Terra during the Long Night

Concerning Bertil Jonell's observation that Terra seems to have
been put on hold for 1800 years or more (vitness the unchanged
names of countries shown in Traveller's Digest #14), I think
that this may very well be explained.

The key lies in the centuries of the Interstellar Wars where
Terra and it's colonies were locked in a struggle with the
Vilani Empire, a potentially overwhelming enemy. Terra fought
this conflict under the auspices of a world government whose
combined forces would be too strong for any individual former
country to challenge. Any nationalists would therefor have to
resort to terrorism or possibly guerilla action. This combined
with a "you traitorous scum are hampering our struggle against
the evil Vilani Empire, jeopadizing the future of the entire
human race" line of propaganda could well relegate nationalism
to the same popularity as nazism and racism.

Thus any struggles between the haves and the have-nots during
the Long Night would be in the nature of either replacing the
haves with new ones or at least forcing them to disgorge a bit.
But the concept of one region cutting out and going it alone
would be anathema to everybody, haves and have-nots alike. And
thus the political boundaries of Terra could remain unchanged
through 1800 years and more.


      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     [email removed]
- ------------
"I know there are some people in the world who do not tolerate their
fellow human beings, and I just can't _stand_ people like that!"
                                (after Tom Lehrer)