Taking steps means what? Negan/Governor-like control and threats to keep people in line? There is no preventative measure to keep any of the surviving Saviors (or any as yet to be revealed outsider) from being true believers and picking up where Negan left off. As we see in current episodes, Simon is more than ready to take over if the right time presented itself to him (like setting Negan up, or simply not backing him up during the next face off with the heroes). Their best hope would be to preserve to retain their humanity by moving on some other location, otherwise, the heroes will start making more of the kind of cutthroat, self-serving decisions Rick embraced in S3 when he asked Merle to hand Michonne over to the Governor.
It's seldom easy. If you just pull out and move on, that's all well and fine in theory. If it turns out to be viable, great. But, the question inevitably arises about what's really going to happen back there. Is the cancer going to rise up and spread? At some point down the line are there going to be threats and incursions into your new place because of something that was not adequately addressed in the past?
It's a tough quandary, but it goes on all the time. Take the U.S. itself. On the one hand, it's said that we can't be the world's policeman and great white father dictator, etc, etc. Fair to say. But, on the other hand, when you see more and more injustice, more and more crimes against humanity, etc....even though it's happening within the borders of nations just as 'sovereign' as this one, at some point someone has to do something. If nothing is done then it so often happens that the aggression and negative actions start getting aimed at neighboring countries and widening out from there.
You can't allow a bully to keep on bullying. He will take the freedom to do so and run with it. Amp it up.
It's a sad but true fact that there is a percentage of the human population with the type of personality that responds to one thing and one thing only: a threat that can be backed up by physical force. In other words, fear of consequences that involve bodily harm and loss of life.
Personally, I am a peaceful person by nature. But I have encountered situations in my life at times when one of those personality types makes the perceptual mistake of identifying peace and kindness as weakness. From that misperception they then gleefully attach themselves to you like a leech and will NOT leave you alone. No amount of words and diplomacy make a difference whatsoever. It's only after they suddenly find themselves battered and bloody in a heap on the ground that they are sufficiently motivated to cease and desist. With some, even that is not enough of a lesson to be drummed in. I remain thankful that I have never yet encountered a situation that I have had to take any farther.
Violence and death should never be relished. It should always be a matter of regret that matters came to such a point that such action had to be taken against another.
But sometimes a distasteful solution is the
only solution if nothing else will work.
Sometimes a benevolent occupying force is necessary.
