Independent Peers
The Commonwealth of Independent Peers is a Scandinavian Liberal Paradise located within The United Nations of Earth region. It is also referred to, with varying formality, as the C.I.P., the The Commonwealth, or simply and most commonly, The Peers.
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| Flag of Independent Peers | |
| Motto: "No Gods, No Masters" | |
| [Map URL], or No Map Available Yet | |
| Region | The United Nations of Earth |
|---|---|
| Capital | Commonwealth |
| Official Language(s) | No Official Language(s) |
| Leader | Mark T. Rutland |
| Population | 6,000,000 |
| Currency | The Credit |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Contents
History
The Commonwealth declared it’s independence from the United States on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 C.E. and was formally recognized by the United Nations the following day.
2000
Commonwealth history begins with the U.S. presidential election of 2000. Decided by only 527 votes in the swing state of Florida, it was one of the closest elections in U.S. history. On election night, the media prematurely declared a winner twice based on exit polls before finally deciding that the Florida race was too close to call. It would turn out to be a month before the election was finally certified after numerous court challenges and recounts. Republican candidate George W. Bush won Florida's 25 electoral votes by a razor-thin margin of the popular vote in that state, and thereby defeated Democratic candidate Al Gore. Feelings of cultural and political polarization increased between the progressivly minded citizens of the North Atlantic and New England regions and the conervative citizens in the South and Midwestern regions.
2001
Passed through the U.S. Congress after the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act enhanced the authority of U.S. law enforcement for the stated purpose of fighting terrorist acts in the United States and abroad. This incressed authority was also used to detect and prosecute other alleged potential crimes.
2003
The U.S.A. PATRIOT Act was followed by U.S.A. PATRIOT Act II. It Removed court-ordered prohibitions against police agencies spying on domestic groups, expanded the list of crimes eligible for the death penalty, and revoked the U.S. citizenship of people whom the government found to be either members of or providing material support to suspected terrorist groups.
2005
U.S.A. PATRIOT Act III purged U.S. Universities and institutions of “All traitors, freethinkers, and those not promoting the interests of the state.” The decree was then forced upon all countries wishing to do business with American corporations. This caused an economic depression in the Northeast as well as a major population swing as citizens moved to more prosperous areas of the country. One of the few surviving areas was Cambridge, Massachusetts, home to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Cambridge is where the State in Exile was founded as a base for dismissed scholars. Notable members included political philosopher Noam Chomsky, historian Howard Zinn, economist Michael Albert and inventor Tim Berners-Lee. The scholars advocated policies promoting equality and tolerance for a wide variety of behavior and mores, including many which conservatives felt ran contrary to the established norms of American society. Differences arose in issues such as same-sex marriage, education, censorship, and the status of Christianity relative to other religions. To promote social equality, the scholars called for increased government spending on programs such as welfare. This was seen by conservatives as irresponsible spending, and claimed it actually encouraged behaviors resulting in poverty.
Government
Economy
The Peers practice participatory economics. Their system is an alternative to contemporary capitalism as well as centrally planned socialism or coordinatorism. All peers have a say in a decision proportionate to the degree to which they are affected by it.
Consumers' and Producers' Councils
To achieve this decision-making principle, the economy is organized in consumers and producers councils. Many individuals participate in both.
Geographically, these councils are nested with neighborhood councils, ward councils, city councils, and national councils. Decisions are achieved either through consensus, majority votes or through other means. The most appropriate method is decided on by the councils. Local decisions like the construction of a playground are made in the ward or city consumers council, interacting with both city and nationwide producers councils. Nationwide decisions, like the construction of a high speed mass transportation system, are discussed by the national consumers council, interacting with a city producers council of the city where materials are produced.
The producers' councils correspond to workplace councils in each workplace and similar workplaces group into nested councils on successively larger geographical and linguistic scales.
Remuneration for effort and sacrifice
The Peers' economy rewards only effort and sacrifice. Someone who works in a mine, which is dangerous, uncomfortable and confers no power whatsoever on the worker, gets a higher income than someone who works in an office.
