I agree that to a point, Traviss set out with a passion to discredit and demonize Halsey. Is it rather distasteful at times, lending nothing of consequence to the narrative? Absolutely. But her arguments towards Halsey remain steeped in previously established lore. 343 Industries is merely attempting to make people think about what the UNSC has done, and continues to do throughout the colonies.

Few of us ever saw Halsey in a negative light before Glasslands. She was a mother figure to children who would have simply died back on the colonies anyways. When The Fall of Reach was released, we had just begun operations in Afghanistan. The core audience for the series, Americans and Europeans, had no tolerance for enemy combatants without a flag, and to a point, we still largely do. As such, we ignored how the Spartans came to be. They were simply kicking ass and we refused to realize what effect these people had on the galaxy.

I know that as I matured, and my knowledge of history grew, I felt less and less enthusiastic about the state of affairs humanity faced in the 25th and 26th centuries. The sins felt justified by Earth and the colonial elite haunted me knowing that I was just as guilty as they were. The Spartans had made a tremendous contribution to the war effort and nobody will ever deny that. But instead, I questioned why they were needed in the first place. What sort of society feels it so necessary to so drastically change our physiology to quell insurrection and maintain the authoritative rule over colonial subjects? Were all existing options, both diplomatically and martially, expended before the CAA and ONI sent out their surveyors?

Holy shit I kinda went off topic. :P

: Isn't he threatening to glass Earth in the book, according ot the prologue?
: Sounds like a terrorist to me.

I'm not saying he is or isn't one. He hasn't done diddly squat, yet, however, and we don't know to what extent his plans are in acquiring Pious Inquisitor. He may be a dick and glass indiscriminately, or perhaps attack only government facilities.