Thursday 10 June 2021

The Stellar Union And The Commonalty

"The Pirate."

"'The Union is not a government, although many governments support it... This galaxy alone is too big for any power to control. But we do claim the right to prevent matters from getting out of hand, as far as we're able. That includes wrongdoing by our own citizens anywhere.'" (p. 141)

"'Civilization's got too big out there for anything but freedom to work. The Commonalty isn't a government. How would you govern ten million planets? It's a private, voluntary, mutual-benefit society, open to anyone anywhere who meets the modest standards. It maintains certain services for its members, like my own space rescue work. The services are widespread and efficient enough that local planetary governments also like to hire them. But I don't speak for my civilization. Nobody does.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Starfog" IN Anderson, Flandry's Legacy (Riverdale, NY, 2012), pp. 709-794 AT pp. 770-771.

The Stellar Union is not a government, is supported by governments and has a police function.

The Commonalty is not a government, is hired by governments and provides services.

They exist in different timelines.

6 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And the only way some thing as loose as the Stellar Union and the Commonalty could function and survive as long as we see them doing is because they did not have to confront aggressive and unfriendly powers. At least not in their earlier years.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

The distinguishing characteristic of a government is its claim to have the right to coerce; it manages the violence function. Violence, it should be stressed, is not a problem, because problems have (at least in theory) solutions. Violence, with respect to human beings, is a condition — something that can only be managed.

Walks like

S.M. Stirling said...

… a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. If it can compel obedience it’s the State.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

And I agree. The state, any state, is that institution, in no matter what form, which claims a right to having a monopoly on the use of violence. And human beings are so made that there is a need for the state.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: well, we spent nearly 300,000 years killing each other like starving weasels in a cage, before the State, so we -can- get on without it… just not very well…

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

And only in a HOBBESIAN way:nasty, brutish, and short! So I appreciate the state's existence, despite its many failures.

Ad astra! Sean