Dean_the_Young wrote...
When Andrew Jackson marched into Florida, the most remarkable thing he did wasn't to fight the Spanish (he didn't do much of that), but rather that he hung a small number of British citizens as spies, sparking a much graver diplomatic incident at the time.
Oh, good. But that's all in the past. So I can put my musket away?
Dean_the_Young wrote...
A large aspect of Alliance colonization is that it isn't, as it turns out, centrally controlled. It's primarily commercially motivated: the Alliance offers aid, security, and incentives towards colonization efforts, but how much goes where is largely left to economics. In many respects, that puts more focus on the proven money sources: the effeciency of economics. In others, the Alliance is left dealing with where other people go, not where it would prefer them to be.
Exactly! As you say, providing security is a key obligation of the Alliance, if they fail (as they did in Skepsis) and don’t make good, that will be noted. By their own citizens and by others.
Freakonomics taught me that everything is controlled by economics at some level. And that economics is the study of incentives and how people respond to them. Many organizations, the Alliance and Cerberus chief among them, have compelling incentives in Skepsis.
Dean_the_Young wrote...
Do remember we are talking about the Alliance who's primary colonial defense policy is 'we are the cavalry', not 'we will prevent the bad things from hurting you.' The Alliance has a much more... fatalistic approach to colony defense, in part because of the military limitations of ME warfare.
Do you think Alliance citizens get that message? I mean, “your military does not exist to protect you from foreign threats” seems like a hard sell.
Right up there with: “if we do screw up and you get hit, we’re just gonna leave you holding the bag.” Or even “if we do screw up and you get hit, the ride home is on us."
Dean_the_Young wrote...
The Marines don't have to force them from their homes. The lack of functional economy will do it for them. This isn't some 'the town seems the same, but we're forcing you to move because we're stingy,' this is 'you have no job, no real supplies, and no prospects on this place anymore.'
A crisis of confidence house of cards depends on an overall assumption that the colonies have overall faith in the Alliance. This really isn't applicable in this setting, because colonization, especially in the Traverse/Terminus, is recognized as unavoidably dangerous. Entire human colonies are disappearing now, others were overrun by the Geth just two years ago, and the entire Alliance defense policy is basically an admission of 'we can't stop the barbarians from reaching you, the best you can count from us is for us to arrive after they've already shown up.'
Yeah, the Marines wouldn't have to force the Watsons from their homes. Of course the lack of a functional economy will do that! On other colonies the story will be different, fears of such, however irrational (as is often the way of fear of the governement), will take root.
Watson is a bit different from typical colonies. The Alliance bases responsible for the colony's defense were literally in orbit around Watson. You can’t tell me that the Alliances blatant unwillingness and or inability to defend a colony in that scenario won’t cause colonists (and the batarians ftm) to question the Alliances’ motives and/or ability.
The truth is, if the Alliance isn’t going to defend the colonies or isn't capable of doing so, then what good is it?
Now, I’m not saying that, if the Alliance pulls out of Watson, other colonies will instantly rise in revolt. What I’m saying is that, if the Alliance pulls out of Watson, when it DOES come time for various colonies to declare their independence from the Alliance, “abandoned us to the predations of our enemies” will be item 1, and the separation will be far less amicable than it could be.
Dean_the_Young wrote...
They did. They made you, who could in part save the colony, and do much more besides.
Of course, doing that largely bankrupted them for a time, and then they put even more resources still into facing larger threats, like the Geth and Collectors. ME2 saw a rich man turn modest, and Ascension soon after could see that man turn meager. It isn't an organization of infinite wealth.
Oh, puh-leez! Cerberus found plenty of cash for zombie armies and mind-control rays!
According to EDI, even Lazarus represented (at the very most) two years of Cerberus’ gross.
And what about Cerberus’ contributors? They aren’t just sitting on piles of money back on Earth and writing a check to TIM once a year. They are wealthy people, with diverse interests active in the Alliance business community. At TIMs urging, they could easily be convinced to accept a temporary loss and sponsor a reconstruction effort on Watson.
Given that we’re talking about developing an entire star system here, I find it hard to believe at even substantial investment will result in anything but a long term pay out. Especially given Cerberus' "interests" in the region.
Modifié par General User, 07 janvier 2011 - 12:27 .
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