Here's the new quotes thread.
Rules:
- Please post all quotes separately, so that they can be voted up/down separately. (If they are strongly related, reply to your own comments. If strongly ordered, then go ahead and post them together.)
- Do not quote yourself.
- Do not quote comments/posts on LW/OB.
- No more than 5 quotes per person per monthly thread, please.
I wasn't precise. What I wasn't sure that people realized was that the Baron was using the quoted reasoning to justify his wasteful cruelty. I am not even sure i'd argue that it was wrong as a piece of reasoning, but I suspect some people, if aware of the context, would have at least flinched before upvoting, like I suspect there's flinching going on when a Jesus quote appears.
I certainly agree with you that the Baron had a good grip on reality (not equally good in all places, but still a very effective leader). Still, I wouldn't make too much of the Harkonnen victory... are you trying to say it indicated an advantage over the Atreides way of thinking? I'd argue against that.
The Harkonnens, as the Baron admitted himself, defeated the Atreides with wealth, with their immense initial advantage, including the support of the Emperor himself. The Atreides had a good grasp of reality too, they were pragmatic and looked to results (for instance: didn't just count on their benevolence to be self-evident, but had an effective propaganda corps). And they did have a plan based on a better understanding of at least some aspects of the situation: they understood the value of the Fremen, whom the Baron refused to acknowledge as important until Hawat opened his eyes. (One wonders what Piter had been doing during the earlier Harkonnen reign). It is conceivable to me that things could have gone over differently with a bit more time and luck. /fan
I'd very much like to hear more of your thoughts.
I would want to be clear about this: the Atreides may have a net advantage over the Harkonnen, but they are not 'strictly superior' to the Harkonnen in every respect. As the Baron explains in the full passage, the Atreides wagered on a strategy ('rabbits'... (read more)