As of this writing, the Agricultural Colonies of Evergreen, New Turin, Ukrainia, Silesia, Moskava, and Luzon have filed an official Article 100 request for representation in the Alliance Senate. Who do they think they are?

They are six worlds with populations exceeding five hundred million, with self-sufficient local economies and industry, and the infrastructure required by Alliance law of a Class 1 world. Furthermore, those worlds are the Alliance's breadbasket, feeding billions in the core worlds and beyond. The growth of those worlds is nothing short of explosive. Evergreen alone, despite its uniquely dangerous ecology, will pass one billion citizens before the end of the fiscal year.

Who do these colonials think they are? They are the pioneers and their decedents who took these empty worlds and built them from the ground up. They are geneticists who genegeneered the crops that feed billions. They are the farmers and ranchers who feed billions. Their accomplishments, energy, enterprise and vitality are nothing short of astonishing.

Then why are they not represented in the Alliance Senate? That is a very dangerous question because the answer isn't what you've been told. No. They aren't immature societies. No. They aren't economically dependent on the core-worlds. No. Their beliefs may be old-fashioned, but they are by no means heretical. No. They are not inhabited completely by ignorant, bare-foot hicks. No. They aren't a threat to muh democracy.

To answer the question of who do they think they are, they believe that they are part of a grand democratic institution called the Interstellar Alliance. They believe they are a part of the brotherhood of mankind. They are mistaken.

For many years, the grand experiment in interstellar democracy called the Interstellar Alliance has been quietly becoming a Corpocracy. The sad truth is that the reason those worlds don't already have their own Senators is that no megacorp owns or controls those worlds. Were they to have senate delegations, this would dilute the solid block of votes of Core World own in the senate that allow that body to do anything its corporate masters want.

If you want to know who truly threatens our democracy, you need only look towards the Core, the Corporations that have their seats on those worlds and the senators that they own. There's an old joke about senators should have to wear the patches of their corporate sponsors. Senator Harrison of Earth might as well have DESERD tattooed on his face. Bronson of Centauri B, should wear the logo of MilTech. It goes on and on. Regardless of party, philosophy or leaning, they are representing their corporate sponsors first, and the people last.

When you hear the corporate shills denounce the colonial bumpkins, ask them to be sure they aren't speaking with their mouths full. The Colonials feed the core worlds, and that provides powerful leverage. All they need to do is stop shipments of their agricultural goods for a week, and the Core is in trouble. In two weeks, food inflation would be out of control. In a month, there would be food riots.

This is a dangerous schism. Neither side can opt out. No one relinquishes power gladly or gracefully. The Alliance is headed for yet another crossroads. Will it live up to its own laws and seat a dozen new Colonial senators, or will it continue to find excuses to retain the whip hand?

This issue isn't going away, and it needs to be settled soon.  Much depends on this vote. These colonies aren't the only colonies that are watching. Will they too be disenfranchised from the highest levels of power when it is supposed to be their turn? What good is an Alliance that won't even follow its own rules?

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the rub. Do we live by the rules set down by law, or continue to move the goalposts in favor of the powerful?

Be careful how you answer because we're all going to have to live with the results.