Re: Pirates and Privateers

> >To which the proper reply is:
> >"Why should non-recognition by a bunch of ignorant foreigners
> >have any effect on the reality of our government?"

Allen Goodall handed me a straight line:
> Because nations don't exist in a vacuum.

<vbg> That is exactly where the Alarishi Empire does exist.  No
habitable planets around here, remember?

Let's consider cases.
a) The AE has a constitution, a legal code, a court system,
police and military forces, an executive and a designated method
of succession (and, being Alarish, a method of secession as well,
but that's irrelevant).  Is it a nation?

b) There are no other governments is in existence (the Kra'Vak
having been pretty thorough).  Does it stop being a nation simply
because there's no one else around to recognize it?

c) AE declares itself independent of the EU.  The New Israeli
government recognizes it but no one else does.

d) Take case C and add other governments to the list.  Is there a
critical point--is so, what?

> In the Confederacy's case, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
(where
> all slaves, in all states -- including Rebel states -- were
declared free)

You're sure about that "all states" part?

> Now, this brings an interesting thing to mind as far as FT
campaigns are
> concerned. Most players tend towards military aggression when
coming up with
> reasons for wars between belligerents. In fact, most real world
reasons are
> political.

Or economic.

> Internal fractures within a political body can make for
interesting
> scenarios. I'd like to see more of this in the official
timeline. Perhaps the
> ESU splinters. Maybe a Kra'vak clan war kicks in. For that
matter, even the
> Phalons might splinter. It would make for an interesting
situation.

Agree.