Going back to the original question
I think the existence of another possible heir to the great American Empire will come as a big surprise to the coalition leadership.
They will certainly envy the New Navy's technology, and I feel that the new navy's concerns for not contacting the Coalition
States earlier, for fear that ...
"the CS would be too suspicious and also likely to demand that all the ships and technologies
of the New Navy by surrendered outright." pg 109 Rifts underseas were valid concerns.
But I don't think that the CS will make such demands, it would be... 'impolite' to do so, so soon after they were first acquainted.
Of course by 'impolite' I mean the CS realizes that they are in no position to demand outright surrender of a people who have been
independent for the last 300 years, and doing so would only be shooting themselves in the foot, diplomatically speaking of course.
No, no first they need to gather intelligence and assess the situation, then later they can start a propaganda campaign about how
they are the true heirs of the great American Empire and that the New Navy's technology belongs to the CS's by birthright.
... or at least this is one way things could play out ...
and if things do go this way that's when the existence of the Sea Titans will come into play, for now they really wouldn't care what
some seamen do half a world away, but if it it serves Chitowns goals the Sea Titans would make the perfect propaganda tool.
... but this is years down the road, first lets look at the near future.
Zerebus wrote:... I would assert that the cooperation between the CS, NGR, and New Navy constitutes the beginnings of a powerful human North Atlantic military alliance.
Yes, the level of cooperation does seem too indicate that for the first time in Rifts Earth some kind of new NATO is feasible.
However I believe that any such alliance would, if it comes about, be a loose one for a number of reasons.
-Free Quebec will be hesitant to join a new alliance unless it is a loose one.
-Chitown will be suspicious of the New Navy, and... well... everybody. (see Triax pg18 bottom)
-Everyone fears giving up any of their own sovereignty, even if it's as simple as a mutual defense pact.
-Chitown is also used to being in charge, and will ultimately want to control any new alliance.
(I don't see them joining unless a set of conditions are met, like the CS gets a veto power or something.)
-Lord Splynncryth is likely going to try to sabotage the formation of any alliance among these powers
Zerebus wrote:And then there are the cultural matters. Any solid alliance between the CS, New Navy, and NGR will lead towards an increasing amount of cultural exchange between its members. Policies like enforced illiteracy and state-sponsored xenophobia within the Coalition States will eventually be challenged, as will any acceptance of aliens and magic among the NGR or New Navy.
Cultural change takes time, and requires a lot more exposure then a simple alliance to induce it. I mean look at how long the United States had slavery, we weren't isolationists during that entire period. Also remember in the real world we live in the information age, but on rifts earth it's a lot more difficult to get news from far away places, and much less difficult for a government to control the flow of information within one's own country. And since most of the people in the CS don't even read, and I would guess most of them couldn't point out Germany on a map. I don't think that the exchange will make much change in the day to day goings on of any nation involved.
Finally
Zerebus wrote:Will smaller nations such as the Sovietski and Free Quebec be drawn into joint military actions?
Free Quebec, a smaller nation? It's larger then the New Navy, not by much mind you, but it is larger.
New Navy population = 800,000 (Rifts Underseas pg108)
Free Quebec population = 1 million (Rifts Unlimited Ed pg21)