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| The war against the Vilani |
Introduction:
Earth has been united as the Terran Confederation for the past 30 years, and has colonies on Proxima Centauri, Wolf 359, and Barnard's Star. The Terrans have been fighting an on-again, off-again war with the Vilani, another human race arrogant enough to claim all of Known Space since 2098, over 50 years ago. It is a war of survival for us, with the might of a centuries-old empire spanning hundreds of systems against the will and strength of a single world experienced at millennia of warfare. Each country is a district in the Confederation, with a single combined military force shared between them. Each country has brought to the Confederation its own strengths, and for the first time in Earth's history, all Terrans are fighting together as one. Religious and cultural differences are being set aside as the Terrans struggle against the jackhammer of Vilani aggression. The Vilani have imposed their rigid culture on every world they've encountered, despite the wishes of the worlds they enslave.
(Extract from elementary school Terran history text, Australia district.)
Despite the war, or maybe because of it, Terrans have shown a massive new interest in their cultural roots. History is considered interesting; with many people making the effort to research their family tree. The Arab world in particular, released from the shackles of constant internal wrangling, has flowered into a cultural Renaissance not seen in the Middle East since the days of the Crusades.
Everyday life for the average Terran is full of productive work, mainly concentrating on the war effort. Pro-Terran propaganda is everywhere, encouraging workers to be conscientious, reminding people why the war is being fought and encouraging enlistment. The war itself has not yet touched Earth itself, but it's been a close thing a few times. Mars has suffered a number of bombardments, something the surviving Martians wear as a badge of pride.
Food is plentiful for the services, but rationed at home. The health standards of many of Earth's citizens have improved as a result, with food production rationalized and food distribution to otherwise under supplied areas a priority. The black market is present, and does a brisk trade in luxury goods. The Terran authorities make a show of cracking down on it, but seem to tolerate it as an important safety valve for stress. Fashion has followed the rationing into clothes designed to minimize the use of cloth. This had led to a revival of the fashions of the 1940's.
Probably the most tragic consequence of the war is your generation. You have never seen life as anything but a war against the Vilani. You grew up through it, you listened to the stories of adults, listened to the propaganda, and accepted it as a normal way of life. Only the older adults even remember life before the war. Sure there've been the ceasefires, but most people just regarded them as a temporary break to regroup. At least it's brought the generations closer together.
One group in Terran society does suffer some discrimination: Indians and Pakistanis. This is due to their visual similarity to Vilani, unfortunate for them, but useful for the intelligence community. Discrimination is believed to be behind the reason why Indian/Pakistanis are being formed into their own units. Indian Army units have the reputation of being amongst the most aggressive.
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