Ants and Entrepreneurs

It's not just the travel time that matters. The communication time is also
important, particulary if there are military forces loyal to the 'empire'
stationed at or very close to the location they are trying to control. Even
with travel times measured in years if you can get a radio signal to a place in
a few hours or less then if they are forces loyal to you there you'll be able
to control whatever place it is.

It does require that there already be forces at whatever place needs to be
pacified but the faster speed of light compared to the ships would make it
quite possible.

Personally I'd prefer any centrallised government (and there will be
centrallised governments as anarchy doesn't work) to be democratic and actually
represent what they control to the point at which they don't need to use force
very often.

--- Free Trader wrote: