User blog comment:The Dragon Demands/Slapping Joffrey compilation (set to "Sweet Dreams are Made of These")/@comment-5014364-20120607163342/@comment-5014364-20120607234451

Within the books, there are major points -- which it would be spoilerific to refer to specifically -- in which Tywin insists that statesmen must give lenient surrender terms if they have any hope of their enemy actually accepting the offer and surrendering. On a "one in the hand is worth two in the bush" principle, its often better to just get them to surrender right away than hold out for ever harsher surrender terms you kknow they won't accept.