Intergalactic Summit

There's this misconception that in order to be patriotic you must blindly believe what your government tells you to. A government's job is to represent and protect it's individuals, in exchange of tribute (simply called 'tax'). The common man or woman might find solace in placing full credence on the government, believing that their government is more aptly qualified to look after them in certain areas of their lives, so that they can live with less worries.

This is the mentality of ignorant fools.

The wise man or woman knows that in fact the government doesn't look after the individual, it only looks after itself. You can say that maintaining its existance and having stability (or the illusion thereof) is the government's utmost priority. Then the rabbit hole gets deeper.

A government is composed of a hiearchy of politicians separated with an invisible wall not by ideals or methods but self interest. The political agenda is what keeps the cogs and wheels of politics turning. The human race is governed by selfish and ephemeral desires.

A true patriot is not an obedient sheep.

He or she would not blindly trust their government. A long time ago a Gallente philosopher said 'Doubt is the first step to attain knowledge." Your government is not worthy of your unconditional trust. Your government is worthy of much trust as the complete stranger you meet in any street. The true patriot does not accept, the patriot fights the tidal wave before her.

Never settle for the status quo, strive for more and aim for the impossible just over the horizon. If you wish to be a tool then become a tool of change. A fight for a better tomorrow is a cause worth fighting for.

Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.

Patriotism (spelled nationalism) is the virtue of the tyrant. It's amazing what some chest beating, saber rattling and flag waving can convince a populace to do when you take advantage of their emotions.

Long live The Mittani!
In Goonswarm we look after all our pilots. Our members are the most important resource we have and the alliance is there to make sure their needs are met.

In my letter of resignation to the CEO of the State Protectorate some time ago I spoke of such a notion, in which I will always remain faithful to the State. That, whether it be in times of peace or war, should the State beckon, I would go without hesitation. But the misconstrued belief that, as Pieter Tuulinen so boldly states, "the needs of the greater whole [...] transcend individual motivations" is a poisonous one. No one man or woman can truly represent the State, dictating the needs of the greater whole. To do so would be tantamount to the very ideals that we Caldari hold dear, and so I say this:

The State is no one man or woman, but a conglomeration of individuals with one voice; a voice that a real Patriot would acknowledge and not the goals of a singular individual.

I'm sorry that you felt that the needs of the State and your own were no longer a good fit, sir, but I said that the needs of the greater whole transcend the needs of the individual. I never said that the needs of a single individual transcend the needs of the whole and I'm not sure how you got my meaning so inverted.

Heiian is an excellent guide.

The problem of this whole point is that it relies on individualistic societies, such as the Gallente, where the individual weighs more than the commonality. But there are societies where this is not the case, comunalist society where the main thing is the common grounds, not individual people's beliefs. The Empire is one such society, as can probably be considered the Republic as well.

In comunalist societies, the individualist perception of doubting everything else and everyone, and advancing the private needs before those of the common is the gravest of mistakes. In a comunalist society, it is your duty to fulfill your part of the machine like everyone else does, so the machine keeps working. You can strive to modify that machine from within, while doing your part, but always subject to the will of the social system. That is our way.

In the Empire, you can't really talk about patriotism: there is no choice, there only is duty. And that's how it should be.

Mr. Inhonores, please point to the man who climed the Caldari State was 'eternal'. I'd say my people know just as well as any that their way of life is not 'eternal' and we've been under just as much threat of extinction as any other racial culture in the cluster.



Do stop planetside on a few Caldari factory worlds and see if the average Caldari citizen doesn't understand that the goverment (corporation) they serve under isn't after its own self-interest. We had a revolution based on the fact. A few loyalist capsuleers does NOT make up the majority opinion of the Caldari State, and thus far all I've seen is squabbles between loyalists in each faction, not genuine citizens who just want to get on with their lives.



One should be most aware of their own sides faults as well. I've seen thread after thread of Gallente out right stick their nose up at other cultures and beliefs because its 'barbaric' in their eyes, yet I've not seen a single post of criticism from any capsuleer here as of yet in which they have criticized their own goverment; Instead, all I see is the making of excuses for it in lieu of threat from the other. There is a massive gap in understanding of the Caldari State in the Federation and vice versa because its easier to demonize your opponent and consolidate your position when you believe yourself on the high ground.

Perhapse I can dig up one of my old lectures from my tenure at the School of Applied Knowledge on Caldari Government and practice..



There is not a single nation in New Eden that has the full unyielding support of its people. The Amarr Empire is torn between traditionalists and progressive Holders, the Caldari State is rife with strife involving three major power blocks and the Protectorate with the under tones wealth inequality and class warfare, the Minmatar Republic is at war with itself between all sects of society and the Gallente Federation pretty much has it all. Revolution and change of goverment doesn't require the democratic method the Federation chooses to employ, we've seen that.

Mrs. Mekhana,

We've not known each other long enough for you to be surprised at anything, you must have misunderstood my response.

I'm not taking anything personally. Should I refrain from attempting to clear up common misconceptions of my people and our ideology in the future in favor of seeming more 'likable'? Likability is irrelevant in any case, if someone dislikes me without even attempting to know me based on a comment on a public forum then so be it.

In any case my response was not issued in ill nature, I was simply engaging in conversation. If Mr. Inhonores has taken offense to anything I said, then I humbly apologize.

Mekhana,

Let's all remind your ship crew to be True Patriots and not "obedient sheep" the next time you are in dire need for additional capacitor or reloading your weapons, or maintaining your ship drives.

Perhaps they can question your motives and fight the rising tide at just the right moment during a battle?