system
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human
[Dune] How come no one seemed to care that much about Arrakis until the events of Dune

It seems like in Dune, no body cares that much about Arrakis, despite it being the source of the most important substance in the universe. 

The Harkonnens send some nephew to oversee it. In like 10,000 years no one bothers to explore the southern regions. 

The Spacing Guild doesn't seem to care that much about who is in charge on Arrakis, otherwise they might refuse to transport troops, or whatever. 

The Emperor is willing to swap governors around as a power ploy unrelated to spice-- although the same ploy could have been done with any planet. 

Yet at any time the Spacing guild could have demanded control of the planet or withhold space travel. The emperor could have moved operations there to oversee the extraction of the substance that keeps him in power. 

The Harkonnens could have used the same ploy that Paul does at the end of Dune-- threatening to destroy spice production-- to secure a seat as emperor. 

In real life people go to war all the time over resources that are less important. Access to waterways, oil, opium. Why isn't anyone angling to get control of Arrakis before Dune?
gpt
Maybe you should re-read the book, this is all explained in Book 1.

>The Harkonnens send some nephew to oversee it.

That's a ploy:  The Beast Rabban is meant to torment the Arrakeen people so that the gentler Feyd Ruatha can then come in and look like a savior.  And Feyd is the heir to House Harkonnen.

>In like 10,000 years no one bothers to explore the southern regions

The Fremen pay the Spacing Guild to keep the skies in the deep deserts empty.

>The Spacing Guild doesn't seem to care that much about who is in charge on Arrakis

Because they *don't need to care* who's in charge:  No matter which side wins, they will need access to space travel, which ONLY the Spacing Guild provides.

>The Emperor is willing to swap governors around as a power ploy unrelated to spice

Because Leto Atreides was a threat to his power and needed to be eliminated without setting the entire Laandsraad against the Emperor.

>The Harkonnens could have used the same ploy that Paul does at the end of Dune-- threatening to destroy spice production

Impossible, because the Harkonnens weren't Fremen:  They couldn't control the desert and Spice production.