Intergalactic Summit

I would say democracy as a system of governance always has to be considered in context of its intended purpose, and indeed, I would agree it is not ideal in every situation of human social and cultural life. Its function in the Federation at the District Parliamentary and sub-district Senate level works solely as an institutional and political check along with other aspects of the Further Federation Act such as the establishment of the Executive and Judicial branches of the Federation.

If one considers the nature of the Executive and Judicial branches then I would say they exist as acknowledgement that unilateral political actions are necessary and not everyone has the experience and legal background to serve as a Supreme Court judge which is why they are appointed directly.

Federal agencies such as FedAdmin, FedPol, and FedNav are inherently undemocratic because as you said, efficiency and proper management of an organization whether a civil bureaucracy or a military requires a meritocratic structure and hierarchy where people are selected and promoted to their positions based on their education, training, and experience. This is also true in private corporate entities.

So no, democracy is not always an ideal in and of itself, it is only ideal insofar as it is able to achieve a specific purpose. In fact as a political system on its own without strong institutions able to operate separately it can be disastrous. One only needs to remember the destructive effects that a radical progressive like Foiritain had upon the Federation in trying to, "Strengthen Democracy." His budget cuts to Federal agencies, attempts to override the Senate and Judiciary, use of the media in appeals to populism and sensationalism all led to the political dysfunctions and instability of a man trying to establish himself a tyrant over an unruly and violent mob he alone controlled. A nature so eloquently displayed when he burned Eturrer alive without trial just to appease bloodthirsty masses.

That is just one of the many real dangers of democracy when permitted to go too far. Without laws, without strong institutions, without culture, without the greater good of society then humans permitted individual freedom to its maximum extent all too often regress into the most venal and vile nature of ideological liberalism.

I think yet the best argument against democracy would be a talk with an average voter. And turns of speech "democracy is not always an ideal" shouldn't be used. Words should be rearranged in form of "democracy is always not an ideal". Instead of discussing it pointing on "dangers", we should look instead on reality, on its whole basis, that leads to management system, where decisions are made by mediocre people, whose opinions shouldn't be taken into consideration.

And this is because no people were born equal. No people were raised equal. Some people have qualities to participate in management, and others must be barred from it.

But I would prefer to avoid discussion in the mood of whether democracy is good or bad in the Federation for federal citizens, for gallentes. Because it is the problem of gallentes, not of everyone. If gallente want to live in democracy, if they want to sink into this inefficient, archaic, incompetent, and, if you wish - dangerous system, it is not our business. Our lives don't depend on what they choose. Our incomes don't depend on their management system. If they want to live in democracy - their incomes will be crap, not ours. And it will be their choice, not ours. We shouldn't tell them what to do with their lives.

The problem comes when the gallente don't just use it, but try to push it into others. They try to sell, advertise their democracy, and if they fail - they try to enforce it on others with weapons in hands.

And this is why we should discuss democracy itself, without attachment to Federation and Federal problems. We should study this phenomenon and show that it is actually terrible system, that can't be ideal solution for any possible given problem. We must educate citizens and teach them to think for themselves to fight axiomatic gallente propaganda. We must show, that our management systems are way more efficient, and that with our systems we will stay stronger that gallenteans, we won't fall and won't let them degrade us to their level.

Well ... it's a traditional, literally elitist, argument against democracy, though. Most people really aren't qualified to run an interstellar empire, so why should they be allowed to?

It's not a point that doesn't have any teeth, either. Even leaving what happened to Eturrer aside, the last time the Caldari vox populi had a major say in State politics, it ushered in Tibus Heth.

It's tempting to blame Democracy for the elevation of Tibus Heth - but I think that's dangerously simplifying matters. As the Corporate Executives recover from the period of his Executor-ship I'm increasingly seeing a push to demonise the man as an abberant political figure who sprung out of nowhere and, with dubious backing and assistance, stole power in the State.

That point of view ignores the fact that the Executives were woefully corrupt and almost completely detached from the beliefs and struggles of the common Caldari citizen. They strayed from the path of Heiian and it took Heth to put us all back on track.

Obviously the latter part of his term as Executor was studded with awful decisions, questionable morals and a complete break with tradition.

Respectfully, Pieter, it's not democracy I'm pointing to, at least not directly. Admittedly, I haven't done a lot of research on this personally; it's part of my antecedent's "knowledge" base, but....

The way my ... um, inherited knowledge lays it out goes like this:

The Gallente Federation, during the long period of relative peace before the start of the Pendulum War, had a quiet program of social subversion running in the Caldari State. This was accomplished mostly through peaceful means-- intentionally producing holoflicks and other media that would carry messages subversive of Caldari community-mindedness.

In fairness, that probably would have been an effect of Gallentean cultural exchange, regardless. Their values tend to kind of permeate their work. But what I "remember" says that this was even moreso-- that it was a focused, intentional campaign that was intended, in time, to undercut traditional Caldari cultural norms. The end game would be a popular uprising leading to liberal democracy.

It didn't quite play that way. See, the only people who could afford the Gallentean cultural imports in quantities large enough to have an effect were the Caldari elite, the executive and chief executive classes. Thus, they became more individualistic and began to believe that they were living and working for themselves and the people they cared about, and not for the State or the Caldari people. Hence the abuses.

Thus, the populist revolt, when it came, was from, as you say, a place of Heiian. Only, it was Heiian in the fairly raw, rough, unnuanced and not especially sophisticated form one would expect from the laborer caste.

Heth wasn't a product of democracy; he was a product of a populist backlash, which is a very different creature. He did reflect its values, hence the reforms, but he also reflected its lack of sophistication.

He was at once a reflection of the Caldari people's need for leaders that represented their values, and also the very Caldari principle that the lower castes are as they are because they are not qualified to lead. In this way, his rise and fall, taken together, represent an affirmation of both the meritocracy and the duty of those above to work for the sake of and in a way that reflects the beliefs of those below.

His rise affirmed Heiian as the spirit of the State. His fall affirmed the wisdom of the caste hierarchy.

My predecessor's "knowledge" labeled him a necessary correction, but predicted that history would use him up and cast him aside. I don't think she was wrong about that.

I admit I'm pretty fuzzy on the details of his fall. It happened while I was "asleep," so my inherited knowledge doesn't cover it.

Ms. Kim,

I would be quite interested in your elaboration on democracy and the threat of axiomatic Gallente propaganda.

So-- to be clear, what with me being back in the Empire, this isn't actually over.

It's more turning into a kind of mid to long-term project.

Have you enjoyed your stay with us, Ms. Jenneth? Where can I read a summary about it?

Well ... I have left this a little long, I guess.


Entry Seven: "Home"

Caldari Prime is a planet I really wanted to visit, partly for the sake of seeing how the Gallente and Caldari there get on. Actually visiting, as it turned out, was a really good illustration of why Gallente and Caldari in a whole lot of places do not get on.

Not well, anyway.

As planets go, Caldari Prime's kind of a snowball, and our visit to Arcurio was appropriately snowy. There was a lot we saw, but really I think the most educational things I learned were from my companions.

I had two on this trip, one of Civire heritage, the other Gallente. It's not like they fought all the time or anything; actually, they didn't argue at all, but their reactions to things were so very different. I know it's unwise to take two people's reactions as representative of entire cultures, but the two differed in such reliable ways that it's kind of hard not to.

Caldari Prime through Gallentean eyes was a place with a fascinating indigenous flora and fauna, architecture and culture (and kind of chilly weather) and history-- lots and lots of history. It's a place where Caldari and Gallente live side by side, where even Gallentean-administrated areas demonstrate a respectful regard for their Caldari neighbors. The focus is on the now, but the past is to be treated respectfully.

Through Civire eyes, the unifying theme of the world the Caldari call "Home" is loss, and not a distant loss, but current, immediate, and ongoing. To the Caldari, the history the Gallente make such efforts to respect isn't over. It's not gone; it's present, here, right now. The Gallente are bleeding away the Caldari identity from the world that created that identity at this very moment. It's not possible for a thief to steal something sacred respectfully enough. It's not possible for a murderer's knife to show his victim enough respect. Caldari Prime is a wound in what it is to be Caldari. And with every brightly-colored scarf, every bit of fusion architecture, every Gallentean species brought to the Arcurio arboretum, the wound bleeds.

Arrangements are in place for Caldari Prime's joint administration. The guns there are silent. But I think this is going to be a long war.