Right, I do believe this has come up in RP multiple times...the Federation's economic system is keeping one planet in a perpetual state of poverty; at the same time, another planet boasts the best living conditions in the cluster, and has a great social safety network even for immigrants.
I think the Federation's economy is definitely two-speed in regards to the fact that the "core" worlds (What I see as mostly the high-security regions of Essence, Sinq Laison and Verge Vendors) are more established as they were colonized early in the expansion drive of the Gallente (And Caldari) from Luminaire. They're home to high-tech industries and high-wage professions that favour the employment of an educated middle-class in the Federation as well as the majority of private sector investments. Disparity arises when less established colonies in the periphery regions like Placid and Solitude cannot compete in the domestic Federal market due to lack of infrastructure, investments and all their talented and educated workers moving to the "Core" where all the potential jobs are. Homeworld systems like Intaki or Mannar are probably the exception due to their historical and cultural significance and the fact they get money pumped into them through other means - NGO's, Philanthropy or investments just because it's the home planet.
But yes, I think every system and planet is different in the Fed but we as players can't see that because we are unable to pull up the records on them.
Yeah, I agree with this too. The general people aren't imperialistic and conquering just for the sake of it. Even despite the OOC metaknowledge of what the elites "are really up to", an individual might have some genuinely sincere reasons for believing in the current course-of-action. 99% of the Fed are just ordinary people.
Pretty much. I never really got the apples-and-oranges kind of logic behind associating Federal Imperialism with the Amarrian brand (Aside perhaps from scoring free propaganda points or what have you). Federal Imperialism is the Imperialism of Capitalism and the requirement of forever expanding in order find and create new markets and resources whilst shutting out potential competitors. Cultural assimilation is a by-product of that process and not the actual goal of how the Federation functions as a capitalist and corporate society [Edit: At the top levels, anyway], in my opinion.