On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 9:58 PM, (via tml list) <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:

Y'know, it occurs to me that we've all failed to consider an
important implication of that Hiver mainipulation of the K'kree.

There's no way that folks who could pull that off *wouldn't* realize
what the K'kree would do to those planets once they found out.

So that means they they were willing to condemn that many people *who
had done nothing to them* to death.

That's a bit chilling.

Eh. The K'Kree were already looking at the Hivers as omnivores and threats. The K'Kree are, at root, intolerant and genocidal.

Getting into a traditional stand-up fight requires you to have sufficient forces that you can convince yourself that you can win.

Consider what the losses would have been in the event of a war between the K'Kree and the Hivers.

Better that the K'Kree kill their own citizens on their own planets, than both the K'kree and the Hivers and their clients suffer more casualties spread across multiple systems.

This is no different than any other civilian casualties inflicted in the execution of any other strategic plan.

Forcing your opponent into a position where they will decide to execute their own citizens for ideological impurity is an excellent plan, exactly because you have forced your opponent to inflict those casualties on their own citizens, and made them aware that this is something that will continue to happen, is a beautiful piece of psychological warfare.

As for the Hivers, it's a much better plan than getting in a stand-up fight that they'll probably lose and will certainly be expensive in terms of lives and materials.

Dan

"Any sufficiently advanced parody is indistinguishable from a genuine kook." -Alan Morgan