Traveller is very much a product of the Cold War era it was created in. 
The Zhos where the Communists, which meant the their Vargr allies were
their Cubans.

I'll have to much with some AI image creation to create a Vargr in late
60s fatigues with an AK-47, preferably with a cigar clenched in his jaw.

On 8/1/2024 1:26 PM, Jeff Zeitlin - editor at freelancetraveller.com
(via tml list) wrote:
> Canonically, we're supposed to believe that psionics and attempted
> manipulation/subversion of Psionic Institutes is the reason. But...
>
> JimV has offered some interesting food for thought regarding the Imperium
> and its governance model (and attitude toward its own member worlds with
> less-autocratic governments).
>
> When looked at "objectively", the Consulate has the structure of a
> republic, though one where the franchise is limited. Is this the _real_
> reason that the Imperium chooses to 'demonize' the Consulate, even though
> they're using psionics as the 'public' reason in the propaganda?
>
> Discuss.
>
>
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