Interstellar space is infinite and remains vast despite technology. Without FTL, imperialism is difficult or impossible. With FTL, the Terran Empire and the Merseian Riodhunate face a completely different situation from that of the Cold Warriors with their single planet. There are no easy lines of communication as from Tokyo to Melbourne to London. And, outside the Imperial borders, barbarians lurk, savages armed with nuclear weapons, ready to invade like the Huns attacking Rome.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I remember the discussions James Bond had with the Head of the Japanese Secret Service. They found themselves liking each other. Some of the things they discussed were the differences in British and Japanese cultures, such as the very, very different attitudes taken toward suicide. A Japanese student might fail in his college/university exams and, feeling disgraced, kill himself (something Bond reacted to with dismay). A British student might cuss and swear but would not kill himself. I think the Japanese Secret Service man put this down to the very different religions seen in Britain and Japan. Bond certainly did not live as a devout Christian but he had been raised in a Christian MILIEU, which inevitably influenced/affected him.
Sean
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