Edwin Cairncross, the would-be Terran Emperor, reflects:
"And why shouldn't [Flandry] join me? What does he owe Gerhart? He's been slighted, ignored, shunted aside. I'd have the brains to reward such a follower as he deserved, and listen to him." (p. 134)
Cairncross has no understanding that a man like Flandry will stand by his oath whether or not he as an individual is slighted and ignored!
Years ago, I heard an extremely cynical discussion of such issues on British TV. One expert said that:
the state's interests and an individual's interests should be identical simply because the state should reward the individual sufficiently for his services;
a conflict of interests arises only when, despite his ample rewards, the individual starts to entertain ideas like "freedom," "justice" etc!
I respectfully suggest that any individual should consider such ideas before he enters the state's service.
A woman said that, even earlier, several attempts had been made to recruit her to the Communist Party and that, each time, the inducement offered had been that she would hold a high position in a new regime! Appealing to individual self-interest to further a supposedly communistic objective is an ultimate absurdity.
Cairncross' aim, of course, is not communistic but:
"...to give the Empire the strong, wise government it so desperately needs, to found a dynasty armored in legitimacy against usurpers..." (ibid.)
A noble aim for a usurper!
His identification of Imperial interests with self-interest is completed in this immediately following phrase:
"...yes, then I'll clone myself..." (ibid)
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree, whatever his private views of Emperor Gerhart, Flandry would have stayed true to his oath to him, something Duke Edwin should have considered.
It would have been so much better if Edwin had been content with the Duchy of Hermes, governing it well and buttressing the Empire. Such as by working to gain Imperial support for reversing the glaciation of
Ramnu, which would have been good not only for that planet but Hermes as well.
And the best way for restoring some sense of legitimate rule in the Empire would be to govern well, avoid or quickly nip in the bud any civil wars, maintain a firm lime with Merseia, etc. And it might help if Gerhart's son Crown Prince Karl married a descendant of the Wang Emperors.
Unlike you, I think many people became Communists not only from misplaced idealism but also from a desire to gain power. Because that has actually happened. And "true communism" is the real absurdity.
Ad astra! Sean
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