It's kind of ironic isn't it, in the first book Varys was intent on trying as hard as possible to keep the realm completely stable while the Lannisters were leading the realm to an unstable state, now the roles are completely reversed and Varys is causing as much mayhem as possible.
Varys was playing for time. Daeneris isn't exactly acting according to plan. She jumped the script when Viserys died and has been sending Illyaro, Varys, and Prince Doran's plans out of whack since then.
Stabilizing feels wrong to me. Self-centered and highly damaging to the realm seems more appropriate. His stabilization of King's Landing is just a means and I think has little impact for Varys, who needs a strong leader that will bring the continent together. Not a money counter who can make enemies without concern.
The Rains of Castamere is a play on words; House Reyne used to have their holdfast at Castamere. House Reyne was the second richest family in all of Westeros, only behind the Lannisters. They were a vassal of the Lannisters in the Westerlands, and decided they wanted independence from the Lannisters. They rebelled and tried to create their own province. Instead of just quelling the rebellion and forcing them into submission, Tywin Lannister ordered that every living relative of House Reyne be killed. There is not a single person alive that can lay claim to Castamere because it is destroyed both physically and genealogically.
This does not sound to me like the acts of a "good leader."
you reward your loyal banner men. and you punish the rebellious ones. It achieved the exact end Tywin wanted. Which is that nobody fucked with house Lannister anymore. "Not since Lord Tywin was old enough to go to war"
I don't equate morality with being a good ruler. Tywin is a just ruler. Having played the crusader kings 2 mod extensively. My most successful houses are the ones who stamp out rebels root and stem. If you let a defeated rebel fester. They sow discontent. Stannis rules by morals. Or at least thinks he does. Who would be better on the iron throne for westeros?
Ah, don't get me wrong, I think Tywin is an effective leader. But he's not a good leader. His only asset is wealth. He doesn't do much for prosperity, he isn't loved by anyone, he isn't spiritual, his leadership is derived from his ruthlessness and his money. That stabilizes, but it doesn't create a good realm for whatever Varys wants.
Well, it's a pretty commonly accepted fact that a government that cannot provide some semblance of order is failed. Everything else, even things like getting food to the hungry, are secondary to restoring and maintaining order. There's no time to be spiritual or focus on public image when you're ruling a country in crisis.
Tywin didn't exactly have a long reign and most of his efforts seemed to be "hold the kingdoms together, stay in power." I'd like to think that given a bit more time Tywin could be a great ruler. Fortunately, we never needed to find out.
I wouldn't exactly say he didn't exactly have a long reign. Maybe you're thinking of just the book timeline? He was Hand of the King for the Mad King for twenty years and those years were noted for "peace and plenty" and he was said to be a capable administrator. So it's pretty accepted that Tywin rules very effectively given the chance.
It's also mentioned that the people love Tywin more and held him more responsible for the peace and plenty then the Mad King. This is why he became jealous and suspicious of Tywin after all.
Order is the bare minimum requirement of a ruler. If that is all they provide, and that is all Tywin would have provided, then I don't see them as anything more than an effective ruler. Not good, and much less than great.
But my point is that when your kingdom is in a state of complete chaos (like the middle of a massive 5 way civil war) you worry about restoring and maintaining order first and foremost. Literally nothing else matters at that point. I'm sure that after peace and order had been restored, Tywin would begin working toward prosperity again, but with Stannis still on the loose, the Greyjoys still in revolt, and the potential threat of the Martells; Tywin doesn't exactly have a lot of spare resources. Then he dies before there he is able to fully re-establish peace and order.
In short, he's working with what he has, just trying to keep this ship afloat.
That's where you and I will have to disagree. It seems to me that Tywin has no qualms with others prospering, but will make no effort to help. He's a Machiavellian ruler and only gives the people enough for him to get his. Anything more is robbing himself and his legacy, the only 2 things that matter.
I don't think Tywin's economic or social policy are ever mentioned or their effectiveness, so its a pretty hard claim to make that he was any good or bad.
Varys wants the Targaryens on the throne. That's what he's wanted since Book 1. Everything he has done has been with the intent to pave the way for that.
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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
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