The Brotherhood have popped up recently with some high profile, verbose statements of intent.

However, they are yet to kill, wound or attempt to kill a single person.

For this reason, they simply cannot be taken seriously.

The structure of this world makes it very difficult for anyone wishing to operate Underground.  It's virtually impossible to do it alone.  Even a small unit intent onbloodlining a target needs at least three others supporting him.  My family journals record such events.  Within the host family, there is usually no support - but support is needed across the cities and crews.  Otherwise, how do you locate your target? 

Additionally, finances are needed - lots of cash. 

To get this support, you need to undertake high profile actions that are popular - then you get the support that you need.  And even then, most of your efforts will fail.

What, then, bearing this in mind, are the Brotherhood trying to achieve?

Well, it is my opinion that this is one person, acting alone, looking for some attention.  His mandate is non-existant, his policies deliberately provocative (he wants God-like retribution for extreme condemnation)and his targets vague and unachieveable.

Friends, the late JohnGalt missed the point with harrassment of my forefathers.  But if his son returned and erected his little signs in front of brotherhood statements, he would redeem himself.

IGNORE THE BROTHERHOOD

Or should we?  Does this thing need an Underground?  if so, what type?

my underground would be far more fitting i think

Interesting perspective, Nicky.  Thing is, you need protection from the gun-happy to stay alive.  That's why people join crews.

So how are you going to ensure longevity?

well play by the rules in other citys that have crews to not get shoot, teach my members the basics that i now go by n protect each other

It is as inevitable that the unsponsored will be consumed like Grenouille the moment their 48 hour protection mandates expire as it is the sun will rise in the morning.

unless ofcourse i get a non kill protection order by the God Fathers/ Repesenting .. .... of the citys

And how exactly do you intend to do that? By continually advertising for your "rouge" members, whilst there are still spaces (albeit, admittedly limited) available in the local families? I don't think any city head would agree to the loss of potential earners. Grin promised substantial tributes for proposing essentially what you are - an opportunity to invite those without protection to work and earn in a city otherwise going to waste - and he was killed.

This is about the Brotherhood

Not some fool and his obviously-going-to-fail bid to get clemency by all the city-heads.

However, his idea isn't actually that awful.  Let's say a city was set aside for unsponsoreds to go about their business - they were safe there but not if they travelled, unless they made arrangements.  Anyone can set up at any time for any reason.

What benefit would that have to the people in power? Wouldn't they rather put the city and everyone potentially in it to use earning money for them? If anyone could set up at any time for any reason, they would forfeit any sense of control and control is invaluable when organizations like the Brotherhood are attempting to rock the boat.

If we're talking about the Brotherhood, I'll simply offer the opinion that they don't keep me up at night.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Everything about this 'Brotherhood' has failure written all over it. A group cannot possibly hope to go anywhere when some of it's members have absolutely no political know how, or the ability to speak to others with some respect.

Not just anyone can set up. I'd like to see you walk into an unoccupied city and just setup without consulting with the other families around the globe. I have a feeling you wouldn't be in that city for very long.

well thats the thing i dont wish to be rouge but it seems i have no choice, and atleast we agree about the corruption that goes on then, and once again he was called rouge only because he didnt have permission what shouldnt be required in a free city as theses familys exsisting today must of started from somewhere, so i guess at one point they were all rouge lol

well you did say is someone fit for the job, n i thought ild be best for it, and your right thier lol so ill probably fall into ranks as you make more money selling 30 units rather than 5 lol, n thanks, just if the Heads saw it that way, i say LET GRIN COME BACK, and yer that was gunna be the idea of LV n then you might also see inner city wars

also on this rouge idea isnt Mike Hunt n Stan rouge due to them loosing the war ??? although protection orders were sent out.

It seems that the internal battle is the difference between setting up and going underground. Call me old fashioned, but announcing that you're going underground... basically defeats the entire purpose. If you're going to build yourself up and "avenge your father" or whatever purpose you have for an underground group, you kinda have to keep it quiet. I don't know of too many coups that succeeded while being utterly in the open. 

But then again, I'm no history buff.

Re Brotherhood - they're idiots.  Once they actually kill someone, people might notice them.

Outkast/Nicky - this thing isn't just about money- it's about dynamism.  People need to be engaged with the world around them.  A dedicated open city would do just that and lead to all manner of interesting alliances happening.

DeadlySin - if you so desired, you could make it happen.  What is the Godfatherly word on the Street?

Spiels walks by and hears a made man from his family speaking.  Of course he stops to listen in, hoping to gain some insight into the thinking of his leadership.  Waiting his turn, spiels takes a swig from his flask and takes one puff from his stub of a cigar.  Once the others have finished he stepped up to give his two cents worth.

Kerouac, I only disagree with one thing you have said.  I often times find myself up at night because of this situation.  I have to admit that I'm a sucker for free entertainment and I'm afraid that if I go to bed early I'll miss something that is quite entertaining.

With that spiels disappears into the crowd to listen to the rest of the masses that have gathered.

Friends, what would happen if tomorrow we woke up and the men in bold suits were gone?

What would happen?

Wild West comes to mind, brother, and as a side point, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It seems this one has not learned the ways of 'this thing of ours' yet, but he/they will learn, even if its the hard way.

Could a contained Wild West be a good thing, though?  A spectacle?

A good thing from who's perspective? I doubt anyone would live past the first few hours, and who would 'contain it'? That would show some measure of 'policing', although I use that term loosely.

A wild west scenario would be a waste of potential. Those who choose to shun the established and recruiting criminal syndicates for an alternative will be shunned in return. Who could trust them? Even if they're contained within one city and never allowed to leave, what good would that do? The drug trade would be limited severely for them and annoyingly for the rest. Eventually, someone will come to power within the city and everything will return to the status quo, such is the inevitability of structure in organized crime. How would the rest of the cities view this leader? If anything, a threat. It cannot lead to anything worth its investment.

Just to clarify, I mean this in the sense of thugs and petty thieves working their way up within the city, unlike the Chicago Experiment where established button men who were trusted and given consent to leave were allowed to leave families to wrestle for power themselves.