Meeting of the national committee of the Global Defense Network
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.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; 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.