Ministry and Dementors/

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 176653

> > Magpie:
> > Basically, yeah! I don't need explanations for why it's horrible 
to 
> > be stuck with Dementors--I get that. But why should I recognize 
the 
> > use of that particular punishment as a sign of "underlying 
> > corruption?"
> <snip> 
> > I guess I was a bit confused about what Dumbledore's ideals meant
> > in all of this. It seems like sort of an "I told you so" to me--
> > Dumbledore correctly predicted that the Dementors would side 
with. 
> > It ccontrasts with, for instance, my own predictions of things 
that 
> > might come back and bite the heroes on the butt, but it just seems
> > to kind of show everybody should have listened to Dumbledore 
> > whenever he said anything.
> 
> Jen:  I thought I did offer more than 'Dumbledore said' or at least 
> the explanation worked out in my mind as more than that.  Since 
> political breakdown is at the root of Voldemort's rise in both wars 
> imo, the choice of alliance is crucial.  Politically the MOM chose 
to 
> align with Voldemort's side indirectly by keeping the Dementors 
> around.  They gambled their entire operation on the choice in the 
> name of safety and paid dearly for it.  They shouldn't have needed 
> Dumbledore to say, 'bad idea'; it should have been self-evident.  
> 
> So yeah, I think it's a degradation of values to gamble innocent 
> lives of not only the MOM workers but everyone in the community on 
a 
> perceived safety that doesn't exist.

Magpie:
In general, I totally follow this, but how is this made clear in the 
WW? Is the Ministry obviously wrong for aligning themselves with 
creatures who would align with Voldemort? Does that mean they'd be 
wrong to align with giants or hire werewolves? Anybody who would side 
with Voldemort? (They shouldn't hire Slytherins either.)

Or is it just that I should know that Dementors are symbolic of stuff 
in my world that shows people doing stuff that seems evil in the name 
of safety and protection? Because I can certainly understand that, 
but it still seems pretty arbitrary in the way this world is set up. 
They seem like a bad idea to me, but not automatically a sign to 
worry about the government given other OTT punishments in canon that 
don't seem to signal any underlying issues with the person doing it. 
It's not like my problem is that I'm pro-Dementor. I'm anti-Dementor 
as guards of Azkaban. I'm just always surprised when any of these 
people agree with me in this area, so I never assume it.

-m