Intergalactic Summit

I start by noting this is a reflection on the posting habits of Caldari capsuleers, not Caldari in general, and even not all Caldari pilots

As we have seen ad nauseam, Caldari capsuleers have demanded the Federation hand them over Caldari Prime. Why? Because it's the ancestral homeworld of the Caldari civilization; nobody denies that.

However, it is petulant insofar that this is a unilateral demand. Caldari pilots expect their Gallentean counterparts to understand them, to understand that the world is theirs by right. Fine, but this fails to consider that understanding is a two-way process. The Federation certainly understands that Caldari Prime is the Caldari homeworld; it was not renamed, and even after two centuries of being "under the Gallente" (whatever that means), it has never stopped being called Caldari Prime.

But it is the infantile failure of Caldari capsuleers to not understand the opposing side. There are people who live there, Gallente and Caldari alike, who do not want to be under State rule. The Caldari pilots dismiss them as squatters, and thus everything fails. You want peaceful talk? Then see both sides of the equation. Do not flail about while wailing that the Federation is not complying with your demands when you fail to see its perspective on the matter. It is exceedingly immature to simply natter on about 'diplomatic solutions' when you're saying the Federation should cave in to all your demands. That is not diplomacy, for it is one-sided.

There is, of course, the alternative of using force-of-arms, which is what Executor Tibus Heth used five years ago. While it certainly worked in the short-term, the Federation has every right to retaliate likewise with force-of-arms. That is the cycle of violence; the Federation inflicted violence on the Caldari, the Caldari inflicted violence on the Federation in kind, so the Federation will do so again, and the Caldari will do so again. For that to end, one side will need to be utterly destroyed.

There are two options:-

1) Force of arms. It gets the job done, but it won't be popular amongst the ultra-liberal clique that defines this cross-section of the capsuleer community. Certainly, it's very easy to painted as villainous for taking the moral low ground.

2) Diplomacy, and by this, I mean proper diplomacy. Understand the opposing side. Remember that the Gallente Federation is a representative body and not a dictating one, a significant difference from your megacorporations. Does the Federation Government have the legal authority to simply eject the Charter signatories that make up Caldari Prime from the Union? In theory, yes, via either executive order or Senate ruling.

However, under the current circumstances it is extremely unlikely for a Federal Decision to be employed for Caldari Prime. It would be seen as extremely tyrannical. Why? Because there is no democratic mandate that can justify such a course of action. Caldari pilots have failed to realize the Federation Government has no executive power over its member states except in extreme circumstances; you have failed to understand how your enemy works. What the State should do is negotiate with the people of Caldari Prime. Organize a referendum, bring in independent observers. There has been the suggestion of simply moving the several billion of Caldari Prime citizens off-world (how this can be done without an economic collapse is another debate); again, the Federation Government does not have the authority to do this. Ask that question on any referendum.

If the inhabitants of Caldari Prime desire to be under State rule, or desire to be moved, then the Federation Government must act for it is a democracy at its core. It would lose any legitimacy in continuing to hold authority over Caldari Prime, for it is beholden to the power of the vote. Indeed, the signatories on Caldari Prime would simply withdraw from the Federal Charter and become clients of the Caldari State. I would not invoke the events of two centuries ago (ie. the blockade), as there is also CONCORD to think about. The first time the signatories of Caldari Prime withdrew all that time ago, there was no democratic mandate provided from the citizens (legally, not sentimentally), and there was a perceived coercion by the megacorporations, whom the Federation did not recognize as a legitimate authority.

Alas, Executor Tibus Heth invaded that world and killed a very large number of its inhabitants. That bridge of asking what the people want has sort of burnt, for now anyway, since they certainly aren't enjoying themselves. Morever, the Caldari will need to seriously consider that the inhabitants of Caldari Prime have been existing under their own democracies for two centuries now (technically, even longer than that). The State would need to ponder if it would tolerate democracy continuing to stand on Caldari Prime even as a client world.

My point is, don't whinge and moan that the Federation is not listening to you. That's not how dialogue works. There is hope for the situation without force of arms, it just involves listening to the opinions of jaijii. I would also strongly encourage Gallentean capsuleers to take in mind what has been posted in equal measure.

Provocation gets everybody's attention.

Amusing that you tell us to understand your government when it is clear you have little understanding of it yourself. At least we Caldari are not delusional about the nature of our political process, or do you actually think if, for some reason, a poll of Caldari Prime's population decided they wanted to join the State voluntarily they would be allowed to leave? Or do you not remember what happened the last time that was tried? I assure you, we do not.

The Federation seems content with its vaunted democratic ideals up until it goes against the wishes of its elite, and then it seems to get cold feet.

Let us speak honestly; the invasion of Caldari Prime was a foolhardy move and weakened the State considerably, but it is done now and you are fooling yourselves if you think we will ever return it to your control. You are sadly mistaken if you think this is something that can be negotiated. We are not a weak state struggling for independence anymore.

You're assuming that I am dismissing the rights and concerns of these people - I am not, I'm simply awarding them the weight that I think is due to them.

I have never advocated dispossessing them without due process - I believe that full reparations should be made - but it is madness to think that the planet can be both things to both people. Let the people self-identify as Caldari return to the arms of their estranged brothers and sisters and let the people who self-identify as Federation Citizens be expatriated to the arms of THEIR brothers and sisters.

I agree, that it would be better if the Federation hadn't spent the last two centuries trying to bury Caldari culture on our home world - but they did. Now we have to deal with the situation. I find it characteristically twisted that you believe the self-created half-problems of the bizzare Federal system should stand in the way of that solution. They did not stand in the way of our troops. They did not stand in the way of Foiritian's enlightened recognition of our pre-eminent claim.

Also, when I thought YOU were being ridiculous I called you out on it, personally. Kindly have the testicular fortitude to respond in kind - if you're not sure what that is, ask your girlfriend.

Hey.

Hey, Seriphyn.

I think your hairstyle is ugly and you're a big giant baby.

So, how about we debate in good faith about the state of the federation? Remember, be polite.

More inflammatory screed from a washed up General.

Seriphyn, at least be creative next time - bald verbal attacks aren't exactly interesting, creative or constructive. Then again, it is likely you aim to be none of the above.

Go play god with your toy nation and try to impress on your daughter the values you were deprived of, she'll need them to clean up the mess your ad hoc, rambling life style will generate for her in adult life.