The Tahirians have no government but are divided into factions that can be described as conservatives and adventurers. Larry Niven's Pierson's Puppeteers have two organized political parties called Conservatives and Experimentalists. Conservatives always win elections except during emergencies or crises when it is recognized that new policies have become necessary.
We see ideological disagreements on Poul Anderson's Merseia during the supernova crisis but not during the subsequent Roidhunate. However, the beings of Merseian descent on Dennitza have a different worldview and participate in a tricameral Parliament. Ythrians conduct public affairs without needing a government. Elsewhere in the Technic History, a Ramnuan thinks that she has misunderstood her human friend who told her that human beings subordinate their will to that of others at a distance.
However, that is enough about extraterrestrial politics or the lack of them for the time being.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I've not yet gotten that far in rereading STARFARERS, but I suspect the Tahirians still had some kind of formalized structure or system for managing the public business of their society.
And Yhtrians DO have a kind of gov't: Khruaths presided over by officials called wyvans. The jurisdiction of a khruath can range in size from a small district to a Great Khruath covering an entire planet.
Choths can refuse the decrees of a Khruath, but if the wyvans call on the other choths to enforce those decrees, and they agree to, then the defiant choth can be compelled to obey. If the wyvans call for "oherran" is rejected, then they have to commmit suicide.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Tahirians cooperate in administering their public facilities, technology etc but none of them rules over others.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And I wonder how long that can last once SERIOUS disagreement among them surfaces. My view is that will compel the development of more formalized structures for handling disagreements and managing the public business.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Oh, yes. If they disagree seriously about to respond to humanity, then they start to have problems.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Correct. The Tahiirans will need to work out some kind of political structure. And disagreements about the humans can lead to disagreement on other issues.
Ad astra! Sean
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