[Dragaera] Liberals

[Jerry Friedman via Dragaera]

> From: Christopher Martin via Dragaera <dragaera at lists.dragaera.info>


I wrote:
><<But I should have been more explicit (again).  First, I think the Dragons>will
>hate being part of something called the Jhereg Guard and wearing Jhereg
>colors.
>Second, I think they'll hate enforcing laws that were passed only to
>increase
>the Jhereg's income.  Third, I think they'll have to leave Jhereg businesses
>mostly alone, and bribes from others will largely go to Jhereg commanders,
>leaving less for the Dragon rank and file.>>

>I think this misses a big point about Dragaeran culture - its fluid, and
>the dragons we see in the books today, when the Dragon is near the top of
>the Cycle, are not the Dragons you would see when they are near the

>bottom.

Or might not be those Dragons.

>My sense is that all the qualities that are present in Dragons>/Athyra / Jhereg / what have you are present at all times, but that certain
>qualities are heightened or more dominant during the parts of the cycle
>when they are ascendant.  There have been plenty of corrupt regimes that
>functioned perfectly well for human societies, for example, and soldiers
>served under them - one would expect the Dragon penchant for blood and
>honor to be simply more thuggish in a Jhereg reign.


Well, that's a possibility I hadn't considered.  But I'd expect the Dragons
to get more picky about honor and about hating the Jhereg when they're
under pressure.  They're not just like human soldiers--they're more stubborn
and proud (often insanely so).

Even among real humans, when Ireland was ruled by Britain, lots of Irishmen
wanted to be soldiers and policemen, but not under the British.  I'll bet
most Dragons would feel the same way about the Jhereg.

Let's say Dortmond wouldn't have minded serving in the Jhereg Guard, but Dunn
would have done anything to avoid it.  Virt?  Aelburr?  Napper's thoughts on
it would be obvious.
>Which raises the interesting point that the Jhereg we see in the books are
>the Jhereg at the bottom of the cycle - feuding, squabbling, bickering over
>small pieces of territory, etc.  I envision a more Anhk-Morpork-ian
>"organized crime" when the Jhereg are at the top of the Cycle.



Hm.  I always assumed the squabbling was part of the plan.  That's how you
make sure the people who make it to the top are "stand-up guys".  Maybe
that's not so necessary during a Jhereg reign, but I'll bet it is before
and after.

Jerry Friedman