[Dragaera] Corruption WAS Re: Unstoppable Force vs Immovable Object

[Maximilian Wilson]

On 11/18/06, Scott Crain <s_thomas_crain at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I don't think you could bribe an Imperial Inquisitor to NOT do his job
> with the Empress looking on; no offense, but that would be, in my mind,
> something along the lines of a death sentence just for trying, sort of like
> trying to bribe Bujold's Imperial Auditors -- just to try is treason.  I
> mean, the Empress has a close, personal stake in making sure her Inquisitors
> remain unbribeable, you know?


I don't see how that follows. The Empress has a stake in making sure her
Inquisitors remain *loyal*, sure, and that bribes don't dissuade them from
executing her commands. But the Empire is not merely the Empress, and we
have evidence that accepting bribes is an accepted and acceptable perk of
office. (Incidentally, does anyone know enough about Chinese history and
government to comment on whether the Dragaeran is more an Eastern- or
Western-style empire?)


> I also can't think of an Imperial Inquisitor as being incompetent; they'd
> never reach the position if they were.  Were they aware of what Vlad was
> doing?  Most probably.  Could they have nailed him down if they really
> wanted to?  Most certainly.


Incidentally, I'm told that the real value of a polygraph is not merely the
"did you kill him?" question, precisely because people can sometimes fake
out polygraphs. Apparently a good interrogator can play twenty questions to
dig up incriminating evidence, even if the polygraph itself isn't admissible
in court.

[quoting Jerry Pournelle] However, I do want to emphasize that it takes a
skilled and talented interrogator who is familiar with what the various
measures mean, and a much better polygraph than the usual kit available to
most police. It needs among other things face and hand temperature
measurements (separate) with fast response times, as well as GSR, heart
rate, and breathing pattern (not just breath rate). But given good
measurements and someone skilled, you can play "20 questions" with
considerable accuracy despite determined resistance by the subject. "Did you
bury the body north of the river?  Ah, south, then. Near the river? Ah, how
near? What do you think is near?  Is a mile near?  Half a mile? Less than
half a mile. Let's see, you live less than half a mile from the river, did
you bury that body east or west of your house..."

I suspect a competent investigator would be able to do similar things with
the Orb.

-Max

-- 
Be pretty if you are, be witty if you can,
But be cheerful if it kills you.

Everything in Windows is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult.
    -Clausewitz