The difference here is that the Miksani have no say in the government demanding their "tribute" and the social contract has been totally broken with Winter failing to live up to their obligation of protection. Winter appears as far more of an abusive foreign power making demands of a people it has subjected than a legitimate government that recognizes the Miksani as citizens. It seems clear that the Miksani are giving up their children purely out of a recognition that the foreign power who controls them will respond with overwhelming force if they attempt to resist. There is considerable difference between a society placing demands on its adult citizens and a foreign power demanding tribute in the name of "security".
I can't help but think of this as a case of imperialism with the Winter Fae forcing the Miksani into their de facto empire and demanding tribute in return for empty promises of protection. It might also be a deliberate attempt at genocide as the Miskani will inevitably fall into ruin if their children are regularly taken from them. The Winter Fae going to terrible lengths to maintain a single mono-culture would explain why they tend to all be figures from European mythology rather than represent a more even balance of mythological creatures from across the world. This is obviously an in-world explanation for the real-world limitations of Jim Butcher.
Winter is not a democracy(I think Butcher once said that Mab considers it a passing fad).
Thats not the same thing as individual interest groups having no voice at Court, and no influence on overall policy.
In the Cold Case, it does appear to make it clear that Winter did not recruit from the Miksani for years.
Hell, given that Winter is magically bound to keep its word, its entirely possible they physically cant request troops without carrying out their part of any prior agreement made.
Imperialism? Doesnt seem so.
We didn't see Summer here, and opposing Winter overreach is their job.
The lack of Summer opposition suggests this is a lawful, established relationship. Internal Winter matter.
Even places like South Korea which have mandatory service rather than as needed conscription wait for you to be an adult to take you, and you do get a choice to accept punishment or outright surrender citizenship and screw off instead.
Winter doesn't do that. You're owed to them and they'll get what they paid for.
We dont know how things work internally with the Fae in the canon Dresdenverse.
The only hints we get is that changelings usually cant be forced to choose a Court(Lily, Fix and Sarissa were apparently exceptions), and that wyldfae who dont swear to either Court are also a thing, and are supposed to be far more numerous than either Court.
We know that supernaturals can swear fealty to the Winter Court without having been born one; Talvi Inverno, who is a Finnish demigod, did so after years of being expelled from his mother's court. And if Bob used to be part of the Winter Court, then that means you can relinquish membership, with its rights and responsibilities.
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There are historical reasons for this, and it's entirely possible that they conformed the human norms of the time the deals were established.
That's an explanation though, not an excuse. When looking back on history it's important to keep context in mind, but just because people of the time didn't think something was wrong doesn't mean they're right. We're under no obligation to judge them by their own standards, as much as we can't afford to be blind to them.
All this said, moral grandstanding on this to support taking objectivity counterproductive actions like taking petty shots at Winter isn't a good idea. It's the worst sort of virtue signaling at the expense of actual progress.
I've called them complicated monsters in the past and argued that we should keep the fact that they're not pure evil in mind, but that doesn't mean ignoring the nasties aspects of what they do.
Sure, agreed.
If we can effect meaningful change safely, we would be remiss not to try.
I just feel duty bound to repeatedly point out that Winter isn't doing things because LolEvil.
And that community standards for when they were established, and for much of the supernatural community, is very much not the same as modern humanity.
Immortals and long-lived people tend to change slower than mortals.
We could easily have a hell that was majority devil if we chose; with characters that would be much more suitable for a forever war than the Winter Fae.
And the Winter Court seems to have taken the role of guardians of the gates and then used that to hold the world hostage, not been given it.
-No we cant.
Majority population being human is a hard rule for a reason.
And Molly would not be any happier to put her devils in an unending war either.
-We dont actually know what the requirements for a forever war ARE.
This is not Exalted Creation.
And its the height of hubris to assume that we can automatically do better than everyone else.
-The Winter Court didn't take the role of guardian. They didn't have the power to take that role.
Nothing in the Dresdenverse mythology has ever suggested they were ever more than foot soldiers initially.
The job was given to them. And they were bound to it.
Seriously, you seem to believe that guarding the Outer Gates is some plum job to covet.
Instead of a grim duty where you feed your people into a meat grinder for centuries.
