Dumbledore the General

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 124240


Debbie:

In any event, Dumbledore's failure to mount an offensive against 
Voldemort in OOP seems consistent with my view of the Order.  I 
believe that Dumbledore's founding of the Order represents a 
rejection of traditional strategies, such as the ones you suggest.  
Rather than being a *bad* strategist, his approach is 
revolutionary.  Dumbledore's objective is not to beat, or kill, the 
DEs and save the wizarding world from them, though at the DoM the 
Order members do fight to protect Harry & Co.; the goal must be to 
change their thinking *and* the thinking of the average witch or 
wizard, or else there will be endless waves of Grindelwalds and 
Voldemorts to fight against.  And if he is to do that, he can't 
stoop to their level.

Alla:

I agree with you in general - such as I also believe that Dumbledore 
wants to change the "thinking" of WW as a whole, or at least I" want 
to believe that, because I think that I a whole lot of things need 
to be changed in WW.

I don't think though that Dumbledore can afford to be on "defensive" 
any more.

Moral superiority is great, but people are getting killed and 
Dumbledore's unwillingness to go after Voldie full stop does not 
look to me as " non stooping " to their levels, but more like 
foolishness.

I also understand that Dumbledore is trying to recruit multiple 
allies ( as other people have suggested - Giants, etc), but again he 
is not moving nearly as fast as I think he should.

Dumbledore does not have much time to waste, IMO, and even if he 
cannot recruit everybody he thinks he should ( representatives of 
all species, etc.), I think he should start moving with whatever 
allies he has  and of course try to keep convincing others in the 
meanwhile.


Debbie:

I believe the *Good* side cannot win this war if they engage the DEs 
on their own terms; they can only win by moral superiority.   Thus, 
they cannot function by entrapping and killing DEs.


Alla: 
Again, it sounds great in theory. The only problem I see is that DE 
have no problem killing people, therefore if Dumbledore puts his 
principles over his soldiers' lives, I won't call him a good general.

I have NO problem with Dumbledore trying to be morally superior if 
he can, UNLESS his "superiority" puts his people in unnecessary 
danger. Then it is hypocrisy, in my opinion only.


-- Kristen:
 
1) Yes, he sent Hagrid to get the Giants.  
2) He is speaking out to the wizarding world that Voldemort has 
returned even though it is costing him political capital. 
3) He has the order members tracking know death eaters.  While I 
know it might be more active to "take them out".   Remember that 
Azkaban may not be under MOM control much longer and they are trying 
to learn more of the enemies plans.
4) He has order members looking for international support and 
recruiting members
5) He may (or may not) have Snape out there spying on DEs.  But 
either way he is up to something.
6) He has order members guarding the prophecy in an effort to keep 
that "weapon" out of Voldemort's hands.
Last: This is all Harry knows of we don't know what.


Alla:

But as I said above all those are negotiation efforts, not war 
tactics, at least it does not look like one to me yet.
I agree with your last point though - Harry may not know all order 
did, considering he was kept in the Dark about his own destiny 
through OOP, so maybe he was kept in the Dark about Order's other 
missions.




Kristen: 
In a war that is not yet public, I'm not sure what else you expect 
the order to do right now.  They cannot very well attack the DEs 
when the MOM does not acknowledge that Lucius and company are a 
threat.  All that would do is land order members in Azkaban.  


Alla:

I believe they can attack DE quietly. Ministry and Fudge do not have 
to know about it, you know. :o)




Just my opinion, of course

Alla.