Intergalactic Summit

Maker wept, why would our opinion - official or otherwise - actually matter? For all you know, I might (hypothetically) be focused on other tasks at hand that require my full and unadulterated attention than the platitudes of political punditry in public. Such as making an impromptu Crash aperitif with that wonderful sliver of another woman's exposed inner thigh between lace stockings and the hem of their skirt while I replay the memories of the days AAR on the neural interface because, damn, there's nothing quite like that hydrostatic capsule interface induced synesthesia of the tingle on the skin as a rapidly expanding plasma corona interacts on the shields due to warp core breach by hyper-velocity kinetic round proxy.

Whatever I do in the end however as an independent military contractor and in the prosecution of tasks related to corporate governance as an executive, I recognize they by and large have little to no bearing or influence on the nature of State politics. Since I entertain no grand delusions to the contrary, any commentary made either by myself or any other persons in Pyre Falcon should be treated on the basis of nothing more than the expression of personal opinions. Because to do otherwise would be a nonsense. The politics of the CEP will remain the politics of the CEP, just as the politics of capsuleer freelancers will remain the politics of capsuleer freelancers.

As such, in an official capacity, I will decline your perceived request to acknowledge that the suspicion against Ishukone is unwarranted on the grounds that I find it quite frankly absurd that the opinions of a few corporate mercenaries are of import to the protocols and procedures of the CEP and CBT.

Matters clarified, I think I'll enjoy the vagaries of the current war while they last because the peace will be horrible if it just ends up an eternity of capsuleers forever seeking the succour of moral support for their politics.

Well said in it's entirety, this part of your post resounds particularly with conclusions I have drawn over the years. The more corporations, alliances and individuals that look more to growing themselves, and less to meddling in the affairs of their birth Empires, the better.

I understand why you felt you had to make this statement.

I am a bit surprised that you did.

You used to be such an honest girl, backhanded insults don’t become you.

What usual nonsense would I be up to? I would dearly love to know.

On that point, you should beware of dangerous generalisations and stereotyping.

That's about as likely as you remembering to knock back the drugs you take to keep you marginally sane.

That'd make you a pretty **** cook.

There's nothing to climb down from, Stitcher. As far as I'm aware there never was any official statement for this sort of nonsense, and the assorted personal opinions put their stock on waiting for the results of the CEP investigation before judging. Speaking for myself, I'd like to make the point clear that my opinion on the case would've been the same, regardless of what megacorporation was pulling this stunt. The notable exception would be a curtain of silence if it'd concern my employers.

If you want to claim some sort of personal victory for how this turned out, feel free to do so if you think our level of participation in CEP politics (hint: nil) has enough gravitas to warrant feeling smug.






I'm always amazed how the likes of you end up knowing more about my job than I do.
Hint: This means your facts are wrong.

Well, as for the topic at hand, it appears to be business as usual in the State. Kaalakiota, Wiyrkomi, and Lai Dai are most likely locked into continuing the current CEWMPA conflict so long as there exists no negotiated settlement on Black Rise and their investments there. Neither the Roden Administration nor SuVee, CBD, and NOH together desire an amelioration of the CEWMPA conflict for similar, but divergent reasons. The Roden Administration appears to recognize the benefits in which KK, Wiyrkomi, and Lai Dai cannot retreat because that would require the potential ceding of significant investment in Black Rise, and cannot advance because CONCORD will not permit it.

Such a a situation would be advantageous for the Federation from a foreign policy and security perspective as it weakens and limits the growth of the three major companies that together represent a significant manufacturing base for the State for defence materiel supply in the event of an escalation of conflict. Since all modern wars are won through industry, logistics, and supply, the weakening of Kaalakiota, Wiyrkomi, and Lai Dai vis-a-vis the Federation by underwriting a low-intensity, limited war they cannot afford economically to the same extent as the Federation will reduce the potential war-fighting capability of the State as a whole. SuVee, CBD, and NOH will likely continue to support the present CEWMPA conflict on the CEP insofar as they are able to risk little, and gain the advantages of having Kaalakiota, Wiyrkomi, and Lai Dai unable to fully exploit Black Rise nor have the capital to expand in the future so long as they must underwrite the, "War".

Now what this has to do with Ishukone is two-fold. Historically, Ishukone has not done well in the domestic markets of the Caldari State. Not due to any inferiority of their products or marketing, but rather that the State does not operate as a true free market but rather as the operation of two powerful cartels between KK and SuVee that maintain market dominance through preferential subsidiary contracting, effective management of their respective fiat currencies, and all the other means available in the absence of anti-trust/monopoly laws such as in the Federation. There's nothing particularly wrong with Ishukone making their own deals with the Federation, it's not like they're the only ones that do it, even now - I've established enough companies in the Fed when I was working venture capital with SuVee to know that. I think I had fifty different registered company executives all living in an apartment complex in Octennavene which I've always found amusing, and they do have a rather robust shadow banking system over there to secure enough loans to artificially stimulate a property sector or conduct a few currency transfers - but I digress.

No, Ishukone, has and probably always will have to look outwards to maintain a strong foreign export market to ensure its financial survivability because there's little room to compete domestically against the major economic powers of either the Patriots or the Practicals. In that context, Ishukone's deals with the Federation can be seen as a strategy for long-term viability of the company and driven by the pragmatic necessities of its economic and political situation in the State. This differs little in how any other Caldari company is driven by their own pragmatic necessities. Do I personally view Ishukone's strategy as acts of treason? Not particularly. The launch of the present investigation probably isn't even intended to uncover anything in particular or untoward on the part of Ishukone by either KK or Lai Dai but rather a public statement of their own position which I believe is less to do with the Federation and its people as a whole but the Roden Administration in particular. Because quite frankly, despite the rhetoric of peace, it could be viewed that a Caldari company making direct and positive overtures to the Federation in the current political climate as something President Roden could easily exploit to his own advantage should he seek another term in Office at the next elections. Which, ironically, will probably prolong the current war and not curtail it.

That's my own rather brief assessment and summation of current affairs in the State, and I do not think it could be constituted as meddling. I do not think either the majority of commentary regarding the State is meddling either. I do think the majority of it can become rather overly emotive and needlessly partisan however, but I'll admit to having played the deliberate demagogue at times but that was delivered solely in the belief of a certain shared appreciation of certain cultural subtexts and an understanding of how business and politics functions. It would appear I was incorrect in that estimation. Because really, one would think when certain stereotypes are being played upon so openly it's for the benefit of public theatre. In much the same way the CEP investigation appears to be public theatre. Because if KK or Lai Dai actually had major issues or grievances against Ishukone, there would likely be less calls for investigations in public and more the detonation of shaped explosives under the seats of private transportation vehicles in private.