system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Dune] Why doesn't the Emperor just take control of Arrakis for himself?

Given that Arrakis is the most important planet in the Dune universe, as it's the only planet to contain Spice Melange, it seems rather risky for the Padishah Emperor to let it be governed as a fief by any of the other great houses. By doing this, he gives that particular house full control of the spice, which can be used to challenge the authority of the emperor himself.
Why doesn't the Emperor just use his dreaded Sardaukar legion to control Arrakis and directly govern the planet?
gpt
He's not powerful enough to pull that off. 

The emperor's wealth and military might is roughly on par with all great houses put together. That means he's only top dog if the great houses are divided and waging kanly on each other. If he seized Arrakis for himself, he'd piss off all the great houses at once, so much so they'd stop fighting and take him on. If he loses he's dead. If he wins, he's the emperor of nothing but ash and ruin. The only winning move is not to play.

 Plus, he's got hella CHOAM shares already, what's his motivation? Whereas, not taking direct control of Arrakis and outsourcing the work to one great house or another allows him to play politics and keep them divided under his rule. Which is precisely what he did when a certain Duke got too popular...