"You make it sound like it hasn't been done...But then only three Districts would participate,four at most," Leo pointed out the so-called fallacy, "The Outlying Districts have no resources in training their tributes, no means of making the warriors the Capitol expects them to be. And it defeats the purpose of the Games themselves: that sacrifices must be made to ensure the safety of Panem. Your world, did have wars? Panem doesn't have wars because of this sacrifice."

And there in lies the underlying motivation for Cora to be just enough of a patriot to the Capitol as if to not sound seditious: stability. His mother may have gladly sent her child to to his death because they all understood the unfair contract.