A lot of people forget that the Mandalorian culture is based on a nomadic, militant mindset. Their philosophies are based around conflict and war, which requires a people who have a particular mindset that follows the pragmatism required for that. In order to survive this type of lifestyle, you can't have dissent, and you can't have people causing a ruckus every time they disagree. It doesn't happen in the military, and it doesn't happen with the Mandalorians. If it does, it's for a pretty darn good reason, and since the pragmatism IS a key point, it's probably related to something cataclysmic.
The resol'nare is a requirement and guideline for Mandalorians to follow, stating -very- clearly what is required for you to be considered a Mandalorian. There are other ingredients to throw into the pot, but this is the bones of the matter. If you don't follow it, you are dissenting; if you are dissenting, you're not with the pack... see where this goes?
The issue with where people differ on understanding is that there are grey areas. Not all Mandalorians are good to one another. Sometimes they kill each other. Sometimes they do stupid stuff that would go against the idea of honor, goodness, etc, to which the name and word Demagolka is a good example. Sometimes the Mand'alor is a puppet. Sometimes he's wrong in doing something, and when folk speak out, they're silenced in a permanent way. It happens. Politics are involved in Mandalorian culture, as is corruption, as is greed... but it doesn't change the tenants. It doesn't alter the ideology, which is the topic of this particular conversation.
Yes you can play your toon however you like, and yes you can have your beloved Mandalorian on the Republic side. The conversation as to how this could happen was the OP. The conversation is saying according to lore, you can't, unless he's there for subterfuge, being a tourist, or personal choice that removes him from the good graces of all other Mand'alor following Mandalorians.
This is lore, this is fact.
Opinion is that you can play your toon as someone who thinks the Mand'alor is a puppet, and your toon isn't going to follow that sort of nonsense. Opinion is that the current Mand'alor is a sell out, and is letting the Sith use Mandalorians as cannon fodder meat shields. That's fine, you're entitled to that belief and if you play your character along those lines, that's really interesting and unique. However, do not expect Imperial, Mand'alor following Mandalorians to encounter you with anything but violence and disgust.
