StockNES

No. But a person could leave a clade and join another. Unsuccessful clades could also dissolve, with new clades perhaps rising from their remnants or their populations.

So the reason for the civil war is currently unaddressed.

But aside from that, this is all very similar to the universitat-stat system implemented in Bavaria.

EDIT: Shadow: Please do not edit your diplomacy after I have answered it. I would ask that you edit your comment back to what it was and add the new comment below as a new post.

EDIT 2: thanks. i appreciate that.

To Bavaria, World
From Mrs. Riley Thompson, UC representative to German-speaking Europe,

We are hesitant to share the reasons on the public stage but with Bavaria asking such pointed questions, we will perhaps share some preliminary discoveries we have recently made.

The break-away of the western clades is not, ultimately, due to domestic dissatisfaction. The true reason is the infiltration and usurpation of these clades by foreign spies and saboteurs. The massive and ongoing defections from the civilian population, from the military sector, and even from the clade executive, speaks to the relative satisfaction and loyalty of the population to the Clade system and its dissatisfaction with the short-sighted and misguided decisions of the foreign-controlled executive.

We will no doubt know more as we continue to debrief the defecting loyalists and continue our hunt for the traitorous executives.

In regards to your second comment, ultimately, we consider our system fundamentally different from that of the Bavarian (and others') technocratic system. Fundamentally, many members of the UC believe there are three major systems of government: trusting professionals, command and control, and choice. Bavaria mixes command and control and trusting professionals by placing professionals in a position of absolute control and disenfranchising the common man. (Correct us if you believe we have misinterpreted your system.) The UC fundamentally believes in choice, trusting professionals or adopting a command system only through choice of the population. And so while there are surface similarities, at its most fundamental level, our two systems of governance are very different.

Finally, we believe that no other society has evolved the degree of modernity and development that the UC has. The remainder of the world clings desperately to the idea of 'nationalism' the way that it once clung to the idealism of kings and serfs. We have moved beyond such archaic and vestigial concepts.

Fake-edit: You'll have noticed I edited the comment several minutes before you posted yours, and then editted it back before you requested, after I noticed you took such a long time to respond.

We look forward to completing a full review of the Second American Civil War once active conflict is concluded, in order to determine the causes and consequences and apply the lessons learned therein to the South German Federation.

However, we feel the overwhelming social and economic strength of the clads in the UC infringes on an individual's ability to choose. If they were so representative, it's unlikely that a few foreign infiltrators would be able to cause such a major secession. The clad system doesn't prevent the concentration of capital in the hands of a few individuals, and an abundance of capital ultimately makes The universitats are voluntary associations, but they are also non-exclusive: a majority of the population are alumni or associates with multiple universitats.

And the universitats themselves, while not democracies, work to represent faculty, alumni, and students on the governing boards. Much like our approach to corporate governance, where stakeholders are the priority. The same is true of the bund-stats, the regional governing bodies, which mix professionals from the universitats, businesses, and residents in their administrative councils. Do not confuse lack of democracy with lack of representation. Many democracies remain unrepresentative of their population, beholden to corporate or oligarchic interests that are able to manipulate the political process to their own ends. The technocratic approach merely dispels the illusion of choice in favor of a different social contract.

Immaculate said:

We remind our Bavarian friends that the United Commons are NOT a corporate system. We are a post-nationalist clade federation, a natural evolution of the democratic system, where all citizenship, where all participation and partnership in government, is voluntary, as is taxation, investment (energy, effort, finances), and representation, and where 'voting' occurs in real-time and on a continuous and ongoing basis. Importantly, like our European friends in Germany, England, Italy, Catalonia, and the Celtic Union, it is representative government.

It is precisely these sorts of misunderstandings that we would seek to clarify or rectify.

Click to expand...

So annexing democratic states like Dixie is a "natural evolution of democracy" and putting it in the hands of corporate oligarchs "represents" the citizens? And do Dixie citizens "participate voluntarily " after having their homes destroyed and families slain? The average freethinking Californian can only guess that this is the UC's idea of being "modern" .
EDIT:


Ideological debate and sarcasm set aside, we remind that all non-europeans or non-democracies , us included,are OBSERVERS at the Congress. We are there to look, not to influence its results and decisions, unless the Congress decides of else. We have better to do than to haggle at who gets to observe it.

Shadowbound said:

If the Americans can present their corporate system, why can Bavaria not argue for a technocratic system?

Click to expand...

The Americans have expended significant resources transporting Democratic Californians across a continent and an ocean to a conference which they were previously not welcome to attend at all, without complaint or any request for compensation. We invite them as a show of respect for their help in furthering the cause of democracy, and we are interested to see what exactly a clade-based system entails, a form of governance we do not fully understand in Europe.

The Bavarians have engaged in a petty war of words and diplomatic insults during a time in which European peace and stability is threatened and lives are being lost, going so far as to insult the English for not providing them with expensive passage to a nation across an ocean after withdrawing their diplomats from England in something resembling a childs tantrum over a minor issue. We ask you, what has Bavaria done for European democracy that entitles them to play any role whatsoever in the upcoming congress? Aside from a sense of entitlement, what possible reason do we have to allow you in to presumably upset the peace the Republic of Germany is working so hard to preserve?

Should the Bavarians provide a public apology to Germany for the bold declaration that we are 'bloodthirsty demagogues' despite all our efforts for peace, to England for a tirade of diplomatic insults stemming entirely from a single claim made, supported at the time by the intelligence provided to the English, and to Europe for attempting to upset the fragile peace we have built in order to throw a continent wide tantrum, we will allow the Bavarians to send delegates to present to the democratic nations of Europe their views on the technocratic system.

(its story time)

UC Address at the 2nd European Democratic Congress

Riley Thompson was somewhat nervous as she took to the stage. It would be the first time that anyone from the United Commons spoke at the European democratic congress and she wanted to make sure she made the right impression.

One aide passed a lint-brush over her sundress while another brushed make-up over her cheeks, muting her freckles somewhat. She had been not been listening to the speaker but suddenly heard her name. Her aides withdrew and she could see the MC was talking about her.

“Our next guest is Mrs. Riley Thompson, who comes from all the way across the Atlantic, a guest from the United Commons. Mrs. Thompson is a member of the Saeder-Krupp, triple AAA rated clade. She possesses an MBA from New York Altantica University, where she graduated top of her class. She first made her mark in logistics administration early on the energy sector and in the last three years in the military and today serves on the SK board as chief operational executive, the youngest member of that board in its history. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Mrs. Riley Thompson.”

Thompson took the floor and looked out at the bright lights and massive ensemble of white tablecloth and impatient appearing officials. Behind her, a massive halodex rose nearly two stories, a spinning SK logo at its center.

She spoke in immaculate, though, to the audience members antiquated, German, “It gives me great pleasure to join you here today. As some of you know Saedar-Krupp arose from the remnants of American subsidiaries of Krupp Group, Volkswagen, BMW, AXA Financial, and GelencoreXstrata, as well as several US companies. Our celebrated Oktoberfest is renown throughout the United Commons and most of our population studies German as a second language. And so, for me, this visit is personally satisfying; I am so glad to see not only the survival but the successes of our German friends that much of my clade’s social and business culture is based upon.”

The halodex shifted to an image of a young girl and her (presumed) mother flying a kite, their demeanor speaking volumes of their satisfaction at being part of the United Commons clade system, “I am here today to tell you about the United Commons and perhaps to argue why our system of government is inherently democratic and representative. Certainly we believe it is a natural evolution of the democratic system, an updated and modern version of an ancient institution, one that maintains all its advantages, and seeks to minimize its disadvantages.”

The image behind Riley shifted to a diagram of the United Commons government, “The UC is made up of clades, similar to national or state governments of pre-cataclysmic times. Citizenship in clades is a voluntary affair. One of several major reason for this was the historical rise of digital currency, its inability to be adequately taxed- or even tracked, and thus the voluntary nature of the citizenry’s financial investment in government.” Around the room there was general nods of agreement; many officials had struggled with the same problem, either historically, or even in modern times.

“Indeed, one of the central tenets of the Common Protocol, the laws that govern the federation, is that an individual be free to ‘vote with their feet’ at any time; people must be free to sever their ties with a clade at any time. Generally however, the advantages of some form of government prove much more attractive to individuals than freedom from taxation or the laws of individual clades. As a result, a position within a clade is generally highly sought after, even if it means voluntarily limiting one’s freedoms with additional laws and voluntarily agreeing to investing one’s wealth, labor, or time in the clade. Indeed the voluntary nature of our clade governments mean we get significant ‘lean in’ and personal investment in the nature and operation of our government that many democratic countries could only dream of.” Behind Thompson, a happy family picks strawberries under a blue sky. An unnaturally clean and unstained cement wall rises in the distance, presumably protecting them from the chaos beyond.

“The clades are highly divergent, one from the other. Many are derived from amalgamated corporate families from the ancient times, when we were still called the United States of America, but this is primarily due to the relative stability and survival of these institutions during and after the cataclysms, not due to some inherent corporate model governing clades within the United Commons, as has been commonly misunderstood by even high-ranking officials outside the UC.” The halodex switches to a short looping movie of elementary-aged students in red Ares clade uniforms marching in a military parade. Several wave to the halocam, smiling broadly with immaculately straight and white teeth. Thompson continues, “Other clades are based on ideologies or common cultures. As examples of the first, consider Maddison-Hamilton-Jay, which is based on an ideology dedicated to democracy and popular vote. It has relatively small enclaves and each hosts several ‘town-hall meetings’ where decisions are taken by popular vote. Another would be EVO, which is dedicated to transhumanism and accelerating human evolution. Examples of culture-based clades might be the Ganonsyoni, which is based on AmerIndian culture and governed by elected tribal elders or the Children of the Chrysanthemum, which base their government on an idealized Confucianism ideology. Some consider the Saedar-Krupp culture-based, at least in part, due to our strong ties to German history, as well as the New Atlantians, for their ties to Victorian England. Several faith-based clades are championed by the Believers who are model their clade upon the theocratic governments of Mississippi and Deseret.”

“Government and laws vary widely between clades,” Thompson continued, “as do investment in infrastructure, education, health, etc. Ultimately governance is highly decentralized within the UC with the clades controlling the vast majority of domestic operations in accordance with their own principles, ideals, or business model.”

“So what unites the clades within United Commons?” A projection of the white house spins slowly in the haldodex. “The United Commons leadership consists of one ore more representatives from each clade with five-hundred or more members. These get a voice in federal decision-making based on the ‘weight’ of the their clades. Weight is primarily based on population size but also increased by investment in education, health infrastructure, taxes paid, and finally military contribution. Those with most weight have a triple-A rating, while others have a rating from double-A to E. The clades with the most weight at present are Koch Industries, which is, like Saedar-Krupp, made up of corporations who have united and transitioned from businesses to a highly effective glade government, Smith, who have effectively cornered much of the fossil-fuel based energy market domestically, Ares, a family-oriented business clade, and my own, SK. Until recently, TSG, a sort of mega-agriculture-based clade operating primarily in the west was also triple-A rated but has been problematic of late. A search for an appropriate solution is ongoing.” Chuckles from the audience.

“Ultimately the United Commons, despite the widely differing governments of its individual clades, is highly democratic, with the principle that anyone can ‘vote with their feet’ at any moment underlying our ideology. If one doesn’t like one’s clade’s decisions, one can always leave and try to join a new clade. As people leave a clade, it losses influence in federal decision-making and if enough people leave, it ceases to have any power in the high council. This dynamic movement of ‘weight’ between the clades means that ‘elections’ are continuous and ongoing, making our model of ‘democracy’ extremely responsive and nimble and ultimately highly responsive to the changing concerns of our population.

“I see that my time is up and the speaker from the Catalonia is ready to address the congress. Since I went overtime, I cannot take any questions at present but am more than happy to meet with you, and perhaps share a stein of beer, to discuss any further concerns you have offline. Again, the UC thanks you for this chance to share our vision of responsive representative government with you and hopes that our relations continue to improve as the Atlantic proves less and less of a barrier to cooperation and trade between your nations and the UC.”

Counties and their capitals


A Look Inside the Algerian Government
By Talibah Amrani

The Power of the People
The individual within Algeria is certainly not powerless. They have the opportunity to vote for their county's Ameer , can join the Royal Algerian Army after age 16, and, provided they have enough education in politics and economics, can become an Ameer. In certain situations, they can also vote for other government positions.

The Power of the County
Ameer are representatives of counties. They vote to make new laws and regulate laws made by the monarch. If a law receives 51% of the Ameer's vote, it is given to the monarch for approval. Same goes for the monarch, he sends proposed laws to the Ameer and 51% approval makes the law official. Ameer can represent the country at international meetings, but it is rare.

Counties have more or less Ameer based on population.
Central Algeria: 6
Libya: 5
Chad: 4
Niger: 4
West Sahara: 3


The Ameer for each county meet to decide laws for their individual county as well. County laws can be proposed by citizens or Ameer. These laws must have 51% or more of the citizen's vote, a majority of their county's Ameer's vote, and then gain approval by the monarch.

The Power of the Monarch
The monarch is the most powerful person in Algeria.They decide major national decisions, international relations, and are the final authority on laws. If the king and queen cannot decide upon a certain matter, it is voted upon by their council of advisers. One third of the advisers are chosen by the king, one third by the queen, and one third by the vote of the Ameer. When there is only one monarch (King or Queen is dead or the monarch is unmarried) The remaining one third is elected by the citizens. The king and queen also have the power to declare war, and are usually the ones who represent the nation at international meetings. War declaration may not be challenged by the Ameer unless they decide unanimously against it.

The crown is passed down to the oldest child of the monarch, and if there is no direct heir, the Ameer vote upon someone new to take the throne.
The children of the monarch have no defined power in the government, although they often represent Algeria internationally.


Half of this post... didn't post... so I had to rewrite it and may have missed some things... so if something doesn't make sense, tell me and I will fix it.

England – Capital: London – The core state and the namesake of the English Trade Federation, England is by far the most populous and prosperous state. England is a trade hub and industrial powerhouse, producing large quantities of military equipment, particularly naval, for both domestic use and foreign sale. London acts as both the state capital and the federal capital; the state legislature operates out of the Palace of Westminster, and the federal legislature operates out of Buckingham Palace, vacated in the late 2000’s.

Normandy – Capital: Le Havre – The second state incorporated into the English Trade Federation, Normandy has a bustling maritime economy, with massive ports and drydocks stretching across the coastline. With most of the state being a major battleground in the Anglo-French war, the population is fairly militaristic. The capital of Le Havre is a bustling sea port, and is a bastion of power in the English Trade Federation. The second largest city in the federation, Le Havre is the unofficial centre of power for federal holdings on the continent.

Holland – Capital: Amsterdam – The third state to be incorporated into the federation, Holland is the closest state to the ETF’s prominent ally in North Germany, and borders the two technocratic states of Bavaria and Belgium. Holland produces a significant amount of agricultural products, and its proximity to North Germany has spurred the development of several airfields. Though the administrative capital is in Amsterdam, the economic centre of the state is centred in Rotterdam, owing to its large and well developed port.

Calais – Capital: Calais – The Free City of Calais is a unique member of the English Trade Federation. Having been a part, and capital, of the larger state of Belgium, the province was ceded to the French nation and the newly-founded technocratic Belgium. Calais retained its status as a member of the federation, instead of being merged into nearby Holland or Normandy. With the retreat of ETF nationals into Calais in the aftermath of the war, Calais is one of the most densely populated cities in the union, and is an important centre of commerce.

Brittany – Capital: Brest – Incorporated into the English Trade Federation in the midst of the Anglo-French war, the Breton countryside emerged largely unscathed from the fighting that raged in Normandy. The countryside remains as it did in decades past, largely a rural population composed of numerous villages. The capital of Brest is a major naval base, being the point of departure for most voyages out of the ETF core.

Portugal – Capital: Lisbon – A recent incorporation into the ETF just before the Anglo-Algerian war, Portugal served as a springboard for the offensive against the Algerians in the 2180s. The Portuguese countryside is home to a significant number of mining operations, producing metals for use in industrial production.

Andalusia – Capital: Gibraltar – Largely wrested from Algerian control in the 2180s, Andalusia serves as the base of operations in the Mediterranean for the ETF. The heavily fortified capital of Gibraltar keeps a heavy watch over the strait. A large network of solar and wind energy farms produce power for both of the ETF holdings on the Iberian Peninsula.

Atlantic Assembly – Capital: Funchal – The ETF’s Atlantic holdings are too sparsely populated and geographically distant for a central government, so the islands of Madeira, the Azores, Cape Verde, St. Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, the Bahamas, English Iceland and the Canaries have all been incorporated as self-governing territories. The island territories, collectively deemed the Atlantic Assembly, meets bi-annually in the city of Funchal in Madeira.

It is my personal headcanon that the English Trade Federation is led by these guys and there ain't nothing you can do about it.

We absolutely deny all allegations that the English military is engaging in the research and production of battle droids.

Stories are great, life is great, we've got 6 days till the deadline, and my sporadic reviewing of PMs is still sporadic.

Has a malaria vaccine been discovered in this world at this time?

Once I get Tycho's response (positive or negative) I can send orders.

@spaceman: no, but Africa isn't as badly mauled by disease as it is today.

As a guarantee of peace and prosperity in America the glorious Mexican and Californian republics agree to this treaty:
Treaty of La Paz de California

To Mexico
Art 1: California and Mexico vow to mutual non-Agression
Art 2: Californian diplomatic and small military vessels may cross the Panama Canal. This right of passage is also given to Californian merchant vessels that must pay a tax proportional to the merchandise they carry in order to be allowed on the canal
Art 3: Mexican investments and trade in California may benefit from a 15% reduction on all raxes
Art 4: Both nations agree to regulate trade of strategic merchandise such as armament and fuels.
Art 5: In order to guarantee the co-prosperity of our nations the Golden Bear Bank (ooc: the state controlled bank) agrees to invest in Mexican industry (ooc:materialized by 6 IP)
Art 6: Both governments agree to a exchange and cooperation in the fields of the air force and the navy for a duration of ten years.

Signed Ashley Shepard, Governor of California and Christian Lee, Secretary to foreign Relations

Cadellon said:

As a guarantee of peace and prosperity in America the glorious Mexican and Californian republics agree to this treaty:
Treaty of La Paz de California

To Mexico
Art 1: California and Mexico vow to mutual non-Agression
Art 2: Californian diplomatic and small military vessels may cross the Panama Canal. This right of passage is also given to Californian merchant vessels that must pay a tax proportional to the merchandise they carry in order to be allowed on the canal
Art 3: Mexican investments and trade in California may benefit from a 15% reduction on all raxes
Art 4: Both nations agree to regulate trade of strategic merchandise such as armament and fuels.
Art 5: In order to guarantee the co-prosperity of our nations the Golden Bear Bank (ooc: the state controlled bank) agrees to invest in Mexican industry (ooc:materialized by 6 IP)
Art 6: Both governments agree to a exchange and cooperation in the fields of the air force and the navy for a duration of ten years.

Signed Ashley Shepard, Governor of California and Christian Lee, Secretary to foreign Relations

Click to expand...

Signed Santiago Uribe, Prime Minister of Mexico

I have made a number of maps, this one I'll post now: the player-countries of Europe (and surrounding lands).

Ooooooh that's a very pretty map; I really like that our European players mostly have emphatic faces for their profile pictures, making the map look so intense. If you have more Mr. Lothar I'd love it if you posted them.

Yes! I am king of the almighty skeleton horde!