Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Stoneson 07-02-04, 09:43 AM	Who is more powerful, the various houses, or the various governments? Not sure where I stand, just curious to see what people think. Thanks, Paul
Steven Snyder 07-02-04, 09:52 AM	I see the various houses and governments as an analogy between modern corporations and nations. While the Houses are in a position of influence on the various nations, they are one step removed from actual power. The great houses need cooperation from the nations to ensure their prosperity, the nations need the Houses to keep their infrastructure running and their economy flowing. The great houses enjoy their position of neutrality, they can operate freely in any nation. This is important because the Last War ended only 2 years ago and the peace may not hold. If a House were to make a power-play and seize control of a nation, they would immediately lose their neutral status and their operations in other nations could be shutdown and sent packing. Worse yet a house that does anything to violate their neutral status should expect severe reprisals from the other houses who they threaten by their pretentious actions.