Will the Solar Union have to bombard Earth to defeat the Humanists?
"'Madre de Dios!' Garcia crossed himself, a barely visible gesture in the unreal flood of diffused light. 'I'll mutiny before I give my name to such a thing.'
"'And I,' said Wolf shortly. 'And most of us, I think.'
"It was not that the Union fleet was crewed by saints, thought Crane. Most of its personnel had signed on for booty; the System knew how much treasure was locked in the vaults of Earth's dictators. But the horror of nuclear war had been too deeply graven for anyone but a fanatic at the point of desperation to think of using it."
-"Cold Victory," p. 60.
There is that booty that I mentioned recently. Booty!
Garcia's and Wolf's response is mine - although, in the normal way of things, I would not have joined any armed service in the first place. The horror of nuclear war exists in our timeline and must be even stronger in theirs after a World War III followed by a determined peace policy by a UN world government. I do find it unlikely that a desperate fanatic would have his orders obeyed if they included the bombardment of Earth of all places. What would be left worth having after that?
Does the "...unreal flood of diffused light..." imply that the situation has become unreal and that the light of understanding has become diffused?
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I doubt Admiral K'ung thought of himself as being a "desperate fanatic." Rather, that he was determinedly loyal to his oath. Also, the Crane narrating "Cold Victory" described him as have a very shrewd understanding of the strategy needed to win the war. Which, if it worked out as the Admiral hoped, would not make it necessary to bombard Earth. I think you keep missing that!
And I'm not surprised so many of the pro Solar Unionists signed up in hopes of gaining some loot. And that could be satisfied without needing to let them run will plundering and sacking Earth. Simply pay them big fat donatives from the loot stuffed in the vaults of Dictator Carnarvon and his hencemen.
I'm reminded as well of how Dominic Flandry reflected in THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS how the corrupt and oppressive masters of Biocontrol had vast amounts of wealth stuffed in THEIR vaults. And, of how the leaders of any rebellion against Biocontrol would probably be handsomely pay mercenaries for military advice against the regime. Flandry concluded that Biocontrol was so deeply hated by the people of Unan Besar that if they could be sure of getting the antitoxin needed for living on that planet, any such revolt would begin and end so quickly that no free lancers would be needed.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I regard even preparedness to use nukes as wrong.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I have to disagree. Being prepared and willing to use even nukes might well be the only thing fending off a truly TERRIBLE enemy or danger. As Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus wrote in DE RE MILITARI: "Let him who desires peace prepare for war." Or as the US President Theodore Roosevelt said: "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Only preparedness and determination will prevent war.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I would consider nuking the Draka because death would be a release for their serfs.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
As would I! The Alliance should have struck at the Domination about one day sooner in Stirling's book THE STONE DOGS. Before the Draka's bioweapon would have time to be effective.
Ad astra! Sean
Paul: though the serfs might not agree!
There's an old joke about a soldier looking around at a smoking wasteland and saying: "We liberated the absolute shit out of -this- place."
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And my thought was that by the Alliance hitting the Domination as HARD and early as possible would SAVE many of those serfs. Ah well, it did not happen like that in THE STONE DOGS.
Ad astra! Sean
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