Discourse on the Blue Ajah

[Marie 73]

I promised Olivia and so shall I deliever! If at a later date than originally promised.

 

I am not a huge fan of the Blue Ajah. Indeed, I call it the Useless Ajah or the Undeclared Major of the White Tower. People like to get romantic (probably out of love of famous Blues, e.g. Moiraine, Siuan, etc.) and call it the "Justice Ajah". However, they are not called this in the books themselves. Usually it's something about seeking causes or seeking to right wrongs which isn't the same as seeking justice or some such nonsense. All of it is just vague enough to mean nothing at all.

 

They are, in truth, glorified busybodies. That's why they have such a large eyes-and-ears: They have no clue who to spy on so they spy on everyone. It is also why they are picked for Amyrlin so often. After all, everyone else has a job to do, so why not stick a Blue on the Seat?

 

Let's ignore Moiraine for a moment. What do Blue actually do? Nothing! Nothing at all! They just do what they want, which is fine, but at least be upfront about it. Don't hide behind vague "causes" excuse.

 

Blues are not talented in any one specific thing, which makes them decent all around Aes Sedai. This is not a bad thing, in fact it is good, but I won't let love of Moiraine cloud the truth from my eyes. The truth being that Blues are pointless!

 

/rant

[Kaitlin 22]

What would you suggest an Ajah to replace them would be?

 

I do not believe that Blues are pointless in the least. I'm impressed with what a lot of Blues have done, but I still see the Ajah in itself as useful. They are an extremely small Ajah, almost the smallest, so that tends to put things in perspective a little. It's not as if thousands of women are sitting around on their backsides doing nothing but reading reports from Eyes and Ears.

[Marie 73]

I do not believe in the Ajah system as a whole, so I would do away with them.

 

And please enlighten me! What have Blues done exactly, before the arrival of the Dragon Reborn?

[Kaitlin 22]

What have the Whites done? I think the fault lies in Robert Jordan for not explaining the different things Blues have done, but can you really fault him that much for not going even more off the topic of the main story to describe each little thing an Aes Sedai has done in her life? Although, I would like that!

 

I would imagine they'd be doing the same sorts of things that people who believe in causes do today, and have done. There's a certain personality type that not a lot of people understand, and those types work behind the scenes to get things done in terms of what they believe in. You could say that Doctors Without Borders are cause fighters like the Blues are described as being, because they work in their profession, but toward a cause rather than for personal gain. There needs to be idealists in the world, and the Blues fit into that.

 

If you do not believe in the system of Ajahs, naturally your perceptions would be clouded.

[Marie 73]

The Whites are hermits and do not hide this fact. They work out math problems, which no one sane wants to do, but someone has to do it.

 

I do not think nor expect RJ to discuss all the little things, but at least all the other Ajahs have specific functions. Whites are hermits, as I just said, Browns are glorified librarians, Yellows are the arrogant doctors, Greys diplomats, Greens are the warriors of the bunch, Reds hunt down the "evil doers" and Blues...have causes.

[Kaitlin 22]

I think causes are a specific function. The nature of them is that they are entirely personal. PoVs from Blues aren't exactly abundant, and the one's we've read have been from Siuan and Moiraine's perspective. We know about their causes, and the importance of them.

 

Whites don't have to go out and do something for everyone else to have a use, and Blues don't have to be all like Moiraine to be useful in their Ajah. The cause is use. Maybe a Blue has made it a personal mission to protect White Tower interests in one of the Borderland countries. That's useful too.

[Marie 73]

But what can a Blue do no other Ajah can? I suppose I see them as all most redundant.

[Kaitlin 22]

I guess it was a way to compromise back when they were starting up the White Tower. It would be better to go back to the old ajah system where the Aes Sedai would form groups for a short period of time. It seemed like they all had professions back then, though. Maybe that is what they will need to replace Ajahs in the future.

[Ekho 52]

I always thought the blues were the most political ajah and that was why so many had been Amyrilin

[Marie 73]

But Greys are suppose to be the political Ajah, which is my whole point about the useless Blues!

[Kaitlin 22]

Greys are mediators, which is different from diving into the politics like Blues. They have to stand a little more outside of things. If anything, the Greys should be absorbed by the Blues!

[Marie 73]

Dive in?! Ha!

[Kaitlin 22]

Ha! Yes, Dive!

[Olivia 26]

Maybe Blues are there because all Aes Sedai DON'T have a divine or righteous purpose. For all their airs, they are still just human, with flaws and faults. Maybe Blues wanted to have a mediocre job description (to kind of "fill the ranks" of Aes Sedai for the indecisive) so that they could be free to do what they wanted without having to answer to self-righteous Whites.....naming no names.... (just kidding )

[Marie 73]

That's fine. But then people shouldn't make them out to be the "justice" Ajah. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link (yay for silly sayings!) and in my hugely biased opinion Blues are that link.

 

In fact, Aes Sedai are suppose to be "servents to all". They are not suppose to be running around doing whatever it is the Tower has been doing these last years, but actually having some sort of righteous purpose. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Tower has lost its way, and Blues are the result.