Comedy/Tragedy of Errors: Stupidity in the Honorverse

kzt wrote:Which is in and of itself is interesting. One wonders what exactly can be vetoed and how one can work around that. Assuming that they don't just arrest everyone who votes against a resolution and holds another vote until it "passes by acclamation".

GofyTomcat1 wrote:Honor for never bringing a ship home in one piece

bkwormlisa wrote:One of the stupidest (and most annoying things) in my opinion was Queen Elizabeth canceling the summit and resuming the war.

“And what happened on Torch, Your Majesty?” Mourncreek said.

“They invited us – me – to a summit meeting. I don’t think they actually expected me to accept. I think it was essentially planned as yet another of their damned diplomatic lies. They probably intended to publish the correspondence of their invitation and my refusal as proof that they’re the ‘reasonable party’ in this war. It would have bolstered their claim that they’ve been telling the truth about our diplomatic correspondence from the beginning.

“But then I accepted their invitation, and we nominated Torch for the site and invited Erewhon to provide security, with the possibility of repairing the damage to our relations with the Erewhonese. They hadn’t counted on that. And even though they’d probably never expected to sit down and negotiate seriously, they found themselves in a position where they might actually have to do that. Where it was even possible we’d sound like the voice of reason. So they decided to avoid the entire problem by killing Berry and Ruth – after all, what’s the death of two more teenaged girls to bastards like Peeps? For that matter, if the girls’ schedule hadn’t slipped, they probably would have killed Thandi Palane and decapitated the Torch military, as well. Obviously, the confusion and chaos which would have resulted would have made Torch completely impossible as a conference site. And even if it hadn’t, they could always point to their concern about security issues and the safety of their precious President Pritchart as reasons they couldn’t possibly meet with me there. After, of course, sending me their lying condolences for my niece’s death – just like Saint-Just did after he murdered Uncle Anson and Cal!”

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“Very well.” Elizabeth surveyed her ministers one more time, then nodded sharply, decisively.

“Willie, I’m going to draft a note to Pritchart. It’s not going to be pretty. I’m going to officially and publicly denounce her actions and notify her that I have no intention of meeting anywhere with someone who uses assassination as a routine tool. And I’m also going to notify her that we intend to resume active military operations immediately.”

Basically, she said "Pritchart tried to murder my niece because she wants to not have the summit she proposed. Because she thinks we'll get more benefit from it than she will. So I'll give her exactly what she wants and cancel it myself!"

And not a single one of her advisors pointed out that she was doing what she thought Pritchart wanted. WTF?

fallsfromtrees wrote:

saber964 wrote:Anyone who goes up against Honor in personal or professional way. They have a tendency to wind up dead or disgraced.

Denver Summervale dead
Pavel Young dead
Stephen Young disgraced
Georgia Young disgraced and running fast and far
Michael Janvier disgraced
Edward Janacek disgraced and dead
Reginald Houseman disgraced
Marisa Turner disgraced
Elaine Descroix disgraced
William Fitzclarence dead
Samuel Muller dead

You could probably add Dimitri Young too.

Actually going up against Honor professionally is not necessarily a ticket to disgrace or death. off the top of my head
Thomas Theisman
Warner Caslet
Alfredo Yu
(and to roseandheather's dismay) Javier Giscard (although he did end up dead)

It really appears to be in the nature of personal attacks on Honor are a good way to professional suicide.

Greentea wrote:

bkwormlisa wrote:One of the stupidest (and most annoying things) in my opinion was Queen Elizabeth canceling the summit and resuming the war.

Basically, she said "Pritchart tried to murder my niece because she wants to not have the summit she proposed. Because she thinks we'll get more benefit from it than she will. So I'll give her exactly what she wants and cancel it myself!"

And not a single one of her advisors pointed out that she was doing what she thought Pritchart wanted. WTF?

Several advisers, including Honor, did point that out. Haven had very little to gain from the attempted assassination on Torch. However, the assassination of the Manticoran ambassador to the SL, carried out by a member of Haven's staff with financial trails pointing back to Haven helped Elizabeth reach her conclusion. Elizabeth has also experience several assassinations against herself or those she love carried out by Haven through agents. Elizabeth couldn't quite believe that the leopard could change its spots. The MAlign played on that. They played Elizabeth perfectly.