Intergalactic Summit

A fortnight ago, I said this:



The aftermath of the battle for Home has been an interlude of reason and respect. I was resigned to the idea that the bitterness between the Caldari and Gallente was intractible and insurmountable. I was convinced that the Federation was essentially unchanged from the ultra-nat era of the Exile War.

It is gratifying to be proven so resoundingly wrong.

I know that there are some on this side of the border who are arguing that the only reason the Federation has agreed to this treaty was their failure to claim a commanding hold over the planetary defense grid. the cynics may well have a point in that regard, but I think today I'm going to work only with what has happened.

I retract, and apologize for, the quoted opinion. It was said in the grip of a raised temper and a feeling of desperate futility. It is regrettable that the Shiigeru had to fall at all, but the fact is that its destruction precipitated the first real progress we have seen in years. I have often expressed the opinion that change does not have to be comfortable in order to be good - I commend the Federation for demonstrating that principle in action.

The reception and co-operation we have seen this last week almost seem too good to be true. As an experienced capsuleer, that makes me wary - "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is" is a survival mantra for immortals. But as an optimistic citizen of the State and of humanity in general, I am also given hope. There are still wounds to heal, there is still friction to smooth away, there is still a proxy war smouldering in lowsec. Our work is not done and while I do not wish for our differences to be reconciled - they are what defines us, after all - I am now more persuaded than I was before that our differences can be resolved without resorting to harming and violating one another.

We shall see how it goes: don't screw this up.

It's nice to see finally a bit of rationality and civility in this ongoing discussion. Thank you Captain Stitcher.

Although it makes me uncomfortable, I have to admit this is a possibility. I'd like to think it's not the case, but I can't know for sure.

I would, of course, like to remark that doing the right thing for the wrong reasons doesn't make it any less right.

The death toll of the battle for Home was substantially larger than the Malkalen death toll. Malkalen ran to 600,000. the fall of the Shiigeru has cost millions, possibly tens of millions.

The corporations in this case are diverting materiel and manpower to Home for humanitarian aid and ecological cleanup. Neither of those activities are profitable. the Executor meanwhile apparently wishes to continue the war and cost Caldari lives, Caldari equipment and Caldari kredits.

Pull your head out from where you've stuffed it, wash your mustache and smell the coffee. Tibus Heth and the CPD are bad for the State.

Well spoken Stitcher.

Even though i do not agree with the treaty as it is outlined right now, this is a major step in the right direction towards peace. Ishanoya again proved worthy of the job, signing that treaty was a really huge deal for State justice. It also very openly exposed Heths complete disregard for proper conduct. While I do not hold Caldari Prime as close to my heart as you clearly do, I was both shocked and appalled by the destruction wrecked upon the planet and the innocent civilians.

I do hope we can finally begin to look to the future with renewed hope. While there will probably always be tension in these systems we all call home, hopefully we can all just learn to somehow coexist. I know this is a pipe dream of course, but one is allowed to have those.

And to you mister Horn.

Tibus Heth might be the de facto leader of the State but that does not grant him the privilege of ignoring CEP by-laws.
Consider this.
Not signing that treaty is bordering on treachery to the state.

Normally I enjoy just sitting back in my little world of freelance operations and loose morals, enjoying a private laugh at the rabble rousing that I often see in these political discussions, but even I can't keep a straight face at the mention of Heth putting Caldari civilians before the killing of Gallente personnel.

Two corrections:

One: The lives lost were Federation citizens held on the planet by the Shiigeru.

Two: Lives were lost by actions from both factions, Federation and State alike.

The lives lost on the surface were both Caldari and Gallente alike. You would do well to remember that both sides were on the surface when the Titan went down.

And to Stitcher. We might not have interacted much over the years, but you are a man I hold a great deal of respect for. For anyone wondering why, this is a perfect example. Let's just hope that the good that has come from this is a promise of things to come, and the bad is an example to be never again repeated. Who knows, maybe actual peace between the State and the Federation is on the table within a regular person's lifetime?

Walk with wisdom, Hakatain-haan, may the Winds bring you peace and profit.

An absence of any evidence to suggest that that it was anything of the sort?

I've certainly seen a lot of evidence that the Federation is nowhere near being the progressive land of hugs and opportunity that it likes to paint itself as. I won't deny what virtues it does have but these are, in my experience, very different from the virtues it claims to have.

What's making this so astonishing and gratifying is the fact that it is unusual for the Federation to be so reasonable toward us, and doubly so for us to apparently be reciprocating. I'm in a good mood, but I'm not about to forget the centuries of grief we have historically suffered from the Federation just because things are going smoothly today.

We have a lot of work to do still and forgetting it will do us no good. Remembering it and holding each other to the highest standards, will.