Hene wrote: <In short, we have lower expectations of Avon because he's told us what to expect from him. If Blake claims moral high ground, he has to act in a way to back that claim.>

Yes and no - there is probably *some* of this to the question, but it doesn't explain why, when Blake *does* live up to higher standards and do the Right Thing, he gets called [a] a boring goodie-goodie and [b] hypocritical, just doing it for reasons of manipulation and self-conceit (and yes, I have seen [a] and [b] argued simultaneously, though not on this list). And Tarrant gets it as well, when he does try to act in accordance with those TeamUberAlles principles he's so fond of.

It's quite true that it's far easier to live up to your own moral principles when you very carefully don't ascribe to any (and I am also talking about Vilakins :-)) and those who do have to live with the results when they fall short ... hey, but at least Blake does try, and keeps trying, though what he's been put through that would batter most men into cowed self-preservation long before we get to Star One, let alone Gauda Prime.

And <veg> to be fair, all the time he's fighting and arguing for power being with honest men, I don't recall him *ever* claiming that he was one of them himself ...

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