Intergalactic Summit

The Intaki Syndicate is often held up by various parties as an example of Federal opression, of the ingenuity of the Intaki race independent of the Federation or other similar things - I have even seen some Federalists hold up the Syndicate, through some bizarre interpretation, as an example of Federal values upheld independently of the Federation. To all of them I say - find another exemplar. The Intaki Syndicate are poor rolemodels for seccessionalist and Federalist alike, and you would do well to distance yourselves from such associations. They will, in the long term, do you no good.

Let us first look at the formation of the Syndicate. Roughly five thousand individuals, comprising the majority of the exiles, the remaining minority of whom formed the famous Mordu's Legion. The Intaki population thoughout the Federation at the time of the Gallente-Caldari war numbered in the billions, a large fraction of that number residing on Intaki itself. Are we to seriously believe that out of these many billions of people, less than ten thousand (remember, if five thousand is a majority, the number cannot have been larger than double that) Intaki had political feelings strong enough for the Federation to find problematic? No, this hypothesis alone doesn't hold water. Certainly I feel compelled to concede that some of the exiles were treated unfairly, but are we to seriously believe they are simply guiltless victims of political whimsy? That of what must have been countless millions of Intaki dissatisfied with the Federation, the Federal government picked a handful at random to serve as examples? Please. We're all smarter than that. One suspects that the exiles were a little more than just political dissidents.

Next, we have to take a look at what those who formed the Syndicate chose to do. While the Mordu's Legion went and joined the opposing side, the exiles moved into the space now known as the Syndicate region. The Syndicate, unable to colonise moons or planets, built sprawling orbital habitats to house their people. This, of course, is laudable in and of itself, but one has to look at who they started associating with. The Syndicate grew from appropriating the various castaways who were not given leave to enter Federal space. This, too, is laudable enough in itself, but one has to consider that in comparison to the other three empires, the Federation is ludicrously tolerant of immigrants, their cultural and social mores and their past histories. Rejected entry to the Federation generally doesn't happen without a reason - not always a valid one, of course, but persona non grata in the Federation don't "just happen".

Most telling, of course, are who their closest allies happen to be: the Angel Cartel and the Serpentis Corporation, those organisations who, I would be quick to remind seccessionalists and Federalists alike, cause the most trouble in the Viriette constellation. The Serpentis often use the radical Intaki death cult, the Aenebra (a deeply unpleasant group, with whom many of the ILF and other Intaki-heavy associations have unpleasant history with) as enforcers and death squads for their operations on Intaki Prime. The Syndicate provides safe haven, funding and materials for these low-lives. While certainly a profitable relationship, it makes their supposed moral high-ground look more than a little unstable.

Let's also take a look at the de-facto leader of the Syndicate, Silphy en Dabiel. Technically each station in Syndicate space is an autonomous, independently-governed enclave, but Ms. En Dabiel, governor of the Poitot V, Moon 14 station, has held unofficial, hegemonic control of the Syndicate for years now. Certainly a competent strategist, a charismatic leader and an intelligent politician, this woman is nonetheless a ruthless schemer and a fantastically dangerous individual to cross. She has absolute control of her own station and her political savvy and clandestine power ensure the obedience of the rest of the Syndicate. On her own station, she is "governor for life", and ruthlessly destroys any threat to her supremacy. She's also possessed of rather close ties to various members of the Sarpati family, those drug-pushers of abominable merit - an estranged member of the family, Santimona Sarpati, once publicly stating that Salvador and Silphy "compliment each other perfectly in their exploitation and contempt of their fellow humans".

One other minor but exceptionally telling point is the awful relationship between the Syndicate and the Mordu's Legion, who would, one might expect, be one of the Syndicate's closest ideological parallels. For two groups supposedly having suffered the very same indignities at the hands of the Federation, there doesn't seem to be an awful lot they can agree on.

No, the Federation is not perfect. No, seccessionalism is not an invalid or criminal ideology. However, exemplification of the Syndicate as a blueprint for an independent Intaki is a truly awful idea. The Syndicate were most likely not guiltless at the time of their formation and they are most certainly not guiltless now. They're criminals, and they facilitate criminals - criminals who, in many cases, hurt other Intaki. The Syndicate cares for nothing but itself. This is, of course, its perogative - it doesn't live in the Federation and is not subject to its laws. By all means, strive to make a better Intaki, under Federal flag or under its own, as is your preference. But do not strive to make it more like the Syndicate. A nation of criminal financiers and hegemons is not a place I'd want to live.

You know what? You didn't have to read it.

Concord and both the Federation and Caldari State interfere with the Syndicate's internal affairs. Of course Serpentis would be a likely candidate for a partner. The Federation and Concord barred the Intaki of Syndicate from settling worlds, it's a situation the Gallente created and now seek to criticize and use as fodder for blatant propaganda against an entity who has prospered without a DED contract?

Pfffft, keep trying.

Peddling? You mean the fact that the Federation barred the Syndicate from settling worlds? Than Concord takes over the reigns of such "policing".

I'm not quite sure what you ramble on about. The Syndicate has not tried to invade the Federation. The Federation has sent Navy ships to Syndicate, and still does. No Intaki Space Police can be seen in Federation space other than those few who act as advisors to the Intaki assembly.

This whole anti-syndicate jibber jabber has done before, it doesn't work...


http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/The_Syndicate God damn, learn your history if you want to play the hero.

Hm... I have to admit I don't see much point to the essay, besides serving some kind of a gallentean expansionist propaganda. I find it rather ironic and hilarious how some Federation bureaucrats are rather quick to bash certain political systems and call them 'opressive', but have no pause in doing the same to their Intaki brethren.
If Intaki moved from the Federation, I believe they did it for a reason. To quote, not always a valid one, of course, but persona non grata in the Federation don't "just happen".
Live and let live. As mr. Engel already pointed out, no Intaki Space Police can be seen in Federation space, but vice versa doesn't really work.

The current Federation "presence" in Syndicate hinders the regions economic development away from narcotics and Serpentis and the Angel Cartel. Tell your masters in Luminaire to stop the blockades and end the prohibition on planetary settlement.

Peace with the free Intaki of Syndicate is in Luminaire's hands. They refuse peace at every turn.

I wouldn't listen to Engel. He's very eager to blame the Syndicate's problems on anyone other than themselves, and very eager to excuse or outright ignore their misdeeds.

Yes. In fact, no, actually - when you openly associate with and openly arrange and secure finance for criminal organisations, it's a lot more than simply guilty by assocaition.

Quoting the words of an entirely irrelevant anarchist and terrorist from a faction now so irrelevant its own leader - known only for her ability to talk - has stopped talking, will win you no favours with me, and given that your organisation just shot down a proposal that would actively benefit legitimate trade in the Intaki system, don't you ******* dare talk to me about the difficulties of legitimate trade.

Rodents? Well, I'm glad that we're at least being honest with our metaphors now.



Yes, criminals and exiles co-operating with criminals and exiles. It's to be expected. It doesn't surprise me. What surprises me is that people are pretending that the Syndicate are somehow honourable or exemplary when they very clearly aren't. They managed to take everything that was wrong with the Federation and amplify it. I look to the Syndicate as a cautionary tale, not a great huddled mass of oppressed unfortunates.



The Federation owes the Syndicate precisely nothing.

You know what? Never mind.