Liberty and Rheinland Trade Embargo.

[Chakotay]

Liberty Government Department of Commerce
Committee of Enquiry Liberty and Rheinland Trade Embargo.

Day 3

The next day I again went before the committee but this time the questions were different and the style of questioning was a bit more aggressive, especially from the Navy officer.
This was more about the aims and objectives of the trade embargo, what was the embargo trying to achieve? and had it been successfull.
My answer was an emphatic NO
I had made many trips to Rheinland systems carrying Passengers and Prisoners, which are allowed as the rules of the embargo state. I also had contact with many friends from other house systems, guys who worked for Zoners, BMM, Gateway and a friend at Solarus in Omega-11 who worked for Daumann.
I was also still in touch with a former [KoF] pilot who was a Rheinlander by birth and had left the [KoF] to return and serve his military term as most young Rheinland men do.
Another very good friend at Baden Baden worked for Spa & Cruise and had heard lots of interesting stories from senior Rheinland officers relaxing after tours of duty.
The embargo on Rhienland shipping and cargo by Liberty had very little effect on the Rheinland economy.
The Rheinland companies were slowly expanding operations out into the newer Omega systems and into Munich. The Zoners and Bounty Hunters were assisting and there had been some success.
The best information that I had was that there was no increased threat from Rheinland and that in fact the [RM] were very busy fighting pirate factions to be bothered by anything happening in Liberty.
The [RHA] were active around Dresden and the various Corsair clans were active on the neighbouring Omega systems. There were also frequent attacks from the Sigma-13 system by pirates preying on traders going between Rheinland and Kusari.
This was the reason I had been halted in Liberty carrying Diamonds, I had chosen to travel the longer safer route through Liberty and then up to Kusari instead of going through Sigma-13. I had a warning from a friend, that pirates were active and to avoid the system.
I put this question to the Liberty Navy officer.
"How much MORE is being spent on Navy and Police operations to enforce this embargo, and how long could the Government of Liberty be expected to fund the increased costs of the embargo when the economy has taken damage by companies making less profit, and Government collecting less taxes."
"Trade Embargo's were normally temporary measures with a purpose in mind"
"Would this embargo go on indefinitely? To what ends are we aiming at?"
"Had there been any diplomatic attempts to solve the problems?"

The morning session completed and I went for some lunch at the canteen. There had been no satisfactory answers to my questions so far.
Maybe someone in the next afternoon session would try and answer.

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