Difference between revisions of "Pure Metal"

Revision as of 07:02, 9 August 2005

Pure Metal

Flag of Pure Metal
Motto: "I can't believe how much smoke can fit in my lungs!"
[1]
Region	Democratic Communist States
Capital	Metaltopia
Official Language(s)	English
Leader	none (The People)
Population	2.62 billion (July 05)
Currency	The Great Gold Spliff; 1 GGS = $1.5937
NS Sunset XML

General Information

(09/08/05)

The Free and Equal People of Pure Metal is a massive, economically powerful nation, renowned for its devotion to social welfare. Its compassionate population of 2.857 billion are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Education, although the Environment and Social Welfare are secondary priorities. The average income tax rate is 100%. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising fourteen-year-old boys selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Pure Metal's national animal is the Pothead, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Great Gold Spliff.

The structure of government in Pure Metal is relatively unique compared to most nations. There is, strictly speaking, no Government or Parliament, but rather the populace of the country makes up the parliament directly through a system of Direct Democracy. One citizen, one vote. Through a massive (and costly) technological system akin to the internet, highly structured debates take place on local governmental level before the proponents either move their debate up to the next tier of government (regional, encompassing many Level 1 local governments), or to the voting forums where the residents of the local governmental area vote directly and electronically on the proposals, much like a referendum. This system is copied throughout the governmental system of Pure Metal, with many tiers or Levels of government, all feeding in to a central People's Executive, whos job purpose it is to see to the legality of new laws and proposals with regard to the constitution, the percieved best interests of the People (as per the recommendations of The Council of Consistancy), and to enshrine the will of the People into law. Another executive branch, the Board of Constitutional Appeal has the power to send proposals or passed bills back into the high-level discussion forums up to three times, with recommendations, if the bill is deemed to be against public interest. Voting can take place anywhere from Level 1 local government to national level, with the whole population of The Free and Equal People of Pure Metal voting on an issue. The Police and Judicial systems of Pure Metal are indipendent institutions, but which are governed by the law set in the constitution - which can, of course, be changed by the People. Hence even these necessary aspects of normal governance and statehood are accountable directly to the People. The system, as adopted from the proposed ideas in the manifesto of the international United Democratic Communist Party (UDCP)(the Pure Metal chapter of which gained power around 60 years ago), has worked to date with very few problems - certainly none that could not easily be resolved. The UDCP, on gaining power in the last General Election under the old political regime (a two-party state electoral system) on the 17th May 1948, began the sweeping socialist, communist and governmental systematic reforms that have turned the country into the proud nation it is today.

Civil Rights: Average

Economy: All-Consuming

Political Freedoms: Below Average

UN Category: Democratic Socialists

History

- July 2005: Pure Metal moved region from The Other Place To Poke Smot to Democratic Communist States

- 08/08/05: The people of Pure Metal vote on name-change bill. The People's Executive enshrines the 87% "yes" vote into law the next day, officially changing the nation's name from The Really Really High People of Pure Metal to The Free and Equal People of Pure Metal

The nation of Pure Metal is a truly internationalist country, with open borders to all. Following a history of brutal rule by power hungry monarchs (the most bloodthirsty of all, King Thing, is pictured below with his Winter Fortress of Doom), and the subsequent losses of numerous wars, the nation has learned its lesson and rejected governmental or centralised rule in favour of the ideas and manifesto set out by the United Democratic Communist Party. Promoting transition of power back directly into the hands of the people through localised and regional direct democracy, while retaining a level of centralised direction to ensure the modern nation's founding principles of equality, education and compassion are always upheld, the nation continues to grow; albeit not necessarily in the uniform understanding of growth centering only on the economy. In this way, coupled with a drive for ecological and environmental concerns, technological progress and some of the highest education standards in the world, the High People of Pure Metal is indeed a progressive, forward looking nation for the future.

Some of Pure Metal's national heritage pieces on display in one of the nation's many museums (pieces such as these are moved around the regions most frequently, but do have official residence in the Central Museum of Pure Metal in Metaltopia, the Capital) can be seen below. It can be said people are proud, respectful and, importantly, cautious of these paintings in particular, as they personfiy an especially bloody period in Pure Metal's history - from which, thankfully, many lessons have been learned. As a popular saying within the country goes: "Yesterday's answers have nothing to do with today's questions."