Re: Awards and ANthems(and now some background) [OT] [HIST]

John spake thusly upon matters weighty: 
> Yeah, but the US got annexed by the Brits.  We likely weren't in much
of
> a condition to argue about finicky details.  Hell, half the Brits want
> to get rid of their monarchy, why would we want it?  And yet it's
still
> there (Please tell me there was some horriffic accident that put the
> throne in the hands of a different branch of the family, this one has
> about had it).

Maybe Beth's comments about Genetic Engineering should be extended 
Here:
NAC - Uses Gene Engineering to Improve Marketability of Royals by 
installing Backbone....and Re-integrating Dignity and Sans Reproche
(Maybe another NSL infusion is required....) 

(For the Brits present, I'm just teasing. My oath (when I joined the 
Canadian Military) was (strange as it may seem) to the Queen, not 
the PM.) 

> (Subject Change)
> How does the official history do Greece?  In my history it reluctantly
> stayed with the FSE (French armored divisions in Athens had something
to
> do with the decision).  The religious, cultural, and other differences
> tend to cause friction.  The NRE formally lays claim to Greece (and
> Anatolia, Thrace, etc, but who's counting?) and is actively working to
> take it back.  There is a small but vicious terror group, plus a more
> moderate political party (banned, of course, but very popular) both
> bankrolled by the Rhomaioi Ministry of Barbarians.  Eventually there
> will be a flat-out open war between the NRE and the FSE, and the NRE
> isn't above coordinating the death blows with the NSL.  The NRE has
> specific territorial interests, which largely don't concern areas the
> NSL is interested in.

Um.... wouldn't the Nea Rhomanaioi come up with something less 
obviously insulting like the Ministry of UnderDeveloped and Oppressed 
Peoples? (grin)
 
> And Re: Orthodox vs Catholic--in my background religion plays a very
> prominent part, it's part and parcel of basing it on the 11th century.

> No purges or auto-da-fes, but the Pope and the FSE have a very cozy
> relationship, the Romanovs have their pet Patriarch of Moscow in Exile
> (Not to be confused with the Patriarch of Moscow which is the puppet
of
> the Communist Party in Moscow, nor with the Patriarch of Moscow
> recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch of New Rome), etc., and of
course
> the IF has more than a few mullahs involved in their politics.  The
New
> Roman Empire, of course, has an entire Orthodox hierarchy, to the
extent
> of being recognized by various branches of the Church on Terra (and in
> other places, forming a "shadow heirarchy" where a puppet church is
> supported by the government--primarily the RH, ESU, and to a certain
> extent the FSE).  I realize this doesn't fit in with many people's
view
> of the future, but any self-respecting Rhomaioi force has at least
> Chi-Rhos painted on the ships and screams "Dues Nobiscum" as it
charges
> forward.  The really nifty Rhomaioi forces have the Virgin Mary
painted
> on, but not at the scale I'm dealing with.  One of these days, I'm
going
> to sit down with an FSE Superdreadnought mini. . . 

As an aside, current day South America is loaded with Catholics. When 
LLAR left earth, if they took a big portion of that Catholic mass, 
the LLAR is a powerful force for their chosen head of religion.... an 
off-earth power base to be sure. 

Tom.  
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Thomas Barclay		     
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 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
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