USH'S STAR WARS GAME- CAMPAIGN II EPISODE IV (JEDI)- Purity

"Yes, freeloading off the Senate- which is basically stealing from everyone! The only money the Senate has is tax money, which is taken from the Galaxy as a whole!

"The second problem is the effect the voucher system has on the food companies. Very reasonably, they feel aggreived about feeling obliged to accept these tokens in lieu of money. For a start, they think the redemption value from the Senate is too low, far below the actual value of the food. Of course, we cannot increase the redemption value without a larger budget, and unless you can think of what services to cut- and be careful what you wish for, people may ask for the budget to be cut from the Order!- that would mean raising taxes. And to cut a long story short, that will never survive a vote.

"But the problem is more fundamental than that. After all, the famine is not just caused by a shortfall of food; it's a breakdown in the transportation and distribution system that has tipped the crisis over the edge. The transportation breakdown means that haulage fees in these regions can be extremely high. The value of the vouchers- both in the allocation we give to worlss and their redemption value- has to be a flat rate, and it is almost impossible to account foir the various transportation costs involved in getting the food there. The planets say that their vouchers should get them the food and the transporation is a problem for either the food producers, the distributors the producers use, or the Senate at the point of redemption. The producers say the bill should be footed by the planets, the haulers or the Senate, the haulers say it should be by the planets, the producers or the Senate, and most of the Senators think it should be a combination of all the other three. The worst of all worlds is how we have it right now, where no-one really knows who should be covering transport costs so everyone is expecting everyone else to do it. The result is that the transportation just is not happening, so not enough food is getting out there. Hence thevoucher system apparently being useless at dealing with the current crisis. Which I suppose is obvious enough, else there would be no such crisis."

Originally posted by Ushgarak
"Poverty, famine, greed, corruption, the Hutts... the list goes on. You worry about being revilled? Have you ever met anyone from one of these affected planets? I could introduce you- you'll see the revulsion is already there. The weakest are exactly who you are meant to protect, and you've abandoned them. What are you even here for?"

"I'm not talking about popularity. You want to see a one sided system? Give the government to the Dark Side." He waves his hand (no not in that way) as if to wave the issue itself away. "I surrender. I'm not a wordsmith or politically adept like yourself. I am in fact a man of action, but one who has run into a brick wall of wordplay and politics."

"Why am I here? I came to arrest a man whom I know to be involved in and quite possibly the mastermind of mass drug running and mass murder. A person who kidnapped one of my friends and nearly killed me doing it. I came here to arrest this person, but I cannot. My word, that of a Jedi, is no longer strong enough evidence. I had to look that man in the eye (He's taking deliberate liberty here, for emphasis. Also, look him in the hood might be going too far.) today. He hides behind politicians and lawyers."

"THat's what I was talking about when I rebuffed your evaluation of the power of the Jedi. We couldn't save those people, because the Senate wouldn't let us. Look at all the money interests that would be hurt by that." He indicates the entire gathering. "Look at all the Senators who would not gain power, credits, and prestige weasling out a deal for people they care nothing of." He finishes speaking and turns to stare at his plate.

If he was about to make any profound statement to sum it up, he kept it to himself. The realization that came with that rant shakes him. His way, the way of force, will not work. The Jedi are powerless here, and he is no good at politics. He has to find a third way to defeat Seinar. Information. If he could just find a source of Seinar's power and take it away...

"You're a poor liar," she says. "It's nothing to do with what the Senate would or would not allow; they couldn't stop you if you were determined. But regardless, you are not doing anything for these people. Anything at all. And when you spoke of the risk of being reviled, you were talking about popularity. Now, I heard you were here to try and arrest the Abbot Sienar. This is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about."

"Unfortunately. How do you think it should be revised, Senator?" Jelena asks.

"Well, that's the real trick, isn't it? It's all about incentive, really. That's how politics works. We pass laws but it is not aout absolute obedience- your own efforts with criminal law not withstanding of course- but it is about encouragement and incentive. Right now the incentives with the system are all wrong. The planets that played by the spirit of the law ended uo worse off than those who abused it- hence there was no incentive for any of them to act in the way that we wanted. It's a barbarous region of space in many ways, and many of the planets there will abuse whatever they can.

"At the same time, the incentives for the food producers and haulers are all wrong. They don'yt want to take the vouchers, so they do what they can to avoid doing so- palming off transport costs, or sneding only poor quality food that spoils during the journey... anything to provide a disincentive for those with vouchers to use them. Which is just fine by the companies as they can still sell all their produce to those with money.

"The danger is that people press for a solution where food companies are forced to give up their produce. Aside from that being a monstrous assault on free economics and a thoroughly diabolical restriction of proper trade- which is the best long-term solution to poverty, after all- it will end up in the same way; with no incentive to use the system they'll do what they can to avoid it.

"So, we need a system that provides proper incentives on both sides to actually engage with the process. Ideas on that are what I am here to listen for."

Andro lets out a long, exasperated sigh. "For the third time, I surrender. I am no match for your skill with words. The Jedi are a slothful, incaring bunch just as useless as the Senate. Everyone get's their own opinion, and as you said earlier, my own moral high ground isn't very high right now. A new argument then. Why shouldn't I arrest Seinar?"

"Because he is a leading proponent of increased aid to these people. In fact he is the leading proponent. If you discredit him you'll destroy the movement."

"Exactly. It's a similar situation to these planets. If justice is to be done, I will take him in. But look who it hurts in the process. If I leave him be, he might save billions. But what is there is a much higher cost to leaving him in power? What is this whole thing, is a bid to increase his own power and use it for ill?"

"So essentially the issue is trying to find incentives that will satisfy everyone," Jelena says. "The impoverished need a reason to stick the system and not abuse their vouchers, the food distributors need a reason to keep supplying food, and the haulers need a reason to keep hauling the food..."

She nods, now that the problem makes more sense to her.

"I know you are here to listen for suggestions, but what would you do, personally? How would you arrange this, Senator Joylo?"

Originally posted by Jazzman_78
"Exactly. It's a similar situation to these planets. If justice is to be done, I will take him in. But look who it hurts in the process. If I leave him be, he might save billions. But what is there is a much higher cost to leaving him in power? What is this whole thing, is a bid to increase his own power and use it for ill?"

"That's wild supposition that I do not believe you have any evidence for. Whereas that if you discredit him you will certainly seal the fate of those these countless billions- that is a fact."

Joylo doesn't think it would be proper to comment until he has heard a few of the ideas that are going around.

"After a conversation and... events my collegues and I had in his office today, that supposition is not so wild as you think. But no, obviously I have no proof. He wouldn't be wherever he is right now of I did." Andro glances around. "Where do you suppose the Good Abbot is, anyway?"

"I don't really care. And I think you don't actually know anything of the sort, you just WANT that to be true. But the truth is you are so bound up with trying to fulfill your own agenda you are blind to the damage you are causing."

"Wait a minute. Just who in the blasted galaxy are you anyhow? You are starting to sound just like him. And where do you get off telling me I'm off? You're the one who doesn't really know what's going on here!"

"Of course, Senator," Jelena says, nibbling on her biscuit. "What else is being discussed by the Commission? Are there alternatives to the voucher system or has that not even been entertained yet?"

Originally posted by Jazzman_78
"Wait a minute. Just who in the blasted galaxy are you anyhow? You are starting to sound just like him. And where do you get off telling me I'm off? You're the one who doesn't really know what's going on here!"

"I know exactly what's going on. I know I have dedicatd my life to helping out those who need it most, those who have least and are getting nothing more, and I know that the rest of the galaxy will more or less do nothing but sit by and let them starve. Including the order. and I know that you can do nothing at all here but make that more likely to happen by intefering with Sienar. You can try and spin it any way you like, but that is what it comes down to. You are just like the Senate- putting your own goals above the wellbeing of the weak. You're simply justifying it in a different way. I've actualy been to see and help out the suffering this attitude causes first hand. if you arrest Sienar, I know that I'll just have to watch them all die because the final chance to save them was snuffed out., whilst you will go home all smug to your Temple despite you not even actually having any idea what it is you think yuo are stopping- not that there is anything to stop, as far as absolutely anyone can tell. So that's who I am- the person telling you what everyone else in this room should have the guts to tell you face to face."

-

Joylo cannot think if any alternatives. The recent events at Altamira put paid to the idea of negotiated aid settlements.

"Unfortunately for the impoverished, there are not so many as willing to spend their fortunes aiding the Galaxy as Count Dooku of Serenno," Jelena responds. "Not enough philanthropists. But I have not had time to quite look into things at Altamira, though I heard there was some foulplay and the Jedi narrowly averted disaster. I have been preoccupied with my own agenda here."

"What the Jedi did, and I am sure they had their reasons but it has caused this nonetheless, was completely shut down the aid effort to that sector, causing a considerable waste of time and money all around. No-one will go down that road again."

Jelena grimaces.

"I am sure the Jedi prevented much worse from happening," Jelena says. "But that is highly unfortunate. I must say that the Jedi Order has never fully been included in the issues of the Poverty Commission, to my knowledge. I only recently was informed of the crisis when I was tasked with coming to Mandragos. Why hasn't the Senate asked the Jedi Order to step in and assist with matters? I understand we only have so many Knights, but preventing a famine that could claim billions of lives surely would be seated high on the priority list for the Order. At least, I would put it there."

Andro just stares at her for a moment, unsure whether to take the conversation further. It's hard to win an argument, not having all the facts. He must sound pretty shallow indeed, not know what Seiner is truly up to and trying to convince someone with a stance such as hers the he is right. It doesn't help that at this point, she's right. From a certain point of view.
"Well, when this is all over, perhaps you'll judge me and the Order better. I truly cannot blame you for feeling the way you do about us, from the standpoint of what you do. If there were enough people like you in this Galaxy, this gethering of fools would be about a more trivial issue. Unfortunately, the Jedi cannot save everyone; and I say that as a regret, not a dodge.
"However, I do have a mission to do, and I truly hope I can complete it to the benefit of all. But I will pledge you this: If I, or the other Jedi with me, do anything to harm your cause, if we for any reason hurt their chances at aid, I will be their advocate to the Order. My former Master is on the council. I'm certain I could at least get an audience in their chamber."

"Alright then," says Mlim, eating another mouthful, moodily. "But it's not me you have to answer to. I'll tell you this; the frontier worlds are getting pretty sick of the Senate and all things connected with them. The only thing keeping them tied to the Republic is necessity- if thwey could go it alone, they probbaly would. And now if the Repiublic isn't even going to grant them THAT lifeline... I don't know what will happen. Assuming enough are left alive to do anything meaningful."

-

Joyloa gives a high-pitched laugh, whch involves his mouthful of food spraying over the table in front of him.

"Oh dearie me! What a thing to say! Wait... you weren't serious, were you? My dear, the Order is law enforcement, not finance. You are harsdly in a postion to determine how taxpayers' money is spent! If you don't mind, I won't mess around trying to apprehend dangerous criminals, and by the same token you can leave the politics to us."