The great convention

[alexholker]

Does anyone know the technology and weapons banned by The Great Convention? I know that atomics may not be used against humans, and the use of thinking machines is banned, but is there anything else people know of?

Alex

[NHJ BV]

Didn't it ban the use of all WMD's against humans to minimise civilian casualties? I believe on that ground action was taken against Grumman in the prequels after they carpet-bombed Ecaz.

[Vanguard3000]

It banned the use of atomic weaponry, as well as biological (and perhaps chemical) weaponry.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

biological too? where did you get that from? and that means that the tleilaxu are violating the great convention :O well harkonnens are too, but what would you expect. they are so influental that noone can do anything about it.

[Khan]

Except that the guild could stop transporting them and the sardaukar could kick their asses. Also they would probably get their fief taken away from them.

[Vanguard3000]

I believe they mention biological weapons in the Prequels somewhere, although I don't recall seeing it in the originals.

When did the Tleilaxu and Harkonnens use biological weapons (aside from gholas; by biological weapons, I think it's safe to assume it is referring to bombs and whatnot)? And yes, as Thane said, there are many things in place to enforce the Great Convention. Not just Guild embargoes or Sardaukar; the penalty for violation of the Great Convention is the obliteration of the guilty House by ALL Great Houses in the Landsraad.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I am just assuming that. Don't you think it is unlikely that the Harkonnens wouldn't be producing atomics or at least some kind of radiation weapon?(not biological for harks)

and I think that the tleilaxu would produce biological weapons since they are evil and nobody would find out as long as they weren't used.

[NHJ BV]

I am quite sure the Great Convention also condemned the use of regular weaponry on a mass-scale, e.g. carpetbombing a city with regular bombs.

[Anathema]

I believe they mention biological weapons in the Prequels somewhere, although I don't recall seeing it in the originals.

It's when the baron and Piter realised that Mohiam (?) had in fact infected the baron, and thought of blackmailing them since the BG had used a biological weapon.

[Vanguard3000]

First off, the Tleilaxu are not evil; they merely have different views. They are most certainly not evil. Also, keep in mind that all Great Houses had stashes of atomic weapons.

[TMA_1]

agreed vanguard! in fact, I really think their code of honor in killing someone is really fascinating. They always leave a way of escape for a person, so that if the person is worthy of living that they will live.

Also, just because weapons are against the convention, doesnt mean they arent produced on a large scale. The house atomics have to be rehauled, and inspected, many renegade houses buy atomics and other weapons on the black market, and maybe have even been used as a blackmail.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

The tleilaxu are evil! that is my conclusion after reading the dune books I have read.

If you look at dune in black and white we have evil and good houses:

Evil: Harkonnen, Tleilaxu, Moritani, Corrino, Richese

Good: Atreides, Ix, Ecaz

But you have to agree that Atreides and Harkonnen are the opposite, good and evil, black and white.

[TMA_1]

the atreides have their historic evils too, the atreides are also cold in many ways. Remember nobody is good in everybody's eyes. Though there is a lot of admiration, many fear atreides, they do have traits that might not seem so nice.lol

The harkonnen are indeed amoral, there is no doubt about that.lol This is one area of black and white where I hve to mostly agree with you. and I dont follow the prequels about the historical errors about the harkonnen. Though xavier does make one of brian and kevin's ideas decently good for a story.

The tleilaxu are immoral to our eyes, but in their eyes they are just advancing the language of god, dna. They believe that God gave the knowledge of the genetic code almost like a bible, and that we humans must advance upon that "scripture". They do it out of sincere ideals, I owuldnt call them evil.

[Vanguard3000]

Err... what Dune books have you read, exactly?

And you have to realize that Dune is not a black and white universe/series. Even the prequels aren't (completely) like that.

[TMA_1]

vanguard, every single thing in this universe has certain things that sum up to black and white. You can make it as grey as you wish, but you have to admit that under the reign of Vladimir, things were pretty damn dark.

Also, All the info I said seems to be truth, did I make a mistake? or were you talking to somebody else??

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I know that dune is not black and white. I keep telling myself that, but I like better to look at situations as black and white.

I base the tleilaxu evilness upon House Harkonnen, House Corrino and especially Dune Messiah.

of course the atreides have their evil sides, but in my eyes they are what we nowadays would call good.

and yes that is the one thing about dune which is black and white. Atreides and Harkonnen.

I think that the harkonnen values(if I may call them that) are genius. I have never read about anyone caring less for others or anything than the harkonnens. they are pure evil, they look upon themselves as evil. that is why I think they are so cool. Don't care about enviroment, standard of living, moral or anything.

it is like they say: they may think whatever the hell they like about us, but we have the power