Jonathan_S wrote:cthia wrote: I certainly concur. Yet it is interesting that you think he should have remained throughout Filareta's folly. Knowing so far in advance that he was coming and considering what was planned for him, I think he should have gotten out before the folly. I think he should have been recalled prior to the activation of Laccon.
It certainly increased the risk to Carmichael to not withdraw him when Laacoon was activated.
But his safety isn't (and IMHO shouldn't be) the top priority for Manticore. They're still hoping someone in the League government will come to their senses and choke this off short of a full war. But withdrawing your diplomat is a usual prelude to war - it sends the League exactly the wrong signal to withdraw the embassy and then choke off all trade - it signals that you're no longer willing to negotiate or make peace. Leaving him there lets them attempt to use Laccon as a wake-up call for opening negotiations - not the first step in a full blown war.
At even as late as the arrival of Raging Justice, if Fileretta hadn't been screwed by MALign plots to attack after he'd decided to withdraw having the embassy there to open talks would have increased the chances that the one deescalation would be the start of a peaceful resolution.
Heck, even after Manticore made the decision that the continued survival of the League was incompatible with their longterm safety they still have to think of managing the post breakup world. To some extent they're playing the diplomatic game to maintain, or increase, their reputation and negotiating clout for during and after the breakup. They need to do nearly everything to show that they bent over backwards to avoid this, and it was the corrupt and out of control League government that was solely responsible for this interstellar trainwreck. (Because that's a very good wedge with which to split systems off from it).
A fair amount of (informed) risk to their ambassador is (again IMHO) worth it to be seen as trying to keep the lines of negotiation open even as the unelected Mandarins continue greater and greater provocations (leading to greater and greater failures for the SLN).
I considered as well that risk is part and parcel of an ambassador's job and for the most part, he's somewhat expendable. But, in situation's like this, I'd think that an ambassador's safety and survival is better than 90 %, but considering present company is an arrogant League, an arrogant League who will surely become desperate (and desperation begets foolish decisions), and the fact that the League never signed the pertinent interstellar convention regarding an ambassador's safety, and the fact that it's questionable at best whether the League themselves would be able to protect him from angry Solarian citizens even if they wanted to (especially after the garbage of honey-coated-lies they're being fed)... Well, quite frankly, I'm surprised he isn't dead already. Leaving him there to do his job, albeit a very important one in the face of danger is one thing. But leaving him to surely die (as I think he will) is another. His safety shouldn't be first and foremost as you've said, but IMO his certain death should be.
I suppose at the heart of my feelings is the fact that I really don't want Manticore to lose yet another ambassador on that planet. Perhaps we both agree that he
should be extracted? Just
when should he have been? <
shrugs>
Or perhaps you think he should stay his course and weather the storm, even though the building clouds over his head are very very dark - I identify those ominous clouds not as cumulonimbuses but cumulobimbosses.
In the end, I really can't argue your point. And I concur and defer to your better sensibilities here. I'm probably much too emotionally vested. As I've already stated, I even considered as well that risk is part and parcel of an ambassador's job and for the most part, he's somewhat expendable. However, I certainly don't like it. I'm already preparing myself that in the next book, Carmichael dies.
Moving farther along, I think you are correct and perhaps Carmichael should tough it out 'til the bitter end - an end that surely
will be bitter if it passes the reservoir of RFC's quill and I come across it.
And there's absolutely nothing that the RMN can do that it isn't doing already - still considering the bigger picture.
'Oh shut up will you!'
Sorry guys, there's one on one shoulder shouting "No man left behind!"
...and the other shoulder his doppelganger shouts "And remember Theisman said that your duty is to your own."
The only time the two voices in my head have ever concurred on anything. Even though both are probably wrong.
Edit: invested => vested
.
