To understand the logic of those Elders we first need to realize their nature; they're mostly priests and politicians that don't benefit from intra-SA fighting, cause this diminishes their power and authority. Primarily authority. But on the other hand, they're eager to declare a crusade in those areas where SA's influence can spread and they're doing it to gain authority over larger mass of followers. For successful crusade means more people to do their bidding.
That part you get right.
It is a gutless politic of convenience that has no similarities with anything that can be considered spiritual.
That, however is not true. First if all, it is certainly not gutless. It was not easy to achieve, and it is hard to hold onto. It is deliberate chauvinistic expansion. Secondly, to claim it's not spiritual is to misunderstand what SA stands for. SA does not prescribe a set of morals to follow. SA says that you will lead a successful life if you can recognize the will of the Stars and act upon it at the right time. To act to further the goals of the Stars, you must have power at your disposal. SA is not a religion favorable to the separation of church and state.
From the perspective of a player, the fact that Elders are chickening out is quite a disappointment. To not keep in mind the pros this war would bring to Dwilight and Battlemaster as a whole is an oversight. Its like no one notices that theocracies are graveyards that boast the least number of characters on Dwilight and that are the most empty and void realms to play in. The goal of any player that has an important position in any realm and continent is to ensure that it is fun for others, too. I will draw a parallel with CE here, and say that Dwilight Northern federative block that is without a doubt intertwined and ruled by SA leadership is quite similar to CE. To bitch about a power block on one continent but do a similar thing on the other is quite a misguided understanding of player responsibility, and is usually done by same people.
It takes two to waltz. Go ahead and declare the war if the other side is too slow for you! I agree with you that it would be good for Dwilight.
