Technology does not always advance as quickly in other cultures, our culture is morphing our perception. Take China for instance, it was once mountains ahead of other in technology(going off my head here so can i get a confirmation?) but stagnated because of lack of interest in new technologies. The world could be in a period of technological stagnation and could be compounded by long winters and wars. Also there was that apocalyptic event known as the Long Night. Also does it really matter? I am not at all interested on why technology has stagnated; I just want a good story.

 

I thought China fell behind cause they didn't invent nor import glass? Among other things ofcourse.

And what Harry could give Westeros without being way too modern would be printing press, maybe even form a school in Lannisport.

But, I don't think Harry actually "remembers" things that was taught in his classes nor his day-to-day life.
So he can't really mordenize the world as much as some people tend to think.

 

I think it had more to do with the emperors being assholes if memory serves me correct.

When it comes down to it, this isn't about Westeros becoming modernized its about playing the game of thrones and the Long Night to come. I wouldn't mind if the author just ignores it personally.

 

Yeah, I feel the same way, I'd rather it be about the game.

 

Since were running out of idea's, what do you guys think will happen to Joffrey now that we have Harry. I think we might see Harry kill him personally, also have any of you guys been disturbed by the fact its genre is tragedy?

 

Seems appropriate for the story andy. I doubt very much Harry and Joffrey will ever get along.

 

It's A Song of Ice and Fire. We all love and feel good about the story but if you don't realize the story is a tragedy then you're a sociopath.

 

Hey, some good ol' fashion rape and killing is just family fun.

Atleast in the Lannisters.

 

Tsk.. If the author maintains a sense of humor like Martin, he (or she) would kill off some of the author's characters. Presumably that little girl who got raped. She might die later on the story if it got that far. (Death to non-virgins!)

Anyhow, I predict Harry making his own damned wand with some good ol "Dragon Heartstring" and some "Godswood" and hereby earning the wrath of the Khaleesi.

Maybe a little incest here and there to spice things up. Nothing like a good ol sibling love to lighten up the mood.

 

The series does seems to attract unsavory types in my experience -- people who claim the Starks deserved to die, for example.

On the subject of Harry modernizing Westeros, I doubt he'll really do much technologically speaking. Introducing the printing press is as far as I could see it going if it happens at all. Actually out of any type of technological modernization that's what I'd like to see. Better dissemination of knowledge could really improve things in Westeros. Other than that, maybe some weapons of war.

A more viable method of modernizing Westeros is socially/culturally. Westeros is ridiculously steeped in violence and murder (by the way, people saying that ASoIaF is more realistic fantasy just because how dark it is confuse me -- since when did realism equate to darkness? While it is more grounded in certain ways, but it's not the body count or rampant cynicism that does it) and I'd like to see him setting the bar higher for people. If he is Azor Azai, then as a quasi-Messianic figure he'd be in a good position to do that. I think it'd be a waste if he didn't do something like that actually.

 

ehh, I always felt tragedy meant it was gonna have a sad ending, which might be different from other definitions. I still feel like the best bet would be just to ignore modernizing until at the very end if at all. Harry's discovery of the incest will be interesting to say the least. I'm pretty sure Harry won't be involved in incest, and hopefully none of you guys were hoping for that.

 

I think the ending of ASOIAF is going to be very... pyrrhic.

 

There's no way Harry can "modernize" Westeros. First of all, does he even know basic agricultural techniques? Crop rotation? Does he know how to develop corn? What about gunpowder? Everything muggle related Harry is ignorant to as he did not go to a muggle college, graduate and get a muggle degree.

Modernizing a civilization isn't easy. You have to begin with raising the comfort level of the population aka. providing more food or ways to grow more crop. Then you develop infrastructure. Engineering. Afterwards, you have to provide education to the poor. Remember this is Middle Ages where there are no schools.

Warfare technology is even worse. Harry has no idea how gunpowder works. He's a wizard for crying out loud. Just because he's muggle born doesn't mean he knows all the "secret" behind muggle tech. Look at Dumbledore, he's wise in the ways of the wizard but apparently knows just the basics for muggles coz if he knew a lot more, he'd be out there giving guns and sniper rifles and grenades and bazookas to the Order.

I mean, disillusionment charm + silencio on a machine gun. Holy freaking hell... mow them Death Eater jokers down with a minigun. Featherweight charm on miniguns... Anti-overheating charm on miniguns... Auto-replenish ammo on miniguns... Charmed miniguns to autofire on intruders.

 

Harry may not be able to modernize but he can, "till the field and sow the seeds," as it were.

I could see him, once he's king, establishing schools and raising the average level of education of just either Kings Landing, or Casterly Rock. Hell maybe even the whole Seven Kingdoms. What's important, what he can do, is make the environment fertile for that kind of advancement and innovation.

 

I'd argue that improving the social side of things would lead to technological development, so if Harry only does what he's doing right now I think it would lead to a better future for the people of Westeros. Less war = more people = more crops = better living = more free time = more inventions. And so on.

 

Yep. I have no idea how the "Harry modernizes Westeros" discussion started. Nothing of the sort has even been remotely implied, and even if it were, it just screams FixItFic. It's going to be hard to introduce advanced technology when you only have images and feelings from your past life.

 

My friend, always the idealist eh? I'm sorry to burst your bubbles but ideals, when faced with reality, are always crushed. There's only one currency in the world and that's power. Especially if you consider Westeros and its culture, there's no way an idealist like Harry can make a change through morality. The most we can hope for is an enforced peace and prosperity through military might. Then, he can begin his "modernizing" of Westeros once he's firmly in control of everything.

The author actually mentioned it in his fic that the only reason people listen to Harry is because he's a prince. If he was anybody else, they'd kick his teeth and leave his body to rot.

So this is what I hope to see... for Harry to impose his will upon Westeros, he must first conquer it with such force that nobody will try to rebel against him for fear of severe punishment.

Enforced peace and guidance is what is needed because the culture of Westeros is soaked in blood and violence. Harry NEEDS to get rid of that through might and magic.

 

^ This is what I meant by unsavory types.

You're free to go fuck yourself, by the way.

 

You do know masturbation is a form of ahh... "fucking yourself" in which most of the hot-blooded males of the species are guilty of doing.

Aside from that, I'd love to hear you give some "counter-arguments" as why enforced peace and prosperity as an initial action would be unproductive.

And if unsavory is what you mean by practicality and realistic views, maybe a little bit cynicism, then unsavory is what I am for I refuse to delude myself in idealism.

First comes destruction, then recreation. To destroy a rotting tree, you must uproot it and plant a new seed.