ASEAN Government Issues Statement on Relationship with Democracy Tomorrow
The ASEAN wishes to clarify that it is not influencing Democracy Tomorrow, and that our relationship is strictly one of alliance.
The ASEAN is actually a net recipient of aid from Democracy Tomorrow, so we are hardly in a position to use them as an arm of our foreign policy.
Our foreign policy, furthermore, is strictly in favor of self-determination and dialogue. It is our belief that every society has its political and economic system for a reason, and while we are certainly warm to the adoption of democracy, we will not attempt to impose it through force. We enjoy relations with many different states of vastly different economies, political systems, and cultures.
The way to peace is a shared belief in each other’s human dignity and autonomy. When we announce our support for democracy, it is not to call for a rapid shift in every society’s makeup, but to encourage dialogue over violence.
Some ask how we can possibly be open to dialogue with regimes that do not have frequent, free elections. The answer is simple: do these regimes truly rule by coercion, or with the passive approval of their masses?
Are the various dominant-party democracies in our world any less democratic simply because one party is able to consistently gain the approval of the masses? That those on the losing side of such an arrangement do not rise up in revolt would indicate that there is more to democracy than competitive elections. History is rich in examples of the masses overthrowing their government when it fails to protect their interests, after all. History is also rich in examples of a violent, sudden shift to democracy being counterproductive. For any democratic system to last, there must be peace and respect.
Democracy is above all recognition of the fundamental equality of all human beings, a recognition of our free will and reasoning power. It is our ability to think freely, to come together with our various ideas and come up with a single, unified idea. In the Communist states, the workers see themselves as one class, and so their societies have embraced communism. In the theocratic states, the people see themselves as one class of believers, and so they have embraced theocracy. In states like ours, the people see capitalism and elections as the key to prosperity, so we have embraced capitalism and elections. And so on.
We see democracy as more about freedoms and liberties than politics. The masses do not rise up in India, in the Tuareg State, in Aryastan, or in numerous nations despite the rich variety of political models involved.
There is more to consent of the governed than casting a vote. It is the people of a nation conferring legitimacy upon their leadership by following it, rather than resisting it. This is why we take such a firm stance against war and aggression, as it deprives a people of the right to choose their state. Certainly if a people wished to be governed by a foreign power, they would diplomatically agree to do so? It is the history of our own nation, in fact, that numerous peoples came together as equals and decided to act as one.
Every nation ultimately is a free market of thoughts and ideas. The idea that is most agreeable to a nation’s people will be the one that nation adopts, whether in a system of free elections or not. We allow Communists to compete in our elections, just as we allow Pan-Asianists to do so. We do this because we believe in democracy as the exchange of ideas in peaceful dialogue, without fear of reprisal. If communism, capitalism, theocracy, fascism, monarchy, republicanism, or any other socioeconomic and political arrangement is best for a society, it falls on the advocates of such a system to prove it to the members of that society. That a people do not openly rise up and change a government would indicate that the benefits of a system outweigh its costs (after all, many peoples have been willing to put themselves in danger when the rewards of change were great enough); the idea of choice seems stronger in a democratic society due to being more visible, but
there is an element of choice in any society.
To revisit the main concern of the international community, our friendship with Democracy Tomorrow does not make one of us the other’s puppet. We have a shared belief in human rights and dignity, and we wish to further these beliefs. Just as we have ideas in common, we have differences as well; Democracy Tomorrow advocates a liberal political framework, and we certainly agree they should be able to present their thoughts in the court of public opinion. The ASEAN itself has a liberal political and economic system, but
we believe that governments and economies are like organisms, and adapt to best fit the needs of their environment. It stands to reason that a nation that is a good fit for a democracy shall adopt one. Just as there is no organism that has an advantage in every environment, there is no political or economic system that will be advantageous in every time and place.
Of course we cherish our own individual rights and liberties, and our free elections; we also understand that another people likely have a different system for a reason. Should a state embrace a system similar to ours, we will of course welcome them as our brothers. All the same, those states that have a different system are still our human brothers. Our role is to advise and assist, not to command.
We push for the rights of those who do not consent to a system, but we will not push for the system itself to change.
It is our conception of democracy and liberty that allows us to extend our hand in friendship to every state and people, despite our differences of opinion. We believe in the rights to life and a free conscience, and so
we oppose aggression and imperialism. We understand that those of a minority opinion may not always be safe in their opinions, and so we favor the free flow of people (with reasonable restrictions for the sake of national security and sustainability, of course) between societies so they may choose the one best for them. We feel that the greatest freedom of all is freedom from fear, and so we support peace. Just as freedom from fear is the greatest freedom, the right to life is the greatest right of all, for it is the one from which all others derive.
We are blessed as humans with our intelligence and speech, for they allow us to resolve our differences through our words and writing rather than with tooth and claw.
ASEAN Liberals and Bratesa Muoy Reach Agreement on Population Bill
As land reclamation enters its beginning stages, the two largest parties in the Parliament have deliberated on how to best prevent catastrophe from population growth, and have finally reached an agreement.
While a minority of voices floated a “One Child” Policy to curb population growth, it was quickly shot down by the mainstream legislators. Many more legislators showed support for revisiting pro-life legislation, but the conservative Bratesa Muoy majority refused consideration of the issue. Analysts felt the debate would reach a standstill, and nothing would be done to curb population growth.
However, a large number of Bratesa Muoy legislators have reached across the aisle to sign a compromise bill that grants national funding for contraception and education on how to use it. To satisfy many “family values” Bratesa Muoy legislators, the legislation is set for an automatic repeal once population density in residential or unzoned land drops to a certain threshold. The Parliament hopes the bill will help slow population growth and prevent a humanitarian crisis as the government works to reclaim land in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Government Pushes for Revised Land and Resource Use
As the ASEAN government begins funding a land reclamation initiative, it continues to generously fund economic stability and growth within the country. Hot on the heels of the Contraception Bill, the Parliament has come together on a broadly-supported bipartisan bill:
the Agricultural Reform Act (ARA).
The core of the ARA is funding being allocated for the construction of multi-story towers on the inland outskirts of major cities, with preference towards elevated locations to protect against flooding. Each floor of these towers is to be filled with soil and outfitted with irrigation and temperature control systems. Crops can be planted and grown on each floor.
The benefits provided by these “vertical farms” are numerous. The controlled environment reduces the presence of pests and thus eliminates the need for pesticides (by extension, helpful species such as bees will be allowed to thrive), allowing for more organic, healthier produce for the ASEAN’s citizens. The buildings’ protection against the elements will allow for year round growing of crops; enough towers might make it possible to eliminate the concept of “seasonal crops” entirely. The sealed growing areas and moisture collection will drastically reduce how much water is lost to evaporation, thus saving valuable fresh water. The close proximity of these towers to urban centers will not only allow ASEAN’s citizens to enjoy fresher produce, but cut down on the carbon footprint of transportation. Finally, the concentration of the nation’s farming into these compact towers will free up countless square kilometers of land for residential, commercial, and industrial use.
The government has consulted with several agricultural businesses as well as individual farmers for their help implementing the proposal. The government is offering subsidized relocation of one’s farmland to the towers, while also planning to discuss conversion of former farmland to residential use once the towers near completion.
The government says that vertical farms are not a substitute for land reclamation, but are a step in the right direction by vastly increasing the amount of residential land available to ASEAN’s citizens. On the finalized bill, MP Cao Minh said, “The builders of great cities like Manhattan had the right idea: why build out when you can build up?”
Also passed alongside the ARA is the Fresh Water Expansion Act (FWEC). The FWEC recognizes the premium of freshwater in a world that has been deluged, and seeks to create a national system of freshwater collection. In many places, citizens gather rainwater in buckets and other containers, but this is very inefficient compared to the freshwater gathering systems already in place in a few smaller (and often wealthier) municipalities. The government has agreed that standardized freshwater collection would be more cost-efficient than a large-scale desalinization program, as it would take advantage of the abundant precipitation of Southeast Asia.
The proposed system would seek to ensure that every rooftop is fully modernized and equipped with gutters, and that all gutters feed into a central collection system such as a sewer; the water would then be sent to a central treatment facility to be purified of minerals, chemicals and bacteria. Water treatment facilities are to be expanded to accommodate the anticipated increase in water volume. The expansion of water subjected to standardized treatment (rather than not-foolproof home treatment) is expected to reduce the incidence of waterborne illness and thus reduce the strain on the ASEAN’s medical system.
Naturally, the government will be moving to ensure there is adequate plumbing nationwide to allow distribution of clean water, starting with larger cities and gradually moving out to the countryside. Ensuring that rural plumbing is in place is of importance to the government, as it anticipates a population shift towards the countryside once vertical farms allow the freeing up for farmland for homes. Efficient plumbing infrastructure will also mitigate the damage from floods.
The ORI agrees to an opening of markets, but feels that a defensive alliance would not be in the best interests of either ASEAN or ORI. It must be remembered that the ORI is merely a transitional step on the progress to reclaiming Oceania.
Signed, CEO Hawthorne Tuiasosopo.
ASEAN understands the ORI's sentiments, and will accept the mutual opening of our markets with each other. President Sriphakam hopes for continued cooperation in the future, with both the ORI and any states that will be restored by its reclamation efforts.
