Intergalactic Summit

My father was a Caldari state tube child. He married my mother - a freed Minmatar slave and one who loved her people. I grew up most of my life in Minmatar space, and spent some time in the Amarr empire scrounging for jobs from powerful corporations like the Sisters of EVE, but not before my dad retired there and sent me my inheritance, something I've squandered over the years in trying to make it in this dead, cold space.

I've always seen myself as a true Minmatar, even though my father was not a Minmatar. After-all my mother was of the Vherokior bloodline. Since her passing a few years ago I have struggled with my genetic heritage, and spent countless hours, days, weeks and months pondering my purpose in this cruel universe.

What I'm really trying to share with you is the story of every Minmatar. We are a confused, broken, divided people, immersed in tribal politics and spread out over the entire known universe. We are unsure of who we are or where we come from, and we're even less sure about where we go from here.

This has been our story from the beginning, and it looks as if it will never change....Unless we change it.

As I look at the state of our technology and trade systems I see systemic weaknesses. Our ships aren't as powerful as any other nation, our corporations aren't as rich and powerful, and even our trade hubs are secondary. To add, Minmatar do not choose to work with Minmatar, or even produce more Minmatars.

We have lost and continue to lose every major military engagement in our history, bandits, thieves, and mercs overrun our unprotected regions at will, and some dare to cause panic at our most important trade hubs, while others target young inexperienced Minmatar at training schools forcing fear and dread into their unformed psyches.

Interventions by foreign powers have become a common theme in Minmatar daily life, and the puppet-masters - the ones who control all with an invisible hand - provide little benefit or advantage for Minmatar to be, and stay, Minmatar.

***This describes a Total State of Futility, and I hereby Declare it for all to hear****

As the empires lose more control over their territory, and our fellow capsuleers gain more power, our lack of structure, direction, and organization will provide for some humiliating defeats, and territory losses. We may even run into enslavement once again - something no Minmatar would wish upon our people ever again!

The truth is, the systemic problems of our people are not simply economic, military or political. It lies mainly under the construct of "choice".
Minmatar today no longer choose to be Minmatar, they do not choose to live, work, trade or fight in Minmatar regions. They spend their lives in Amarr, Gallente, and Caldari space, never to be seen or to return. They join non-native corporations, which almost always work against Minmatar's interests.

Even the free empires of the outer regions hold no fealty or support to the Republic. And, in fact, when choosing where to hold trade, resource, and even military activities, their last choice is our great republic. This means that our resident Minmatar, and our corporations lose potentially valuable income to other nations even when our trade hubs are closer in proximity to the engagement locations and events.

Moreover, it has never been clear to me that any single Alliance or corporation in the outer regions recruits Minmatar, or dedicate themselves to the usage, development, and purchase of Minmatar resources or technologies.

The situation has not reached a critical point, as of this writing, but the outlook for our people is dire in light of changing universal dynamics, and you and I must be aware of that.

If the "invisible hand" loosens the reigns on our universal interactions, we will be faced with dire consequences. Imagine foreign navies and outer region alliances being permitted to attack sovereign republic targets and take them for their own - at will. This, my fellow Minmatar is a change that is already occurring, and will continue. One day it will reach a precipice where every system, structure, and planet can be taken from us by our enemies, and so we must begin. We must begin to unite and to defend our homeland. This is a certainty.

But, for many Unity is not a welcome proposal. For unity is often used as a ruse for other goals by powerful empires. More often unity is associated with conformity.

My fellow Minmatar: Unity does not mean conformity - not for our proud people.

True Unity is alignment of diverse peoples and resources to a common goal - the greatness of the Minmatar people.

And so my fellow Minmatar, leave behind your quests for being something that you can never be, leave behind those corporations and empires that lay waste to our great Republic. Leave behind the fickle riches that you seek, but can never gain and come back to where you truly belong - and save our people from the impending disaster that looms with the power of a thousand suns.

Come back home my people! Before our current State of Futility blooms into the never-ending humiliation of our people.

I have no particular comment on the whole of your message, but this part is quite untrue. The empires as a whole are not any weaker than they once were nor are capsuleers challenging their power in any meaningful way. Capsuleer organizations are microscopic in power compared to the empires - they merely appear to have power because the empires have little interest in their proceedings.

I see that it was a mistake to involve myself in this discussion.

Why do people expend so much effort talking about how uninteresting things are?

I've always thought it was a capsuleer's attempt at giving themselves an ego boost because there are no "ego" implants available in the market. We need to ask the Jovians to invent one for us so that we can reduce the amount of self-indulging 3-year-olds at the Summit!

Well this got weird really fast.

I frequently worked outside Republic space, and I rather object to be characterised as caring less about the Matari. Not to mention the Vherokior traditions of travel and exploration. I worked with others because to do so was in the interests of the Republic and it's people.

Other than that, there are some agreeable points.

Didn't both you and Ms. Starfire used to drum into my eardrums (or electronic substitutes of such) that the Republic is resurging? Our government downsizing to become more efficient, our identity reclaimed (pardon me, Amarrian) as a tribal culture and as seven brothers, and the unprecedented growth of the general living standards of the Republic? Starfire especially used to screech at me over the issue whenever I mention that neither I nor my clan have much faith in the Republic and would rather be braving the frontiers for our survival?

Whatever happened to that passion?

Who says anything has happened to it? The IGS is not now, nor has it ever been, the place for meaningful political discourse; just because I do not speak on the topic here does not mean I feel any less fiery about it. I have little desire to hear endless belittlement regarding our traditions, regarding my profession, or any of the other sorts of meaningless howling that resonates forth from the peanut gallery which uses this channel as its personal sounding hole. Regardless, let me state clearly that I have more faith now than ever in our government, in our people. We finally, after 8 centuries, are once again ruled by a council of Chiefs, with the support of tribal elders and shamen. Our caravanserai resound with life, with people, with hope.

I simply mourn the fact that there are still a distressing number of people who feel like you, Elmund, or like Saede, or Ms. Denton, or like any of the billions of others who have decided "my way is better than the way of my people". The fact this still occurs, and occurs so often, is cause for shame for me, because it means we are not yet doing good enough... or, perhaps we are, and selfish individualism has pervaded our culture, eh? Either way, our work is nowhere near complete.

Seven Tribes. One people. Because I do not start threads like this, and invite tons of flak and feedback, does not mean my feelings have in any way changed or waned.

Spirits guide.

Yes.