When the Emperor's granddaughter is kidnapped, Admiral Fenross investigates the barbarians and the Merseians whereas Flandry:
"'...having a nasty suspicious mind, thought that our own space might harbor persons who wouldn't mind having the Emperor's favorite granddaughter for a house guest.'" (p. 318)
In a proposed Star Trek script, a shipment of grain was to have been poisoned by a rival company but the author was told that, on American TV, Big Business could not be the villain of the story so the poisoning had to have been done by a hostile government, the Klingons. (The problem cannot have originated within our social system so it must have come in from outside.)
Poul Anderson's Technic History shows that Technic civilization has both internal and external problems and also that the the two kinds of problems can combine. League traders armed barbarians. If the Taurian Sector secedes from the Empire, will it be absorbed by the Roidhunate?
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
There are many reasons why I am skeptical of things like a corporation deliberately poisoning shipments of grain. It would be very bad for business if that poisoning ever came out. It would be very hard to keep secret (it only takes one to blab!). Last, some businessmen might even have some moral scruples!
No, as things like Stalin's Terror Famine in Ukraine shows, gov'ts are more likely to commit such crimes.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
A few more thoughts. In fairness to Admiral Fenross, he did have to pay some attention to the possibility barbarians or Merseian agents had kidnapped the Emperor's grand daughter. Also, despite his intense dislike of Flandry, Fenross knew how able he was and appreciated his ability to solve problems in unusual ways.
And I utterly loathe and abominate the appalling cover Baen Books chose for SIR DOMINIC FLANDRY!!!!!! That has to be the most awful of the covers selected for the Flandry volumes of the TECHNIC CIVILIZATION SAGA.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Some companies are guilty of subordinating safety to profit. It is just very difficult to get anything done about it.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I know, but I find it hard to think, for the reasons I listed, any company poisoning large shipments of grain and causing massive numbers of deaths.
And, even if Duke Alfred succeeded in breaking away the Taurian sector from the Empire, I doubt he would be able to avoid falling under Merseian domination. He would have needed Merseian help to both pro-Imperial counter revolts in his sector and to combat efforts by the Empire to regain Tauria. And Merseia would have demanded a high price for that kind of "help."
Ad astra! Sean
Drat! I meant to write "He would have needed Merseian help to both PUT DOWN pro-Imperial counter revolts..."
Sean
Sean,
But it might happen in a fictional future and should not be ruled out on general principle.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
If you mean a deliberate mass killing by a private company, I agree. Despite my skepticism.
Ad astra! Sean
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