warsofasoiaf

[warsofasoiaf]

Who are your top 3 military generals.

Mine are Alexander, Khalid, and Subutai.

Top 3 in what though? Am I looking for a leader or an organizer? Am I trying to defeat an enemy on their home turf or am I defending my own land? Am I stronger than my opponent or weaker? That's the thing about a lot of great figures is that they can be amazing at one thing, but not necessarily good at another.

Good choices though.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

It wasn't an endorsement of Mike, but the idea of one person fucking it all up for everyone because they just wanted more more more is definitely a thing that applies in ASOIAF.

-SLAL

I was watching Breaking Bad just now and I saw this bit where Mike flips on Walter and tells him "If you had done your job and known your place, we'd all be fine right now!"

And I'm astonished to realize how many characters in ASOIAF that applies to.

When one of the core themes in the book are the petty ambitions and machinations in pursuit of power, the Ehramtraut Castigation is definitely going to apply.

Thanks for the remark, Alt.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

A significant portion of the fandom viewed the Lannisters and their followers in a negative light for a long time, especially before we got the Lannister twins' POV chapters in ASOS. The actions of Tywin and his worst lackeys, like Amory Lorch and the Mountain, in the Riverlands certainly didn’t help. Nor did the group in King’s Landing who killed Stark men and cornered Ned.

However, in AFFC, we get to explore the Westermen through Jaime’s perspective and see that there are quite decent people among them. They're not any worse than the bannermen of other regions. If anything, they come across as exceptionally loyal—largely due to the Reyne Rebellion—and highly dutiful. Moreover, the way they respect and genuinely care for Jaime adds another layer of complexity, showing that their loyalty to the Lannisters isn’t purely born out of fear. They also include many capable individuals, rather than being made up of mindless, Stormtrooper-like yes-men.

So, what’s your take? Were you surprised to see a more decent side of the Westermen in AFFC, or did you expect it? Personally, I think this depth is something to be expected from ASOIAF, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some readers didn’t anticipate it—given the early portrayal of the Lannisters in the first book and the influence of the show

I expected it. While GRRM does have his missteps (everyone in House Bracken is an asshole), by and large he wants to show that easy generalizations are nothing short of lazy characterizations. He even talks about how some people might fight for "Good King Joffrey" out of genuine belief. They may not know that in his heart of hearts he's a sadistic bully.

It doesn't matter where you're from, it's what you do and how you treat others. From the North to Dorne, you will find saints and sinners, jackasses and stand-up chaps, regular folk and the truly extraordinary. Westermen are people, and GRRM takes advantage of the limited POV structure to showcase that there are plenty of bannermen who are genuinely nice to Jaime, just as there were monsters that served under Robb Stark - not just Roose Bolton but the "they lay with lions" shitbirds.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

I was watching Breaking Bad just now and I saw this bit where Mike flips on Walter and tells him "If you had done your job and known your place, we'd all be fine right now!"

And I'm astonished to realize how many characters in ASOIAF that applies to.

When one of the core themes in the book are the petty ambitions and machinations in pursuit of power, the Ehramtraut Castigation is definitely going to apply.

Thanks for the remark, Alt.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Are Arryn known for brown or blonde hair? Jon Arryn had blonde. But his and lysa’s son had brown but so did his grandfather hoster Tully. 

I don't believe Arryns specifically are mentioned to have a distinctive hair color. Artys Arryn is depicted as brown-haired in the Game of Thrones companion piece, and Sharra Arryn is depicted as having incredibly dark brown if not raven black hair - but these are show companion pieces which means they may be of dubious accuracy to book canon. Unfortunately, we simply don't have enough living specimens or descriptions of historical Arryns to have a large enough sample size, nor is it important to the series the way the Lannister and Baratheon hair coloration is.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Would it make sense for Putin to escalate with nuclear weapons now, during the lame duck?

It makes no more or less sense than escalating with nuclear weapons in general. Breaking the nuclear taboo is pretty much game over; it will invite massive retaliation because to do otherwise is to say that nuclear powers can unleash armageddon and get away with it.

As a related aside, I'm not sure if he's aware of it, but Putin's repeated changing of his nuclear doctrine to things that have *already happened* actually makes his nuclear deterrence less credible. Far from delivering the advantages of strategic ambiguity, it states that Russia's nuclear doctrine is unserious - a toy meant to threaten the West rather a serious strategic asset to be deployed in pursuit of Russian strategic goals. I'm sure Grayzone and other pro-Russian "enlightened seekers of peace" will clutch their pearls at the imminent World War 3 threat as they have done for the past million times Russian talking heads have threatened nuclear annihilation to cover for Russian conventional failures, but for the adults in the room, it just makes Russia look unstable and foolish.

Thanks for the question, Cle-Guy.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Given Robert was more intelligent than people give him credit for, is it possible that he privately figured that Renly was gay?

Robert probably knew and didn't care. Then again, Jaime/Cersei are beyond careless with their actions and Robert never figured it out, but that's because Jaime and Cersei are saved by the hands of GRRM.

Thanks for the question, Ekendall.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

I thought Japan was highly against the idea of nuclear weapons due to their past experiences?

Anonymous asked: Didn't Japan literally ban nukes

Article 9 was amended just ten years ago, who's to say that the Three Non-Nuclear Principles won't be amended as well? Rising tensions have a way of introducing amendments for reform and other creative ways to increase military force readiness regardless of legal, moral, or cultural apprehension. When the alternative is being a vassal state to a highly exploitative and colonial power like China and the presence of the US nuclear umbrella potentially fading due to isolationism, I wouldn't be surprised if pro-nuclear voices gain a lot of traction in the Diet and the JSDF.

Thanks for the question, Anons.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

What are some countries you speculate will gun for nukes?

Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea. Ukraine and Taiwan would probably like to if they could.

Thanks for the question, ASD.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Is the American union in its death throws?

Throes. And who says American Union?

[warsofasoiaf]

Is the Pax Americana over?

I'd argue it's already been over. The defense industrial base was allowed to wither. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were aggressive and de-stabilizing, far from the First Gulf War or the war to stop Milosevic's genocide in Eastern Europe which were launched to stop the outbreak of conflict and preserve a status quo. Obama's "red line" against chemical weapons turned out to be a phantom threat, emboldening revisionist powers to stake out their own pursuits with less fear of intervention. Russia stole Ukrainian territory that Russia itself recognized as Ukrainian by treaty (Putin himself signed multiple treaties with Ukraine). China has been slowly stealing territory from Bhutan and building fake islands/claiming reefs in the South China Sea for years. Even smaller powers are acting more aggressively provided they have a sufficiently powerful patron to deter intervention.

Welcome to the new jungle. As I've mentioned before, we're likely to see a new level of nuclear proliferation as states see security guarantees as an insufficient means to safeguard their borders from foreign incursion.

Thanks for the question, Cle-Guy.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

I'm working on an Exalted/ASOIAF fic where, by bypassing the seal of eight divinities, a circle of Sidereals find Westeros...and the utter lack of a loom.

I guess the Loom would be GRRM's word processor, wouldn't it?

-SLAL

[warsofasoiaf]

Do you think that there are any potential Trump cabinet picks that would not be terrible? Like mainstream Republicans hawks, anybody of McCain’s stature?

Marco Rubio as SecState is not a bad choice. Regardless of what you think of his political positions, he's served on the Intelligence Committee - he understands foreign relations and has the background and knowledge to act as a Secretary of State. Given Trump's focus on migration, someone who served as a de facto advisor on foreign policy issues in Central America is not an aberration. He is not someone completely out of his depth in this role.

Thanks for the question, Fang Reaver.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

who would be a better pick for director of national intelligence? as far as im aware Tulsi doesnt have experience in positions of that level, im not sure what to think about her views on Russia given she takes nuclear war seriously but also she was slandered by Shillary

Frankly speaking, any number of intelligence professionals would be more qualified than Tulsi Gabbard. She has no experience in the intelligence field, neither her assignments nor her Senate career saw her exposed to anything, so her lack of experience should be an automatic disqualifier, even if her trafficking in Russian and Syrian conspiracies didn't already demonstrate that she is manifestly unfit for the position. But let's embark on a thought exercise, just so I can illustrate my point a bit more clearly.

I hate steelmanning, but let's steelman her actions. Let's say that she's not a Russian stooge or a pet, and that her statements come from a place of deep personal conviction against US foreign entanglements. Let's assume she is not being coerced or compensated to repeat Russian propaganda, and say that she's a true believer. Her statements on the Russo-Ukrainian War would already render her unfit. As I've mentioned before, the idea of "NATO encroachment" on Russia doesn't suit the facts of what actually occurred in Ukraine. Russia was the primary breacher of the Minsk Accords (over 80% of ceasefire breaches were performed by Russian or pro-Russian separatist movements), and Ukraine didn't pivot toward NATO membership until after the seizure of Crimea (well-documented by reliable polling). These are not opinions, but facts. Just as how she made statements that Bashar al-Assad did not use chemical weapons despite the actual *physical* evidence that he did. This means that Tulsi Gabbard ignores objective reality to find a narrative that suits her - and then uses it to inform her conclusions, and thus, her decisions. This is *not* someone suited to lead any intelligence-gathering apparatus. Ignoring what *is* for what is *desired* does not lead to rational decision-making.

So even by the most generous of graces, Tulsi Gabbard is at best, a moron who looks to justify her own pre-conceived conclusions. And that's not someone I'd want in charge of intelligence.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Any advice on how to deal with the next 4 years? Cause I see the cabinet picks and the planned policies and want to be rendered comatose

If the Cabinet picks are unacceptable to you, write to your Senator and encourage them to vote down. Be specific in your reasoning. I've already drafted a physical letter opposing Tulsi Gabbard as DNI on the grounds that she trafficks in Russian conspiracy theories and is deeply unqualified to serve in the role. I suggest you do the same.

-SLAL

[warsofasoiaf]

Did you see Trump's picks 🗿

Noted pro-Putin propagandist and famously stupid Tulsi Gabbard as DNI? A pedophile sex trafficker as AG? A news anchor who rose no higher than a low-tier field grade officer in the Guard as SecDef? What a bunch of winners.

-SLAL

[warsofasoiaf]

Missmaged cabinet?

My write-up on Jimmy Carter talks about how he badly mismanaged his Cabinet, silenced dissenting voices, and at one point tried to fire five members to assert authority only to have it backfire on him.

-SLAL