From:	Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject:	Re: Another Dead Judge
Date:	Fri, 31 Jul 1998 17:35:45 -0400

I hate to do this to you Paul (and it might not sound like it, but really,
nothing personal), but your/Mitchell's world view is utterly contrary to
the world of Shadowrun, as presented by FASA. According to the Corporate
Shadowfiles, the Megas don't hardly pay any taxes. Damien Knight was able
to blackmail the UCAS VP for control of her shares of Ares. Ares was more
than a 10% presence in the CZ; without Ares the UCAS would have been
screwed. And let's not forget it took Knight Errant and Ares security to
step in and help control the riots that occured after the death of
Dunkelzahn; that's not exactly the picture of a strong UCAS, militarily or
economically. Ares runs Detroit, Fuchi (soon to be under another name)
runs Boston. Cross Applied Technologies runs Quebec. The Japanese megas
run Imperial Japan. Wuxing probably controls all of the non-underworld
Hong Kong. And SK can pretty much do as it pleases in Germany. You cannot
say with *any* FASA justification that the UCAS, or really any other
government, can do to the corps what Mitchell claims it could do.

And the british corps (which I can't name because I don't have the books
with me) are extraterritorial nations, they just aren't the Big 8. And
according to FASA, it was they who really shut out Ares, not only
economically but by making the British government pass laws hurtful to
Ares. Damien could still open for major business there, it would just be
rather expensive.

So it's fine that Mitchell is a brain-washed soldier spouting the
government line, but it just ain't true what he's saying and all your
real-world examples don't change that fact.

As an aside, I'm also rather shocked towards Mitchell's extremely callous
comments regarding the Marketeer being a cripple. It's a major wonder
someone like that would ever have been able to play the political game well
enough to get beyond Lieutenant, let alone not get fragged by a fellow
soldier.

Erik J.


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