Exactly. DF, it feels that way even to me... but that's like dealing with the government. Too real and too icky.
Eh...I don't read for it to be like real life!!!
Basically, while I agree, that sort of thing would happen in real life, he suddenly sprung it out in the middle of a 10+ book series.
He had obstacles and his hero's overcoming them, then all of sudden, his hero's are practically impotent, there's thousands of side plots, tons of new characters involved in said side plots......to the point where his books chapters jump from character to character.
LIke I said, it feels to me like he just lost control, rather than trying to simulate real life.