Is Rand going to blackmail the rulers of the world?

[asha man]

I don't think blackmail is exactly the right word

Would you prefer extortion? The x makes it sound cool.

 

 

That's the word!

[Mats Spare Hat]

I don't think blackmail is exactly the right word

Would you prefer extortion? The x makes it sound cool.

 

 

That's the word!

 

 

This.

 

But still, people could say no - and Rand would save the world anyway. So for Randland-rulers it could be

 

win-win: Go along with Rand, everybody has an accord, TG is won. Happy Day!

lose-win: Don't go along with Rand, no accord, TG is won. Could be worse.

lose-lose: Don't go along with Rand. Rand does a complete character 180, TG lost, DO wins, boo-birds proliferate, I burn my copies of WoT and send poop in a bag to the author.

 

At this point, though it could be campy, I'd much rather see an outcome brought about that people recognize gee, he's really spot on and we need to set things aside and do the damn thing. I mean we see how random people react, just by having a chance meeting with neo-rand...Why dumb down your messiah-hero after everything by making him have to use illicit means when clearly he's The Dude!...dude!

[Aiyen kin Leary]

I think a lot of people who think this is out of character for the new Dragon have confused Rand's new wisdom and general awesomeness with weakness or hippyishness. The guy is Lews Therin Telamon, for Light's sake, and he was a deadly commander. Honorable, but fully capable of getting the job done. Remember, the goal is to get the world's leaders to agree to a set of terms that Rand considers (and given his new and improved state they probably will be) reasonable and helpful to establish a better world after Tarmon Gai'don. Obviously, refusing to fight and letting Shai'tan burn everything is completely unacceptable, but letting the monarchs THINK you are willing to do that so that they don't screw everything up the moment the Shadow is out of the picture...how can that be considered wrong? Remember, Rand doesn't think that he's willing to not fight, just that he wants to raise the possibility to make the world's leaders more tractable. He even thinks that it's going to be helpful that he has a reputation for irrationality. That only makes sense if he really, really doesn't want to follow through on any threats. I think he's going to flat out blackmail the world and the world will be the better for it. This is perfectly in character for Zen Rand, because he's not so much Zen as pragmatic now. He wants love and hope and general awesome to continue, and that's going to be a whole lot easier if the nations don't return to their counterproductive Daes Dae'Mar the instant he's out of the way.

 

will be just fine fighting even if the peace isn't agreed to, but why not scare the politicians enough to get a better Fourth Age out of the deal?

[Turok]

Since when is Rand(Zen or not) above blackmail to get something worthy accomplished? I mean this isn't Mother Theresa we are talking about. And anyway I think blackmail is to strong of word. To me Rand is like a parent who is telling his child (who is selfish, greatly immature(comparatively), and can't be trusted to follow directions as soon as his Father's back is turned) that if he wants to go play with his friends he is going to need to promise to play nice. Now that may not be the best example but still, parents getting promises out of their children is not blackmail. Rand being much older and wiser and I feel quite selfless is doing what he needs to so his "children" will live to grow up. Also as far as the thought that people should automatically listen to Rand and his cause is far fetched. No person in history has been free of opposition, no matter how righteous their cause. Personally I would feel like it was pretty unrealistic not to mention stupid if everyone just all of the sudden was like, "Yes, Lord Dragon, whatever you say. World peace you say? Of course!!" I also don't like the idea of push over Rand, just because he is Zen-Rand doesn't mean he can't have a spine, and it doesn't mean he won't have to get his hands dirty(and I don't just mean killing people but also strong arming his followers into doing what makes sense). That's just my opinion though, for example I love Harry Potter but it frustrated me that he never had to get his hands dirty even at the end with Lord Vold. I mean that just isn't how it works.

[Monte]

I see this simply as Rand doing what he thinks needs to be done to ensure that the world will survive after he dies. Attach either the word "zen" or "blackmail" as you see fit, but I see a condition such as this as much more benevolent than malevolent, personally.