Classification: not applicable – internal to the GDN
Location: Potsdam HQ of the GDN
Participants:
1. representatives of the oversight commitees of Berlin(B), Hamburg(H), Munich(M), Cologne(C), and Leipzig(L)
2. special reporters on:
* Grid Maintainance (1)
* Morale, Recruiting and Leadership (2)
* Political intelligence (3)
B: Welcome to this meeting on basic policy. We will start with a report on political intelligence.
3: Thank you. The government has been shaken by the events of Makassar. We have reports that they are considering large concessions to the Americans
L: You mean capitulation
C: Can we do this with some decorum?
3: They are reassessing the efficacy of their own efforts
B: Very well, our morale?
2: Our morale is bad and declining. Our people find themselves associated with unsavoury elements.
B: Beyond predictions?
2: No, but at the lower range of the predictions.
B: Good. Grid Maintainance?
1: We will come online within the next 20 days. This is a certainty now.
M: Finally.
H: Does the government know?
1: Yes. Again, that is a certainty. Their predictions are as good as ours. Somebody is feeding them information.
H: We will need to make them an offer
L: If we decide to keep dealing with them
C: We will have to make them an offer anyway and it has to look credible
L: True
B: As they know that have we gotten something from them?
3: Actually yes. Over the official channels they are offering us status as a religion with full internal autonomy and an extension of the equality article.
H: That is below the bare minimum. So what is the inofficial offer?
3: They want to give us the upper house. Election of the state delegates by essence magicians, as they call it.
B: That is a very big concession on their part. They are ditching principles.
L: It is not enough.
C: What would be enough.
L: One of you ruling this country. You are always acting as if I wanted that for myself. That is nonsense.
B: What you are proposing is very, very risky.
M: We could most likely beat them if we do a surprise strike.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
B: And then, can we rule.
H: We would not get them. They must have taken that option into consideration.
M: We could still beat them.
H: We would not fight them alone. If you want to drive them into the arms of the Americans that’s the best way to do it.
L: There are certain other factions that can be persuaded to be on our side.
C: Not this again. I won’t feed people to vampires
B: Peace. Let’s work out a proposal we could live well with. We can decide later when circumstances are clearer based on their response, what we will do.
L: Acceptable.
C: Are very good idea. How much can we ask? Expert opinion?
3: The current chancellor is not one to fight a losing battle for the sake of fighting. He will, however, go for extreme measures if that is what it takes, as long as there is a real chance of winning.
M: Brains and balls, but no spine?
3: That is not entirely wrong a description.
H: So what do we need?
B: The armed forces. We must be able to make sure that nobody can turn the guns against us.
M: Is there anything the government will surely not give us?
3: The budget. They will want to keep the money. And they’ll insist on at least an equal say in legislation. And the selection of the government.
C: OK, so we suggest that the command over the armed forces is returned to the president, like in other countries and have the upper house elect the president.
H: That is a bit too blatant, but basically workable.
C: So we change the mode of election?
3: If I may, we could change the selection of the elected electors
M: They could still extend the lower house to bloat our majority down.
B: So we write a set number of seats of the lower house intio the deal.
L: That is acceptable. Let’s write some more powers of the president into our proposal so that we have to drop something in negotiations.
H: We also need the constitutional court, so that we determine what the agreement means.
C: Have the president and each of the chambers appoint judges in equal numbers.
B: Very well. Do we have agreement?
- common agreement -
H: You did agree too easily
L: It will not matter. They are going to reject it or renege at the first major crisis. Mark my words.
In other words, what Noreth tried to prevent. Some form of aristocracy seems unavoidable. The path to it is less clear. This is an attempt to show a possible path.