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Morbo Rigatoni
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Posted - 2008.08.08 23:23:00 -
[1]
Editor:
I've been following the political and other news from my homeland lately. I am happy to seem my people projecting their power and fighting for their own interests on the galactic stage. They've found their feet, finally, and I should be proud of them.
So I've been wondering why I have mixed feelings about the news. I think it crystallized for me when I saw the reports of those two boys who blinded themselves. That's when I realized that the republic which has finally found its feet is not the Republic I held beloved in my heart as a young man. I am especially saddened to see this occurring among my own precious Brutor Tribe.
For centuries were were a people enslaved. We eventually won our freedom through bloodshed, but still our situation was at best a stalemate with the rest of a hostile galaxy. Now, as we finally begin to turn the tide, as we finally begin to see ourselves no longer the underdogs but a force with which even the Amarr must reckon, we abandon the very strength and hardness our history should have made in us.
The calm, tribal resolve of the old days has given way to the sort of cheap, popular bloodlust that can only be felt by those who have never personally known war--the sort that will shift like a Matari sea wind as soon as the true cost of war, which our new generations have forgotten, comes home to them.
Instead of letting these boys face the consequences of their own immensely stupid actions, my people decry that some nebulous popular fervor is to blame for their predicament, and that they are victims. Popular fervor or not, they are victims of their own idiocy. Worse, petitions reach our government that it should discourage future such behavior! I trust the government will have the good sense to rebuke such requests. This is not the Republic of our fathers and their fathers. They were not victims, helpless, unanchored buoys adrift in a sea of popular emotion. Those men were not wards of their government, they were their government. They did not respond, they acted. They were not driven by popular sentiment; no, they created popular sentiment by doing what they believed right in the face of any resistance, not for a few months every now and again with shouts and demonstrations but quietly, year after year, at great and real cost of blood and treasure and tears, to create a Minmatar Republic which could do what the Minmatar are now doing.
That is what has upset me; they have been abandoned by the creation born of their own dreams and efforts. The Republic of today feels its Minmatar heritage only skin deep. Its people remember the sacrifices of their forebears as fables and history text, rather than as the real agony of real people just like them. In short, Minmatar people display shallowness and weakness in their popular sentiment--at least at a high, broad level.
This new PM gives a good speech on the need for strength and commitment and warriorship, but I hear platitudes more than I hear specifics. I will be watching with interest to see whether or not his hawkish rhetoric truly represents the iron will he will need to do what is right and necessary--to send young men to kill and die, even after thousands have already fallen; to wage war even after long years of war have made him and his people weary; above all, perhaps, I will wait to see if he really has the confidence and strength not to flinch when he puts steel to flesh for the Republic. It is one thing to speak of strength and war. It is another to look down into the eyes of your enemy and pull the trigger. That is the strength he will need to do what must be done.
...
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Morbo Rigatoni
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Posted - 2008.08.08 23:24:00 -
[2]
... [continued]
I will also be watching my people. I have not been home since I left the Fleet, and there is a reason for that: I have not been welcome. For all their high and hard rhetoric, which I have mentioned, the Matari people have not, in my experience, lived according to their own principles. They have embraced a strange, contradictory concoction of transient, hot-headed warlords intermixed with paternalistic, entrenched bureaucrats promising life without consequence or pain, and they have rejected those of us who would dispassionately pursue the true business, in all its ugliness and day to day to day drudgery, of securing and maintaining freedom.
I have been a slave--and the worst sort, hooked into the Amarr machines and reduced to a barely-conscious puppet. I have since known freedom. I will not return to slavery, and that is where the Matari masses seem to wish to go. A slavery of thoughtlessness, where decisions are made for them by messianic leaders, where at home they are protected from any injury or want by a nebulous but omnipresent "they," and where if they should ever feel the need for meaning in their lives, it comes ready-made and packaged in the form of an occasional convenient war.
I know this is a harsh and cynical portrait of my own nation, and I do not believe the Republic has come to this point yet, but that is its heading, and I can not be a part of it. I will return when I see evidence that the Minmatar people have sought within themselves for their true principles, when they have grounded themselves in these philosophies, and when they make both war and peace in the name of these philosophies. Until then, I will continue to consider myself homeless.
In the meantime, I shall continue to pilot in the void, contributing in some small way to the true cause of my kind, ever a faithful Minmatar, a proud Brutor, and an exile, waiting for the day when he can return to his native seas.
-- M. Rig.
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Veron Daerth
Amarr
Blood Meridian
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Posted - 2008.08.09 01:19:00 -
[3]
<Veron Daerth seems lost in thought for a moment. A voice recording of Pilot Rigatoni's comms broadcast is heard playing in the background. He looks into the holo-vid pick-up and nods to himself.>
Wise words indeed Pilot. We should all heed them, and the warning they contain. War is not something to be entered into lightly, or without appreciation of its costs, overt and hidden. This is something that I feel many today do not comprehend.
We hear the battle shouts and the war-cries, we see the flags wave and the vid-casts of battle scenes and the combat footage. We hear the accounts of the brave and bold among us that race forward to do battle. Little enough do we see the broken and battered peoples on both sides that suffer for these conflicts. The shopkeepers, the crafters, the men and women that each day, rise and labor and watch it all come crashing down, only to rebuild and do it again tomorrow, they are not heard. Their voices are drowned out, overwhelmed in the shouts of glory and sacrifice.
I fear that those who rush forward so eagerly today, they know not the costs of their eagerness. They are ignorant of the ultimate price of their actions, and who will really pay that price.
<Veron Daerth shrugs>
Bah, I'm rambling again. Wise words Pilot, would that they were heard and heeded by more.
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Qing Jou
Gallente
Garoun Investment Bank
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Posted - 2008.08.09 18:07:00 -
[4]
Edited by: Qing Jou on 09/08/2008 18:07:42
King's rabbit appears... and sits silent, for a long while, its paws folded, it's face set in an odd look of thoughtfulness... wincing occasionally with intensity.
"Would that there were more of us who could listen... and would that there were more of us who could have thought so without the need to..."
King's rabbit continues to sit, for some time, and opens its mouth to say more once or twice, but hesitates, and continues to rest. After a long while, the rabbit simply waddles off-screen.
_____________
Begin with the function of arbitrary complexity... now feed it values |
Marcus Baviasi
Amarr
Imperial Academy
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Posted - 2008.08.09 20:14:00 -
[5]
Veron Daerth, and what of the costs of doing nothing when war is forced upon us? For make no mistake, without the service of those rushing forward so eagerly, to use your words, a greater bloodbath would result.
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Veron Daerth
Amarr
Blood Meridian
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Posted - 2008.08.09 21:55:00 -
[6]
Indeed Lord Baviasi, without those noble and brave boys rushing forward so eagerly, there would be no war or warriors. Or would there?
I do not decry the war. In many ways, I have come to accept that it was inevitable. History has shown us that when two cultures are extant that are of markedly differing or are based on mutually exclusive values, they MUST fight to see which is dominant.
The Amarr, rightly or wrongly, see themselves as paragons (or close to it) of virtue and goodness. Without a doubt, the Gallente and Minmatar do as well. I know there are some among the Caldari that also believe so. But these societies are based on such differing (and exclusive) ideals that war is inescapable. Simply by existing, the Gallente Federation undermines the values of the Empire. Simply by being there, they demonstrate that the morals and virtues that the Empire tells its subjects are needed to have a stable and functional nation, do not apply in the Federation. Much could be said the same of the Federation and the State. They are founded on mutually opposing ideals, and one must fall.
So, war is here, and will be fought, and eventually, won... perhaps. Maybe there will be a terrible bloody clash, a bitter fight to the end where the loser is crushed so utterly, so completely, that no trace remains of that society. Maybe there will be a negotiated peace, who knows. What concerns me is here and now.
I see, each day, bigots, war-mongers, racists, idealogues, and fools prate about how they are so much better, so much greater that their victory is as inevitable as the war itself. I see them advocate genocide, mass slaughter, and the total destruction of their enemy.
Mostly, they are pod pilots, who deal death with megaton nukes, terrawatt lasers, electromagnetically accelerated chunks of metal, and massive projectiles. They kill over distances, and usually never have to sift through the bloody meat that is left when a city or town is hit with KIOSS (Kinetic Interdiction Orbital Surface Strike). They never have to smell the rotting meat of the dead. They never hear the pleas and wailing of the wounded or dying. They never hold the hands of those that are all but gone, and whisper platitudes and lies to keep the dying soul calm. They never face the wives, fathers, siblings, and offspring left behind.
I write a letter to each of the next of kin for the crew I lose. Well, I think it, and the processing program sends it, but it is there, and takes time. I usually lie, tell them it was painless, and quick. I tell of his/her sons/father/ mother/ etc's bravery and nobility, how they will be missed. I cannot imagine doing this for a town, or a city.
The peoples caught in the middle, the ones that get no say, no voice. The ones that cannot escape, cannot fight, cannot defy us, they are the ones I lose sleep over. They live their lives, trying to get by, and they suffer most.
All this, this is what I would have the fighters of all side know of. I would have them see their victims, and to know, that even though you HAVE to kill your opponent, he is also a father, a brother, a son. That she may be a mother, a niece, or a lover.
War is about hardship, and suffering, and pain, on all sides, in all places. It is also about other things, but these are always evident in war. Some seem to have forgotten that, or simply dont care. Perhaps they dont know. But they will. War also is a teacher, and this will be one of the lessons we all will have to learn. In many ways, those that eagerly rush forward learn it that much faster. I do not envy them that lesson. I learned it long ago, and it nearly broke me.
God go with you all, may His wisdom grace you.
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Stitcher
Caldari
Duty.
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Posted - 2008.08.09 21:55:00 -
[7]
 Originally by: Marcus Baviasi
Veron Daerth, and what of the costs of doing nothing when war is forced upon us? For make no mistake, without the service of those rushing forward so eagerly, to use your words, a greater bloodbath would result.
To quote an old Caldari military saw (which was in turn quoted by my chief of security last night over a game of poker) - "He who runs towards a machine gun nest is three things: Brave, stupid, and dead."
Admittedly, he was talking about his decision to fold rather than call my Gunnery Chief's bluff, but the point well made is that rushing eagerly into battle causes bloodbaths. Caution and reservation keep men alive to become veterans.
Inaction and healthy caution are two very different things.
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Lt. Verin "Stitcher" Tarn-Hakatain. |
Marcus Baviasi
Amarr
Imperial Academy
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Posted - 2008.08.09 22:29:00 -
[8]
Originally by: Stitcher
Inaction and healthy caution are two very different things.
I would agree, there are certainly some tactics that are more sensible than others. But that the proffered war must be fought is, I think, something we would agree on. Fought, and by the grace of God, won.
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Marcus Baviasi
Amarr
Imperial Academy
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Posted - 2008.08.09 22:57:00 -
[9]
Brother Daerth, firstly I am no lord. You do not need to weigh my name down with a title.
As for your question, perhaps you should ask the Minmatar. Perhaps their brave youths rushed forward to cause this war, but most likely not. Youths everywhere are directed, wittingly or unwittingly, by their elders. In whatever shape they come and go, be it greybeards or battleships. I certainly know I am, though in my case I now accept and value the subordinate nature of my age and position.
As to your ... lecture or sermon, I am not sure which ... I commend your practice of ensuring communication with the families of your fallen crew. That is a habit which I intend to apply myself. As for the rest, really, I am not I suppose the intended recipient. I already know all too intimately the cost of war, the grief it causes.
Despite my grief, I bear the Minmatar no hatred, only a sadness that so many souls will now be lost. I will serve the Empire, and God, as best I am able however, so that fewer will know what I have known. Because if me and those like me do not serve, the bloodshed you decry will be far worse.
Perhaps you know this, I am not sure from what you have said if you would agree with me or not. I admit Brother Daerth you confuse me.
Stay with God.
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Veron Daerth
Amarr
Blood Meridian
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Posted - 2008.08.10 01:29:00 -
[10]
<Veron Daerth laughs. He laughs so hard he begins to cough. After a moment of coughing, he composes himself>
Forgive me Pilot Baviasi, if I presumed upon your name. No insult was intended.
You must also forgive my laughter, it was not directed at you, but rather the idea of me lecturing. Well, my friends often tell me that I do this quite naturally, and that I sermonize quite often as well. I suppose it is part of my nature. It is still a strange and silly thought to see myself behind a stuffy lectern, droning on to a crowd of bored students.
To clarify, I agree that war is here, and must be fought, however it came to be. Indeed, in many ways, the rights and wrongs of any of our nation's positions or ideals are now irrelevant. Combat will now decide the fate of our nations, where diplomacy once stood.
So I agree with you that the war must be fought, and won, insofar as winning equates to preventing the Minmatar from overrunning the Empire. I also agree that the young are often goaded to war by those older, supposedly, than themselves. Whether or not those elders are also wiser remains to be seen.
What makes me despair, and I was attempting to illustrate with my description of the death letters, is that young ones rarely have a good appreciation of the true cost of war. Not the cost in material (though that too is large), and not the cost in deaths (which is expected of those that fight), but the cost to those that remain. The children with no parents, the wives with no husbands. The families rent and torn asunder. The maimed that do not die, though they often wish they had. The ones that weep in the dark, alone, desolate with grief that will never truly be forgotten.
I despair because the young warriors and sometimes the old ones, they do not know or care of the cost of what they do. What they do to the innocents of all sides. Yes war is bloody, and things happen. Yes there is collateral damage, and it is unavoidable. I understand all that. I suppose that I feel sorrow that these things are even needful, or that they happen.
I also am worried that the war, as it is being fought, will destroy the very things it is being fought over. I am Amarrian, and love the Empire, but I also have come to see the quiet strength in the efficient functioning of the State. I have also come to respect the Matari, in many ways. Perhaps some will label me a heretic or traitor for this, but I care not. What matters is that those of us who fight, do so for a reason, an idea, a shining vision of something.
But this war may destroy that vision, and the destroyers may very well be the ones fighting for the vision in the first place. The glory of freedom for the Matari may very well be tarnished and soiled by the actions of those that fight for it. The majesty of the Empires drive to redeem the souls of the unbelievers may very well be brought down by the methods used to spread that word. The labors of the State to build a better, more equitable world through healthy competition may be destroyed by the man that seeks to safeguard it. And the nobility (yes, its there, you just have to look, and open your mind) of the Federation in its quest to spread its idealism and its openness may all be made for naught by the men that would use force to impose that openness on others.
I take no part in this war, not yet. I fight for the things that matter to me, and I try to do God's Work in my own way. But I see those that do, and hear their words, and I am afraid, and I feel sorrow. I am afraid that we as a species may destroy ourselves, and plunge this cluster into another Long Dark. And I feel sorrow that Gods Children are brought to this impasse and must needs kill one another to resolve it. I know He loves us all, but sometimes He must be very disappointed with us. Regardless of my voice, however, as you said, war is here, like it or not. Those that have made their choices have my respect, though I may not like their choice.
God go with you all.
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Marcus Baviasi
Amarr
Imperial Academy
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Posted - 2008.08.10 22:04:00 -
[11]
On the subject of lectures, as one who recently was a student my experience is that whether we were bored or not was primarily due to the quality and ability of the lecturer, the subject matter being only minimally important. I might say the same thing about sermons and preachers. Perhaps then you should dream of being a good lecturer, with enthralled students hanging on your every word, as opposed to being a boring one with students falling asleep due to tedium.
I am glad of your clarification. As for your sorrow, war is indeed a tragedy, one I know. <shrug> However beguiling such concerns are, they are not mine. I put my faith in the Lord, and am content to let Him do His Work.
Although it is presumptuous of me, all I can say is this - when your fears for the future crowd your thought, when your concerns for humankind clamour in the dark, when it seems to you that we are hurtling towards a precipice, remember the Lord is with us, and will not abandon us. Faith, I have discovered, is a remarkable balm for a troubled soul.
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Veron Daerth
Amarr
Blood Meridian
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Posted - 2008.08.11 02:25:00 -
[12]
Indeed it is Pilot, indeed it is. And I do take solace that God is with us, wherever we go. But He saw fit to cast us into the first Long Night, and perhaps may do so again. I would not have that suffering brought upon us, but I am only a single man, and can do little to stop it.
As to your suggestion about imagining myself as a lecturer.. <Veron Daerth laughs> Pilot, I cannot imagine anyone listening with rapt attention and an eager ear to my words. I say what I think and believe, but I am not one to sway or enthrall anyone with my voice or thoughts. Perhaps if I had a bit more charisma, or a prettier face, or even a message that made sense in a senseless world, it would be different. Alas that it is not so. I am truthfully amazed that you all put up with me.
God grant you all joy in your time.
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Morbo Rigatoni
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Posted - 2008.08.20 18:11:00 -
[13]
It's probably evidence of some deep-seated arrogance and disregard for my fellow man that I forgot about my missive minutes after sending it and did not check back for replies. My sincerest apologies.
All sarcasm aside, I am gratified to see that there are replies, and that they are generally quite thoughtful. Even those from the Amarr.
All sarcasm aside, I said. Sorry, it creeps in whenever there are Amarr about. An evolved warning mechanism, no doubt.
For the record, I do agree that war is inevitable. That is why it is not really the subject of my concern or my original letter. My concern is far more for the spirit of my brethren and the shallowness they seem to display. When I see them holding demonstrations in the streets but failing to turn out for elections, and when I see youth burning out their own eyes, their elders calling for someone else to spare them from their blindness, and still others calling for the government to prevent future such incidents--think of that: a call for government officials to explain to everyone that pouring acid into your eyes may result in injury--I have to read in such behavior a vote, by the people, of no confidence in the people.
Such an attitude is always self-fulfilling. Those who do not trust themselves are not worthy of trust. Those who demand masters are slaves indeed. That is my point. I have fought to free my people from slavery. It rends my heart to see them behave this way.
It would be easy for me in these circumstances to give up. Universal constants do not change, and that includes the constants of human nature. I could under these circumstances easily condemn the majority as beyond salvation and doomed, but that would be exactly the vote of no confidence I am decrying. What a subtle and treacherous business, no?
Instead, I will continue to look to history neither cynically nor naively but honestly: my people, like all people, are people. Angel, demon, and animal all in one package. With the right leader to inspire them, they may yet rediscover themselves as proud, strong, unflinching individuals. That, more than war or peace, freedom or tyranny, is my wish. All else comes from that as it may, as the world allows.
Ever hopeful and resolute,
-- M. Rig. |
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