Am I the only one who thinks it was scummy of the Baratheons to lead a rebellion?

[Daemon Dagoghlor]

I need a yes or no answer on this, did Robert actually SMILE at the bodies when presented?

I doubt he actually smiled, but it's made clear that he was pleased they were dead for the crime of being Targaryens more so than any claim to the throne.

[Mal Malenkirk]

I doubt he actually smiled, but it's made clear that he was pleased they were dead for the crime of being Targaryens more so than any claim to the throne.

He didn't smile according to Ned.

[thelittledragonthatcould]

He didn't smile according to Ned.

Instead he just married the daughter of the man who arranged their murder, a clear reward. It is obvious from his actions and his words "I see no babes, only dragonspawn" that he was pleased.

Innocents die in wars, it is unavoidable. Neds anger with Robert was his reaction to deaths of royal children(surely not the only innocent or children that had died in that war).

[James Arryn]

Instead he just married the daughter of the man who arranged their murder, a clear reward. It is obvious from his actions and his words "I see no babes, only dragonspawn" that he was pleased.

Innocents die in wars, it is unavoidable. Neds anger with Robert was his reaction to deaths of royal children(surely not the only innocent or children that had died in that war).

Well, the fact that these innocents didn't die as a side effect but rather by the hand of men sent specifically to them also probably warrants more than 'war is hell' in Ned's opinion.

[Bronn Urgandy]

Even duty comes and goes. If I had to pick a single word that most describes describe the motivation running throughout Stannis' choices, it would probably be pride.

Yeah I'd roll with that, he's proud of his honour but actions have directly contradicted his honour, he's proud of his duty but actions have directly contradicted that, he's as ambitious as anyone but actions have directly contradicted that. He's proud to be proud, why run to Dragonstone? Hurt pride. Why go to the North and the Wall? Davos hurt his pride. Why so obsessed with what is his? Pride.

Read the World book, there are plenty of "mad" Targs, though, not all of them became kings luckily due to succession rules. But the examples that the realm has experienced are enough.

I've had this argument tons of times, "we only have accounts of, say, 6 mad Kings!" Families are bigger than just Kings, Targs themselves admit they're a bit cray cray.

There's a paradox in your statement. Aerys would have never attempted to burn King's Landing if Robert never rebelled.

What Robert and his highborn compatriots, as with nearly all uprisings from a noble class, never realized was that 99% of the population lived in stability and peace during the time of Aerys II. Their 'Axis of Righteousness' changed that. By getting their justice and the shortsightedness of removing a king, they directly set the stage for the Wot5K, in which even more of the peasant population would suffer at the whims of the highborn's wars.

If you look at things from the big picture, things would have been better off for the future of the realm if Aerys was allowed to reign. Aerys was old, and likely did not have much natural time in the world. His cruelty at that point was sated with the burning of a couple nobles, nothing like his attempt to burn King's Landing that RR was responsible for.

But if, say, someone wants to murder me and I defend myself instead of meekly subjecting, so that person goes on to target my family to get at me, is that my fault?