Many have wondered here how long the SEM will last, and I could see the TQ once it's rich and successful begin to seek more a independent stance while others there seek a bigger share of WHJ revenue.
Whether its only seven hundred years or so for the Solarian League, versus a thousand for Rome, or two or three thousand for China, empires come and go.
Mike has made it very plain to Meyers that the last thing Manticore wants or needs is more basket cases to take care of, so I strongly doubt there will be any further encouragement of local efforts to join the SEM, however well intentioned.
The SEM and GA expect to create polities their size or smaller that will find their new similar sized neighbors more competitors and potential threats than allies, thus preventing any efforts in re-establishing the SL.
Given the lack of identification with the SL at large by the respective system citizens, overwhelmingly preferring their own known and recognised leaders to anonymous bureaucrats doing things they don't approve of; its no wonder if not quite telling that Barregos and Rozsak are the most popular SL leaders recognised throughout the SL, in spite of their opposition to traditional SL policies.
Once the threat of of the BF is gone, many members will have many reasons to seek closer ties with the GA in preference to the SL, with far less to fear, and probably far more to gain, without the need for actual membership.
L
n7axw wrote:Commodore Oakius wrote:I have been mulling this over the weekend.
Everything said is true, but I maintain that when you have an entity so bing that there is noticible comm lag you are going to foment dissallusion and rebellion, espcially if it is a corrupt centeral power. IE the Maya sector.
Even in history, the colonies from Britain, no real justification for the intial dicontentment, except lack of representation, because of the distances involved. The way Britain cracked down, loss of rights, lead to the further demonstrations that lead to the War.
Rome crumbled when it's government spread too far from central authority, of course there where many other reasons also, but it was a contributing factor.
Alexander the Great had to return from India because he was too far from the central power base, and his soldiers would go no futher.
It was mentioned that in any system you will find corruption, and that is true, but the further distant from the central power, of the head of power, in Alexander and Romes case, the more corrupt things become, and the greater the chance of corruption because someone feels they can get away with it.
With the SL, yes the type of government was a huge issue do to the bueractic tangels of law, but I feel the distance was an even bigger issue. Its how Roszak and Buragos could get so far in their plans to seperate. How Mesa, through Manpower, could manipulate Hung Bo, Crandal and Bing, because they were so far from central authority, they could be nudged (and their own arrogance of course).
I fear for the SEM for just that reason. When it was just the Manticore system everthing is pretty tight. Even with Bassalic and San Martin, they are only a wormhole away. Now with the Talbet Quadrent added, it is sof far off into the distance, yes I know they have a Commonwealth system there, but really, aside from the excesses of OFS, and looking at what OFS was truly meant to do, how different is expansion into the TQ then OFS helping systems genuinly in need, before it became totally corrupt. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
I know RFC can make it all work as he writes it but I fear that it could lead to bigger issues.
**quote="Duckk"**
What really matters is if there is a system in place to enforce the social contract the government has made with the governed. That is what ailed the Solarian League, not necessarily the sheer physical distance involved. The Sollies intentionally gave their government weak powers (in most areas, at any rate). While a great idea for protecting the founding systems' independence, it also made holding them accountable nigh impossible. The SEM, on the other hand, has clear lines of power and mechanisms with which offenders can be caught and punished.**quote**
And when the League was smaller I bet it had clear lines as well, until they were blurred and mangled by legislation and buracracy.
EDIT: Submitted to early
I fear that as time goes on, the governing of a large and growing polity will create these blurred lines. Law upon law, upon precedent, upon cultural quirk, will eventually lead to inablitiy to do anything concrete for fear of offending someone else.
There is somethimg to your point, here. But remember that Rome lasted a thousand years. The SL is what, maybe 700 years old give or take. Large or small, all things change, either by renewal or decay. Nothing is permanet.
Don
