Yes and no. Seems to me the Citadel has much less influence on internal laws (see e.g. Batarians and slavery) and the actual decision-making (across international affairs) is far more centralised (that Matriarch-Dalatrass tea). The EU isn't run by the French President and German Chancellor (or their direct representatives). So... somewhat more regulatory than the UN, but much less than the EU.
Good point. Unfortunately, I can see the Salarian union sweeping them up (or claiming them at least- Precursor ruins, galactic security interests etc etc), thereby gaining a direct interest in the sector, and strangely gets its claims Council-validated all over ours.
Just to make sure that people know that this is a binding draft, and that voting for independence now means that we cannot influence what the declaration will say:
Sure.
If you want to delay this decision in order to gather more information/call a referendum/rephrase the bill/seek input on any future declaration/stall, you want to vote, "Veto, you belligerent idiots." The bill is on Mira's desk and the vote you all are debating is occurring as she stares down at it much like one would stare at a live grenade. She literally can only sign or veto it at this stage of things. If you want to do any flavor of modification, the bill as currently presented has to be shot down.
Furthermore: If anybody would like me to clarify something for them, tag me and ask like so: @PoptartProdigy, per favore. There's a lot of discussion, and it's not at all clear what forms of confusion are directed at me if there are no tags to reference. Have some pity.
Regardless of how it would be taken at home (and you could probably sell it, although you'd have to sell it), making that known would also torpedo your credibility during any negotiations with the Citadel. It'd be a public admission that you weren't negotiating in good faith. And sure, nobody at those kinds of meetings actually does negotiate in 100% good faith, but coming to the table saying that this issue is a bludgeon with which to extract concessions tears away the pretense of civility and wrecks one's credibility. Why would the Citadel even entertain discussion on that point, if that was your attitude?
That kind of stuff, you will address (or not, as it pleases the voter base) next year through actions to do just that.
Why are you directing this at me?
Not at you; you're not a voter.
Declaring independence and then going to the Citadel asking for help (as in 'we don't want to be eaten, let's coordinate') means setting the quest's difficulty to 'hard'. Or 'insane'.
Umm... a pissed-off Citadel, an empowered and placated Nativist/Populist faction, and a severely compromised ability to get support from the Citadel in our war efforts. I can see nothing worthwhile. I really don't understand what all these Pro-independence-right-now votes are about. It must be... Indoctrination!
Not having to deal with the issue when there is actual opposition. Not torpedoing confidence in 'our' Assembly. Not blowing a massive chunk of our popularity.
Do you really believe our GM is that hamhanded? Or that short sighted?
It's neither- it's *deliberate*. Mainly immediate domestic consequences we can probably mitigate or external, military and political ones we cannot.
We have no control over the wording of this declaration. It could call the Citadel war criminals and murderers, declare "Virmire space" inviolate and Citadel military ships enemies of Virmire. Sure, that might just be non-binding rhetoric in the preamble, but the way you say things matters. Yes, of course there are reasons to consider independence, at some point. None of them are reasons to let a bunch of populists decide the timing and content and risk the war effort. When we get in contact, eventually we won't be able to lie to the Citadel about how this happened.
