@Orin I just like theoretical arguments of the sort. :)
@SevereTrinity As to the KNF/GMG thing, my thinking is much different. The gate gets closed and Aomori falls, that's not too out there to imagine. After that though, well, where can GMG take their h-fuel? Kusari is a no-go if they're fighting, they already can't go to Rheinland, so they're kind of boxed in. The other options are going through enemy territory. That seems like it would definitely hurt profits.
Meanwhile, Samura's profits would go up from their Hokkaido operations. If it could continue, Kusari would win just from attrition - they have their h-fuel and all their other resources while the GMG gets majorly squeezed out. In any case, there would need to be a good deal of change, but it also rests upon many, many potential diplomatic possibilities.
In any case, it seems like it points to them being less than 100% sovereign. I put them in the category with the Zoners and IMG if anything.