True, the Sanmatar has an important role, however this was a position that he was offered. He did not install himself. Further, he allowed both the Nefantir and the Starkmanir time to sort out their process of Electing clan heads and Tribal Chiefs. He did not force a tribal council favorable to him, he did not, he did not speed the process to where certain tribes would be weaker than others, he respected the sovereignty of each Tribe and we now have a full council that properly represents the Tribes.
This comparison would hold merit had each of the Tribal Chiefs been killed. They were not.
This. I wish I could have said as succinctly as this, but no matter, it has been said.
I admit, that after the Elder fleet my own passion and zeal led me to revere the Elders as actual individual beings. I even went so far to journey into the Great Wildlands, in search of them. I came back having found nothing. I now believe the Elders to be more conceptual, a metaphor for the ideals and strengths that each Tribe carries. I look back at my journey and see it as a time of self reflection, self learning, and of spiritual cleansing.
I also realize that this admission falls inline with some of the Arguements that Arrendis and Elsebeth have been making.
I am sure it is now easier on some levels to deal with Tribes directly, with no pesky commonly agreed on laws getting on the way, but this sounds like an exaggeration. I donât know how it has been for others, but I can assure you that a Seb trade clan did never go asking permissions of outsiders for to establish business relations with whomever it damned pleased us.
I would imagine that the reason your clan has a pretty hefty legal division was because of the intricacies of navigating complex, redundant, and overbearing regulations. I donât imagine that it was done for fun. But then I cannot say I truelly understand the Sebiestor.
Itâs mostly for Sebiestor internal law, though. We are ground-bound apart from a couple of individuals, we come from an area thatâs pretty much all Seb, and pretty much all of Rhiannon business is in-tribe, and even there the majority of it with allied clans. For most of my clan, a Brutor is almost as much an outsider as a Gallente, and they care little for politics beyond their own city.
I wouldnât be surprised if most of our legal circle has not even noticed the regime and inter-tribal laws changed, in fact.
Iâm from a Sebiestor manufacturing clan, but weâve lacked the ability to navigate all the Republicâs different âcommonly agreed onâ laws and regulations since the Republic was established, and that has hampered us greatly. Itâs part of why I became a capsuleer at all, with hopes that I could get someone to notice and care about our little backwoods efforts. Granting more power to the Tribes has been immensely better for us; now we actually have something resembling a voice.
But I can accept that this wonât have been the case for everyone, or maybe even for most. Just us, as has been the case for a very long time.
Well, true, perhaps it is not a perfect analogy, however, CEOâs hold the ultimate power in the State, much like the representatives of the Tribes in the Parliament did, which was what I was getting at.
No doubt peopleâs experiences differ depending on how much they come in contact with outsiders, requiring inter-regional or inter-tribal or even inter-national legalese to be taken into account.
The major change in government during Shakorâs time has, from my point of view, been that the highest inter-tribal authority is no longer the parliament and law, but the Tribal Council of Chiefs (who, of course, can still pass the issue to the parliament if they see fit). Intra-tribal autonomy is not a new invention.
I am not overly familiar with the Stateâs system of governance, however it is my Understanding that the CEOâs of the Megas have ultimate power within their respective Mega, much like a Tribal chief does within the Republic. However I do not know enough on how the decision making process for the entirety of the state works to properly respond to this comment.
Yes, the elected Prime Ministerâwho ran unopposed because his only rival was the person whose government had just collapsedâabolished the office of Prime Minister and established the office Sanmatar with no idea that the Tribal Chiefs he was handing power to would understand how grift and quid pro quo work.
And yes, he allowed the Nefantar and Starkmanir time to sort out their own Chiefs. Because he had so many options for doing otherwise, right? What with his position having no actual executive power.
The man with no actual executive authority was so generous in⌠what, exactly? He had no authority. He didnât do that. The Tribal Council did that, and the Sanmatar, their mouthpiece, announced it. But great job giving the spokesman credit for the actions of the people heâs speaking for.
I resent the idea that we were allowed anything. Weâre free now and have no master to rule over us. We took the time we needed on what was our first actual choice of our lives to get it right. I like the Sanmatar, but this isnât helping the point.
Given the context, I understand, and apologize for my choice of words. Perhaps it would be better to say that he recognized their need chose to support their effort?
The underlying point i was trying to make was that he had the opportunity to proceed with the Tribal council and pressure the returning tribes into making a hasty decision but instead chose not to interfere.
My point is to say that Shakorâs power, and the power of his position, is in peddling influence and access to the Council. He has their ears, and can push his agenda with no accountability, asâunlike the Prime Ministerâs positionâhe is not answerable to the people, only to the Council.
In official matters, he has no authority to set policy. He cannot decide when the Assembly will convene. He cannot tell any part of government what to do. In official matters, he has no power. The power he has is far subtler, and far less trustworthy, because it is the power of whispered words in private, where no-one can see, going into the ears of those who make the final decisions.
This is true, people listen to Shakor. The Tribal Chiefs take his council. That is his job. But he has no power to directly influence the decision making of the each Chief, or do you believe your own Chief to be so easily susceptible. The point remains that is is the Tribal Council, not that Sanmatar that decides policy. If they so chose, the council can replace the Sanmatar.
And you are correct, the Sanmatar is answerable to Council. Each Member of Council is then answerable to their tribes respective clans. Each Clan is answerable to its members. This is clearly a state of affairs that the people agree with. Otherwise you would see protests coming from the Clan level up. I fail to see the problem you are trying to point out.
Would you? Why would you think that? Are we the Gallente, to form angry mobs, yammering in the streets over the slightest discontent? Think of everything it took to produce protests against Midular.
And that was when we were trying to be like the Federation. Now? I think that open protest, like so much else that they encouraged, is something we would rather swallow than employ.
As for the âproblemâ⌠the problem Iâve been addressing is your simultaneous âShakor is great because he did X and Y and Z and fifteen hundred other things! Shakor made the economy great! Shakor fixed everythingâ with âoh, heâs just a servant of the Councilâ.
Either heâs doing these things, or the Council is. If itâs the Council, then he shouldnât be getting feted and sucked up to like youâve been doing in this thread.
As for âThe Tribal Chiefs take his council[sic]. That is his job.â Mmmm, no, itâs not. His job is not to be an adviser or a counselor. His job is to be a mediator and a spokesperson. Not an advocate. Not a policy-maker. Heâs not the Brutor Chief. He shouldnât be giving his Tribe a second advocate in Council.