On 14 May 2016 14:42, "Phil Pugliese (via tml list)"

>
> I can agree with that but I would argue that it doesn't go far enough.
>
> I don't believe a society that rigid would be able to suffer such a 'panic catatonia'  w/o suffering a severe upheaval.
> Now, if the Hivers have their tentacles imbedded so deeply that they could 'guide' the K'kree thru something like that then they really are well on the way to becoming another (semi)slave race like the  Ithklur.

Which could be just the further threat the Hiver used to get the K'kree to withdraw.

They wouldn't have had to reveal the manipulation to the whole of K'kree society, just the high command, who could then be 'persuaded' to halt the war and keep quiet about the whole filthy affair, either for the good of the entire herd or just so that the commanders could keep their privileged positions, whichever the Hiver thought would be the best approach, or 'we will light the fuse on all the other projects we already have in place, ready and waiting, should you be so unwise as to choose the wrong path. You think what we have done here is bad? How desperately do you wish to find out just what we are really capable of?'

As to whether the Hiver want the K'kree as Ithklur 2.0, well who can tell? Maybe they do, maybe they have other reasons. Maybe they were testing whether the K'kree should be allowed to survive as a race in their present form or even at all. Maybe their aim wasn't even the K'kree.

David Shaw