Intergalactic Summit

Cripes, freaking pubbies. Yes, drag this down to ad hominem attacks. You know exactly what I meant, I hope.

Ah, absolutists. Despite the Caldari civilization being thousands of years old and the megacorporations have only claimed to be "Caldari" for around two centuries, it is a wonder why State capsuleers here unquestioningly support the latter. I wonder, who gave the megacorporations the right to claim the Caldari civilization? God? The Caldari as a whole are older than the State, so there is simply no possible way the State can have a monopoly on the Caldari identity.

Same principle with the Republic. The Minmatar are far older than the Republic, and thus the Republic cannot claim a monopoly on the Minmatar identity.

No wonder you Caldari are allies with the Amarrians; they love this whole objectivism.

Except, mister Hakatain, your fellow countryfolk here reject anyone calling themselves Caldari who are not part of the State, particularly Caldari nations in the Federation. This comes despite the fact that many of these Caldari nations may be older than the State itself. Nonetheless, they are "traitors", or some such. I quote...



The most recent expression of Caldari civilization, according to this particular flavour of propaganda, claims all of Caldari civilizations, and identifies Caldari elsewhere as not being Caldari.

What did I say about self-determination and the right of the Minmatar to determine what is Minmatar? It's precisely the same thing with the Caldari, Commander Inhonores. We, of the State, are Caldari. We get to determine what is Caldari and what is not. That's our right. As the dominant Caldari society in the Cluster, others look to us for that definition also - Caldari is a brand and we are the owners, in the public space. Others can call themselves Caldari but they cannot force us to accept them as such.

You can talk about your Caldari blood and assert your right to be called Caldari, but ten minutes in a room with a real Caldari and you're exposed as precisely what you are. Gallentean. I don't use that word pejoratively, but simply because it is what you are - your thoughts, opinions, tastes, beliefs, ideals, speech patterns, aspirations.

Astera, you're charming and interesting and I bear you no ill-will in the slightest, but I do not see you as Caldari, no matter your blood. Now, I don't claim in the slightest that culture is not a dynamic thing - you could move to The Forge tomorrow and accept a role in a proper company and embrace the Caldari Way - I'd embrace you as my sister in a heartbeat, once you'd done those things!

On the flip side, I'd be happy to develop a friendship with you and call you a friend if you never do anything more Caldari than drink the occaisional cup of Kresh tea - but you wouldn't be what I and the rest of the State calls Caldari.

If I can touch upon a difficult subject, I'd like to return to our Secession from the Federation. Per definition, we left that body because of the Federation's desire to tell US what it was to be Caldari. Those of us who could not bear this dilution of our Culture left the Federation. Those who remained within the Federation, for whatever reason that happened - I won't call them Traitors - are now something else.

Self-Determination. The right to determine the boundaries and inclusions of your own social group. That right ENDS at the point where you attempt to define someone elses social group so as to force them to include you.

The Caldari secession and the formation of the State found its causes in two major factors:

1. The continued attempts by the Federal legislature and the Gallentean political majority that constituted the Senate to seek the implementation of laws aimed directly at Caldari corporate entities. The Caldari Megacorporation was the last bastion of strength and power that continued to provide a voice in support of Caldari colonial interests, and then just as today, carried the legacy of Caldari culture, history, and traditions in the modern world as institutions in and of themselves. As such, the use of the Senate by the Gallentean majority to strike against Caldari Megacorporations through the legislature in the political interests of their parties and the economic interests of their lobbyists was a direct affront against the Caldari people and their interests. The will of the Caldari people is expressed solely through the strictures and organization of the Caldari corporation.

2. The attempts to carry out a centralization of government and increase the power of Federal authority was a direct challenge to Caldari colonial independence and the rights of Caldari to dictate the course of their lives without the intercession of foreign authority. The continued inability for the Gallentean majority to accept the view of the Caldari majority that the corporation itself was the sole representative of the Caldari will as a people (which continues to this day) displayed their gross intolerence for any political system which did not conform to their view as the, "Sole representatives of humanity". (Which perhaps in and of itself shows far more similar thinking with the Amarr than the Federation likes to admit).

The Morning of Reasoning was a direct referendum on the necessity of a State which embodied the Caldari desire to live in a politically autonomous nation under the direct authority of corporations serving as the institutions upon which the Caldari will was to be expressed culturally, politically, economically, militarily and in its society. This referendum was accepted by such a majority of Caldari that any that did not accept the mandate of the Chief Executive Panel lost any and all right to call themselves such for only reactionaries, collaborators, traitors, and those who no longer considered themselves Caldari chose not to accept that mandate.

The Caldari State is the sole representative and heir to Caldari history and tradition due to the simple fact that the greatest majority of Caldari who can trace their lineage back to the Homeworld reside there.

As such, today, just as in the past, the only True Caldari is a citizen of the State and a CEP Megacorporation. Any who would call themselves Caldari outside of the State or whom are not a citizen are simply the disassociated minorities, however they may affect otherwise.

Vikarion-haan,

The Sobaseki Corporate Model of Kaalakiota may at times be considered a hard line even within the State but it does remain perhaps the most direct expression of the Caldari cultural virtues of unity through purpose; vigilance through patriotism; strength through prosperity; and peace through armed might. I would never fault the actions of a patriot who held true to those fundamental tenets in their service to the State and the Caldari people wherever it may lead for what guides them is the highest of virtues and principles of our nation - they are, and will always remain as Caldari for service has always been the guarantor of citizenship.

This then addresses the topic at hand which I will summarize as thus:

To be Caldari is to serve the State.

As such, only those who serve the State and the CEP by acting in its interests and defending its rights through any means, great or small, has legitimate grounds to call themselves Caldari (even if by ethnicity they are not) and a citizen of the State (even if the legality of such is not recognized by external parties).

Ambiguity only arises in the differences of thought, philosophy and doctrines between each CEP member as to what they consider, "acting in the interests of the State" actually constitutes in practice. Sobaseki, Oiritsuu, Heth, Seituoda, Gariushi, Osmon, Reppola, all differ in their doctrines to some degree but they do agree on the most important point:

Only through the State is one Caldari.

Although I am certain you are already aware of such thoughts, and the thought was expressed solely for the edification of foreigners. As for the rest of your own thoughts I am in agreement and might leave with the following as regards the Federation:

Only those without culture do not understand nor respect it.

There exists no such thing as permanent alliances, only permanent interests. I sought to present a summary of the underlying interests from the Caldari perspective that made continued support of existing within the Federal system at the time untenable. Wars are simply the expression of political and ideological will through violence and if the Caldari people did not have fundamental political and ideological differences with the Federation in addition to other social and economic factors then the war would not have been fought. A more in depth introspective on the causes behind the conflict would understandably take more than the brief summation I provided.

I also feel little need to apportion blame or seek moral justifications for war and violence since they are the requirements of liberals who fail to understand that war and violence are just the natural extensions of politics, and the only moral imperative as I see it in utilizing violence is to ensure that it is conducted in the interests of ones own State and nation.

There is no "right" or "wrong" in war, only the prosecution of political and ideological interests through any means deemed necessary.

Gotta love all those freedoms ehh?