On 25Sept2024 0325, kaladorn at gmail.com (via tml list) wrote:

> I can imagine the 3I or any large star spanning empire having VAST
> amounts of wastage and corruption. I can't imagine it without it. The
> only reason it would still operate are the 20% that are really their to
> do a good job. The middle 50% may be not much of a problem but aren't
> super, and the remaining 30% is a problem.

Given that the 3I has a hereditary peerage, but one that 'loyal service'
gets you elevated to, it's *built* on corruption. Contracts will go to
people that the local nobility know and trust, or who can buy that
'trust'. Connections and networking is everything.

Of course, when things get out of hand, the rich and powerful need
outsiders that don't have vested interests and aren't already connected,
won't be immediately noticed, but have integrity (no use sending out
troubleshooters if the first thing they do is go up to the source of
your problem and say "How much will you give us to report that it's All
Good Here?"

I would expect that there are traditional and well-understood
expectations as to how much can be skimmed, who needs to be cut in on
it, etc., and how this is done so that it's not too base and unseemly.
Over the centuries this 'overhead' has probably slowly increased, and if
one wants it could be considered part of the cause of 'The Rebellion' -
what's the point of paying Imperial taxes, seeing your best and
brightest go off-world, never to return, etc. if nothing comes of it but
more taxes, more red-tape, and increasing bribes to get anything done.
Meanwhile the mega-corps are still doing fine, so no 'impediment to
trade here'.

--
Rupert Boleyn <xxxxxx@gmail.com>