Intersystem Congress



"...the separation of the Contegorian Confederation from the Coalition was both legal and supported by the Coalition Government!" the ISC Congressman dressed in blue declared hotly.


"The separation was both foolish and premature!" came an exclaimation from an articulate Hapan Congressman in response. "They felt fear and acted in fear! If they did not want to uphold the decisions of their Prime Minister, perhaps they shouldn't have voted for him!"

"They DIDN'T vote for him!" another voice, a female's interrupted.

"Oh," the Hapan purred back, "They did not realize who was Prime Minister when they signed the articles to join?"

"THAT is NOT the point!" the man in blue rallied. "What they did was entirely legal and therefore, why we are arguing over this is a question to me?"

"Then perhaps you should not have been voted into office as a Congressman. How an outside power deals with their own government and military allies tells us how they will deal with us, with whom we have a business arrangement with."

"Well, we know that whatever they do, it will be done legally." the man in blue trumped.



The sound of laughter and light clapping sounded into the discussion and the representation of Leantre Vio, former Regent of Capricia, took shape in the forum.

The system showed nearly a full crowd of congress members and an unusually high count of those with observer status, one of the multitudes of functions every citizen's 'Syn Band' carries across the Commonwealth's various proprietary networks.

"Congress recognizes Executive Vio" came the voice-over personality that served as Herald of Congress.


"Esteemed members of Congress, I do thank you for the few minutes of entertainment and what has been revealed in that short time is that the opinions of our own government officials need to be tempered with that of experience."


"Are you here to also criticise the Contegorian's application of legal recource in their recent bid for separation from the Coalition?" the congressman in blue responded trying to preempt the older man.

The move drew several disapproving mumblings from certain quarters but no one interupted for Leantre had identified the man in blue as Viktor Tam, the representative from Ferendi Province on Capricia.

The old man shook his head and clasped his hands behind his back. Dressed in the unassuming grey uniform he was usually seen wearing, he addressed the crowds.

"No...But you make the mistake of assuming that just because something is legal, this does not make it right."

"So you still are disapproving of the Contegorian move.." Viktor started but Leantre cut him off.

"IT is not up to me to judge the Contegorian's actions. And whatever consequences stem from their decision, I am sure they will face them before long.

NO! What I am interested is the response to the concepts introduced to our representatives by this action from an outside power.

And one of those concepts that needs to be shattered here, in this august hall of the Commonwealth is the illusory belief that just because something is LEGAL, it is RIGHT!

The two can be comparable but never EVER should we simply assume they are."


Congress was silent.


"When the Domain War ended, the Commonwealth could have 'legally' exterminated the Domain race. After all, they attacked us unprovoked and many of us died fighting that war. But we did not judge the race evil based on their deeds. They were misguided by minds warped in their lust for power and when given the chance, the Domain rose above the base desires and now join us here in Congress. They are proactive members of the Commonwealth and we are constantly shown the value by the good done by this race in our behalf.

If we had strictly interpreted our legal alternatives, we would have robbed the Commonwealth of something precious and we would have been the worse for it!"


Viktor narrowed his eyes. "Do you know how many died in that war?"


"Only too well, Congressman Tam." Though the question disgusted Leantre, he could not deny it was a viewpoint that needed addressing. "No one denies that democracy can somtimes require high prices to pay. But I can also assure you that the alternative would be an even higher price. We could have legally exterminated an entire race in the name of security. But to acknowledge such measures giving them not only validity but justification only makes the case for another power to do the same to us should it ever come to that.

I could put forth a motion to set into law an order to have every child under the age of five that is sick to be shot. And if such an order was carried out, no one could argue that it was not legal."


"So now you are likening the Contegorian move to shooting children!" Viktor retorted.


"The Contegorian's only crime, if it could be called that, is putting forth the concerns and safety of the Contegorian over those of their fellow beings. Can the Contegorians be at fault for looking after their own? I cannot answer that. The Coalition model, as I understand it, gives separate governments equal power in what is an ultimately loose military alliance. The member states of the Coalition are therefore not fighting for any ideology because member states may have differing ideologies themselves. They pool their resources together to fight for their individual concerns and safety. In THAT context, the Contegorian Confederation's separation was understandable but also predominately nationalistic.

And such nationalism is always going to be the destroyer of democracy.


That is why the democratic foundation of the Commonwealth is much more fundamental than that. We are not a loose association of individual territories and governments each holding their own concerns and more important that others. WE are the Commonwealth! We are not Hapan, Caprician and Domain first and Commonwealth second! No matter where we are born, no matter where we choose to live and no matter where we work, we are a Commonwealth Citizen. Every member planet, every province has representation in Congress!

Those are the principles we were founded on and those are the principles we will fight and die for!"


There was a resounding applause and Leantre saw that several more people had logged into the session but Viktor Tam brought the session back to the original discussion.

"So, our relationship with the Contegorian Confederation will continue.."

"Our relationship is a business relationship," Leantre stated firmly. "We can take assurance that these people hold strictly to the letter of the law and therefore, our current business contracts are not in any jeopardy. But I would watch the frequency in which their laws are updated and do not make the assumption that just because they hold to some sort of democractic system of elections for leadership that their ideals are the same as ours.

Remember, no matter what people think of the Empire, no one questions the legality with which it came into existence!

It is not simply the existence of democratic functions or systems that truly make a government good for the people. It is the commitment of a government's leadership and the vigilance of it's citizens to ensure that a government remains good despite race and nationality. Democracy is only the easiest way we have to keep that commitment true but without the vigilance, it is also the easiest system to corrupt. The lessons of our galactic neighbors must not be lost on us!"



*


Afterwards, the discussion turned towards the trust fund of the former employees of the Radell Mining Corporation and a continuation of their early terraforming projects. It was decided earlier that first choices would go to the surving employees and that, in return for such investments, the RMC holdings be transferred over to the Commonwealth formally. And so it came about that the Commonwealth purchased the Radell Mining Corporation and all it's holdings turning the defunct business entity into a viable political entity.

Now that political entity had representation within Congress and so pushed for further industry exploitation. Balancing that with the scientific endeavors from Elrood was an accomplishment indeed!