WARNING: The following contains spoilers for World of Krypton #4, on sale now from DC Comics.
The World of Krypton series from Robert Venditti and Michael Avon Oeming has given readers a look at the final days of the birth planet of Superman, showing a glimpse at Kryptonian society in its twilight moments. A growing part of the narrative has been the feud between the House of Zod and the House of El, while Superman's father Jor-El obviously refusing to submit to the will of Zod. Unfortunately, it is this unwillingness to listen to General Dru-Zod's suggestions that leads to the ultimate destruction of the planet.
The ideas that Zod presents could have cultivated Krypton and its people, saving them from near total extinction while allowing them the time to prepare for more permanent solutions. This ends up painting Superman's dad as the doom for Krypton and its people, even if he believed he had good reasons for standing in opposition of Zod.
General Zod's Salvation of Krypton Involved Authoritarianism
In World of Krypton #4, General Dru-Zod and the scientist Jor-El discuss the latter's research into the increasing instability of Krypton's core. The result will lead to planet-wide destruction, but there could be a way to save everyone. By insisting that the Kryptonians ration their energy consumption, provisions could be used to create a device that would artificially stabilize the planet's core via a sort of pocket dimension. However, even with several Kryptonians following along with this protocol, the chances of having enough energy are still slim.
Zod's counter-argument involves using the military to force everyone to adapt to even more extreme energy sacrifices, guaranteeing Krypton's survival. Jor-El tries to dissuade his friend from this way of thinking, but Zod is convinced that this form of heavy-handedness is the only way to save the planet. He also knows that Jor-El's role as leader of the Science Council could ensure that this would happen, but instead of reaching an agreement, the two men come to blows, with neither willing to concede their position and thereby ensuring their impending doom.
Jor-El Kneeling Before Zod Could've Saved Krypton
As awful as it sounds, Zod's plan is likely to have worked. By forcefully rationing more resources, the Kryptonian elites could have created Jor-El's device in time to at least postpone Krypton's destruction, if not curtail it entirely. Jor-El's intentions of appealing to Kryptonian society with words of warning obviously didn't work, so perhaps Zod was right in believing that a firm hand was what was needed to shake the people from their slumber and save themselves from destruction.
Likely, many would have revolted against the actions that Zod and the military planned to take, likely resulting in at least a few deaths. While this still would have been unfortunate, it also would have paled in comparison to the genocide resulting from Jor-El's more passive approach. This characterization essentially combines the two main live-action incarnations of General Zod: that of Terrence Stamp in the Richard Donner movies and Michael Shannon. The former simply wanted power for the sake of having it and cared little for those who got in his way. The version played by Michael Shannon in the DC Extended Universe, however, was a more tragic character, seeking to protect, preserve and restore Krypton by any means necessary.
Zod takes this philosophy to heart in World of Krypton, where his military overreach has an intended purpose that is beneficial to Krypton as a whole. Sadly, given what happens to the planet, it can definitely be said that Zod's approach would have arguably been better, as it would have most likely saved almost an entire race of people.