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A sort of meta post about T_P and GoT.
May. 7th, 2019 10:37 amBecause I like my fantastical narratives done well on the telly I've been a GoT fan since the first season. T_P is a little older than the telly version of GoT, but I did wonder, in that slightly addled-pated fashion of mine, if the main players on T_P mapped on to any of the characters in GoT.
Alas I came to the conclusion that we were all minor variations of Tyrion, Varys, Davos, Samwell, and Missandei. (Though I do try to do a creditable version of Olenna Tyrell.)
What it says about people actually engaged in political debate is questionable. I think adherence to some sort of ideology as an approach to government to be fundamentally flawed. Once the basics of fairness, justice, and law are agreed I think an appreciation of the consequences of any piece of legislation is more useful in determining how we frame our legislation and how we govern. To say the same thing in a slightly different way to emphasise the point; when it comes to governance it is often less about the principle of the thing, and more about mitigating the potential damage change makes.
Reform always needs to happen. As we understand more, some things become impossible to countenance. The social changes that led to the end of institutional slavery or the enfranchisement of women are not radical in any way, merely justice finally rebalancing the scales a smidgeon; but not so much as to actually right the wrongs of slavery and women's second class citizen status. (I am of course only speaking of the civilised world. Barbarian countries may do things differently; and many do, and don't seem to feel any shame about it either. Barbarian individuals probably have a different mindset too; but it is a wonderful thing that a little education often gentles even the most Conan-like of berserkers.)
Alas I came to the conclusion that we were all minor variations of Tyrion, Varys, Davos, Samwell, and Missandei. (Though I do try to do a creditable version of Olenna Tyrell.)
What it says about people actually engaged in political debate is questionable. I think adherence to some sort of ideology as an approach to government to be fundamentally flawed. Once the basics of fairness, justice, and law are agreed I think an appreciation of the consequences of any piece of legislation is more useful in determining how we frame our legislation and how we govern. To say the same thing in a slightly different way to emphasise the point; when it comes to governance it is often less about the principle of the thing, and more about mitigating the potential damage change makes.
Reform always needs to happen. As we understand more, some things become impossible to countenance. The social changes that led to the end of institutional slavery or the enfranchisement of women are not radical in any way, merely justice finally rebalancing the scales a smidgeon; but not so much as to actually right the wrongs of slavery and women's second class citizen status. (I am of course only speaking of the civilised world. Barbarian countries may do things differently; and many do, and don't seem to feel any shame about it either. Barbarian individuals probably have a different mindset too; but it is a wonderful thing that a little education often gentles even the most Conan-like of berserkers.)
