Intergalactic Summit

When I was growing up, I don't think I was told anything about who I was. By my family, I was told "Be who you want to be" or "Define yourself". Outsiders might consider this a Gallente practice, but I was not told this was a Gallente thing. That's because the majority of Gallentean beliefs are prescribed as universal values, with a humanistic basis. I wasn't told I was a Gallentean, or that pursuing my destiny of my own free will was an exclusively Gallentean thing.

Maybe it was lazy parenting.

Of course, I was a 2-bit PoS when I was in my adolescence, which probably shows how ineffective these sentiments can sometimes be. The concept of "teenagers" is very unique to the Federation, when you'll have coming-of-age rituals much earlier on in other empires. That generalization of billions of teenagers adopting fads of other cultures both inside and outside the Federation can easily be connected to the fact that society does not install in them a sense of purpose, other than telling them "Make up your own mind". I don't think a hormonal-driven teenager is very good at that.

The Caldari State can employ children as young as twelve into their armed forces, effectively eradicating them of any doubt as to who they will be. In the Minmatar Republic, a Voluval ritual will dictate their destiny, and they will fulfil that. In the Amarr Empire, the son of a Commoner family will perhaps take up his father's trade early on. While all of this can take place in the Federation (naturally excluding the armed forces bit), none of these practices exist to the same extent as in other nations, to the point it's an internationally defining factor.

The great fallacy of what I'm writing is that I'm talking from the perspective of a developed Federation society, talking about teenagers and what have you. At any rate, it is the developed Federal societies that get the most attention beyond our borders, so I'll overlook that folly.

While being told that "Be true to yourself" was not for the purposes of being a "proper Gallente" (there is no universal definition as to who a Gallente is, anyway), what children are told in other empires is quite intrinsically bound to their nationality. When a Caldari child is born, they are trained and educated to "serve the State and the Caldari people". From birth, they are Caldari, and property of their corporation. This similarly applies to Amarr and Minmatar children. A Voluval is distinctly Minmatar, for example.

Sorry to sound like an old-fashioned Duvalier-esque imperialist, but those presumptions are ridiculous.

If a child is born, they are not anything. Their identity has not been shaped. It is society and people that shape these identities. Moreover, matters such as culture and history are completely constructed. I could tell a child born in the State that to be a true Caldari is to serve the Great Mother, and defend individual liberty across the cluster. I'll be wrong, according to accepted definitions of what being a 'Caldari' is, but that child may very well grow up believing that a Caldari is a servant of the Great Mother.

This entire child's world, by the time she or he reaches adulthood, will be turned upside down when they are told that their Caldariness is incorrect. But by what authority? History and accepted norms? Is that really an absolute authority? Norms can change, as can history, depending on who writes it. You can visit the history departments at Hedion and Caille to see how the perspectives of history have changed over the decades.

The only reason, I feel, we are called Gallente is to differentiate from people who are not Gallente. We do not identify our believes in the individual right to self-determination and identity as 'Gallente'. As you've read in numerous sources, the Federation seeks to protect human rights. That's why numerous Gallente cultural forces, be it charities or political groups, meddle in other cultures. At the end of the day, everyone is human.

It's a politicized term. The Caldari State will blanket-term these attempts as 'Gallente', and then demonize the word, because it's pure realpolitik. It's easier to justify shoving off attempts of an enemy society to undermine yours if you label it with a hostile term, rather than ignoring the fact that, in reality, these attempts are based on humanistic principles, and has nothing to do with 'Gallenteanizing'. Unfortunately, this works both ways. Humanitarians from the Federation will label their attempts as 'Gallente' to justify their work for the same reasons, while ignoring that these works concern basic human decency.

Whether foreign societies like it or not, there are universal human values. I doubt a single capsuleer here can tell me that sexual assault, to use a stronghanding example, is justifiable. But like I said; a child is nothing at birth. People make it so. This is basic human psychology 101.

The Federation as an imperial and political entity does not care about your personal identity or your culture. It has been able to [peacefully] conquer using a stable system that does NOT rely on individual compliance to keep order (unlike the Caldari State, which would collapse if individuals did not conform). The Federation DOES care about your principles (distinct from culture), however, especially if it seeks to disrupt the social orders. Being a murderer, for example, will disrupt the established social order, as will being a slaver.

When looking upon topics in the IGS I can always count on you, Seri, to provide nothing but the best tripe.

I came expecting nationalistic pro-gallente garbage, and left satisfied and full of the garbage you claim your Federation is based upon. I mean really, not even enough research put into the Minmatar, your "allies," to truly understand what the essence of the Voluval mark is. Indeed the grand majority of people after they receive their mark, continue to live and choose exactly as they did before, for only a small few is it a method to define their path in life.

It would be so easy to just give up and all become Gallente, oh wait, that's excluding the part where the Gallente controlled and drive senate, armed forces and culture finds a need to control everything.

I would say a Caldari said it best, if incomplete,

"It is rather strange that the good of the many seems to constantly coincide with whatever policies weaken the Caldari, the Intaki, and the Mannar and keep them under the heel of the Gallente."

I wonder how things would be framed given further diversity. I am sure he would have added the other races to that statement as well.

You are not incorrect, Mister Khross, but the issue is that Caldari culture is not expansionist. They do not seek to universalize those principles, even if they very much could be universalized.

As for you, Mister Fyreite, you have made just as much of a mistake as I may have done. Who are the "Gallente" as you describe them? Your quote is also two hundred years old, and so much has changed since then.

You forget that the Gallente style of conquest relies on the fact that anyone can call themselves Gallente. If you're talking about ethnic Gallente, then who are they exactly, considering so many are made up of immigrants.

Amarr, Gallente: "We live according to principles that, if not universally accepted by absolutely everyone, certainly should be!"

Matari, Caldari: "Yikes."

Seriphyn, I think the saddest thing about your recent remarks is that you seem to have stopped wondering why any reasonable person would find your ideals horrifying. It appears you've just decided that we're all wrong and there's the end of it.

The majority of Khanid beliefs are prescribed as universal values, with a religious basis.

Your parents never told you that their beliefs weren't universal. As a child, you accepted their version of reality without question. As an adult, you're encountering other people who don't share your beliefs and are even hostile to them.

Continue to think like a child and view what your parents taught you as universal, or become an adult and understand that their teachings were imperfect and reflected the world as they wish it were, not as it is.

Without delving into the scientific evidence regarding free will, I'll note that your statements about the Federation followed immediately by a rejection of nationalism seem more than a little self-contradictory.

I agree that nations are a worn-out old concept we should discard. I don't agree that that means one nation is better than another, largely because I attempt to maintain coherent thought to the best of my ability.

It's also an element of Caldari thought that, despite our focus on unity within a group, there is a great and necessary requirement that groups compete with each other. Meritocracy implies competition, and a group must and should strive to outdo other groups, and individuals within a group should strive to be more worthy within that group.

It's all very well to argue that humanity should be one big family governed by some universal principle, but those who advocate such have never managed to clearly describe why their particular set of universal principles should be upheld over another. Why are the liberal values of the Gallente superior to the Amarrian, after all? Why is equality preferable to the more feudal model of the Empire?

The Caldari, and, I suspect, the Minmatar, are more practical and less idealistic. There is no perfect or ideal model, merely cultural modes of operation, and that which works for a culture is that which is appropriate to that culture. To us, therefore, the correct understanding of universal human values is to understand that universal human values only extend to concretes: i.e., biological and social needs, and that any extrapolation beyond those, or arguments as to how those needs should be filled, is comprehended on a relative and cultural basis.

Therefore, the argument that the Federation, or the Empire, possesses some sort of universal truth, to a Caldari, is essentially ignorant nonsense.

Because God wills it.

You might not agree with that reasoning, but suggesting no one has ever clearly described why their way is superior to all others is incorrect.

You've taken what she said out of context. The claim was made that no one ever gives an explanation, and she cited "God wills it" as an explanation that is often given.

I seem to have angered you. Please forgive me for whatever offense I may have caused as I'm not used to interacting with your people.


I greatly appreciate your speaking on my behalf in this matter. I was afraid to respond as anything I might say could acerbate the situation.