Coya tells Eric Tamarin that the issue in the Solar System has been:
"'...what shall be the final arbiter.'" (p. 177)
Arbiter of what? Here Coya does indeed sound like van Rijn's philosophy exam question. See Why What? The two contenders that she identifies are the state and:
"'...a changeable group of individuals, whose only power is economic....'" (ibid.)
Only power? Economic power underlies political and military power. But surely the state and the economically powerful individuals arbitrate over different matters? Sure, the Home Companies have been incorporated into government but the Seven in Space and the independents have not. And I would want laws to be made by an elected government, not by "...a changeable group of individuals..."
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Ultimately, it does not matter what WE want. The point here being who will truly be SOVEREIGN, the state, that institution, in whatever form, commanding a monopoly of violence; or the Polesotechnic League? The Seven in Space failed because it was not truly a state, had failed to evolve (or degenerate, as libertarians might say) into becoming a state.
Ad astra! Sean
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