Intergalactic Summit

As I climbed from my pod that day, with the blood of seven hundred of my Kirjuun on my hands my overwhelming impression was one of having FAILED. Failed to keep her alive. Failed to protect Home. Failed the State in the solemnest duty given me.

What none of us knew was that we would fail her again, only days later, when the man we helped put into power, whose throne we kept propped up, would kill her for the final time.

Perhaps one day, if I'm given enough of them, I'll look back on that time with something other than shame, but not today. No matter how fine Scherezad-haani's words are.

Pieter,

The shame of loss may drown all other things
But still, submerged, the chime of truth will ring.
You did what you had to, and what you could. I don't blame you for how you feel, and hope it eases soon.

And in my opinion you would have probably made a good local janitor or a hull cleaner, since this is the only thing that you, gallenteans, can do professionally. Of course, after a couple of years of training.

Obviously, judgement of a gallentean about assignment of a Caldari personnel to a certain position shouldn't be taken into account, since gallenteans can't comprehend principles of meritocracy.

Um...



I'm really not so sure that she actually does.

It's fair to comment that to those of us outside the State and unfamiliar with its labyrinthine politics and economics, the future of Kaalakiota is harder to discuss and consider.

That said, I'd agree with you. Regardless of what Kim would have us believe, Heth is no longer of any real relevance, and the economic future of KK is a more important question. I'm inclined to agree with Gesakaarin-haani's analysis, however, in that KK's infrastructure and foundations are too solid for it to be in danger of more than losing its undisputed primacy.

Priano-haani, if you will excuse me, but stability of the whole State is much important concern than just financial stability of one megacorporation.

To secure the State we should reinstate Tibus Heth, nationalize megacorporations and defeat the Federation.

Kim-haani, I would tend to agree with Pieter on this point. Was not our war of independence in defense of our corporate state? Would we not be losing the very identity we fought to protect?

Interestingly, though, I found a GalNet article on Gallente demographics recently that mentioned small populations of ethnic Caldari in the Federation -- basically, enclaves of Caldari who did not secede when the State evacuated Caldari Prime. The article noted that these Caldari tend to operate in a highly collective manner, with few corporatist tendencies. While the source wasn't robust, it was an interesting notion. Once I have some time away from operations in Syndicate, I may have to visit some of these enclaves.

I wonder if Ishukone has cultural missions on site already, in fact.

Time to do some research.

I'm a Citizen of Kaalakiota. I serve the State.

So, which side are you on?

So, in other words, to beat the Federation, we have to become just like them, nationalizing our corporations (as Fouritain tried to do), federalizing all control into a central organization, and relying on a leader chosen by populist appeal.

You advocate becoming the Federation.

The State is the Megas. The State always has been the Megas. It was the Megas that stood up for us against the Gallente and Mannar, it was the Megas that evacuated our homeworld, and it was the Megas that gave us a new life and shielded us from our would be conquerors for one hundred years. You cannot be Caldari and advocate the dissolution of the Megas.

The State is not a unified whole, because power does not come from being a single, unified whole. Power comes from conflict, competition, where the weak perish and the strong survive. The State corporate system is this. Those who survive the struggle are the most fit to lead, those who can do the most with the least, those who most intelligently use resources, those are the ones who possess the merit to serve in the highest offices.

To simply seize power, to announce one's right to it, is foolishness. Power is something you are, not something you have, an idea Heth could not grasp. Heth fell because his opponents were smarter, more cunning, and, in the end, stronger, thus proving his unfitness to lead, and the right of the Megas to rule. And this should not be a surprise: they were and are the cream of the competitive crop.

All that Heth managed to do was to take Caldari Prime, and then lose it. The Megas made us the most militarily capable nation in New Eden, and achieved our independence against numerically, and, at first, a technologically superior foe. By their internal conflict they forged the weapons and tactics we possess and use. They managed this because the Caldari State understands what other do not: there is no true unity, there is no true peace, there is only the struggle, the fight, and the continual development of power. Physically, economically, militarily - only in conflict are these things improved.

To advocate the destruction of that system is to advocate the destruction of that which makes us unique, that which makes us great.

I just took the part that I find contradictory.

The Federation do not nationalize its corporations, quite the contrary. Foiritain tried, but never achieved it, which means that a Federation with nationalized corporations is something that does not exist, a fantasy.

What actually exists, is the Federation with private corporations. Much like in the State, by the way, and by your logic, it already makes the State you seem to love similar to the actual Federation.