British politics historically were Conservative or Liberal but then became, mainly, Conservative or Labor;
US politics, beneath or behind the Party system, are conservative or liberal;
Larry Niven's Pierrson's Puppeteers' politics are Conservative or Experimentalist;
Draka politics are Conservative or Militant;
New Virginian politics are Conservative or Imperialist.
Conservatives are ubiquitous. However, on reflection, it makes sense that, in any society, opinions are divided between a conservative faction and an alternative. Ancient China had conformist Confucians and anarchic Taoists with imported Buddhism maybe providing a synthesis.
In New Virginia, Conservatives, the Rolfes and their allies, believe in minimal footprint FirstSide and limited expansion Other Side whereas Imperialists, the Collettas and the Batyushkovs, want to conquer Other Side and enslave all the natives. The Bats might also retain ambitions in FirstSide Russia.
Imperialists sound like Draka. Suddenly it is important that they do not control the Gate.
3 comments:
Kaor ,Paul!
And I am one of those conservatives as well! Which means, in the US I vote for the Republican party as the most conservative leaning party likely to have a chance of winning elections. In the UK I would have been Tory, with some sympathy for UKIP.
And in the Commonwealth of New Virginia I too would have been a supporter of the Rolfes and their policies: a limited government, a free enterprise economy, gradual or slow expansion of the Commonwealth, and minimal interference First Side.
I find Giovanni Colletta's ambition of conquering the First Side quite INSANE! The Commonwealth is far smaller and less militarily powerful than the US of First Side. Any attempt at conquering First Side Earth would have to begin with conquering the US. And HOW would the Collettas do that?
Also, the Confucians of Imperial China were not monolithically "conformist." There were different strains of thoughts within Confucian philosophy--and this sometimes showed in disputes arising on how best to govern China. An easy example being how, humans being what they are, corruption and abuses of power occurred in China as well as every where else. Iow, some Confucians became lax and venal and this more than once provoked reformist factions to arise demanding a return to the high standards taught by Confucius and Mencius.
Sean
Sean,
As far as I have reread, I am still not sure whether Giovanni wants to conquer FirstSide or just to pursue more aggressive and criminal business policies there. Either way, it is like a bad trip.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I remember you cited page 86 of CONQUISTADOR, where we see Giovanni thinking of his ambition to conquer TWO worlds. But, as a practical matter, even Giovanni might have been compelled to settle for "merely" underhanded and criminal types of business activities there.
Giovanni made one fatal mistake, he made the mistake of underestimating wily old John Rolfe VI. He should have waited till the Old Man was safely dead before beginning any active plotting to take over the Commonwealth.
Sean
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