Re: Terra during the Long Night

> From: Hans Rancke-Madsen [email removed]
> Subject: (3408) Terra during the Long Night
>
> 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.

  But the history of the Rule of Man could disrupt this: The war was over.
It was won. And then the newly aquired colonies almost the entire military
of the victorious part says: "We're a new political entity. Bye bye!"
  Imagine MacArthur establishing himself as military dictator of the West
Pacific Alliance including Japan, Hawaii and all the territory inbetween
including all US forces there and setting out as a totally independent
political entity that regards the continental US as 'little brother':)
  My guess as to a possible reaction on Terra when the Rule of Man cut and run
is great disillutionment with all traces of interstellar government since they
have shown themselves to be either hostile or indifferent. I don't think that
the wartime 'we must stick together' mentality could survive long after the
threat was gone *and* the spoils of war was totally lost.

  Judging from contemporary politics a big 'musical chairs' about that eternal
question: "Who shall foot the bill?" would ensue. Different regions and nations
would push for different principles. Some would argue for payment after wealth.
Some for payment after natural resources, some for payment after combat losses
(they who lost the most pay the least) and some would argue that they didn't
want that stupid war in the first place so why should they pay for it?
  Any historical arguments about who the blame belonged to would quickly be
forgotten amongst the biased histories the various factions and their supporters
would push out. There is also the big possibility that somebody claims that
EarthGov is a conspiracy against <their country> totally run by <their enemy>
whith the sole purpose of destroying them. Such capers have worked before, and
I sadly see no reason why they should stop working suddenly.
  Small rulers always look for ways of making themselves appear big and
powerful. One of the best methods is to attack, physically or verbally, some
big and powerful entity that is guaranteed not to strike back. EarthGov seems
like an ideal target for this kind of attacks, since its reason for existance
is to make things *better* for humankind. If they start issuing frag-orders
for interface figters to go and dump FAE on "nests of anti-internationalist
terrorists" hither and dither they are just proving their opponents points.

  Remember that we are talking about periods spanning hundreds of years here.
Since ideologies that were totally outdated 45 years ago seem to be on the
rise now, I see no reason why any ideology couldn't make a comback in 200 years
let alone 1800. Imagine the debate on EarthNet some time after the end of the
Nth Interstellar War and after the Fall of Night:
  "What proof does *you* have that the 'vilani' existed, you totalitarian
internationalist? Do you have any eye-witnesses that participated in *any* of
the 'Interstellar Wars'? We have let experts scientifically examine the
wreckage on display in the victory monument and they found that it is a fake!"

  Also note the large number of *ethnically homogenous* worlds all over Charted
Space hailing from *ethnically homogenous* fleets of low-sleep ships from Terra
launched during the Long Night or shortly before. I cannot imagine them
occuring if there were a EarthGov controlling military and strategic (like
spaceflight) resources. And the fact that they feel the need to emmigrate from
Earth seems to indicate that everything wasn't all that good there.

>       Hans Rancke

- -bertil-
PS: I'll try to give pre-Night Terra the 'Hard Times UWP treatement' and we'll
     see what the result is:)
- --
"It can be shown that for any nutty theory, beyond-the-fringe political view or
 strange religion there exists a proponent on the Net. The proof is left as an
 exercise for your kill-file."