CMV: The Fremen Jihad is not sufficiently explained/justified
Not sure how much of this is considered spoiler, so I guess better safe than sorry...
>!Paul spends a lot of time fretting about the future Jihad in the first book, and the entire plot of the second book is basically the fallout from this Jihad. Yet I don't recall any explanation or justification as to why it was happening. Who are the victims, and who are the Fremen leaders driving it, and why?!<
>!Both the Fremen and Paul hated the Harkonnens, so fair enough, they were probably wiped out. Even Giedi Prime was not completely destroyed though, so let's say that's 6 billion dead and zero planets.!<
>!Who are the other 55 billion victims and the 90 planets sterilized?!<
>!The Guild could be considered enemy #2, since they used to squeeze the Fremen and they are in prime position to mess with anything and everything in a Galactic empire. If I were the Galactic Emperor, my first order of business would be to develop a parallel organization that can compete with the Guild and I can control, but no. Paul just lets them keep doing whatever, plotting behind his back, controlling all interstellar travel.!<
>!The next obvious target would be the ex-Emperor and the Sardaukar. Were they killed? No, they are enjoying retirement, occasionally practicing landing maneuvers, which does raise an eyebrow but doesn't merit any actual action -- there are apparently 61 billion other people who are more dangerous than that.!<
>!Then there are the Bene Gesserit, who casually refer to Alia, the high priestess/living goddess of the Fremen as an "abomination", the Emperor's mother as a "traitorous bitch", and are perpetually miffed that they lost control of their Kwisatz Haderach. Should we subject them to a bit of religious retribution? Nah, it's all good, plenty of other people are more sacrilegious than that. We'll just let their obvious mole sit in on the Emperor's high council and periodically report back to them, so that they have a fair chance while plotting against the Emperor.!<
>!Should we maybe oppress the Bene Tleilax a bit, whose "customs and ethics led to widespread revulsion" even among the generally more open minded segments of the population, plus have a monopoly over some useful and potentially very dangerous technologies? No, leave them and their deprived conspiracies alone, we have bigger fish (sand trout?) to fry!!<
>!The major houses could be a target, but why? What is the point of letting the ex-Emperor live, marrying Princess Irulan, leaving the Bene Gesserit and The Guild alone, the CHOAM company in place, if not to ensure that the rest of the political establishment go along with the new leadership?!<
>!And even if some of them do not go along, who wants them exterminated? Not Paul, obviously, since he is continuously fretting over all the damage. When and why have the Fremen, who spent the last 10,000 years dreaming of freedom and a watery paradise on Arrakis, developed this burning desire to travel to other planets to slaughter billions of people they have never met, the moment they have a chance to do whatever on their own planet?!<