Uncle Noel
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| National motto: Noel's World; A World That Works | |||
| National anthem: Onward ye Valiant Sons, The Revolution Calls | |||
| Not yet available | |||
| Region | North Pacific | ||
| Capital | Port Sunlight/New Tenochtitlan | ||
| Population | 2.353 billion | ||
| Suffrage | Not Applicable | ||
| Official Languages | Nahuatl, English | ||
| Government Premier
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Communist Republic "Uncle" Noel Hoogaboom | ||
| National Founding Revolution |
17th August 1514 2nd July 1953 | ||
| ISO Nation Code | OTIC | ||
| Currency | Uncle Noel Shilling (UNs)(UNSH.)
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| Time Zone • Summer (DST) |
GMT -9 GMT -8 | ||
| Internet TLD | .otic | ||
| Calling Code | +423849
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| National Symbols • Sports • Animal • Fruit • Flower |
Cricket and Mexica 'Ballgame' The Otiacochian Vole Melon Indian Fig Opuntia flower | ||
| Info: NationStates NSEconomy Pipian XML | |||
The Fiefdom of Uncle Noel is an island in the Pacific Ocean. The Fiefdom is unique in that the official name and currency are based upon the name of its leader, "Uncle" Noel Hoogaboom. Many nations refuse, however, to use this title and still refer to the island by its original Nahuatl name, Otiacicoh (Called this since the first words spoken on the deserted island by Aztec settlers was ‘we have arrived’, or Otiacicoh). It is unknown at this stage what will happen to both the name and the currency of the island following the death of Uncle Noel.
History
The subject of the island's history prior to the year 1514 is a matter of some controversy among academics. Mexica, or Aztec historians have traditionally argued that the present-day Fiefdom was deserted until the arrival of Lord Huitzilíhuitl II in August 1514 and his band of followers and vassals. Historians of European descent, however, have cited recent archaeological evidence to suggest that the island was inhabited for some time after the last Ice Age. The matter, needless to say, is one avoided by the government of the Fiefdom as it is directly related to notions of religious legitimacy and divine sanction. Rumours exist that a series of cave paintings have been discovered within the Tlacaelel mountains in the North of the island, though this area is within a restricted military area and thus cannot be legitimatised by academics either within the Fiefdom or internationally. It seems certain, however, that the true history of the island of Otiacicoh began on the Mexican mainland shortly before the invasion of Hernan Cortés.
The tlatoque Huitzilíhuitl II
The 'speaker', or elder, Huitzilíhuitl II was undoubtedly a man of both courage and foresight. Born in approximately 1470/1471, in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan to a noble family with links to the royal family. Indeed, Huitzilíhuitl was named after the Aztec Emperor of the same name, who died in 1417. Much of Huitzilíhuitl's early life is lost in history, save that, for the most part, he led a relatively normal life of an Aztec noble. Such was his normality that, were a historian to embark upon counter-factual history, it does not seem foolish to assume that Huitzilíhuitl II would have perished with his kinsmen in either the battles with Spanish invaders or in the plagues of smallpox that followed contact with Europeans. However, on the night of the 6th December 1511, at the age of 41, Huitzilíhuitl had a dream concerning the sun-god Huitzilopochtli. As the legend goes, just as Huitzilopochtli had guided the infant Aztecs to their new city of Tenochtitlan and the founding of a great empire, so at the close of that age did ‘He’ guide the young nobleman to the founding of another great empire. The vision, put simply, warned Huitzilíhuitl that the Aztec would fall within a few short years and that he was to lead some of the people to safety. Such a message, given to a peasant or a merchant, might not inspire any belief. Huitzilíhuitl, however, was one of the leading figures in the society of Tenochtitlan and his vision inspired a number of followers. With Aztec society and power at its height, most could not foresee the swift collapse of all around them. Not being ship-wrights by nature, it took a number of attempts, some ending with fatalities (including the death of Huitzilíhuitl's youngest son) before a craft of sufficient strength to survive the journey to the island granted to the nobleman by Huitzilopochtli. By this time, July of 1514, a number of men of strong religious faith had also begun to see omens of doom travelled to the coast to travel with Huitzilíhuitl. It was in late July 1514 that the make-shift fleet set sail to make the perilous trip to Otiacicoh. Most within the capital and the empire considered Huitzilíhuitl to be a fool, a man who would flounder at sea. They did not know that in six years their people would be vanquished and devastated by Cortes and the Spaniards. The journey to Otiacicoh took many lives, and recent estimates suggest that of the twenty ships that left Mexico, only 8 ever made it to the island. Some, however, place the figure at closer to 14. Regardless of this, Huitzilíhuitl and his family were fortunate enough (though some would say divinely blessed) to survive and made landfall in mid August of the same year. While the first few years were difficult, by 1519 the first settlement on the island, the current capital city, was founded. This city, which retained its original name until the 1950s, was called New Tenochtitlan and is stilled collectively called this by many Mexica speakers. The city’s founder, upon hearing of death of the last Emperor in old capital in 1521 (Cuauhtémoc), declared himself the new Emperor, Or Great Speaker of the Aztec people and thus the successor to the Central American kingdom. The strength of the Spanish, and the weakness of the band of settlers on the distant island, has always meant that this claim has been regarded as wholly titular in standing.
From Huitzilíhuitl II to Uncle Noel
Having passed away at the advanced age of 84, Huitzilíhuitl II was able to transfer the Aztec throne to his son Tízoc II. Tizoc, while not as gifted as his father, ruled the settlers well and was able to expand not only borders of his kingdom but also to cement his family's monopoly of power. Unlike the old Empire, the new Aztec emperor was granted his royalty by act of birth rather than the good wishes of the nobles/elders. Tizoc, recognising that the majority of the nobles had perished with the Spanish invasion, ruled by Imperial Fiat- a pattern that would last for hundreds of years. A full list of the Emperors during the period before the Revolution can be found in Arthur Chatterley’s The Age of the Emperors, 1894, London Publishing House. A number of key events did occur during this period, including the Smallpox Plague of 1609 and the establishment of the Calmecac of Nanauatzin in 1742. However, much like early modern Japan, the island shunned the outside world and attempted to preserve its culture and tradition. This was to change, however, during the mid-nineteenth century when a large deposit of coal was found upon the island. Collectively known as the Time of Huehuecoyotl- that of almost shape shifting change. Otiacicoh 's isolation, having been broken by the arrival of the HMS Thunderchild in 1846 in the harbour of New Huehuecoyotl, created a migration of European settlers keen to find a new way of life. This is was a massive migration not on the scale of the United States of America, but with the proximity to Mexico and South America, it was inevitable that some would attempt to make a home there. Not only were the newly-arrived Europeans culturally different from their Aztec neighbours, but they were also educated in the fundamentals of capitalism. Soon, a European with a grasp of the language and a desire for hard work could arise a significant fortune. This led to the rise of the Industry Barons, second and third generation Europeans who acquired great wealth in a previously stagnant land. The first great Industry Baron was Montgomery J. Davies I. Born in the rural Lincoln, he had travelled with his family at a young age to the iron mines of western Otiacicoh. His father, Wilbraham Davies, used his knowledge of British mining techniques to extract more ore in a few days then native mines produced in a year. Montgomery Davies built upon this success and soon became the richest man on the island, save the Emperor. Such new money inevitably clashed with the established nobility, and the years 1880-1940 were an age of social unrest. Weak-willed Emperors, trapped in their grand palaces, fell victim to the machinations of either the nobles or the Industry Barons. The political discord resulted in economic stagnation, as the Imperial government was unable or unwilling to fight the monopoly of the Industrialists. By the late 1930s, the situation had reached boiling point and all-out civil war was expected. It was into this volatile mix that the Second World War descended. Otiacicoh, being a Pacific island, was naturally on the front-line of the war between Imperial Japan and the United States. Unfortunately for the ancien regime, the war proved to be the last straw. Both sides united, not in support of the USA, but rather in aiding Japan. The Aztec nobles, distrustful of the republican interests of their eastern neighbour, supported the Emperor in Tokyo. The Industrialists also, in a display of short-sightedness, believed the future to lie with the Asian power and joined the nobles. While Japan supplied arms and equipment to the Emperor on Otiacicoh, the island was too close to the Pacific shore of America to warrant being ignored. A US Marine Detachment landed on the island with no resistance and remained there until 1947. The fiasco with America demonstrated the isolation of both the nobles and the Industry Barons from the people 'on the ground.' Popular resentment, encouraged by a Washington keen to see change on the island, grew. The departure of the Americans in 1947 to fight Cold War battles removed the last trace of stability on the island, and civil war soon erupted. On one side stood an uneasy an alliance of the nobles and the capitalists, and on the other a popular movement organised by Noel Hoogaboom. For more details, see the biography of Uncle Noel.
The Island under Uncle Noel
] The past sixty years have seen the island of Otiacicoh, now the Fiefdom of Uncle Noel, change rapidly. The elderly Aztec nobleman Opochtzin, returning to the island in 1995 after fleeing as a young man in 1948, noted that,
Pleasingly, many of the sights and sounds that I grew up with during the early part of our century have remained. The Imperial Quarter of New Tenochtitlan, the magnificent palace and the great temples have been, I must admit, caringly maintained by the current administration. Even some of the great European buildings, the Anglican Cathedral to Saint Peter for example, are well-kept and in use. They have even completed the Catholic Cathedral, which was still unfinished when I was forced into exile and built in a style more commonly seen in Italy. I had always originally objected to such buildings as demonstrative of an alien cultural invasion, but after so many years I am still glad to see them. Leave the city centre, however, and I see sad scars in my home. Vast, ugly concrete monstrosities have been thrown up. Hideous and cheap, they are more at home in some beastly corner of the former Soviet Union then in the glorious Mexica Empire. The Southern part of the island has borne the brunt of a misguided attempt at collectivised farming that has led to the destruction of a way of life that has existed since our Founder arrived. Thankfully, as one moves away from the Southern coast the peasant way of life has been more successfully retained. The West Coast is still the same as I remember, rugged but beautiful. Despite the ugly factories and obvious disregard for the environment, I was pleased to note that the centre of my home still retained its lush forests. I regret to say the situation in the North is not good. Neglected by the new government, these peoples have sought refuge with the gods and have been punished for it.
Despite the sad tone in many parts of his account, Opochtzin did note that the 'damage' inflicted to his country could have been much worse. It is clear from this, though, that the Fiefdom did come under the Soviet sphere of influence during the Cold War. It is unclear whether Uncle Noel is a communist or a man looking for friends where he could find them, but the centrally-planned economy and the attempts at communal farming speak of some Soviet presence. Whatever the ideology of the regime, a clear element of the government of Uncle Noel is the complete absence of any political rights. Supporters of the island claimed that this was in order to facilitate the union of the Mexica inhabitants and the white settlers and end the frequent race-riots of the early twentieth century, though others have claimed it to be another totalitarian state with blood on its hands. Certainly there are rumours that purges took place during the 1950s and 1960s, though the strict controls on the media on the Fiefdom prevent any accurate reporting.
The Fiefdom Today
The Serene and Democratic Fiefdom of Uncle Noel has entered the new millennium with many opportunities and plenty of dangers. As the administration has matured, so controls on daily life have relaxed. This is not to say that citizens possess complete freedom, and some political prisoners are still within prison camps in the north of the island, but for the most part life has normalised. The Fiefdom also welcomed its first international visitor in the person of Princess Helen of the nation of Pantocratoria. Efforts made over sixty years to unite the two peoples of the island have been relatively successful and a new generation of Mexica and Europeans have risen to prominence within the government. The increasing age of Uncle Noel, however, and the issue of succession has dominated private discussion among the island's citizens for some years.
The Economy
The Fiefdom continues to retain a centrally-planned economy organised by the Uncle Noel Council of Ministers Economical Commission for Planning of State Economy. While denied by the government, it seems likely that the economy of the Fiefdom was supported by Soviet money during the Cold War. Since the collapse of the USSR, the island's economy has begun to decline. The economy is primarily focused upon heavy industries and much of the island's manufacturing is under the control of the state-run company, The Zagreb Corporation. Zagreb is in particular famous for its automotive division and the production of its single model, the Zagreb Peoples' Car. Zagreb is also the island's sole steel producer and ship-builder. Mining, however, is controlled by the New Azcapotzalco Mining Division of the Ministry of Raw Materials, or the NAMDRW (pronounced Nam-Drew). There have recently been rumours that the Fiefdom is hoping to capitalise on its relatively unspoilt centre and coasts to attract tourists and that the current renovation of the former Uncle Noel Museum for Revolutionary Art (now moved into a new building on Wednesday Street, Port Sunlight) is in order to house a new state ministry for Tourism.
The Legal System
Legal legitimacy, prior to the Revolution, was dependent upon the principle that the Emperor and the nobility were descended from the god Quetzalcoatl and thus possessing the ability make or change laws. Indeed, it is for this reason that religious riots often broke out during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries due to the Christian refusal to recognise the basis for the Empire's legitimacy. Much of this legal system has been inherited by Uncle Noel and, in theory at least, has changed little. The reason for the lack of structural change was summarised by the historian Thomas Barzun who noted that
The legal system within the Fiefdom remains [unchanged] due to the somewhat redundant nature of its work. The law serves to supplement the will of the regime and, so long as it does so, it doesn't matter if its officials are termed judges, Techuhlatoque or supreme badger lords.
At the bottom of the system exists the Barrio courts that deal with minor civil and criminal offences. Like magistrates in other legal systems, Barrio judges are elected by the people and are inevitably ex-soldiers who boast a strong loyalty to Uncle Noel. Barrio courts exist in small towns and within the districts of larger metropolis, such as the capital Port Sunlight. Cases of sufficient import are transferred to the Teccali court. ‘‘Teccali’’ courts are situated in most major towns and consist of three Techuhtlatoque, Nahuatl for 'lords that govern the public well being and speak it.' Such men, during the empire, were invariably noblemen and certain sections of the aristocracy not forced into exile retain control. The Teccali courts are the last legal recourse in civil cases, though criminal matters may be referred to the Tlacxitlan, or appeal courts. Again staffed by three or four judges, such courts were traditionally the first encountered by the nobility and military, though the current regime has enforced an equality before the law for all citizens. Cases heard here can be passed up to the highest legal authority in the Fiefdom, the Court of the Supreme Lord that Govern the Public Well Being and Speak it. In the past, this role would have been filled by the Cihuacoatl-The Woman Serpent. Originally a member of the Imperial Family, the possessed a far-reaching portfolio but the position has fallen vacant since the fall of the Empire and now a Supreme Techuhtlatoque, the Honourable Tlacateotzin Henderson, is the highest legal figure on the island. The Supreme Techuhtlatoquen presides over 11 other judges in cases of great importance to the nation. Under the Empire, cases could also be passed to the Emperor himself at his discretion and whose Will was the final say.
In an effort to reform the system the Calmecac of Nanauatzin, referred to as 'The Oxford of Otiacicoh', has recently developed, a degree in law and all new judges and barristers must attend the institution. The law code of the island is, on paper at least, the complied law code produced in 1922 by the Emperor Montezuma VII. An updated version of the Montezuma VII Law Code is expected to be published by a joint Ministry of Justice/Calmecac of Nanauatzin Commission in 2008.
Religion
Since the original settlers to the island of Otiacicoh were driven by a religious vision, organised religion has played an important part in the life of the island. The current standing of religious belief within the Fiefdom is not documented due to the lack of any census, though it is estimated that some 80-85% of the total population of the island adhere to the Aztec religion . The main temple of Port Sunlight, like many of the temples around the island, is dedicated to the sun god Huitzilopochtli and the rain god Tlaloc. The Aztec religion played an important part in the cultural identity of the island for many years and continues to do so, despite being disestablished in 1949. The religion, thanks to the influence of mainstream Christianity, has developed a theological college for the training of priests at the Tlahuicole Training Institution of Port Sunlight. Interest in the Aztec religion has increased in recent years due to the reduction in overt secularism espoused by the state. A religious revival in the mountainous north of the country, however, has been suppressed by the military due to fears that it may adopt a Mexica nationalist ideology. The second largest faith in the Fiefdom is that of Christianity, with the largest denomination being the Anglican church. While only embracing approximately 10% of the population, and being largely confined to the south of the island, Anglicanism was the religion of many of the Industrial Barons of the late nineteenth century and thus highly favoured. The Cathedral Church of St. Peter in Port Sunlight was funded and constructed by these men in the Neo-Gothic style and is noted as a major tourist attraction. Roman Catholicism is the second largest denomination, comprising approximately 5% of the overall population, though it too had a favoured position during the early twentieth century. The Cathedral of Our Lady and St Winifred serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic diocese of Port Sunlight. Recent years have also seen the increase in the numbers of Orthodox believers on the island, partly due to the easing of government restrictions and partly due to more nationalistic reasoning. With the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches traditionally being viewed by Mexica natives as institutions of the white settlers, particularly since both retained English as the primary language until relatively recently. Eastern Orthodoxy does not suffer from this and, thanks to the former Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, the Divine Liturgy is given in Nahuatl in many parishes across the country. Since the government refuses to permit the presence of Protestant evangelists, due to their suspected by generally unfounded association with sedition, Orthodoxy serves as the only other Christian denomination on the island and has grown particularly in the East and Centre of the nation. A lack of organisation and an ambiguity as to its status, while pressing, is hoped to be resolved by meeting with His Divine All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Stephanus III of New Constantinople.
Armed Forces
] Prior to the sweeping reforms of Emperor Moctezuma V during the 1830s, the military played an ambiguous role in the national life of the Empire. The Mexica settlers, after all, had originated from an intensely militaristic society that prided itself on martial prowess and the capture of sacrificial prisoners to appease the gods. Yet their tentative steps were upon an island otherwise devoid of human life and the isolationism of the government meant that any chance of obtaining prisoners was redundant. It is widely believed by historians that clashes between cities prior to the Declaration of Zolton in 1736 were primarily the result of military manipulation of and interference in domestic affairs. Prior to Moctezuma’s reforms, the military had been governed by the Emperor’s military council and the army divided into various components drawn from individual cities and commanded by the local nobility. The ill-fated invasion of Mexico during its War of Independence in 1815 demonstrated the inefficiency of the system and the need for reform.
] The Workers' Liberation Army
The Workers' Liberation Army (WLA) was formed in 1946 and served as the military wing of the Otiacicoh Communist Party during the six-year civil war against Imperial Forces. Noel Hoogaboom, then a young Geography graduate, served as a platoon leader until the famous 'Second of March' Speech propelled him to the centre of the anti-government movement. While not militarily-trained, Hoogaboom was able to marshall his forces into an effective guerilla movement that, in September 1950, was able to inflict a crushing blow on the Imperial Army at the Battle of Caracitas Junction. The creation of the Fiefdom saw absorbtion of the island into the Communist Bloc. Soviet infantry and tank tactics were adopted and much of the equipment, until recently, was Chinese or Soviet in origins.
The army is commanded by the Council of War and administered by the Ministry of War in Port Sunlight. The Chairman of the Council of War is Uncle Noel, who also serves as the Supreme Commander of the Workers' Liberation Army (holding the rank of Grand Marshal of the Serene Democratic People's Fiefdom, a rank theoretically equal to an American Seven-star general). The Deputy Chairman is Admiral Tezozomoctzin Henderson. The Army uses a modified continental staff system in its headquarters. At present there are 12 Military Regions, which are further broken down into 44 subordinate Military Zones. In both cases, a numbering system is used for designation. There is no set number of zones within a region, and these can therefore be tailored to meet operational needs, with a corresponding increase or decrease in troop strength.
Though both similar in their origins, the Fiefdom has not followed the path of North Korea in developing sizable Special Operation forces. The Special Operations unit of the WLA is the 'Eagle Corps', which has developed a reputation in recent years of being a competent force. The main battle tank of the WLA is the Type 99, the plans of which were recently purchased from the Peoples' Republic of China. Despite the relative modernity of the ground forces, the WLA's small arms remain Fiefdom copies of the WWII Japanese weapons donated by the Imperial Government in 1942. The main rifle, therefore, remains the Type 99.
The Workers' Liberation Army Air Force (WLAAF)
Although the Communist Armies did employ some aeroplanes during the civil war, mostly for reconnaisance, the widespread use of an air force was not utilized until after the victory of Uncle Noel. The Workers' Liberation Army Air Force was established on 31st March 1957 and is currently dispersed in four regions—Eastern, Western, Central, and Southern. The Air Force maintains a total of 38 air bases, and has the additional capability of opening temporary forward operating bases in austere conditions for some of the rotary wing and light fixed-wing assets. Its main fighter is the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 which, despite its increasing age, has recently been updated with a new computer package. The tactical bomber squadrons are also comprised of old Soviet models, in particular the Tupolev Tu-16.
See Separate section Uncle Noel Navy.
Politics
The Serene, Democratic People's Fiefdom of Uncle Noel is a communist republic in which the Communist Party of Otiacicoh is the only legimate and legal political organisation. The official ideology of the Party remains that of Marxist-Leninism though the influence of Maoism and Juche has grown in recent years. The Constitution of Uncle Noel theoretically catalogues the various actions and roles of both the Party and the State, though the reality of the Fiefdom is far from a reflection of this.
The Premier of the Fiefdom is Noel Hoogaboom who serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Otiacicoh and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Uncle Noel also serves as Supreme Commander of the Workers' Liberation Army and Chairman of the Council of War. Uncle Noel serves as de facto Head of State and, as such, receives Ambassadors and signs Foreign Treatries. The de jure Head of Government would, in theory, be the Party Leader of the largest single Party in the National People's Soviet. Since that elections to this ceased in 1993, there currently exists no constitutional role of Head of Government (though Uncle Noel's position as head of the Communist Party of Oticicoh would have made him this anyway). Noel Hoogaboom, therefore, is accorded the honourific of "Dear Leader" and a significant Cult of Personality has developed around him.
The parliament, the National People's Soviet, was the highest organ of state power (prior to 1988). Its 687 members were elected every five years by popular vote. In every district voters were offered only one candidate. The People's Soviet usually held two annual meetings, each lasting a few days, during which it elected a standing committee. The Soviet was viewed by the west as typically ratifying decisions made by the ruling OCP. A standing committee was elected by the Soviet and performed legislative functions when the Soviet is not in session. Here are the results of the last election to the National People's Soviet, held in November 1988.
| Party | Leader(s) | Description | Primary Vote Percentage | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communist Party of Otiacicoh | General Secretary Noel Hoogaboom | The Communist Party of Otiacicoh is the only political party allowed in the Fiefdom of Uncle Noel. Founded in 1924 by Moshe Makhoul. Originally an underground political movement, the party took control in 1953 following nearly eight years of civil war. | 100% | 400 |
The influence of the Juche political theory has led to a gradual acceptance in the Party and the wider Body Politic of the need for an element of 'dynastic socialism'. Since Uncle Noel lacks any children of his own (having never married), the heir-designate is his nephew Trevor. Trevor Macmillan had been serving as the Professor of History at Calmecac of Nanauatzin prior to being appointed Deputy General Secretary in 1992. His academic background and lack of political experience, however, have left many wondering whether Macmillan is the best man for the job.
