On Sun, 20 Jun 2021 21:33:26 -0700, Jim Vassilakos
<xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

>So let me get this straight. This baron in the Spinward Marches becomes a
>grand admiral, defeats the Zhodani, then takes his fleets to the Imperial
>Core and personally murders the Empress, becoming the first of the Emperors
>of the Flag, ushering in a succession of civil wars. Later, the Imperium
>names a class of dreadnoughts after him.

>WTF am I missing? This dude's a traitor who's responsible for the deaths of
>only God knows how many people. It's a miracle the Imperium even survived.
>Not to mention the fact that he started this whole "right of assassination"
>buisness. And they name a whole dreadnought class after him? I wouldn't
>name a garbage scow after him.

>Somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on here.

1. The Right of Assassination well-predates hP; it was used to get rid
of Cleon the Mad (II? III?) in the early days of the Imperium.  The
real "Right to rule" here is "Right of Fleet Control", or more
crudely, "Might makes Right".

2. Because the Imperial Bureaucracy kept operating esentially
untouched during the Barracks Emperors period, it's considered to have
ever fallen. Rather than actual civil wars, despite what they're
called, it's actually a series of military coups.

3. (HOT BUTTON TOPIC USED FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY!) There are several
generals who were honored during the century following the events in
the USA during the period of 1861-1865, who are only now being erased
because they fought on the wrong side. These generals weren't honored
for their treason, but for their military prowess and contributions to
warfighting doctrine. hP may be in essentially the same position in
the Imperium.