - 28/12/2010 11:15:23 PM 1260 Views
Re: No, the Seanchan started it, by wanting to conquer the rest of the world... saidarisnowtainted - 30/12/2010 04:01:00 PM 1207 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess Ashaman_Luc - 28/12/2010 11:02:34 PM 1154 Views
VoG = Veins of Gold. The chapter at the end of TGS where Rand becomes balanced. *NM* Lord Haart - 29/12/2010 06:56:38 AM 2067 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess Sidious - 29/12/2010 04:37:04 AM 1159 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess Skeeve the Great - 29/12/2010 02:37:12 PM 1164 Views
Re: It depends on Rand's sperm I guess saidarisnowtainted - 30/12/2010 04:02:31 PM 1389 Views
timeline in the books Ava - 29/12/2010 03:34:45 PM 1229 Views
Re: timeline in the books moratcorlm - 29/12/2010 05:29:11 PM 1243 Views
Re: timeline in the books Ava - 31/12/2010 01:18:32 PM 1126 Views
yes thousands and thousands AFTER hundreds of years. these kids were probably slowing since birth. Onarishma - 03/01/2011 08:19:22 PM 1208 Views
Re: yes thousands and thousands AFTER hundreds of years. Ava - 04/01/2011 12:21:59 PM 1044 Views
your premise is that first generation applies to anyone but them. Onarishma - 10/01/2011 09:25:02 PM 1067 Views
Aviendha + Mat (and Seta and Bethamin) are the best hopes. The Angry Druid - 09/01/2011 01:45:00 AM 1140 Views
From a plot standpoint I very much dislike Avienda's visions as well The Count - 20/01/2011 01:39:37 AM 1604 Views
Problem is, the fate of post-TG Randland depends on the viewing being heeded before TG. *NM* Lord Haart - 20/01/2011 10:07:15 AM 576 Views
The Light's victory in the Last Battle was already a foregone conclusion ranagrande - 21/01/2011 03:48:54 PM 1052 Views
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