The Beltway

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The Provisional Federal Parliamentary Republic of The Beltway was founded after the Collapse. It currently consists of the states of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware, along with Washington, D.C.

The Beltway
the_beltway.jpg
Flag of The Beltway
Motto: E pluribus unum
N/A
Region RMLF
Capital Georgetown
Official Language(s) (none officially; English is principal language)
Leader Prime Minister Timothy Kaine (2006-2016) - Currently in elections, so this will change
Population 400 million and rising
Currency Beltway Dollar (BD or $ Beltway); $1.00 US = $2.76 Beltway 
NS Sunset XML

History

Formation

In the aftermath of the Collapse, ex-Senators Paul Sarbanes, Barbara Mikulski, Robert Byrd, John Warner, and John McCain, along with DC Mayor Anthony Williams gathered in the abandoned White House to set up a successor state to the United States of America. Initially, the Beltway (I-495) around Washington, D.C. was the actual boundary of the Provisional Republic; however, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, after losing western Maryland, brought his state into the fledgling nation, giving it added power and legitimacy as a successor to the USA.

Expansion

Within a few months of Maryland's joining The Beltway, new Delaware governor Joseph Biden, who had run on a platform of joining the fledgling country, brought his state along.

Meanwhile, as Virginia descended into anarchy, governor Timothy Kaine, along with ex-governor Mark Warner, managed to secure the entrance of eight counties in northern Virginia to The Beltway.

By the end of The Beltway's first year of existence, it had fought the Western War, regaining control of western Maryland. Unfortunately, documents related to the war remain mostly classified, and few are willing to talk about a war that saw the devastation of Baltimore and over 5,000 civilian deaths.

Entrance onto the International Stage

After PM Kaine took office, he committed his nation to entering onto the international stage. The Foreign Ministry, which was placed under the care of Kaine's political mentor Mark Warner, began accepting applications for embassies. Recognition by the United Kingdom of Azazia and the Federation of Amazonian Beasts, among others, showed the Republic of The Beltway that the international world would be willing to accept it.

Sarzonia

Perhaps the most astonishing act, in the minds of some Beltway commentators, was recognition by the Incorporated States of Sarzonia, a nation founded by American expats in 2000. To The Beltway, Sarzonia represents the promise of a future in which America, or at least its successors, could regain its former prominence on the world stage.

Southern Virginia returns

Southern Virginia, meanwhile, eventually attempted to make its way out of anarchy, with leadership falling to ex-Senator George Allen, on the model of The Beltway. However, it remained isolationist, misreading the international climate, and, after a housing bubble burst, fell into economic free-fall. Allen, recognizing the danger of the situation, quietly contacted Prime Minister Timothy Kaine, asking to join The Beltway. Kaine accepted, and surprised a suddenly joyous nation with the news of the return of southern Virginia.

Naktan

The Holy Empire of Naktan was, like The Beltway, once a fairly isolationist nation, though, in the case of Naktan, it was a matter of having a distinctly different faith. However, Naktan, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sodryestos Karmala, in the midst of dealing with pirates, asked for aid in designing and building new warships to replace the junks of his nation's antiquated fleet.

Baltimore Shipyards took up the call, producing the PG-1 Hampton Roads and the FFG-29 Kent Island for Naktan. Both designs proved more than satisfactory, and an exchange of embassies soon occurred. Further, Prime Minister Karmala's visit to The Beltway impressed Naktan and led to a growing interest in Naktan among the citizens of the Provisional Republic.

Gilabad

Early tensions

The Beltway and Gilabad seemingly always had tense relations. After Gilabad reported to the world that its nation's police had brutally murdered a number of gay people, The Beltway joined several other nations in condemning Gilabad and accepting refugees from that nation. Further, it announced an embargo on Gilabad products.

Gilabad-Beltway war

Relatively soon after, however, Gilabad reported a similar incident, involving members of the International Civil Liberties Union, to the world. Prime Minister Kaine was utterly incensed, and helped lead a coalition of nations to put diplomatic pressure on Gilabad to convince it to allow troops to find and evacuate ICLU members. Unfortunately, an incident occurred on the base temporarily given to The Beltway, leading to that base's invasion by the Fourth Tank Division of Gilabad. The Beltway has managed to convince a coalition of nations, including Azazia, the Quaonese Empire, the Democratic Soviet Republic of Kahanistan, the Allied Union of Velkya, and Lost Hills, among others, to support its cause.

However, three days after the war began, while the fleets of the various nations were beginning to engage in combat, Gilabad sued for peace. The Beltway, ChevyRocks, Anixon, Hamilay, and Gilabad sent delegations to the Georgetown Conference, in which a final peace treaty was discussed.

Treaty of Georgetown

The government of The Beltway entered the Georgetown Conference with a two goals in mind - secure peace and secure some means of appearing to have won the indecisive conflict. (to be finished when the treaty is signed)

Economy

Introduction

The Beltway has only rarely had economic success, although it has only recently entered a recession. Some, including many outside economists, blame the high tax rates imposed on Beltway citizens; others, such as Craig Venter, who is currently developing synthetic fuels in an attempt to rectify the problem, claim that this is due to a lack of petroleum and natural gas reserves. Nonetheless, The Beltway's mediocre economy is a fact of life; citizens simply accept it for what it is.

Prominent Corporations

Baltimore Shipyards

Baltimore Shipyards began with a group of ex-US Navy and ex-US Coast Guard admirals, along with officials from the Department of the Navy, who got together each month and designed ships together. One suggested the idea of buying a dying shipyard and making it their own corporation; the idea divided the group, but three admirals signed on: Admiral Thad Cochrane (CEO), Admiral Michael Mullen (Head of R&D), and Admiral David Jeremiah (CFO). They started out with a redesigned CGN-38 Virginia, a modified Wasp-class LHD called the CVH-1 Hornet, and a battleship, the Columbia-class BB. From these humble beginnings, the Shipyards have grown to become a respected name in naval design.

To many outside The Beltway, this company is the face of the Provisional Republic, committed to "building warships for peace." Within The Beltway, however, Baltimore Shipyards is looked upon as a symbol of political corruption and corporate malfeasance; oddly, the ships it builds are seen as a symbol of national pride. The people of The Beltway do not see the contradiction in this.

Baltimore Shipyards has been involved in many projects, from the construction of a royal yacht for The Remarkably Sane Dominion of Juumanistra, to the design of a destroyer for No_State_at_All, to the collaborative development of a dreadnought with a team of other nations, to the apparent bribing of Defence Minister Benjamin Cardin with company stock. This last incident, which Cardin and CEO Thad Cochrane, an ex-USCG Admiral, deny vociferously, has stained the reputation of Baltimore Shipyards within The Beltway. Many worry that it could end up, like Portland Iron Works, playing an excessively dominant role in The Beltway. The Lewes Project, in which a sleepy beach town was converted, by request of Baltimore Shipyards, into an industrial port city centered around a massive shipyard owned by Baltimore Shipyards, is seen as indicative of this; some refer to it as the "Crime of Lewes."

Montgomery County Autonomous Systems

Founded by a group of techies in Montgomery County, this company serves as the largest electronics provider in The Beltway, selling (and exporting) software and robots. It is not a significant player on the international market, but has won a few contracts, including one with Naktan to provide language tutoring software for the Foreign Ministry of that nation.

Lockheed Corporation & Martin Avionics

With the Collapse came the great split; Lockheed Martin became Lockheed Corporation and Martin Avionics. Despite this, both companies remain linked; many employees from both companies were once co-workers, after all.

Lockheed, managed by Chairman and President Robert Stevens, is regarded as the stronger of the two corporations. It has developed the SR-119 recon plane in collaboration with The Trinitarian Republic of Mondoth and the E-11 Scout, a L-1011-250 Tristar fitted out with AWACS. Further, it sells munitions, one cutter, one helicopter (the SH-75, a design by Halberdgardia built under license), and two ground vehicles (built under license from Asbena), in addition to aircraft.

Martin, however, under the leadership of CEO Gwendolyn King, has won several contracts in surprising fashion. It won a 700-plane contract from the Chevrockian Navy for the F/A-22B Sea Raptor (a license-built product, originally designed by Lost Hills). Further, it won a 60-unit contract from The Beltway on the first day of the war with Gilabad, building twelve F-12 Oxcart high-altitude interceptors, twelve B-12 Donkey high-altitude light bombers, and thirty-six AH-56 Cheyenne attack helicopters.

Dupont Chemical

(to be done later)

General Dynamics

(to be done later)

Celera Genomics

The company that led the private sector's effort to decode the human genome, Celera Genomics has recently begun to move into pharmaceuticals, selling new treatments for pancreatic cancer and to alleviate asthma more effectively. Its president, Craig Venter, is currently funding efforts to artificially synthesize petroleum and other vital hydrocarbons currently only available as fossil fuels.

Recession

A few weeks after a recession hit Sarzonia, Commerce Minister Michael Busch announced that The Beltway was in the beginnings of its own recession. Unemployment rates hit 10%, and the Beltway Dollar continued to slip, nearing $2.80 Beltway per USD by the beginning of the war with Gilabad.

Causes

Sarzonian Recession

The Sarzonian Recession and its ripple effects is often cited by economists outside of The Beltway. It weakened economies globally, and may have contributed to the stagnation on The Beltway EXchange by reducing already-low confidence in defence contractors.

Falling tobacco prices

Economist Steven Levitt has argued that falling prices of tobacco were another major contributing factor to the recession. Levitt noted that one-fifth of the unemployed in the beginning of the recession were tobacco farmers who had to foreclose due to a lack of profits. The farms, rather than being taken over by agribusinesses, were simply left to go fallow by the banks, thus reducing the amount of capital in the economy. Further, investing in agriculture in general was suddenly seen as risky, meaning that a vital sector of the economy was no longer seen as a safe investment.

Effects

(to be done later)

Politics

The people of The Beltway tend towards moderate, center to left-of-center candidates. The current Prime Minister is Timothy Kaine, who replaced moderate Republican PM Robert Ehrlich. The Foreign Minister, often considered the number two position, is Mark Warner, who succeeded Michael Steele. Other prominent ministers include Benjamin Cardin, Defence Minister, who succeeded Constance Morella; and Michael E. Busch, Minister of Commerce, who succeeded John Warner.

Governmental Structure

The Beltway is a Federal Parliamentary Republic. It has two houses, a Parliament and a Senate. The Parliament is based on representation, while the Senate consists of two members from each county plus an additional member for each state, with DC counting as a state and a county. The Prime Minister is elected separately from Parliament and Senate, and acts as a sort of executive. The other ministers, however, are selected by the Senate, with the PM choosing from among three options for each post. The Prime Minister retains a veto, which is overridden by a four-sevenths majority in the Parliament and Senate.

There is also a Supreme Court, with justices Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, David Souter, Harry Edwards, Douglas Ginsburg, David Tatel, Judith Rogers, and Blane Michael

2016 Elections

The following people have announced their candidacies -

Democratic Party: Agricultural Minister Chris Van Hollen

Foreign Minister Mark Warner

Republican Party: MP Carlos Gutierrez (R-Sussex)

MP Constance Morella (R-Frederick)

Senator John McCain (R-DE)

Senator John Warner (R-VA)

Demographics

(to be done later)

Topography and Geography

(to be done later)