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That docked cruisers are held in place with massive clamps on strategic support sections of the ship, and are disengaged with incendiary explosives? (The Burning Life p. 75)

Author Topic: Astropolitanism  (Read 4331 times)

Natalcya Katla

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Astropolitanism
« on: 28 May 2010, 08:20 »

What I did before going Sansha.




Mission Statement:



Astropolitan Front is a corporation dedicated to highlighting the similarities among the extraplanetary population in all of civilized (CONCORD-monitored) space. We believe that a hundred years of open borders, free commerce and exchange of ideas have resulted in a distinct Astral culture, and that the remaining differences between extraplanetary communities, once one gets through the layers of planetary dogma, are superficial and cosmetic in nature.

Politically, Astropolitan Front will endeavor to promote and defend those values, traditions and interests we view as distinctly extraplanetary in nature, and work toward a formal acknowledgement of our culture and people from the planetary administrations. We also pledge political support to CONCORD, which we see as the greatest pillar of extraplanetary achievement and the cradle and cornerstone of modern Astral culture.

On the practical front, Astropolitan Front will assist CONCORD by going into territory where CONCORD's mandate is limited by planetary bureaucracy, to put whatever dent we can in the operations of the large outlaw organizations that threaten the borders of civilized space. We will attempt to maintain a comfortable state of combat readiness in the case that we need to defend ourselves from capsuleer aggressors, and also for the purpose of being able to offer effective aid to our allies, if necessary.

Finally, Astropolitan Front will also engage in some industrial activity, chiefly for the purpose of maintaining a certain level of self-sufficiency in the way of ships and equipment.

Like-minded individuals and corporate representatives are welcome to contact us both here on our mainframe forums, through EVE-mail and/or over pod comms. Our public FTL channel is Astropolitan VR Conference Room, a virtual reality environment. Be warned that it is set to function at half normal gravity, which may take some time getting used to.
« Last Edit: 28 May 2010, 08:42 by Natalcya Katla »
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Natalcya Katla

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Re: Astropolitanism
« Reply #1 on: 28 May 2010, 08:21 »

Big Speech for recruits:



In the century since formal peace and diplomatic relations were established between the governing bodies of the Amarr Empire, the Caldari State, the Gallente Federation and the Minmatar Republic, the extraplanetary communities within the borders of their territories have seen a lot of change, and a lot of development.

Open borders and virtually free trade between the territories of these four empires did not only open the way for the exchange of goods and services, but also the exchange of ideas, of values, and of culture. During this span of one hundred years, extraplanetary citizens of all these nations have gradually influenced and been influenced by each other. They have met people who were born under foreign suns. They have tasted food from strange and faraway places. They have heard the song of voices a hundred light years away. And little by little, as they have come to know these things, they have made them their own.

Through these years, and through a continuous bond formed by mutual commerce, common legislation, the firm but kind hand of CONCORD and the unique nature of the environment in which they live, "strange" has become "commonplace", "exotic" has become "indigenous", "foreigner" has become "neighbor" and "stranger" has become "colleague". Ideas, customs and traditions which are unique to the extraplanetary environment are beginning to appear. The grandchildren of colonial pioneers are outgrowing their parental planetary cultures. They are no longer Gallente, Caldari, Minmatar or Amarr.

They are Astropolites. We are Astropolites.

There are obstacles faced by our fledgling people, however. While we have grown closer to each other, our ancestral planetary cultures have done no such thing. The concept of a common Astral culture is not one which is recognized or acknowledged by planetside communities and administrations. Astropolites are still seen as "colonists". Extraplanetary space is seen as a trade route or a place to harvest resources at best, or a military buffer zone at worst. It is never regarded as somebody's home.

Sadly, they are successful in making many of us believe this, too. Planetary administrations continue to claim sovereignty over an environment and a culture whose nature they can't or won't comprehend. Throughout our existence we have killed for them, died for them, grieved for their losses, let them claim our victories as their own, and proselytized on their behalf.

Now there are rumors of war in the horizon, a full-scale interstellar war which threatens to lay our home in ruins and tear down everything our people have built over the past century. If the dirtlings have their way, we will tear each other apart until all we ever had in common is lost, until we are nothing more than broken and crippled bands of refugees, or the executors of another empty victory.

Only one major institution stands in the way of this happening. CONCORD was formed to be a bridge between the empires; a neutral body of diplomacy, the executor of a common currency and economic model, and an interstellar police and peacekeeping force. It has succeeded in this, and more - with a massive administrative infrastructure, a solid economy and a fleet which rivals those of the empires themselves - if not in numbers, then in firepower.

It is highly professional. It is highly motivated. And it is one hundred percent Astropolitan, with roots in all the empires, but loyalties to none of them in particular. Ever since it was formed, CONCORD has been tugging at its anchor chains. It has developed an identity of its own, and it has developed a taste for autonomy.

When the empires created CONCORD, they got more than they bargained for. If war is to happen, somebody will have to try and put the watchdog back in its den, or even put it down for good. The question is: Will it let them? Or will it bite the hand which once fed it, and come into its own?

We believe the latter. And we will help to see it happen, however we can. Every external enemy of CONCORD we put down will mean an increase in the resources they can bring to bear in the inward struggle, when the right moment comes. From that moment, we will have something we have never seen before - a true space-based government in the center of the cluster. A government born of our own culture. A government whose home is space.

It is time we woke up and realized that we who live out here are one people, and that the dirtlings on the ground are the true foreigners. We will not be ruled from the ground anymore.

This is not a void. It is home.
« Last Edit: 28 May 2010, 08:23 by Natalcya Katla »
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Natalcya Katla

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Re: Astropolitanism
« Reply #2 on: 28 May 2010, 08:24 »

Compressed propaganda in Katla's old bio:



This is Astropolitanism:
- The belief that all who live in extraplanetary, civilized space are one people, or in the process of becoming such, and that a cultural divide is forming between us and the planetsiders.
- That as one people, space-dwellers must work towards peaceful co-existence and cultural unity.
- That this process should be co-assimilative, blending elements of our ancestral cultures and space-exclusive cultural traits into a new, cohesive form.

This is Astropolitan CONCORD Loyalism:
- The belief in CONCORD as the chief architect of the Astropolitan mindset and culture.
- The desire to see CONCORD at the helm of a unified Astropolitan nation.
- The will to stay true to CONCORD's laws, fight its foes and spread the Astropolitan ideology.

We are your people.
This is your home.
Help us protect it.
« Last Edit: 28 May 2010, 08:29 by Natalcya Katla »
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Natalcya Katla

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Re: Astropolitanism
« Reply #3 on: 28 May 2010, 08:28 »

First IGS announcement:



Pilots,

On behalf of my young corporation, I am pleased to issue this formal declaration of political support to CONCORD and, more importantly, to the values on which it was founded. Although it is an institution which has traditionally suffered much scorn and derision from the capsuleer community, it is our opinion that CONCORD has served as a shining example of what a unicultural Astral community can and should be like.

While much of the rest of the inner cluster's extraplanetary institutions cling to the false idea that they are still part of their respective ancestral planetary cultures, CONCORD has, during the century since its formation, developed into an institution which holds Astral, not planetary, ideas and values at its cultural core. It is not a "lapdog of the Empires", as some would claim - no organization could simultaneously stay servile to four so different masters and remain unified. While they might once have been described as Peacekeepers of the Empires, by this point the peace they enforce is a peace of their own device, and we salute them for it.

It is our belief that CONCORD's achievements will inspire the Astral populace towards a unified future divorced from the redundant political and cultural dependancies towards planetary institutions and populations.

To prevent any misunderstandings, I feel I should specify that Astropolitan Front does not proclaim any closer affiliation with CONCORD than that of being a simple political supporter. We are not a sub-division or even employees of CONCORD, we do not claim to speak on their behalf, and we do not take orders from them - although if they were to ask for our assistance in any endeavor, we would of course be glad to help them to the best of our ability. Neither do we expect any special treatment or favoritism from CONCORD's side. Although we support CONCORD, we do not under any circumstance claim to be CONCORD.

We simply feel that the work CONCORD does is very important to the future well-being of our people, and deserving of our respect and admiration.

If any like-minded or curious individuals or corporations would like to get in touch with us, you are welcome to send me an EVE-mail, visit our public forums at http://www.phpbbplanet.com/forum/astropolitanfro.html and/or visit our FTL public channel "Astropolitan VR Conference Room".

This is not a void. It is home.
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Natalcya Katla

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Re: Astropolitanism
« Reply #4 on: 28 May 2010, 08:30 »

N/A
« Last Edit: 28 May 2010, 08:43 by Natalcya Katla »
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Natalcya Katla

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Re: Astropolitanism
« Reply #5 on: 28 May 2010, 08:38 »

Ideologically supportive statement on the IGS, by Frater Patroabo:



*TOWARDS AN ASTROPOLITAN SOCIETY*

The four major “races” or governmental entities of the Eve universe are well known. It would be pointless to spend time and bytes reviewing them here. It is, however, my thesis to establish that there exists a fifth race, one which at once is disenfranchised from its own “people,” yet forms a people of its own: and one which has yet to discover its own true power. I speak, of course, of Astropolites - those who were born, live, work, and die in space.

The various governments of EVE are, understandably, unwilling to say exactly how many of their people are engaged in astroindustry, but just counting ship and station crews, and their families. it is clear that the space-dwelling population of the inner cluster number among the billions. Moreover, people live in space outside of stations as well. Few of us have not been called on to defend or avenge a colony of civilians which has been attacked by outlaws.

We have no way of making accurate estimates of the spacebound population, for the Astropolitan society, more than its ground-based forerunners, is mobile. Its chief commonality is that each and every Astropolite faces the same dangers: the unforgiving environment of space, the incredible trust they put in each other, and the danger each suffers from hostiles.

This is all very interesting, you say, but so what? Consider this: there are dozens of corporations, leagues, and alliances dedicated to protecting “homeworlds,” “cultures,” and “races” with which Astropolites have had limited connection for years – perhaps even generations. I am, for example, an Intaki by birth, a Gallentean by “citizenship,” and yet I have never set foot on Intaki, speak only the rudiments of either the Intaki or the Gallente language, /and did not even have the privilege of participating in the most recent election on my “home” system/. Why? Because I live and work in space. My home is among the stars. I’m not even sure I’d know how to behave dirtside.

No, my “people” are neither the Intaki (although I honor my culture) nor the Gallente (although I respect their attempts at “fair” government). My people are those I see every day: the technician who fuels my ship; the mechanic who controls the mechbots repairing my ship; the assayers who evaluate the value of the ore and minerals I sell; the fast-food cook who whips up falafel while I quickly read market reports. One of them may be Gallente, another Amarr, yet a third Minmatar, and a fourth of parentage from many races. But we are all united in being Astropolites.

The support given to the stations and colonies throughout the universe by the various factions ranges from grudging to indifference. The funds to keep them running come from the corporations who operate there. The SCC and Concord are by now funded mainly not by the various factions, but by a levy on interstellar trade. In short, the planets which the factions claim have less and less connection to those of us who work in space.

Despite the lack of support, we in space are indispensible to the survival of every entity in the Empire or in free space. Only those of us who live and work there keep the space-based industries running, producing the essentials for the planets. Only those of us who live and work there keep the interstellar lanes running. /Only we – the Astropolites – keep the blood of commerce flowing and the shield of defense in place for every single faction!/

We Astropolites have long since been self-supporting. The fact is, we could survive loss of the planets far better than the planets could survive our loss. As self-supporting people, united by the common bond of mutual benefit, growth, and peace, it is time that we declare ourselves our own political entity: a fraternity of “space-states,” working together for our own common good.

This is not said with a view to pitting said space-states against the planetary factions. It is said with a view to benefitting all of us, spacer and planet dweller alike. A coalition of all space-states and all Astropolites would be independent of the fights and strife between the factions. Commerce would flow to any planet willing to accept our shipments peacefully. If the planet chooses to cut itself off by blockading itself – an absurd concept – that is their decision. Astropolitan business goes on, since it is not dependent on any one planet or faction.

Much more must be said on this topic. It would be folly to pretend that all Astropolites would be one happy unified family overnight. Personal and professional rivalries exist in space as well as planetside. We see corporations declaring war against each other daily for the most trivial of reasons. Fortunately, such tend to happen only among the smallest groups. The larger corporations realize the benefits in peaceful cooperation – and competition -- over combat. In time, one could hope that the majority of the astropolitical society could reduce petty squabbles among corporations.

Whatever might happen: war or peace, poverty or plenty, success or failure, lies only in the hands of we who make up astropolitical society. Once all of us realize this, we can begin moving toward realization of that society, for the benefit of ourselves and our planetary siblings. And mutual benefit among people can never be said to be wrong.
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