Mirkheim, Prologue, Y minus 7.
By his dispossession of the native Valyans, Sheldon Wyler of Stellar Metals has made an enemy of Lord Eric, son of Sandra, Grand Duchess of Hermes. Wyler replies to Eric:
"'...as for your threat - I admit I'm no expert on your people. But I do seem to remember they've got their own discontented class. Will they really want to take on the troubles of a bunch of goddam outsiders, long after these operations are over and done with? I doubt it. I think your mother has more sense.'" (p. 27)
As far as this goes, Wyler is correct. Hermetian inequities cause so much conflict that social change becomes inevitable. Sandra thinks that Hermes, while remaining nominally a duchy, will become in practice a republic.
A response to the injustices on Valya is really the responsibility of the Council of the Polesotechnic League. By founding Supermetals, David Falkayn has helped many of the poorer planets and species in Technic civilization but this does not prevent the continued perpetration of injustices elsewhere. The Technic History is very like real history. Later, in the Imperial period, Dominic Flandry will participate in the conquest of a planet.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And the so called "inequities" on Hermes always struck me as trivial, in no wise justifying revolution or civil war.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
They struck me as major, requiring political opposition. They were certainly "inequities," e.g., in voting rights.
Paul.
From Sean M. Brooks:
Kaor, Paul!
There were also trade offs and compensations for that. Also, bluntly, many many people don't care about voting. I personally know people who don't vote.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
None of that answers the point. And there was a massive Travers movement on Hermes.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Another thing I've wondered about is what you think of the socio-political system on Dennitza. I've more than once thought it represented Anderson's view of the optimum polity possible while taking into account how flawed humans are.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Dennitza sounds like a good place to live.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
It does! And we get careful examinations of four colonial worlds in the Technic series: Aeneas, Dennitza, Hermes, and Avalon. Even planets we only get "cursory" looks at are given quite detailed examinations: Altai, Unan Besar, Nyanza, Imhotep, etc. I might like best Dennitza.
Ad astra! Sean
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