Here's a library data entry that I cooked up to justify practically any
'theme' planet. If there's is sufficient interest I'll post other items
(I have to translate them from danish, so I won't do it unless it's
properly appreciated ;-)
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NATIONAL REEMERGENCE: Social and political phenomenon seen on scores of
solomani-settled planets in the wake of the fall of the 2nd Imperium.
During the 400 years or so that the 2nd Imperium survived, a goodly
number of the thinly settled planets in Delphi, Diaspora, Massila, Old
Expanses and Solomani Rim sectors were colonised from Terra. Emigrants
had a tendency to go to planets where people of their ethnic and cul-
tural background were already established. Nationalism as such was an
ill-favoured concept in the days of The Terran Federation and continued
to be under under The 2nd Empire. Peaceful culturalism, however, were
not, and different groups usually coexisted without any significant
trouble.
But as the Twilight fell and The Long Night grew steadily darker,
ethnic and cultural sub-groups on scores of planets dug up old cultural
differences and used them as a rallying point to increase the group's
sense of identity. These reconstructed cultures were usually extremely
romantizised, often twisted almost beyond recognition, but all of them
focused on a past glorious grandeur and a coming similar glory for the
group. Examples are the 'truebrits' of Cymbeline/Solomani Rim, the
'inheritors' of Scandia/Solomani Rim and the 'neo-germanics' of Funft-
reich/Diaspora. Often an old forgotten language were reconstructed and
made the national language at the same time, usually at the expense of
the anglic that had been the universal language of The Terran Confede-
ration and The 2nd Empire. On some planets anglic lingered on as a
second language, on others it was vigorously suppressed. Many planets
were renamed at the same time.
Many planets in the Domain of Deneb and beyond it was colonized by
neo-nationalists. When their planets were reintegrated into The Third
Empire there were usually groups that preferred emigration to staying
under the new regime. Thus Caledonia/Glisten was colonized from Duncan/
Alpha Crucis, Ghandi/Lanth from Cathay/Vega and Olympia/Lunion from
Athene/Ultima.
Opinions about neo-nationalism is sharply divided. On some planets
it led to a greater sense of community, prevented polarization of the
society and propably to a greater or lesser extent saved the planet
from regression or destruction. On others, especially on planets with
more than one dominant group, it led to balkanization, wars and de-
struction.
[Last update for this entry 109-1085]
NEO-NATIONALISM: See NATIONAL REEMERGENCE.
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The 'last update' bit is something I came up with to inform players how
recent their information were. With electronic or holographic storage
individual entries can be updated seperately. Whenever you get access
to a reputable library data purveyor you have your computer run through
his data and update any item with a newer date. Some items gets updated
fairly frequently, other items rarely.
Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
[email removed]