They want to be ruled by mages but also treat them as disposable. They want to return to the old ways, but are pretending they're Andrastians when it comes to magic. They lament dwindling numbers of mages but force their own young mages out. If you don't see the hypocrisy there, it's because you don't want to see it, which is pretty much how most of these discussions go.
Actually, it's more like you not establishing hypocrisy. To be ruled by mages does not require all mages to be leaders. To exile some does not mean that all are treated as disposable. You are inventing absolutes where they are none, and finding discrepancy with your own inventions. You're basically just strawmanning the Dalish.
That they want the old ways to return, but don't know what they were and so act otherwise, is also not hypocrisy. It is ignorance- and by definition, hypocrisy has to be contrary to a stated (and known) standard.
He has plenty of dialogue about what he thinks would make the world better. I still don't see why it's at all relevant. He's not Dalish.
It's relevant because Solas is in the ideal position of a critic- to be outside of power and responsibility, free to criticize errors while not having to face any of the issues or drawbacks of implementing his own. His promises, by virtue of not having to be made real, are ideals and without flaw.
Oho, they most certainly do. They aren't forcing people to become mages (no need to state the obvious), but their system is set up to ensure that they're the only ones who benefit from magic's use. Mages are forced to live in the Tower where only the Chantry can dispose of their gifts. The Chantry controls lyrium trade, or it did, giving them a monopoly on one of the most powerful substances in Thedas, ensuring their warriors remain enslaved to them and mages aren't able to access greater power outside their dispensation without turning to blood magic- for which they give themselves sanction to kill them. They force people to become Tranquil which gives them a steady supply of enchanters and worker bees, which is what finances the whole system.
Factually incorrect. The Chantry does not have a monopoly on the Circle's services- aside from court mages, the Circle's commerce and sales are directly to the public, with proceeds going to the Circles and not the Chantry (or the Templars).
Nor has the lyrium monopoly been used as leverage (or a blockade) to force changes to Circle policies. Nor is the Chantry responsible for the selection of Tranquil, as quotas or otherwise. The vast majority of Tranquil (as in, those who are not products of the rare abuses by Templars as a punishment) are condemned by their own mage leadership- who also direct and profit the commerce of the Circles. Which, by the word of god and no in-lore contradiction, does not go to the Chantry.
As for risk mitigation, once again, giving up one of your most valuable resources is a pretty good way to ensure you're too weak to combat whatever dangers you face.
They aren't giving up all mages, however. They are only giving up excess mages- quite a different thing from totally giving 'most valuable resources.'
Nor would a handful of mages be a significant safeguard to most of the dangers a Clan faces. One two, or even a dozen mages wouldn't make the Dalish safe from Human/Templar attacks and retaliation. It wouldn't change the weather. And by the implicit estimate, it wouldn't protect more than it endanger the clan from an internal abomination threat.
Oh, come on. Most of the magic in DAI is of elven origin. Even Tevinter's, assuming you believe those stories. They contribute manipulating the Veil- for good or ill. Plus, they don't have to justify their existence any more or less than anyone else. I could ask what humans contribute to Thedas, since assuming they're the only ones who can govern is a pretty bigoted statement. And the Qunari can keep their "purpose."
The elven magics that contribute to manipulating the Veil really can't be credited to any of the elves still alive. Those are ancient relics- which would be about as meaningful to credit to contemporary elves as crediting the Blight to modern Tevinter. They didn't do it,don't even understand how it works, and probably couldn't replicate it if they tried.
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