*Bic strolls up to a street corner and kicks over a Dipping approved bin and stands on top of if. He reaches into the pocket of his fight suit and pulls out a cuban cigar and lights it up. He pulls out his gun and unloads the clip into the air...

Now that I have your attention, I want to bring up something that has been on my mind for some time now. I want to preface this by saying, im not some gun wielding crazy, who wants to wack everyone, nor do i have a death wish. But something has been nagging at me for the last week or two...Check the obits, it seems like the only people dieing in this day and age are either contract kills on some bum or the very rare occasional rogue. Fine, fine you say, we live in good times. Crime is at an all time low. We have more people dieing of old age than gun fatalities, it appears. It seems as if people are only waking up doing a few petties, maybe a couple of felonies and selling some drugs boom bada boom and its time for bed. I have to ask where is the excitement and danger? My ancestors journals are pack full of tales of gun battles and epic wars in the streets. Have we insulated ourselves so much and lived in so much fear that this is what this thing of ours has becomed? You can have a crew of 50 be a made man, capo, boss, don, gf, whatever...but what does that mean if all we do is hold hands and sing kumbaya? Yes it is nice to have the recgonition of making it to that rank or achieving that level of power within this thing of ours..But has that became so important that we fear being ambitious or to take power from others? It just seems like we've became neutered. Making that next promotion seems to be what drives people and not POWER, RESPECT, and MONEY. I just fear the populas has just became complacent with daily routine. They'd rather live with the certianty of the routine, than to accomplish the great.

Now that ive said that, I just want to say again, im in no way a loose cannon or crazy. I basically wanted to make the point of why the hell do we do this? If all your here for is to obtain your next promotion and not too get as much power, respect and money as you can, whats the point? Sure you might eventually get your own family or crew, but whats the big deal if your having regular poker nights with rival families. I can't even say that though, because for there to be rivals, there has to be some form of conflict.

*Bic steps down from the Dipping approved bin and takes a seat on top of it to await the likely lines of questioning.

There is always a calm before the storm, Bic. This world as far as various of my family diaries indicate has always had times of peace followed by times of war. Much like any other, I would imagine.

Though I think what i've just said is something you are very well aware of, I figured id say it anyway.

Thats a good point sir. I just figure with all the impliments to save lives from the powers that be and from death taxes and what not, that it just seems to be over kill.

Just go out and shoot at someone Bic, if it's gun play you want, or do you just want everyone else to kill eachother off. I'm confused here.

Me shooting someone would accomplish nothing. Sure i might kill 1 person, but what reason do i have to do that? What is gained? Now if i were a CL and had my own family I could shake this up, but I am not. So me wacking someone active, has no benifiet to me. What i was simplying saying is that id like to see people plan out while thought out strategys to gain power in their cities and families to try to gain control in other cities to expand power. Im not going to name names, but families in some cities are in control through complacentcy and fear from other cities. There are some cities that impliment there own families into different cities through promotion and no one contests there right ot place crews within that city. so Those cities that put families into other cities gain power and numbers in there ranks while, the other cities and families sit by in complacency with what they have. It makes it interesting in the fact that one family can have control of their home city and then control in turn two other cities. Its apealing in one way that you can put in alot less work and effort into being promoted since they have alot of land to govern, but its also sickening in the light that it stagnates things. People know if they mind there p's and q's that they'll get promoted and i cant complain this thing of ours has been good to me...but Id just like to see some conflict once in awhile. If things continue on this trend it'll be one city ruling the rest through alliances, numbers and fear.

The reason there has been no war is quite simple. That reason is because the powers at be are more intelligent than most I would think and can see that war is unproductive to our way of life. Many people realize that a lot of money is pissed away in a short amount of time when war is upon us. It takes weeks to completely recover when it is an evenly matched war. Look at our world even today. We have only had one new Godfather since Deimne's death (GRHS), whereas when he died there was a Godfather in every city. Recovery is an extremely slow process of cash flow and overturn. TheDean and Roman run the show, and they want to see everyone prosper as fully as their aspirations can take them.

Another reason is that we have no reason. What point would there be to war now? The relationship between New York and the other 7 cities has always been quite friendly and forthcoming. We do not war just for the sake of seeing blood. We are civilized human beings. When there is there is trash to take out, it gets taken out when there is a good reason. You can always find a reason to war, but TheDean and Roman are not petty individuals.

MY point is i believe this is a thing of strategy and power not politics.

Bic, what do you expect? These leaders have to come from somewhere right? They do not magically fall out of thin air and don a bold suit. These auths have to come from the most developed cities that can afford to lose CL's to their own ventures. You say the sit in complacency, but they actually sit in intelligence. As we saw with -Gene_Hunt, bad things happen for idiotic reasons. We need bigger guys overseeing our entire world so moronic actions don't become rampant.

TheDean and Roman have earned those rights to auth into the empty cities through acquisition of war. They murdered the people that lead those cities before then, so now it is their right to oversee that city until another has risen to the rank of Godfather, such as Joey_Cesari.

So you want everyone else to kill eachother off?

I understand what you're saying Bic, but we always face these different time periods where either there's alot of wars or alot of piece. Neither last too long, but too much of either can also cause for topics like these.

If it was reversed I gurantee someone would be out here saying, we need peace or no one can rank or why's there so much killing. Either way we must adjust and do whatever the big wigs tell us. If you've been around the last few months and have died as many times as my ancestors, this time of peace feels like paradise.

Then again you said, "I want to preface this by saying, im not some gun wielding crazy, who wants to wack everyone, nor do i have a death wish." Taking your words at face value would lead me to believe you wouldn't be out on the front lines dieing in these wars anyway.  If so, you'd be "some gun wielding crazy" and I'd respect your points more here.

Who do you suppose will rise to power to accomplish such a feat? If by some chance either of them may pass away, there is many other crews and families that would step up to defend these men and or replace them from NY. So there would be no point of starting a war against these men. Inturn this thing of ours has just turned into ho hum routine. When people do build up some courage to attempt a power change theyre called rogues or Idiotic. I say that they attempted failed power moves and can't really be faulted for it. Since this thing of ours began, people have allways tried to better there lot through power changes. We shouldnt call them names because they failed...the winning side allways writes history, if lets say gene had been successfull, he wouldnt be called a rogue, he'd be called a champion and his moves called a brilliant power play, but he was not, so hes branded a rogue. This isn't the cub scouts people get killed. Id just like to think families from other cities take pride in their city and wish to improve theyre position in this thing of ours. I have plenty of journal entries to verify this, but recently people are more complacent chasing the table scraps. I just wish some of the cities would want more for themselves.

Big Meesh i respect your points, they're very valid. I must confess my family lines havent been to these shores for a little over a year, so i have missed out on these past events you speak of. I'll give you that its deffently nice to be able to rank. I personally have been blessed with promotions within my family and i love my city. That love has me motivated to put in work if the time ever comes that i need to, but im not going ot randomly shoot someone because that makes no sense. My motivation in this thing of ours is to seet hat my family and city does the best it can. It isnt promotion or seeing how high of a rank i can obtian though. I can agree with you that peace and war dont last to long on either fronts. I guess im just feeling like my great great grandfather did during ww1 waiting around for the action to begin.

LittliestMeechem VonFocker extends his hand to Bic because they've found common ground on this topic.

Vonfocker zips his coat and heads off down the alley.

Can't but faulted for it? Are you fucking crazy? Rogues are people who disobey their leaders on the highest level, take a position of power without the word of anyone, and start shooting the place up. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to let come cunt rogue fuck up my day or my way of life. I'll drill them in the head every single time. Our world is based on a series of laws and codes both spoken and unspoken. You follow these codes or you die. Simple as.

And FYFI, -Gene_Hunt was not a rogue. He was a legitimate crewleader that got his opportunity to run his own show in Las Vegas, and got cut down before his prime. I think you have your definitions confused.

I was trying to be nice but here it goes. I want to preface this by saying, I'm not some gun wielding crazy, who wants to wack everyone, nor do I have a death wish. With that said, say Mr. kong wanted New York. What chance do you really think he has against us? Philly currently has 4 CL's and a total of 71 members. New York however boasts 5 CL's and one Godfather with a total of 157 members. The odds are stacked hugely against Philly and people understand that it would be a complete suicide mission. They realize that being on good terms with the current Godfathers will get them much farther than trying to war out of greed.

(This is in no way a threat to kong or anyone from Philly, merely to prove a point)

But what if A city allies with other cities. Since we are playing the devils advocate, what if philly or any other city were to get chicago and some of the other cities to team up and take out NY. Then that wouldn't be all that crazy and things would be on a even playing field. This is in no way a threat or implication. Im simply saying through strategy, anything is possible.

I dare anyone to try. We want nothing but peace and prosperity. Money is king to me, and I got plenty of it at the moment. Sure, cities team up to take out other cities. It's quite common actually. But, at the point in our community, there is no need. I think the current leaders are content with their slice of the pie. The current Godfathers have never once tried to interfere in what anyone else does.

My intentions are not to argue, but simply debate, figure out why things are so quite. I think we are all capable of debating in a respectable manor.

In fairness Bic. I really dont see the upside in you having a debate like this in the streets?

It just smells of shit stirring to me, and I dont like shit stirrers.

Im sorry you feel that way sir. But, i have been nothing but respectful, with presenting my point of view. My intentions are not to stif shit as you say. The up side of having an adult conversation with other mafiaoso is it keeps things interesting and hopefully gets people thinking. Seeing as there hasnt been any action, and its only a matter of time before something does happen, im just trying to figure out the current state of this thing of ours.

The current state of our eight cities is peaceful, and its just the way things should be. Each city has life and things have returned to normal. War is not the way, but war is the answer to people who are trying to stir up shit.

You Bic, seem like a man who wants to start some shit. My advise to you, walk away from this dicussion and leave things be. It's best to leave the sleeping beast alone.

Argument and debate are synonymous. What makes the two any different? Every topic and subject can be debated. There is no law against that. Just expect resistance when you bring up such a tricky topic. Bic may bring up whatever he pleases as much as we have the right to speak and defend our own opinions. Just do not expect people to be nice to you about it when you seem to be encouraging death and chaos.