1: The factions can afford these losses, there is a whole lot going on in the universe that can't be seen by the players. (only thing that can explain the amounts of npc ships exploded by players)
cannot be reconciled with:
2: Capsuleers are the definitive power in modern space combat, what capsuleers do is vastly more important than anything any faction can do. (justifications for the empyrean war, nullsec capsuleer empires being of importance, etc)
The news stories about the militia occupying somewhere, e.g. the caldari occupying all of the contestable space leading to Foiritain's resignation etc., and other stories, create the idea that what capsuleers do is significantly relevant to the wider universe.
So then, given the level of warfare in places like Delve, or Fountain, why then, do the Blood Raiders and Serpentis still exist ? They'd surely have been wiped out by capsuleer efforts long ago, if capsuleers were powerful and relevant.
Since the Blood Raiders and Serpentis still exist and are powerful and relevant (evidenced by their live event things), then capsuleer efforts are irrelevant and insignificant to the factions as a whole.
So then, given that capsuleers are irrelevant, why then did the caldari militia occupation by capsuleer elements matter for the Federation elections ?