Leningrad Vice - A simple 1980s IOT

[Traveller76]

Nihon no kigyō kyōwakoku/Corporate Republic of Japan​

Capital: Neo-Tokyo
Government: Corporate Oligarchy with Constitutional monarchy
Leader: Emperor Hideaki
Social Policy: Corporatism
Fiscal Policy: Interventionism
Trade Policy: Protectionism
Monetary Policy: Monetarism
Currency: New Yen
Foreign Policy: Imperialist

Recent History
By the 1980's Japan had rebuilt itself from the destruction of the Second World War and had become a dominant economic power in the Pacific led by the Keiretsu,groups of companies that were closely linked through overlapping stock ownership, preferential supply relationships, coordination of economic activities, and extensive subcontracting relationships. These Keiretsu were heavily supported by the government and agreed to government planning. They also supported the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Diet which had created an almost one party state in the last forty years. The coming of the war however would disrupt this peace as some companies used the turmoil to buy up struggling firms and others used intelligence and criminal assets to attack and embarrass rivals. The loss of international trade however would hit many Japanese hard as the Nikkei started to drop and many imported goods were no longer available. Social services and law enforcement would be strained and many people viewed the government as corrupt. The collapse of several banks would send shockwaves throughout the country and cause the government to collapse. Unrest and gang warfare spread as police forces were no longer being paid and unemployment rose.

The New Era
During the turmoil six large banks used their resources to purchase majority ownership in power and telecommunications companies and hired 'security consultants' to protect company employees and properties. Using the new found stability they petitioned the Emperor for imperial support. The Emperor, with positive news and media coverage, would use corporate monies to paid civil servants and police and to be seen as a protector of the people while the Diet fumed. Also during this time the corporations would hire and bribe military and security forces for the right moment. Using people's dissatisfaction with the elected government, the Emperor addressed the Diet for the last time and called for their dismissal. With military and police units surrounding the building, the Diet disbanded and would not be called again.

Society
Japanese society is divided into four classes Shareholders, Employees, Residents and Marginals. Shareholders are those who posses shares in the major companies and can vote and speak at yearly meetings and receive dividends. Anyone can purchase stock and there is no limit on the amount of stock a person can own. Most stockholders have formed coalitions with other like minded stockholders to advance particular programs and candidates.

Employees are those employed by the companies and receive corporate benefits such as reduced cost housing, health care and so on. Most companies given employees stock as a bonus with limited conditions for voting and transferring.

Residents live within the country but do not possess stock and so have limited rights. They have access to public health and police services, pay taxes but cannot vote in corporate elections.

Marginals are descended from pre-war guest workers and criminals that have been exiled to the fringes of society. They perform the dirty, unsafe jobs of society.

People can move up and down the social ladder. People convicted of major crimes can have stock privileges revoked and be either fined, executed or exiled. Employees, Residents and Marginals who volunteer to join the police and military and complete a term of service receive honorary stock and citizenship. Stockholders, Employees, Residents and Marginals who perform or bring 'Honor to the Country' can receive honorary stock from His Majesty at the beginning of the new year.

 

[Crezth]

 

[Terran Empress]

/sigh

Alright, everyone go home, pack your bags, crezth wins the best sign up, its over, we all lose

 

[inthesomeday]

I haven't even started mine

 

[spaceman98]

subbed, working on signup

 

[spaceman98]

The Millennium Development Project:

Started by many nations in the African Union, the Millennium Development Project was simultaneously an act of great optimism, and an act of desperation. Sub-Saharan Africa had gone far since shaking off its European colonizers, but instability and poverty continued to be the order of the day. The problems various parts of the continent faced were diverse and seemingly insurmountable. For the Congo, it was warfare, for Ethiopia and the Sahel, drought, for South Africa, AIDS. The MDP was originally created by state actors, as a joint fund for creating technological solutions to many of these problems (drought resistant crops, education etc.) and as a peacekeeping force. But most of these state actors were not long for this world, and by the end of the 1990s, the MDP was, effectively, a large slush fund with an army (the peacekeeping forces that had been assigned to it) and no significant entities left to report to. Its leaders were still intent on their vision: making Africa the bright continent of the new millennium. They faced a stark reality. A vast, inhomogeneous continent, with pockets of wealth and expanses of poverty and disorder, a barely loyal force, and cultural norms (the role of the Catholic church's attitudes towards sexuality in creating the AIDS epidemic alone epitomizes this) all stood in the way of their vision.

Their lucky break came with the discovery of large deposits of rare earth minerals (lanthanum and related) in the region around Lake Malawi. These minerals, coveted by an increasingly cybernetic world for their conductive properties had previously been supplied mostly by China from the Himalayas, a region which was now experiencing instability of its own. Thus the MDP and its motley crew of local visionaries, and foreign mercenaries, by stabilizing this region and establishing themselves over it, managed a temporary near-monopoly on Rare Earth exports. The wealth this brought was temporary (as deposits elsewhere were mined and competition arose), but it was put to good use. The MDP's main focus was the industrialization of Malawi's agriculture, which allowed the region to produce food with relatively less labor. Its second focus was the education of its citizens. Its third, seizing ports in the former country of Mozambique, to ensure open trade routes with the rest of the world. None of this process was entirely top-down. Local revolutionary and anti-clerical movements formed the bulk of the MDPs local administrators, and its "cultural revolution" which in turn enabled educational and medical progress.

Now, Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, stands as a modern city. What was once a nation of subsistence farmers is a nation of factories and tractors. However, the Millennium Development Project still struggles with its own identity. The new cultural norms it seeks to instill clash with decades of tradition, and its technological works clash with the reality that its Rare Earth wealth will soon dry up. On its borders, its rag-tag army clashes with warlords from Zimbabwe, and even remnants of its fallen technological equal, the former government of South Africa. And despite its best efforts to invest in medical infrastructure the AIDS epidemic remains, though it is significantly contained.

The MDP's leaders were initially appointed, first by the African Union, and then by each other. Now appointed officials are slowly being phased out as wider education and infrastructure allows a movement to democracy. This has been a key demand of the MDP's local allies. But many in the MDPs globalist old guard want to hold on to the power they have accumulated and fear a return to local rule would mean a return to traditionalism. The nation right now is neither fully democratic (the Millennium Guiding Council is unelected) nor fully autocratic (local officials are elected) and this clash, between the globalist, atheist and idealist elite, who hold most of the arms, and their much more locally minded, pragmatic allies (many of whom practice a liberalized version of Christianity, or various old tribal beliefs) and conservatives who have been sidelined in all this, will likely define it in the years to come.

 

[Civ'ed]

I just need a couple of things to finalize the update:
Better map from Christopher
Signup from inthesomeday

 

[inthesomeday]

Will be done tonight.

 

[Kinich-Ahau]

Novum Imperium Romanum Sacrum​

Capital: Vicenza
Government: Constitutional Monarchy de jure, Absolute Monarchy de facto
Leader: Emperor Severiano Esposito di Verona
Social Policy: Theocratic
Fiscal Policy: Interventionism
Trade Policy: Protectionism
Monetary Policy: Monetarism
Currency: Imperial Franc
Foreign Policy: Imperialist

 

[inthesomeday]

United Babylonia



(More tiny images from me hopefully you can see the provinces)

Setting and History
With the Summer Revolution of 1985 overthrowing the Iraqi government, and the disorder spreading throughout the rest of the world, prospects were unsure for Mesopotamia. The powerful 58-year old dictator Abdul Shuran took power, constructing himself a circular palace in south Baghdad and a unique regime in the new "Kingdom of Babylonia".

Shuran was a history enthusiast, and he idealized the old Babylonian Empire as the pinnacle of Mesopotamian destiny, and in the rapidly shifting world order saw the perfect opportunity to reclaim the old greatness of his nation. However, unlike past dictators, whose failures he was able to learn from, he did not use violence to spread his image. Instead, because the Middle East especially was a hotspot of conflict in the collapsing world, he denoted the full efforts of the Summer Party, the ruling military class of Babylonia, to the establishment of order and security in the country.

The resounding success that ensued can be attributed to effective maintenance of existing infrastructure, strong border establishment, and skillful use of media and propaganda to reassure the people that their faith was well placed in their leader. While nation after nation toppled during the 1990s, Babylonia soldiered on, a beacon of prosperity in a harsh world. The populace supported the rulers, and the rulers did their best to shield the populace from all manners of disaster, environmental and political.

When the radical war bands leftover from the dead fanatic countries' self-destructions made war with Babylonia, they were decimated into retreat by the powerful military. When desperate hordes of migrants swarmed the border looking for refuge, they were welcomed and nourished to productivity. As Babylonia's urban population swelled, the government spread into new frontiers of fertile Mesopotamian soil to support the masses.

And finally, after creating and sustaining one of the most prosperous nations in the world, Abdul Shuran died of old age in 1998. He was replaced by his son Nebuchadnezzar Shuran, and the mourning nation found another strong beacon of hope in a young man they had become endeared with through media coverage of key moments in his life. With the death of his father, Nebuchadnezzar became Emperor, and at the urging of his father's close associates created a Vizier Council to share some of the governing responsibilities in United Babylon, as it had become known.

Now, after three decades of strong leadership and national resolve, the once destitute Mesopotamian region is a first world environment unlike almost any other in the world. New Babylon, once known as Baghdad, is a sprawling megapolis of tens of millions of people, centered on the Tower of Babil, the administrative center of the country, built on Shuran's original palace. Massive skyscrapers and even some rudimentary flying cars break the city's clouds and semi-nationalized shopping malls and corporate establishments support the urban economy.

Though New Babylon is the only urban center of the country with a population over one million, the nation is largely agrarian and thus most of the population lives in rural farming communities. The economy is partly government controlled but with large elements of corporate capitalism. Culturally, the nation is very diverse, peopled by ethnic groups from all across the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and the Mediterranean.

 

[Robert Can't]

The Cairo Provisional Government​

"Revolution has engulfed us and our neighbours. We must have unity, for the people's sake, for the word's sake." - General al-Tahtawi

 

[Gurra09]

I rebranded my nation as the Islamic Socialist Republic of Thrace, sign-up edited to reflect that but the backstory remains pretty similar.

 

[Civ'ed]

Link to video.

Spoiler :

Festivities
2010 AD
THE PREVIOUS YEAR:

NEW YORK, 01:00 AM, JAN 1, 2009
The rehabilitated areas of New York City celebrate the end of hostilities in 199X, as well as honor the dead of the New York Bombing three years prior to the Armistice. Under the watchful eye of megacorps, New York is slowly starting to find itself back on its - heavily marketed- feet. The North of Manhattan, roughly a 30 mile radius starting in Central Park, is still used as a massive POW camp.

EDIRNE, 09:00 AM, JAN 3, 2009
In the Islamic Socialist Republic of Thrace, festivities celebrating the end of both the Balkan Theater and the Turkish government are held. In Istanbul, festivities come to a grinding halt as a suspected gang member performs a major hit on a hotel, killing 10. It is now up to the Thracian Government to deal with the situation.

SPARTE, NOON, JAN 5, 2009
In Greece, sympathisers with the more extreme elements of the Greek Cypriot population officially found the Society for the Protection of the Cypriot People. Three days later, the Antonis Cyber-Solutions Inc. regional office for the Peloponnese is wrecked by an extremely minor nuclear blast. A note is found, telling everyone to prepare for the return of Cyprus to the world stage under Greek leadership.

DARWIN, 8:00 PM, MAR 30, 2009
Whatever strange power now controls Darwin, it has been fairly incapable of controlling a rebellious Australian populace. Chain gangs of bikers and car modifiers exist alike, and this concept spreads further north into the Indonesia area with boat gangs. Law is non-existent, and for many, there is no reason to celebrate as a chain gang winds up dead - a new war is about to begin.

DELHI, 10:34 AM, APR 1, 2009
What a cruel April Fool’s joke it is to play on a hyperadvanced area. Entire sections of the city were cordoned off, and even if they hadn’t, very little would had happened - minor EMP bombs had disabled several districts, affecting roughly 2 million people nonetheless. In other parts of the country, several attacks occured - and it seems that the Trad-Naxalites are behind it.

LIVERPOOL, 02:00 PM, MAY 4, 2009
Liverpool is still a wretched hive of scum and villainy, and nothing will change that. Nothing out of the ordinary.

TAIWAN CITY, 09:00 PM, JUNE 5, 2009
Still known as Taipei officially, it is indesputable that all of the island is now a megacity - the skyscrapers even extend over the sea! All is not well within the crowded mega-hutongs, however - murder and corruption are becoming increasingly more common with the increasing Triad presence in the city.

LOS ANGELES, 12:00 AM, JULY 4, 2009
The fourth was celebrated in spectacle in the nuked shell that is LA. Explosions, torture, and car crashes were all part of the festivities before the Sons fo Scorpius left on to find a new target. Only a hundred inhabitants of New LA survived.

NEO TOKYO, 05:00 AM, JULY 15, 2009
The last Neo-Tokyo stronghold belonging to the Yakuza was wiped out today. Various corporations came together and utilised their combined cyborg armies to fully end any resistance. Neo-Tokyo is now free, but what remains of the rest of Japan is still a very murky area.

SEOUL, 08:00 AM, AUGUST 3, 2009
Many people expected Seoul to be a “pure” area. However, this has turned out not to be the case. Increased anti-robot tension and kaiju scaremongering leaves the peaceful status of Korea in jeopardy. A railway line to Pyongyang has been lain, however.

LILONGWE, 02:00 PM, AUGUST 10, 2009
A recent monument to progress in Lilongwe was uncovered, an event not only attended by high society. The death of a prominent tribal ally during the event has caused some tension within the Project zone.

VERONA, 10:00 PM, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
Protests occurred against Imperial government. Meanwhile, Austria officially fell outside the reach of the NIRS as the states all went their own bickering way.

BABYLON, 11:00 AM, SEPTEMBER 20, 2009
Not since the last decade has crime been this high in the megaplexes of New Babylon. Assassinations of those considered anti-Babylon are still high as ever, with no change in sight for those who live in the Towers.

CAIRO, 23:00 AM, DECEMBER 31, 2009
The end of the year drew to a close with a bang, as an EMP was deployed on Tahir Square today. Cairo’s electronic grid was down for the full coming of the new Western Calendar year. Technophobes and Luddites are believed to be behind the attack, but no culprit has yet been found.

Stats

It is now 2010.

 

[Robert Can't]

General al-Tahtawi Speaks to the People
Do not despair, do not lose hope. Cairo has been one of the greatest cities of the world for millennia and it can not be brought low by the machinations of a few extremists. We will not be thrown into chaos and fear, we will not give in to the demands of luddites. We will rebuild.

Spending:
4 => 2x Expansion
6=> 2x Armies

Communique From the Cairo Prov. Gov't
FAO: Elif Yıldırım, Edrine
Nebuchadnezzar Shuran, Baghdad

The Middle East has for a long time now been thrown into chaos by strife and greed. We would propose that for the safety of our own peoples that we should agree to a treaty of mutual agreement non-aggression and cooperation to ensure that peace and stability come to the Middle East.

I would Invite you to talks in Cairo so that we can draft such a treaty and discuss the issues that we will be facing over the coming years.


-General al-Tahtawi, Cairo

 

[Traveller76]

NNKK 2010 Expansion​

6 Credchips = 3 Provinces
Banking 4 Credchips

 

[Gurra09]

Islamic Socialist Republic of Thrace (2010)
6 CC on peaceful expansion.
3 CC on training 1 additional military unit.
1 CC to the bank.

1st Division of the People's Armed Forces deployed to Çanakkale.
2nd Division of the People's Armed Forces deployed to Northern Cyprus.

On the Istanbul bombings
We the people of Thrace shall not tolerate the unspeakable act of violence committed in Istanbul, as it is not only an attack on our great city but on the values we share as socialists and as followers of Islam. To protect our citizens, military police will be sent in to assist local law enforcement but we can assure the people of Istanbul that their freedoms will not be restricted by these actions. The People's Islamic Democratic Party has launched a formal investigation to bring the people responsible for these bombings to justice. May Allah protect us and bring peace.

On the topic of Cyprus
The Islamic Socialist Republic of Thrace has deployed the 2nd Division of the People's Armed Forces to Northern Cyprus, where our government will establish a presence in order to protect the interests of Muslims and Turks on Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots from other parts of the island will be free to enter the northern zone. To ensure our continued uninterrupted support to Northern Cyprus, the 1st Division of the People's Armed Forces have entered the Çanakkale Province to allow free passage of Thracian ships through the Dardanelles. May Allah protect us and bring peace.

On Thracian expansion in the Balkans
The Islamic Socialist Republic of Thrace has firmly established control over Eastern Macedonia and Southwestern Bulgaria. These areas will be integrated into the regions of Western and Northern Thrace within the coming year. We wish to make it clear that our government has no additional claims to the Greek peninsula. May Allah protect us and bring peace.

To: Cairo Provisional Government
From: Islamic Socialist Republic of Thrace

We the government of Thrace accept your invitation as we believe your proposal is mutually beneficial when it comes to increasing stability in the region, and we will co-operate with you as long as such an agreement does not become a threat to our islamic socialist values. May Allah protect us and bring peace.

 

[inthesomeday]

Communique From the Cairo Prov. Gov't
FAO: Elif Yıldırım, Edrine
Nebuchadnezzar Shuran, Baghdad

The Middle East has for a long time now been thrown into chaos by strife and greed. We would propose that for the safety of our own peoples that we should agree to a treaty of mutual agreement non-aggression and cooperation to ensure that peace and stability come to the Middle East.

I would Invite you to talks in Cairo so that we can draft such a treaty and discuss the issues that we will be facing over the coming years.


-General al-Tahtawi, Cairo

Nebuchadnezzar Shuran will be attending, and hopes that a treaty can be reached by our three powers. He says his father long encouraged diplomacy with all those polities in South Asia and the Middle East, for our people represent the cradle of old civilization, and hopefully, in this millennium, the rocking chair of new civilization.

 

[Mathalamus]

the Greek government shall expand to the areas outlined in green.

also, a formal protest was filed with the Islamic Republic of Thrace for claiming part of Cyprus. the island shall be united, not separated. even more so, since the leadership of Greece, came from Cyprus.

 

[Robert Can't]

As a show of good faith before the Mid-East Cooperation talks begin the Cairo Provisional Government shall recognise the legitimacy of Thracian claim over Cyprus.
In this time of instability we feel it has just as much if not more rights over the territory than Greece does.

 

[JamesCaesar]

10 credit chips- 5 provinces