Intergalactic Summit

I should make it known that I have, on more than one occasion, publicly reprimanded and even insulted Commander Diana Kim. I should also make it known that I have carefully avoided doing so again. Not because of some "secret" visit by Provist jackboots but simply because I realize that there is nothing constructive or edifying in doing so.

Commander Kim and I disagree on many things but I have and will fight by her side and defend her from the enemies of the State. She is every bit as Caldari as I am though our allegiances differ slightly. She gives her allegiance to a single man: Tibus Heth. I give mine to the Caldari people and to the State they have chosen to lead them. Consequently, our stances on war, politics, economy and peace differ dramatically.

In light of all of this, I would call her Caldari. I would call her a sister in arms.

What I cannot abide and will not abide is direct defiance and opposition to the CEP. The placing of a single individual above the established and merited rule of the Chief Executive Panel is a betrayal of the very people we call ourselves a part of. These are our leaders, among them stands Tibus Heth as Chief Executive Officer over Kaalakiota-Yitri. I will honor Heth-sejiikin for as long as he maintains his position, though I disagree with him on many things.

I will honor Commander Kim for as long as she remains loyal to the State.

With that said:

Commander Kim, I implore you to submit yourself to the ruling of the Chief Executive Panel. Let your actions be judged by those with the authority and honor to do so. Your opposition to the CEP sanctioned actions regarding the Sukuuvestaa relief convoy are understandable in light of your loyalty to KK-Yitri Chief Executor Tibus Heth but they were in opposition to a majority directive of the Chief Executive Panel, of which Heth is only a singular member among eight.

Let the Panel decide the merit and honor of your actions and if you are loyal to the State and to the Caldari people as I believe you truly consider yourself to be, you will respect their ruling and honor it to the best of your ability.

Walk with wisdom, commander.

Well, quite, if we put an Olympic pistol shooter up against, say, someone in a coma then the pistol will beat the sword everytime.

However, given someone trained to a certain standard in melee verus someone trained to an equal standard in pistol and given the most usual placement for pistol weapons (holstered at the hip, safed) between 14 to 20 meters should see the pistoleer dead and not the melee participant.

In the study I read, the pistol was holstered, but the holster was not secured - ie the grip snap was unfastened.

The cards are on the table, and there is going to be a civil war in the Caldari state.


I also suspect that the "houses" of the Amarrian Empire are getting tired of elbow-knocking and the Minmatar are going to have some scores to settle internally.


This would leave the Federation, which might have a spat over the closings of the pleasure hubs.

And a month ago it was looking like you'd be lucky to hold a single system in Black Rise. The Militia War is a cyclical thing and when the Minmatar profiteers return to their homes equilibrium will return.

While I agree with most of your sentiment, I should state to you that the "fact that Republic Forces" or "Minmatar militia" have had an effect on gains in Black Rise is evident to anyone participating in that field of battle. I have seen more TLF pilots working to capture military complexes and running from any confrontation while flying cloak and warp stabilizer fit ships than Gallente militia.

Which is to say; "Not very much."

Mr Tassadore if you want to offer friendly advice, it might behoove you to do so without blatantly insulting the people you wish to take said advice.

Not a diplomat? This much is obvious. Neither am I. I'd like to think that I am at least civil, however. To that end, I shall refrain from using the ammunition you have so kindly supplied.

I would not mind telling you what my impressions on what being a State citizens means, but your continually arrogant position needs to be toned down. You insist that "What service to the State entails" is incomprehensible to a foreigner.

Your vaunted State do not have a monopoly on a sense of service, or duty, or patriotism, or even an appreciation for merit, yet you behave as if I have no right to speak because I "can't possibly understand" your ways.

As an aside, Diana Kim does not need the blessing of her superiors in the State to go on with what she is doing - she needs only maintain her capsuleer license. Capsuleers are protected by CONCORD in this regard and even a pirate that speaks against the State and murder it's citizens can be... 'forgiven' this and re-integrated into a State-serving Capsuleer group at the whim of that group. Diana Kim may not be a pirate as such, but the point remains - her position in the State is not up to her direct superiors to decide, and even if it was the State is not known to air it dirty laundry in public - why should they tell you if Diana Kim is an appreciated asset or not?

Now, to answer your question.

In the years I have been a capsuleer and from before that, my impression was that being a State citizen meant many things, but among the most important merits was loyalty to the State itself. This requires understanding of what the State is. This is a simplistic description that lacks much details and nuances, but it high-lights my points, I hope:

The State is a corporate alliance of sorts, between the eight Mega-corps that make it up. Citizens are all employees in one of these megas or their myriad subsidiaries and are expected to be loyal to and dedicated towards, the overall well-being of their corporation. Ultimately these corporations and the 'politically neutral' entities that service the State in general, such as the Navy, all answer to the Chief Executive Panel, a council of sorts between the eight mega-corporate CEO's who make State-wide decisions together and balance power between them. When the CEP makes a decision that decision is to be followed, and all the corporations are expected to obey, as are all the citizen-employees of said corporations.

In short, the idea is that the citizens - of any rank and position - back their corps as best they can, either by their honest work or if needed, stepping aside for a better person to have their job because that means it will be done better and thus the corporations and in general, the State, is better off. The corporations in turn serve their citizens by doing what is better for the overall picture and regulate and balance their understanding of "what is best for the State" in between themselves in the CEP.

Diana Kim on the other hand believes that what is best for the State is to follow the whims of a single man, never doubting or questioning that man, and serving blindly even as the man she serves proves again and again he is unfit for his position through a combination of poor decisions, violation of State laws, waning health, and other factors that essentially says one thing - he is unfit for office and by the meritocracy that the State believes in SHOULD and MUST be removed and replaced by a better candidate for the good of the State. She also holds that the office of Executor for the State - an office alien to the State to begin with - is the primary and ultimate source of power and leadership in the State, even if the CEP has held that position for the past two hundred years - the State's entire existence, minus the last five.

Simple and in short, *I believe* that if we are to define "what it means to be Caldari" with serving the traditions and ways of the State and it's leadership, then Diana Kim is *not* Caldari by definition. Again I am sure that her peers in the State has a fitting word to describe her, *Thus I would leave it for them to define her in spite of my voiced opinion.*

Personally I would call her demented. She is how old? At least twenty, by my estimates - and the CPD and Heth has been around for how long?

Five years. No one of us knew who Tibus Heth was ten years ago. Diana Kim seem to have forgotten how the State was run that long ago, what it's traditions and values are, what it's citizens believe, and how the political landscape looked like. Now today she serves the whims of a highly unmerited man and parrot his uncivilized hatred and illogical actions with her every breath. I can respect her apparent loyalty, but I wonder what happened to make her into this mockery of a Caldari to begin with, and I can't help but pity her existence, because Heth will be gone sooner or later, and then what will be left for her but to be a broken relic?

I have no pity, respect or mercy to give to any enemy of Humanity, but the State is an opposing Nation-State to my own. I can respect service to such a nation and it's people, for I endeavor to do the same.

As much as I would enjoy retaking the space around our homeworld and storming the Presidential bureau, we must accept the reality of the situation. This war is not moving toward any sort of conclusion and has achieved nearly nothing for both sides. At least with the Homeworld a DMZ we have chance of opening further dialogue with a view to maintaining our sovereignty there. We can't defeat the Gallente, and they can't defeat us. We don't have to be friends, but I feel the time for hostility is over.

Actually kirjuuni, you very eloquently described precisely what i was struggling to put into words.

The deference in all things to ones direct superior. The active choice of complete loyalty and devotion. The resignation of all ambition and submission to the Heiian.

I humbly thank you for your input suuolo.

Mr. Blackbird

Again it seems i have insulted you and for that i sincerely apologise. It is not my intention to be condescending, rather i am trying my best to approach you as an equal.

Your understanding of the state impresses me a great deal, I will admit. It brings you great honor that you know your neighbors. I will say however that i made no claim of monopoly on duty, patriotism or appreciation for merit. I just pointed out that the results of these ideals plays out a great deal differently when different people hold them. As such, what might be seen as duty for the Minmatar might be seen as heresy by the Amarr.

As it was so very well put, by Scherezad-haani, Kim-haani has chosen "the workers path". While this may seem foreign to you, this means that it is not Kim-haanis position, duty nor even privilege to question orders. She have submitted to meritorious leadership with the understanding that if it is not meritorious it will be changed. This duty lies with Kim-haanis superiors superior, all the way up to the CEP. If her direct superior orders her to follow Heth, this is what she will do and what she must do. Such is her path.

I feel though, that your view of the average citizen of the state is slightly skewed by the capsuleers that have come from the state. While the average citizen is indeed an ambitious person, this trait more than any other is evident in our capsuleers. By far the majority of the caldari citizens never leave their corporation. The average citizen would never vie for position against competent leadership. He would almost never question leadership outside their own corporation, and even in the case of their own corporation this is rather a rather rare occurence.

Very few capsuleers from the state actually retains permanent ties with their parent corporation, and does who do most often do so in a partnership agreement rather than being directly employed.
Those few who fully submit themselves to service even as capsuleers are very few and far between and they more than any amongst the stars deserve my respect.

When the time comes and the CEP legally removes Heth and his toadies, all the way down to Kim-haanis superior, I am confident she will she will serve her new superior with the same loyalty and dedication as she serves her current one.
She will do so, and she will do so unquestioningly, because that is how she has chosen to lead her life.

Your claims, however, that concord would somehow interfere with our navy if an enemy of the state should show up in Caldari sovereign space is either a blatant lie or a badly constructed sentence. I doubt from our communications so far that you would try to be dishonest in any way, so I will conclude that i do not understand the intended message. Would you clarify your position on this matter?

If i have inadvertently slighted you again I am very sorry. My etiquette might not be completely up to par for the IGS, as i mostly socialize with my students, and the very colorful people i call kirjuune, when i am sent to serve as a consultant.