ywing14 wrote:I don't know that I really agree with the Alignment that "Honor should be one of them". Sure I can see the argument that she started out as an Alpha Line. But that was hundreds of years ago. Sure parts of that heritage are passed on, but that ignores the fact that Honor is just as much a product of the unaltered genes which have been added since as the Alpha Line has reproduced outside the Alignment.
I think that's more a consequence of the Alignment's own biases than anything else. For literally centuries, the MA has labored under the perception that they've been persecuted by the galaxy for their beliefs on genetic enhancement of human beings. They've labored for those same centuries to build a plan that would effectively burn the galaxy down around them so they can rise from the ashes and take over from the normals.
From everything we've seen, they've taken the idea of genetic predetermination to an insane level of zealotry that's unsupported by any scientific basis. The entire notion of distinct "genetic lines"--as if we're talking about different types of Coca-Cola--is a fantasy that's a gross oversimplification of behavioral genetics. When you look at how the MA pursued separate Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Slave lines, it's abundantly clear that their ideology is less about genetic improvement of the human species and more about a genetic caste system and power structure.
As an aside, the slave lines themselves are a pretty damned good example of just how flawed their approach is. After all, Manpower has to use repeated rape and torture to "condition" their pleasure slaves. And there are a lot of pissed off ex-slaves in the Honorverse. If the MA could use genetics to finely tune a person's personality based on genetics, Manpower would be selling slaves who are happy and content with their enslavement.
Taken together, it's really no surprise that they view Honor Harrington as someone who "should be one of them." They're predisposed to believe that genetics dictate everything, while cognitive dissonance helps them ignore any role Honor's own life experiences and environment might have played in her becoming such a competent naval tactician. They can't help but see themselves as responsible for Honor's successes, much as they'd prefer they didn't happen.
