Intergalactic Summit

My name's Jason Galente and I'm literally going to copy Pieter's format exactly because I'm an uncreative douche. I'm also what's called a Libertarian - whilst I have often been described as "that guy who won't shut the hell up oh my god" it should be noted that I am NOT a dyed-in-the-wool moron. Life as a capsuleer has opened me up to many ideas that can only be described as "different from what I currently believe". It's very hard to remain ideologically pure when you are exposed to lots of competing systems. I am a strong believer in the "marketplace of ideas" as well, and I like to think I am flexible enough to adopt the best ideas that I've been exposed to, mainly because I am extraordinarily deluded. I'm just as susceptible to confirmation bias as anyone else.. but hey, we try, right?

A Libertarian is a thoroughly confusing person if you're politically normal. We are considered socially liberal and fiscally conservative. We like to think we are the closest adherents to the true, ancient Gallentean ideals of personal liberty for the individual, and encourage personal initiative in the place of an overly bureaucratic federal welfare machine. We also have a huge dislike for central government and "Big Brother". We tend to be anti-war and pro-trade. Basically, we truly believe in, and want to promote the aspects of Gallentean society that you tend to see in the tourism ads, the "foundational" ideas of the Federation. Most Libertarians believe in the central ideas of the Federation, especially:

That we should be a free and open society that promotes diversity and immigration, within reasonable limits so as not to overly constrain the local population (this is hotly debated amongst Libertarians)

That the foundation of Federal society is the protection of the inalienable rights of the individual to pursue his or her destiny, uninhibited by tyrannical centralized government.

That the Federation, as the birthplace of these unique ideas, is the best hope for the promotion of these ideas.

That the Federal bureaucracy is out of control and needs to be curtailed. That local government is almost always more efficient and more fair to the individual than centralized mandates from the Federal authorities.

That Meritocracy ought to be how advancement occurs in the Federation as well, with no room for nepotism, mediocrity and coasting off of welfare forever.

That free trade is a virtue that makes us rich as a species and brings us closer together. That where free trade does not flow between borders, fleets will.

That we should promote our culture and ideals of personal liberty wherever they will be listened to, so as to promote a groundswell of support among the people of other nations for reform that embraces individual rights over collective mandates, without doing it through military interventions and conquest.

That a strong military is necessary for defensive purposes only.

..but we also tend to ******* hate our government because it literally ignores all of this ****.


Personally I believe in many of these things. This puts me into the same position as some of my Republic friends (as well as some Caldari), where people are shocked to hear me voice opinions that are out of the moral mainstream in their own cultures but are very common where I come from. ("You think slavery is inherently immoral? Why?")

Here I do have to hold my hand up and say that not all of my Libertarian beliefs have survived my extensive contact with other cultures. Here is where I tend to differ:

Love. I don't give a **** about it. This is not one of the major points, I just felt like going a full paragraph without being a **** would be being negligent in my duties as a gadfly.

My belief in the Federation itself as a governing body that actually promotes these principles. I am not a citizen, I renounced my citizenship in political protest several years ago. I think it's beyond saving. I wish the people no ill will, and I still consider it my home, but I see no point in being a citizen of a government that ignores most of the true, core Gallentean principles, continues to centralize power, taxes us to death, engages in reckless and savage warfare with a nation more similar to ours than any other, and is beginning to ignore core concepts such as due process, freedom of speech, and noninterventionism.

I hope other Gallenteans explain why they, too, are filthy lapdog frog chaos worshippers. I'd also love to start one of those other threads, but I think I just did, and now you can't make a better one. If you decide to make one for your own society, please be more creative than I was. We can't all be lazy *****.

Mission accomplished.

Do you think I put effort into writing it?

Sir, I think you have an unhealthy obsession with my **** posting. I didn't even know that.

Is it stupid though?

Or is intellectual humility and self-degrading humor for the sake of biting satirical comedy one of the greatest forms of intelligence that can be expressed?

I'm too drunk for this ****, just ignore everything I'm saying.

So basically what your saying is because everyone else isn’t doing what I want, I am not going to participate.

We are our government.

We get the government we elect.

I am sorry... I know I am being terse but let us not use quasi philosophical rationales to justify abandoning our responsibility as a participating member within a free society.

You have the right to opt out… but if you don’t participate you don’t get to b****.

Lastly… and I mean that....

The formative ideas of ‘our’ Federal Union came about and were fostered during a time of ‘imperial rule’. Something to consider.

Ruil, I don't think I could've anticipated this, but you're seeming more and more a voice of reason. I apologize for my part in our previous squabbles, and thank you for your recent contributions to the discourse.

No, I am saying that I will not be subjected to the whims of other people when I am pretty thoroughly convinced that our votes mean very little.

When your opening title is an heat rising slurry of racial hate words and the post that follows is clearly yet another jab at current tensions going on in IGS, was comedy your actual goal here? Making fun of Mister Tulinnen's stance on what makes him a proud member of the State, I mean, really?

Your joke fell flat and has no punchline.