Intergalactic Summit

Every day we capsuleers are told that CONCORD wants this or CONCORD does not allow that. But is CONCORD actually keeping the interests of humanity in their sights, or do they have a more closed minded point of view? They are New Eden's primere police force, and they keep the great Empires in check. It is excuse of them that wars are fought by proxy rather than in full out open warfare. They protect shipping, they punish those that break the law. And most importantly, for some, they keep the capsuleer conflict confined to the outer edges of Empire Space.

But why? Does CONCORD truly belive that by restricting the power of capsuleers, they save humanity? We are humanity. We have evolved, through the application of science, to be the absolute best humanity can be. Many of us use this power for I'll. Many of us, myself included, use the promise of immortality to take great risk, putting the lives of thousands in our hands. Only CONCORD has the ability to stop us. But there are threats to humanity that they have no hope of stopping. The Amar lost their empress to a drifter attack, while she was being escorted by the Navy's finest warriors. CONCORD has no hope against the drifters. Only capsuleers have ever stood toe to toe with those creatures. The Empire space supposedly patrolled and policed by CONCORD and it's subsidiaries is rife with corruption and pirate factions. The Gurista's, Angel's, Serpentis, and others have many outposts in High and Low security space. Space supposed to be protected from these types of threats. Sansha's Nation makes increasingly violent incursions into 'secure' space, sometimes abducting entire colonies of people. Where does this end? Who keeps New Eden truly safe? The capsuleers.

For too long has CONCORD held a knife at our throats. We are humanities best hope in the dark reaches of space. And I believe it is up to us to prove it. We for one, at Pandemic Horde Inc. have been populating vast numbers of citadel structures throughout "Null security space." The civilian infrastructure created by PHI has increased the prosperity of the region vastly, and projected numbers show a large increase of further civilian immigration. As of this date no civilian center or colony has been successfully attacked or occupied by any known pirate faction or hostile entity. For civilians in PHI space, it is as safe as living in the middle of 1.0 space. Some might say even safer.

So if this is possible under capsuleers I raise this question. Why is CONCORD in charge at all?

The same reason anyone is in charge anywhere. They have more and better ships.

Capsuleers unbound would be the end of humanity as we know it. All we do is destroy without a blink, without guilt, without a second thought of who's life we have dismantled. We are not humanity. The majority are nothing more then egotistical, psychotic beings claiming to be the peak of what 'humanity' has to offer. Admit it we have been stripped of the very thing that makes us human.. compassion, hell you can't even trust your closest friend as a capsuleer without worrying about when they will betray or steal from you.

CONCORD has is every right to restrict us, sadly they oft refuse to utilize their power for worry of political backlash.

I have to agree with my esteemed compatriot from Solitude, that the flaw in your argument is the presumption humanity has achieved the best of itself in capsuleers. All the evidence is to the contrary. Capsuleers are largely venal, amoral, selfish and, unrestrained by the penalties that mortality imposes on ethical behaviour, often without limits on their wicked behaviour. Many others, it is true, use their capabilities for the wider good. The balance however, is firmly toward evil.

CONCORD is a deeply flawed entity, founded in good intentions, but discovering the eternal truth that such noble intentions invariably lead to Hell. However, in mitigation, it has had only a few years to deal with understanding the immense capability of capsuleers, especially en masse, and their capacity for evil doing. In addition, the Empires are often at each other's throats, and new and terrifying external threats arise almost daily.

I defy any organisation to be perfect in such an environment, and in such a short space of years. CONCORD might have a chance if the capsuleer community helped rather than hindered its efforts, but we like treasure, killing and disorder too much.

I was thinking about this question over the past couple of days after hearing a few capsuleer said talk about the possibility of reviving capsuleer-owned banking. The issue was a non-starter largely because of the consensus that no real trust could be built between capsuleers. To me, this is the crux of the reason that CONCORD needs to exist. Capsuleers (like everyone else) tend to be untrustworthy, vindictive, selfish, and in some cases flat out psychopathic and since we are so powerful, a check needs to exist. And while greate cooperative capsuleer efforts are underway (PHI, Providence, etc.), I'm not sure that they represent the majority of capsuleer activity. Moreover, I'm not sure that any individual alliance or corporation has the wish or wherewithal to take policing responsibility for all capsuleers.

I think there's the potential for this and that we're moving towards that kind of thing, but until capsuleers can generally create such all-encompassing social, political, and economic structures, the disappearance of CONCORD I'm afraid could be dangerous for capsuleers and baseliners alike.

This also isn't a wholesale endorsement of CONCORD either since everything you've said about them is true and more. However, I think, much as Dr. Valate eluded to, they keep the economic and political wheels rolling in general throughout Empire Space despite the corruption and dereliction. I think for most people at the end of the day, that's what counts.

This is an excellent topic though. It got me to stop talking about isk for a minute, which surprised the heck out of me. Thank you for starting it, Ms. Ivanovich.

Yes, don't put any limitations on what ships and technology we can use, that's one way to defang us...

Nice lie to belive. Should make you proud.


This.

Capsuleers are tools. Required weapons. Beasts on a leash. CONCORD just controls 'em, keeps 'em fighting each other, and takes down frenzied ones.


Miss Kim, what would you do if we will take your hatred away one day? 'Cause it looks like the only thing that keeps you moving.

Crashing a current system and reaching Anarchy isn't so bad from an evolutionary perspective ...
... and Anarchy never lasts long. Besides it not being a bad thing per se anyway.

People will group up into small, trusting and self sufficient communities ...
... who will be willing to fight to defend themslves.

The rest dies off, making room for the stronger ones who had enough of being "protected" ...
... aka having an unelected power force them to abandon all ways of improving society in natural ways.


Even though the breeding factor obviously doesn't count ...
... new capsuleers will enter the environment learning to stand up for themselves from the get-go.

"Immortality", and its knockoff that we enjoy, is a force multiplier. It does not make us evil or remove our humanity. It amplifies the nature of the person who wields it. If they are good-hearted and good-natured, and are secure in their convictions, it allows them to do great things and be a far greater force for good in the cluster than 1,000,000 ordinary planet-dwellers.

If they are insecure in their personage, allow themselves to be overtaken by incentives to pursue the worst pursuits of humanity, then they will use it to do so. Being a capsuleer is a position of enormous power and privilege. Unfortunately, positions of power attract those with a pathological will to power, and those are rarely the type of people who deserve it.

I must disagree with Revenant. Capsuleers are every bit human, and our behavior falls well within the boundaries of historical human tendencies, it's simply exaggerated in effect. This also has a positive side, it means we are also capable of using the capsule for immeasurable good. And with our every need and desire typically taken care of very early in our careers, there's no reason we shouldn't do this.

No heart is ever corrupted without its consent. We are no different.

Your humility in rejecting recognition does you honour Kim. We will have to build the largest Academy in your name to do you justice.