“Perhaps, but a company can’t simply buy itself statehood, just by permanently acquiring a tract of land.”
“If its employees elect to be its citizens, what is to prevent CoDevCo from claiming precisely this?”
“Well, those employees can’t be said to be participating in their own governance. And even if we were to ignore that, how is a corporate board a government?”
“How is it not? The UN and World Court recognize monarchies and dictatorships as nations: why not a corporation? Furthermore, unlike autocracies, the corporation recognizes private property, and even has a representative dimension.”
Visser frowned. “What kind of representation are you talking about?”
“Shareholder meetings—particularly if all employees are given the option to take part of their pay or benefits as company stock.”
“Okay,” conceded Wasserman, “but then the right to vote isn’t inalienable: it’s a commodity.”
“According to our very limited observation, it seems that, for much of your world’s population, this distinction would be a quibble at best, a sophistry at worst. A vote is a vote: its philosophical validation is of little importance to the overwhelming majority of those who are vested with that small share of political power.”
Durniak’s voice was decidedly hostile. “So you would urge us to recognize CoDevCo as a nation?”
“We are indifferent to the outcome. We merely note that the unanimity of will that you propose as the validation for your World Confederation is not so unanimous after all. And I am less than certain that CoDevCo is genuinely interested in being recognized as a nation-state. Indeed, I speculate that the megacorporations do not wish to become nations themselves; they merely wish to exert more influence over the international blocs.”
“Or maybe control them.”
Wise-Speech rotated back toward Caine. “Perhaps. I cannot comment on such a precise and detailed speculation.”
Caine smiled slowly. “Strange, since you seem to be well-informed on the precise details of our other political issues.”
“In addition to the Custodial report and the reference you provided yesterday, we have long been attentive to your omnidirectional broadcasts. They have provided us with a most stimulating perspective on your species—”
Nice dodge—and pure bullshit. Parthenon was only six months ago, but you’re dozens of light-years away. However “stimulating” our news might be, it still doesn’t travel faster than the speed of light . . .
“However, this is all tangential to the main issue that motivates the Arat Kur objections to your dossier. I doubt they are truly concerned with the legitimacy of your government.”
“Oh? Then what are they concerned with?”
“Why, your expansion into 70 Ophiuchi, of course.”
Of course. “Tell me, Wise-Speech-of-Pseudopodia, doesn’t that last assertion of yours imply the location of another member state?”
“Surely, you have already deduced this yourselves. Consider: the Dornaani and the Hkh’Rkh have revealed their spheres of influence in their self-references. The Slaasriithi primer will no doubt do the same. And our seat of authority is quite distant, in the system you label 58 Eridani. Thus you know where all the races are—with the sole exception of the Arat Kur. So, when the matter of your entry into the 70 Ophiuchi system arises tomorrow, will you be surprised to find that it is the Arat Kur who raise the issue? Will you have any doubt whose border is threatened by that expansion?”
“You sound as though you are not very concerned by this issue.”
“The specific violation? No: why should we be? It is not our border. But as a general principle, the Ktor feel that the dictatorial ‘pathways of approved expansion’ are in urgent need of revision. If not elimination.”
Elimination? Here’s the reason behind all the discord, rearing its ugly, Accord-splitting head at last.
Wasserman had shouldered into the front rank. “Why? Why eliminate the territorial restrictions?”
“I do not insist that they must be eliminated, but it is one possibility. At the very least, the process of adjudicating and adjusting the lists must be changed. The Arat Kur are also correct in insisting that the accords themselves must be revisited. We too often rely upon implicit understandings and vague precedents that only the Custodians may interpret or construe. This is unacceptable.”
“And if the Custodians resist these appeals for change?”
“Then we will be compelled to take our own counsel and act as we will.”
“You mean, ignore the permitted pathways of expansion?”