Masada: State of Affairs

kzt wrote:

cthia wrote:Misuse of property? That is probably exactly what the crime is in the book.

If it changes under Manticoran occupation, then doesn't Manticore need to open certain doors to them as well? Like offering asylum to those who ask for it? They very well shouldn't be left out in the dark.

Think of Masada as Afghanistan.

How effective has occupation by the USSR or the US+NATO been at changing the culture of the people?

Lets assume there are a mere billion people on the planet, in small towns that average 10,000 people. To have a good handle on what is gong on in one of them and to enforce your laws, how many people do you need?

Probably 20-50. So you need to commit two to five million police to do this. Well, you probably need to rotate them out as you almost certainly don't want their families there, so you need somewhere between four to fifteen million police assigned to that planet.

Let's assume that it's more like modern Afghanistan, where you have 5% in the cities, another 20% in major tows and 75% in towns of a thousand to a dozen.

So you have 50 million in the ten big cities, two hundred million in 8000 towns of a few thousand to say fifty thousand, and remaining 800 million in the million six hundred thousand villages.

How many police do you need? Consider that the population is hostile and willing to kill any group of meddling creatures of Satan if they get a shot.

How many of them do you need if you are going to enforce the laws opposed by the culture of the people? One per town? Now how small can you make your small, isolated police bases? How about 48? We can call it police outpost Keating. What could possibly go wrong?

So you need in the ballpark of 300 million police to control the planet and enforce your laws. May I have your credit card?

kzt wrote:How many police do you need? Consider that the population is hostile and willing to kill any group of meddling creatures of Satan if they get a shot.

How many of them do you need if you are going to enforce the laws opposed by the culture of the people? One per town? Now how small can you make your small, isolated police bases? How about 48? We can call it police outpost Keating. What could possibly go wrong?

cthia wrote:It brings me back to my opening post, why is there not an utterly reckless religious civil war going on groundside? Rebellious women killing their husbands?

Let's say it is Afghanistan and it is happening there. What do you suppose the result would be?

cthia wrote:But fast forward to an alternate future and reality where the two systems have mended their fences and are actually allies. The union of Grayson and Masada has the potential to be a powerhouse.

Can you imagine a powerful union between two religious systems becoming the moral center of the galaxy? The system could rightfully replace the SLN in adjudicating and punishing violators of the Eridani Edict.

Imagine all the people
Livin' life in peace
You
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:But fast forward to an alternate future and reality where the two systems have mended their fences and are actually allies. The union of Grayson and Masada has the potential to be a powerhouse.

Can you imagine a powerful union between two religious systems becoming the moral center of the galaxy? The system could rightfully replace the SLN in adjudicating and punishing violators of the Eridani Edict.

There have been long discussions in this forum about the future of the Eridani Edict and the main conclusion seemed to be that only a militarily powerful system, with its population spread over many star systems (like the prewar Solarian League was thought to be) could take on the burden of being its primary enforcer. I am not sure that a two system entity would qualify.

I can not imagine two religious systems (which would be only one religious system, if they settled their differences to become friends) could become "the moral center of the galaxy".

Imagine all the people
Livin' life in peace
You
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Nice in a song, but history gives no reason to expect it.

cthia wrote:The Yeltsin System and the Endicott System. That is TWO systems. Why would their religion necessarily need to merge?

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:The Yeltsin System and the Endicott System. That is TWO systems. Why would their religion necessarily need to merge?

Both religions began through the teachings of Austin Grayson, then there was the Schism. In order for them to become friends, the differences that both lead to the Schism and followed from it have to be reconciled. The reconciliation would basically result in a unification of the teachings, as least from the viewpoint of an outsider (and maybe to an insider also).

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:But fast forward to an alternate future and reality where the two systems have mended their fences and are actually allies. The union of Grayson and Masada has the potential to be a powerhouse.

Can you imagine a powerful union between two religious systems becoming the moral center of the galaxy? The system could rightfully replace the SLN in adjudicating and punishing violators of the Eridani Edict.

There have been long discussions in this forum about the future of the Eridani Edict and the main conclusion seemed to be that only a militarily powerful system, with its population spread over many star systems (like the prewar Solarian League was thought to be) could take on the burden of being its primary enforcer. I am not sure that a two system entity would qualify.

I can not imagine two religious systems (which would be only one religious system, if they settled their differences to become friends) could become "the moral center of the galaxy".

Imagine all the people
Livin' life in peace
You
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Nice in a song, but history gives no reason to expect it.