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Aggressive Negotiations: Difference between revisions
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In a series on the cynical end of the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]], a character that does this is either being [[Badass]] for silencing the enemy, or is just being really stupid. Seeing as pulling this trope tends to cause war to break out, there aren't many idealist series with this in them, but characters that do invoke this trope tend to be just incredibly stupid.
Note that, in the long term, regardless of who initiates this trope or why, the main accomplishment will be that the other side simply won't trust them to negotiate in good faith. Which might be good (albeit horrifically immoral) if you can completely wipe out the enemy in this one attack, but will absolutely come back to bite you in the butt later if the enemy has the upper hand.
Contrast and compare with [[Shoot the Messenger]], in which a messenger, who comes in peace, but only to deliver a message, is killed. The two tropes can overlap, as well: if the victim of the invoker of this trope delivers a message and is negotiating, it is both tropes at once.
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* In the movie ''[[300]]'', in the famous [[Memetic Mutation|This is Sparta]] scene, Leonidas is essentially doing this. The Athenians reportedly did it as well. Everybody now:
{{quote|'''Messenger:''' This is blasphemy! This is madness!
'''Leonidas:''' Madness? ''[[Punctuated!
** Based on a [[Real Life]] example, where when Xerxes' father Darius' messenger demands earth and water as tributes, the Spartans tell them to "dig them out themselves." Athenians did the same. Sparta shoved them into a well, Athens off a cliff.
** Later in the movie, Leonidas mentions that he hopes Xerxes is dumb enough to try this, saying that if they assassinate him during parley, all of Greece will go to war. Regicide during parley would prove to all Greeks that the Persians can't be trusted.
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'''First Mate:''' Where did he learn to negotiate like that?
'''President:''' [[Deadpan Snarker|I wonder.]] (''glares at General Munro, who looks uncomfortable'') }}
* Inferred to have happened in ''[[Gladiator]]'', as the Roman negotiator is returned headless by the barbarians.
* In the extended ''[[Lord of the Rings]]'' films, Aragorn answers the Mouth of Sauron's demands and insinuations by beheading him with Anduril. In the books, he is merely sent off in a rage; in the theatrical cut, the negotiation does not appear at all.
* In ''[[The Phantom Menace]]'', the Trade Federation does this to the Jedi. They escape, however.
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** The [[Trope Namer]] is from ''Attack Of The Clones'', as mentioned above. Incidentally, this scene was improvised by Hayden Christensen and [[Natalie Portman]], which explains why the dialogue is less stilted than in the other love scenes. The [[Call Back]] to the scene during the arena battle ("You call this a diplomatic solution?", "No, I call it aggressive negotiations.") was written afterwards.
* ''[[Braveheart]]'': William Wallace kind of does this when he angers the English generals when they are parleying to start the first battle.
** [[Hoist by His Own Petard|Only fitting]], since the English had hanged William's father and some of his compatriots after pulling this stunt when William was a boy.
* ''[[Men in Black (film)|Men in Black]]'': This is how the Arquellians negotiate. First step is to deliver an ultimatum. Next, they fire a heat beam at the ice caps as a "warning shot". Finally, if the demands are not met within a galactic standard week (one hour), [[Earthshattering Kaboom|you can say goodbye to Planet Earth]].
** Do they skip step 2 if your planet lacks an ice cap?
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** Parodied in [[Discworld/Jingo|Jingo]], where Vimes' army charges while waving a white flag.
* The main character of ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' does this from time to time, most notably at the end of "Grave Peril" when {{spoiler|his girlfriend is kidnapped by the Red Court. The war he started over the matter only ended nine books/years later, when he indirectly killed every single vampire of the Red Court.}}
** This is also a trait of the Order of the Blackened Denarius, to the point where Dresden only agrees to a meeting with them because he knows it isn't in their best interest to attack him just yet. He arranges to have backup nearby in case he's wrong.
* Invoked but ultimately subverted in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' by [[Magnificent Bastard|Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish]]. He meets with the Lords Declarant, lords of the Vale who want to remove him from his position of Lord Protector. He deliberately angers them until one of them draws a sword, which gives Littlefinger a good enough reason to send them away.
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* This also happened in the beginning of the original (1970's) ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic|Battlestar Galactica]]''. Count Baltar arranged a peace treaty between the 12 Colonies and the Cylons. The Colonies sent all 12 Battlestars to the conference, leaving the Colonies completely undefended. The Cylons carried out a massive attack on both the Battlestars and the colonies, almost completely wiping out both.
** The battlestars would have had a chance, if Baltar hadn't sabotaged most of the ships and insisted on keeping the Vipers in the hangar bays.
* In one episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' a mediator beams down to a planet which has been at war for hundreds of years with his interpreters (he's a deaf-mute). One of the Mooks on one side is against peace talks and kills the interpreters. You have to question the intelligence of this move.
* One episode of ''[[MacGyver]]'' features the very careful aversion of this trope: Mac acts as a go-between for two groups who recognize the need for peace, but can't be together for more than a few minutes without hurling insults, at the very least. He keeps them apart by putting them in comfortable suites at opposite ends of a skytram, and relays only written materials.
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== Video Games ==
* ''[[Radiata Stories]]'' was the scene of a trade dispute between the humans at Radiata and the dwarves at Earth Valley. Cross, the resident [[Complete Monster]], suggested sending knights to 'improve their negiotating position' and its implied this trope was his plan all along.
* The Renegade-unlock sidequest in ''[[Mass Effect]]'' has Shepard sent to negotiate with a self-styled warlord. Said warlord's negotiation style is to start by insulting Shepard, and then make several increasingly unreasonable demands, and becoming hostile if Shepard even questions the demands. At any point during the "negotiation," Shepard has the option of getting fed up and attacking the warlord{{spoiler|, which was Admiral Hackett's idea in the first place}}.
** Almost all ways of solving problems nonviolently using renegade options, especially in ''[[Mass Effect]] 2'', such as getting past a guard, or having someone reveal information. Sometimes it crosses into [[Badass Boast]] territory.
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== Web Comics ==
* In the ''[[DM of the Rings]]'', the unnamed DM becomes rather upset at the heroes for {{spoiler|killing Saruman, Grima, and the Mouth of Sauron in parley.}}
{{quote|'''Aragorn:''' Yeah, let's speed this up. ''(Kills {{spoiler|the [[Mouth of Sauron]])}}''
'''DM:''' What? You attack him? During parlay? This is the third time you've killed someone during negotiations!
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