How to prevent Avi's vision of Seanchan dominance

[Muad Cheade]

Even without expressly attacking the Aiel, holding their Wise Ones as damane is an act that agitates a known warrior culture. This contributes to the war. Even if you want to argue that it is not the Seanchan's fault, portions of their culture (the damane) will inevitably lead to conflict with others and will need to be changed for there to be true lasting peace.

 

In the visions, the Aiel were the primary instigators. This doesn't mean that the Seanchan are blameless or that certain changes to their culture wouldn't help smooth the path to freedom. They don't have to intend to cause war for their culture and practices to help bring it about anyways.

The Seanchan also hold Aes Sedai, yet they did not break the Peace. The Seanchan kill men who can channel, yet the Black Tower did not strike first. The Seanchan are foreign oppressors and their overall goal is to reconquer to Westlands, yet no nation attacked.

 

I'm not saying the Seanchan are blameless. Their society, although it provides peace and stability, clashes fiercely with others and is deeply flawed yet it seems to me that the narrative and Nakomi implies that the Aiel most change.

 

In the visions, we also see that the reasoning for the war is not limited to freeing the Wise Ones. Padra notes that the Aiel would gain much honor by prosecuting the war and Oncala wants to create a Dragon Empire.

[capuga]

Even without expressly attacking the Aiel, holding their Wise Ones as damane is an act that agitates a known warrior culture. This contributes to the war. Even if you want to argue that it is not the Seanchan's fault, portions of their culture (the damane) will inevitably lead to conflict with others and will need to be changed for there to be true lasting peace.

 

In the visions, the Aiel were the primary instigators. This doesn't mean that the Seanchan are blameless or that certain changes to their culture wouldn't help smooth the path to freedom. They don't have to intend to cause war for their culture and practices to help bring it about anyways.

The Seanchan also hold Aes Sedai, yet they did not break the Peace. The Seanchan kill men who can channel, yet the Black Tower did not strike first. The Seanchan are foreign oppressors and their overall goal is to reconquer to Westlands, yet no nation attacked.

 

I'm not saying the Seanchan are blameless. Their society, although it provides peace and stability, clashes fiercely with others and is deeply flawed yet it seems to me that the narrative and Nakomi implies that the Aiel most change.

 

In the visions, we also see that the reasoning for the war is not limited to freeing the Wise Ones. Padra notes that the Aiel would gain much honor by prosecuting the war and Oncala wants to create a Dragon Empire.

 

I agree that most of the blame in the vision fell on the Aiel. I'm not even arguing the right or wrong of keeping the damane. I'm just saying that certain aspects of the Seanchan culture clash horribly with the idealogy of other nations and that unless those aspects change (right or wrong), the world is unlikely to see lasting peace.

 

I think that saying if nobody but the Aiel change their ways the world will be all peaceful and problem free is too simplistic. When cultures clash they each will need to change aspects of their attitudes if both sides are really interested in maintaining the peace. Perhaps the Aiel are the bigger problem, but its not fair to say that the Seanchan don't contribute to the problem.

[Diederichos]

I'm not saying that the Seanchan don't need to change, I think there needs to be some sort of resolution to the damane situation, but I just want to reiterate that this specific instance and its real world equivalent, the Aiel-Seanchan war is so blamable on the Aiel that it is virtually useless to try and pin the Seanchan on it. They have enough sins without us attributing someone else's to them.