The Realm of The Realm

The Republic of The Realm of The Realm

Flag of The Realm of The Realm
Motto: TANSTAAFL.
Anthem: On The Road Again
Capital	Cachet (pop. 40,619,210)
Four largest cities	Cachet, Footfall, Tertius, Ai Phlat
Languages	English
Government	Non-categorical
Head of State	Moksha Basileus Send PM
National animal	Ai
National flower	Foxglove
Currency	1 Foresk (/f/) = 0.57 US Dollars (USD))

A small but unified nation recently becoming involved in the government and affairs of The West Pacific region. The Realm of the Realm spends nearly four percent of its annual resources in developing the information infrastructure of the nation, including one of the most robust and extensive fibre optic networks in the world.

The Realm of The Realm is environmentally rich, and is positioned as a world leader in education and training .. including adult continuing education, technical and professional competency development and maintainance, special education considerations, and educational technology.

Geography

The Realm of The Realm is located on the island at the far northernmost west of The West Pacific, north of The Commericial Affairs Sea and the Clockwork Straits. (Article out of date ... Map out of date) At this writing, at least one other nation has a developed presence on this remote island. Near neighbors include Clockwork Isle (the mainland portion is due south), and Gesentia and TAO to the west.

The Realm of The Realm has two geographic administrative sub-divisions: Wellk (to the north) and Enna'kanneu. The capital city, Cachet, is a port city on the northern coast.

Government

The Realm of The Realm is nominally a Republic although you can judge whether this nod to classic republicanism, in the sense of res publica and civic humanism, is justified.

Citizenship in The Realm of The Realm is determined by [a] ownership of not less than one full (1.0) unit of Class A stock, [b] having reached the age of majority, [c] having sufficient command of the English language as determined by testing, [d] having sufficient understanding of the national legal, economic, and social processes as determined by test and by judicial review.

There is a heirarchy of local councils that is elected by the citizenry. Each council selects a representative to the next senior council. For example, most people live in a condominium, collective, or cooperative living arrangement. A grouping of about 100 citizens living in close association or in physical proximity will elect a local council member. The local councils, each composed of fity to one-hundred and fifty members, each select a representative to the ward; a ward officer represents about 10,000 citizens.

On average, one hundred ward officers will elect one district representative, who represents about one million citizens, although the ratio at the district and region levels are not constrained to the one-per-hundred guideline evident at other levels. The district/region ratio flexes to keep the national council at about 75 members.

Note that a citizen can assign his vote by proxy to any other person or unit of government. The Doge votes proxies assigned to the nation; in recent times the percentage of proxies assigned to the nation has fluctuated between 66% and 85% of all proxies, though about 81% of all citizens vote without a proxy.

The National council is currently comprised of 43 women, 40 men, and two intersexed individuals. The national council meets in session with the Head of State about fourteen times a year, for three or occasionally four days. The council session recesses for exactly 22 days between meetings, excepting those cases where national holidays intervene.

The National council has no formal power; it does not draft laws or approve budgets. It has the right to consult with the Chief Executive, to advise, caution, give insights; it has the right to be informed about most matters of government, even beyond the extensive online disclosure of government operations. In practice, the National council is comparable to a focus group.

Technically, The Doge operates a more or less unlimited dictatorship, with the advice of the National council. Pragmatically, in The Realm of The Realm the distinction between government and private enterprise is only a matter of accounting, since the citizens all "own" the shares of the nation. The government is a business operated for the benefit of its shareholders.

There is no National police force or militia -- most police are hired by and paid for by local councils, though local councils can join within or across wards to collaborate in policing. Most do so at the ward level; yet there are 17,584 wards that do not have a police jurisdiction at this writing. There are no District or Regional police forces.

In contrast, the justice system is centrally managed; trial and appellate judges are hired by the Intervention ministry, which also establishes national models of practice for policing and coordinates inter-jurisdictional policing operations.

Note that judicial review of a citizen's "understanding of the national legal, economic, and social processes" occurs when a citizen is on trial for a crime; one of the most significant outcomes of a criminal act can be forfeiture of one's Class A stock, or a finding that one is not fit for citizenship, resulting in the distribution of one's Class A stock to heirs, etc. In the gravest case, a person may lose their citizenship as well as their right to live within the The Realm of The Realm.

The Doge has one other unusual role in public life in relation to the justice system: for one week each year, he sits as Chief Magistrate, presiding in an open air court designed to make it impossible to stop a determined assassin. The Doge makes wise pronouncements on otherwise "intractable" cases, as mundane as fruit falling over a fence and rotting, to as ineffable as how ethical choices in human cloning should be made and when personhood begins. His role as Chief Magistrate is largely symbolic, but occasionally appeals courts will schedule a lunch discussion of some particularly muddled case in need of trenchant critique and a robust solution synthesis.

The Doge is also the Commander of the Gate ("Dejazmach") and Regent ("Mekwanint Enderase") of The Union of Self Appointed Sovereigns

In addition to the Ministerial ranks, there is a permanent Secretariat organization; the cabinet-level Secretaries include:

Secretary of State for Culture and Sport
Secretary of State for Currency and Banking
Secretary of State for Education and Competency Registry
Secretary of State for Environment and Energy
Secretary of State for Food and Health
Secretary of State for Rural Affairs
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Secretary of State for Transport and Logistics
Secretary of State for Urban Affairs
Secretary of State for Work Life

Additional secretaries of state at the non-cabinet level may or may not be permanent; a project or internal or external region may have an individual appointed who becomes a subject matter expert within the scope of the appointment. For example, there is a non-cabinet secretary for The Region of The West Pacific, and secretaries for various nations within the The West Pacific and without, as well as for other regions.

Here are estimates for the allocation of Government expenditure during the most recent fiscal period:

Based on the above, one percent (1.0%) of government spending is approximately $47.65 per person per year.

Culture

The Realm of The Realm began as an agricultural, artisan, and fine arts commune which happened to succeed beyond all expectations. Current cultural norms are rooted in the contrarian "heart" of the communal perspective. The spirit of the people of The Realm of The Realm is anarchic; any curtailment of personal freedoms has to meet a very high standard of "necessity for the public good."

Visitors to The Realm of The Realm, expecting untrammeled hedonism and degeneracy tend to be surprised. Most of the activities considered "vices" in other cultures are legal here. However:

~ Although clothing is not required in public, most people wear something; a recent cover of the New Cachet Times Magazine had a full-height photo of one of the nation's leading clothiers completely nude excepting a very stylish, brilliant red tie. Of course, there are occupational restrictions that require clothing: food preparation, medical, fire and police work being the most common. Protective clothing is a matter of common sense; you're unlikely to find a carpenter or welder who works in the nude.

~ There is no prohibition against sex in public spaces; the national Cache Street e-Journal, however, pays up to 200 foresks for legitimate candid photos of public sex, and since implementing the program, has paid the prize only 32 times in the last four years.

~ Although virtually all drugs are available by valid medical prescription, an adult can register themselves as self-prescribing, subject to judicial review (and possibly losing licenses or privileges, and most likely, insurance scheme coverage; someone self-prescibing a Schedule A drug like morphine would lose their driver's license, for example.) Medical prescribing of recreational drugs, including alcohol, is subject to the health considerations of the doctor consulted.

~ Prostitution is considered one of the fine arts, and a customized individual performance is correspondingly costly. Travelers who wish to spend an evening with a first class haetera, male or female, are advised to have all of their health papers in sterling order, to be able to provide personal references, and to spend the half-day on the optional but strongly recommended "Orientation to the Sexual Arts" course given to set expectations and give one a solid understanding of the otherwise unspoken boundaries for both haetera and client. Professional artists have very high social standing, and it is not uncommon for adolescents at some point to aspire to the art; the vast majority give up their illusions when they learn how demanding the career path really is. However, it can be pleasurable to help youthful aspirants come to their senses.

There is no state religion, nor does the state recognize any religion. No special tax or public policy advantages are attached to religious organizations. There are few organized religions but the percentage of citizens involved in such religions is negligible; under the law, a church is treated as an "entertainment venue." On the other hand, spiritual activity is pervasive, but is mostly non-hierarchical in nature: neighbors, colleagues, or acquaintances or friends sharing a sense of the numinous or noting the beauty of an event, or holding dialogue on the ethical or aesthetic dynamics of some work, or issue to be decided. There is no "book" accepted as a source of definitive spiritual guidance, so to "religions of the book" (Jews, Christians, Muslims) most of the nation would be considered pagan.

There is an extreme empahsis on education and on the environment, without a doubt, there is a national industrial policy favoring education and protecting the natural environment. The nation is ever building and enhancing a broad and deep educational infrastructure, and information and communication technologies related to education are priorities. The costs of protecting the environment are correspondingly high: the nation is still working out the after-effects of banning private automobiles almost a decade ago.

Educational software and professional education and training services are two of the nations most significant exports.

There is also a profound interest in poetics; the current Doge, Moksha Basileus, was Poet Laureate before being asked to take the role of chief executive of the government. Basileus still composes and publishes one Public Poem each year, and one National Meditation. The tradition is that the press does not comment in detail, nor perform literary criticism on Public Poems or National Meditations until the authoring Poet Laureate is dead.

History

This section is in the process of editorial review

West Pacific History

The Realm of The Realm entered the thread of NationStates history in May 2006, created in The West Pacific.

05 May 2006 Joined the offsite forum.
18 May 2006 Appointed Ambassador to the great region of Lazarus
29 May 2006 Applied for admission to the Senate
06 Jun 2006 Elected to the Senate without a dissenting vote
30 Jun 2006 Nominated by First Minister Eli Wickedly Evil People as appointed Associate Justice
10 Jul 2006 Confirmed as Associate Justice by a vote of 7-2.
Oct 2006 Completed term as Associate Justice
Jan 2007 Appointed Ambassador pro tempore to the great region of Liberalia
Apr 2007 Resigned as Ambassador pro tempore to the great region of Liberalia
Apr 2007 Designated Regent by First Minister Shasoria