Intergalactic Summit

It's a labor of seething pure unadulterated hate. Takes time.

The short break is over and the broadcast continues, showing again the presenter and Haria Haritimado in the New Caldari Prime Daily studio. Both studying the recent comments.

“Here we are back again. We received some comments from the audience with a… mixed reaction, I would say. But quiet some capsuleers are among them, which is a good thing, I think. Ms. Haritimado, what’s in your mind?”

“Well, first of all thank you for the replies and comments. Some of them reflect my opinion quiet well. For example the feeling that Diana Kim should be left alone. Anyway, when I had graduated, it was impossible to get past her. And if someone asks why we are still discussing Diana Kim, I would say because there has been a lot of fuss about her, but it never really got solved. Discussions in the IGS prominently focused on her. Mostly the discussions were rude and overexagerated. Sometimes, someone tried to act more or less on behalf of the Strike Commander. But I was unsettled by the radicalism that accompanied most discussion partners, including herself. For me, in order to come to terms with the perspective of a life as a Caldari capsuleer, I had to see if Diana Kim really was like she appeared to be. That’s why I started my research. And I’m not intending to blame her or drag her back into a discussion she doesn’t want. I’m pretty sure she won’t join this ongoing debate. So, I’m not going to ‘summon’ her. – Some very well known and experienced capsuleers just replied on the discussion and I’m very thankful for that. And I’m struck by the reactions as well. Why is it, that Diana Kim catches so much attention and provokes such strong reactions? This is certainly not the place to find an answer. Anyway, she agreed to the interview and I’m not going to betray her trust by stabbing her in the back or join a common choir of accusations, pity, or degradation. We won’t see the interview in full length either.”

“Alright, back to topic then!”

“Yes. It is not about Diana Kim. She just happened to be an example which I could not avoid. I consider this my fault, not hers. Anyway, it is about how capsuleers perceive each other and present themselves to each other. The thing that struck me most when I did my research on Diana Kim and met her personally was that she appeared as a very different person. Highly intelligent, respectful, patient and restrained. Maybe even a bit shy. After I had the chance to get a closer look and understanding it left me restless and unsettled on one hand, but reliefed and calmed on the other. On one hand, she has a very radical view and left no questions, that she’s serious and thoughtful about what she states in public. For example, when we were talking about freedom:”

The video shows a calm interview situation in some kind of lounge. Diana Kim is sitting opposite to Haria Haritimado.

I've spoken to Kim only once. She was pleasant and we discussed the particulars of bar fights and their psychological uses. Not that either of us knew, or probably still know anything about them.
It seems silly, but I hold onto that exchange.

I know all about Kim besides this, I've witnessed her inflammatory statements and posturing that has threatened to upset me, but mostly made me consider that she speaks for at least some people. That there are frustrations and misunderstandings and threats that we pose that are seen as very real.

She's respectable in her passion. I don't like what her passion is for and I think it hurts herself more than it helps anyone else. I don't define 'freedom' the way she does, and I don't think a lot of people do. But when I see a clear response from her about something, I'm not entirely philosophically alienated. I get it, though I don't like that it is usually followed by a call for genocide. It hurts her perfectly reasonable arguments for Caldari solidarity, culture, philosophy I think. Philosophy about why anyone should want to live in stratified communities. There is a certain culture of 'wild abandon' that I grew up with that I could very easily understand to be terrifying even to some cultures within the Federation, let alone a Caldari conservative. I know how concerning some of the issues with freedom are. Sometimes I'm concerned about them myself.

Our definition of freedom is still the path that I choose to back, but I'll never say it's infallible. That would be disingenuous. We've chosen a very difficult and complicated thing to try to be, something that may never be well-defined or finished. I'm not sure why we wanted to do things the hard way, but that's who we are, and I feel we should continue to conduct ourselves in its interest.

Nobody wants to hear this kind of 'tolerance' from a Militia member of course (in before 'but you've killed thousands', which I would refute to some degree), but I think this kind of pigeonholing is in line with the topic at hand. I don't have to demonize my 'enemy' just because I work for the militia. I don't consider that responsible - resisting that makes my job very difficult, and I don't enjoy what I do. But I'm a civilian relations officer - if I don't stay, then the front loses someone that isn't in this explicitly for personal reasons. What difference does one person make? Not much, but if I don't believe in what I'm doing outside the pod, then I don't believe helping is helping. We are invaders in some cases, relievers in others, and simply an unwanted nuisance in most of the rest. In some cases, my team is the only one that is sent to talk to them.

A lot of people have very real, sensitive reasons for fighting here. There's a certain point where I can't expect someone to simply let go because it is 'time'. What the hell do I know? I have always had a bit of sympathy for Kim on her side without ever knowing any of her story. I can pretty safely assume she has one. A lot of people involved in the conflict just do. It's inhumane to expect people to be reasonable, I've noticed. An open heart means a blind eye a lot of the time, and in some cases requires what should be a reluctant decision to do the opposite.

It takes a lot of work to bridge divides and make sense of any of this, or worse, try to make anyone truly involved sensible. Ultimately, no matter how much we fight each other, we also need to be looking out for those of us that are injured by the war. It's idealist sure, but if we lose all the idealists, we, especially in the Federation, no longer have anything that holds us together. If we don't have vision, and that vision isn't ultimately positive, then I venture to say we don't have much of anything as we lack the greater group that holds the other empires together. Company, God, Tribe - To rally solely behind 'Freedom' isn't right - the Federation is not 'about' freedom any more than the Amarrian religion is 'about' slaves. What happened to our Vision?

A very wise man once said,

"I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue! "

The Commander and I have discussed these matters on several occasions. I respect her greatly and while I think she would bristle at the suggestion, I consider us friendly acquaintances - actual friendship seems moot at this juncture.

The idea that "freedom" means a total lack of restraint is not an uncommon misconception within the State, an error that I believe stems from liberties taken with early translations of Gallente political works. The point with which I like to counter is that in a society defined by its laws, an individual who behaves in accordance with these laws is simply doing as they are told. In a society without such strictures, the individual who follows a path of decency and kindness is doing so out of conscience. It is only when we are free to be bad that we can truly be good.

And then he orbitally bombarded civilians. Let ME remind you that evil done in the name of good is NOT good and that good done in the service of evil is still evil.

There is freedom. And then there is anarchy.

Who is following her? Rather, who is making it known they are?

Well... too bad they arent in calmil it seems...

Indeed Pieter, history teaches many lessons.

But look to your own house and we will look to ours.