Intergalactic Summit

Cover Artwork for A Modest Proposal

It is of great distress to all space-ship capsuleers to find all manner of wrecks and debris littering our passages between star systems, at the undocking locales of our space stations, and in the industrial asteroid fields that help to prop up the wealth of our nations.

It is a mindless and senseless violence that has re-captured the hearts and minds of our space-faring population. We move inexorably towards barbarism. This truth fills with a deep melancholy any gentleman or lady who thinks too hard upon where it is we are headed as a grand population, whether we be of Amarr, Caldari, Gallente, or Minmatar persuasion.

I think it is agreed by all parties that ungentlemanly combats must be curtailed. We must actively work to reverse the deplorable direction in which our kingdoms are heading. We cannot let ourselves drift into another age of anarchy, war, and disarray.

Ten thousand years ago, during the dark times after the EVE Gate extinguished herself, we were at the very brink of extinction. We persevered, looked into our souls and saw our own light. Through our tenacity to survive we pulled ourselves from the last dark age of Humanity. We struggled through the Age of Expansion, always threatening to falter, but our inner light sustained us. Civilization did eventually take root and we turned anarchy into order. Contact between the four peoples were re-established. Now we walk in the light of the Empyrean Age and there is much promise. As far as we have come, there is still farther yet to travel. The Empyrean Age is only a promise. As much as the firm hands of law and order guide us, we must be ever-vigilant that we do not once again slip toward our dark past.

Greed, avarice, vainglory, wrath: these are some of Humanity's least desirable base instincts. These dominated the spirit of Men during our descent into that dark age. Temperance, charity, kindness, humility: these are some of Humanity's more desirable aspects. These were the qualities of Men that pulled us from the pit. As Men we have the unique ability to recognize these aspects within ourselves, to fetter them or to let them be unconstrained. Where we do not have the strength to suppress our more sinful desires, we have laws and threats of punishment. Law and order is a reminder that some Men are weak.

As to my own part, I have turned my thoughts to this important subject for many years. How do we continue, how do we ensure the survival of Humanity, how do we ensure that we do not slip into the darknesses that hide in the souls of Men? We still stand at a precipice. As many schemes as I have weighed regarding an assured future for ourselves into the light, I have eventually come to put my faith in a single idea.

I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.

I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration that all combats unbecoming to Gentlemen be made forfeit across all known space. The purview of CONCORD must be expanded, from the inner sanctum of our known space to the very outer rim. Unbidden conflicts must be diminished and eventually eliminated. We must extend greater powers upon Crowd Control Productions, that subsidiary of CONCORD with power to expand the domain in which CONCORD operates, to create new laws upon which order can prosper. These men of Crowd Control Productions are a highly regarded group of scholars and theologians, and we must put our trust in them to guide us through this Empyrean Age, toward a greater future for Humanity. These men trade in goodwill. Let our goodwill be their profit.

It is known by Science that Men will come into conflict with other Men, that these disagreements are inevitable by their very nature. I do not suggest to the careful reader that all conflict be eliminated, as Science has proven that to be an impossibility. What can be accomplished is that conflict be regulated and controlled, that a safe and reasonable outlet for aggression be made available to the publick. We already witness this in high security space, where aggrievements between corporations and alliances are resolved through CONCORD's war conventions. We already witness that quarrels between individuals are resolved through CONCORD's dueling charter. This is how Gentlemen resolve their differences, through legally-binding contests governed by rule of law.

We must bring the low and null security areas of space to heel. These environs pose a threat, a slippery slope back toward the dark age of our past. The depravity of men preying upon men, coalitions preying upon coalitions, where Greed rules hearts and minds, these must be eliminated with all due haste. These areas of our empires are a Cancer that will spread uncontrolled if we do not take prompt measure immediately.

It is true that arguments are made in favour of the status quo, that no evidence exists to suggest that settling conflict in ruthless manners will inevitably lead us down any dark paths. The agents of the New Order would present their own attestations that conflict governed by law would actually move capsuleers from the space-faring businesses to more staid employments like taxidermy or accountancy. They suggest that my treatise on the subject would in actuality do more harm than good, that a depopulation of the space-faring trades would hurt the progress of Humanity.

(continued next)

This is going to be lost on so many people.

Very poetic and nice it shows you got busier than a cat covering up shitz on a concrete floor to write this.

Well, I'm a fan now. Well done.

What you didn't understand?

"I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work,"

Then why propose it at all? You speak of good intentions with hollow words and it achieves nothing. First of all CONCORD is mighty but not omnipotent. There is no way they could ever have full military control of sectors of space even with the man power that they command.

Secondly is that CONCORD is a neutral entity and a peace keeping force. It swears no fealty or allegiance to any empire, organization, or man. It will have no interest in the affairs of capsuleers or the corporations under which they serve in null sec. Just as with capsuleers ourselves the status quo is in fact god and they will be happy to keep capsuleers out of empire space so their battles do not put the lives of innocents in danger. In high security we are allies against pirates. In low and null we are monsters that kill pirates and each other. As long as that lines continues then CONCORD need not intervene nor concern themselves.

Third is that your 'alarmist rhetoric' is anything but. We have the freedom to do what we will because of this Laissez-Faire approach of CONCORD and other governing bodies. To be taken under the rule of law as you suggest would be to restrict these generous freedoms and cause unnecessary and undue bureaucracy upon capsuleers ourselves. As Markius has mentioned, if all regions have the dueling charter in effect then such would only be a nuisance and an exercise of an inefficient system. Equality at the cost of efficiency is what will drive many away.

Your proposal is the very antithesis of everything New Eden is to us. One that YOU, YOURSELF, stated is not worth the effort of promoting. If you can't have faith in this vision of a new order of New Eden, then why should we?

Mr. Kaassan, I would suggest that the author of this work of satire agrees with you completely.

Wait, that was meant to be satirical?

Well.... ****. How did i miss that?

I clearly need more sleep.

I have it on good authority from an Amarr friend that they go well with bar-b-que sauce.