An Examination of Extra-Universal Systems of Government

Status
Not open for further replies.
The only reason I wouldn't go with it is because I think EEUSG has way too many America entries as it is. :p I do remember AAPA's American Empire trying to create a "master race" through mixing races and getting the "best racial traits" out of all of them.
Eh, I'm fine with more Americas myself. Especially since they're often the weirdest.

Alternatively, Mexico. Reacting to the colonial caste system by promoting a mestizo-first system?
 
I was actually thinking the Easter Rising leaders manage to escape capture, but personal arguments between them and the other Irish Republican leaders turn bitter and the end result is that when the WW1 and interwar conflict dust settles you have an Irish Republic and a Republic of Ireland occupying the same exact territory. I'm thinking both would be nominally one-party states but the allegiance of the population is what decides who has the advantage in negotiations between the two factions and therefore who's in charge.
Alternatively, how about the Irish Civil War between the pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty factions never breaking out? You'd have a parallel government of the Irish Free State and Republic of Ireland, occupying generally the same territory although the Republic would keep up its nominal claim to Northern Ireland as well. Depending on the outcome of the oath controversy, there could even be a number of legislators in both governments' Dail.
 
Alternatively, how about the Irish Civil War between the pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty factions never breaking out? You'd have a parallel government of the Irish Free State and Republic of Ireland, occupying generally the same territory although the Republic would keep up its nominal claim to Northern Ireland as well. Depending on the outcome of the oath controversy, there could even be a number of legislators in both governments' Dail.
The more I think about it, the more this seems like it's turning into a halfway functional version of that France entry from a few pages back.
 
How about the 60s unrest leads to a successful radical revolution in America, with an uneasy coalition of the Weather Underground, SDS and Black Panther Party taking over by force from the National Government after Vietnam goes much worse. Each faction claims leadership of a different sphere of society and different people are taking directives from different factions in the same area, but all are technically allied but not quite on the same page.
 
I must've missed it, or else I forgot - link?
Basically rump France changes government systems every 4 years.

What I'm thinking of is that the Republic of Ireland and the Irish Republic both maintain dominant-party state apparatuses, but after a series of incredibly silly and pointless crises, have basically agreed to trade off control every time enough people change their citizenship from Republic to Republic to give one side or the other a majority, because having two Armies, two Navies, two Air Corps, and infrastructure maintained separately by two separate governments in an awkward patchwork just wasn't working.

And you can basically change your citizenship from Republic to Republic which takes a few hours but means you're counted as a citizen of the other state for determining who's in charge.
 

dcd

Banned
My post with the Bonnie Blue Flag was meant to point out that that version of the Confederacy had indeed grown to embody the ideal of the South wanting to be free rather than necessarily wanting to enslave.I am truly sorry if anyone was offended.
 

Deleted member 94708

My post with the Bonnie Blue Flag was meant to point out that that version of the Confederacy had indeed grown to embody the ideal of the South wanting to be free rather than necessarily wanting to enslave.I am truly sorry if anyone was offended.

We’re offended because that ideal never existed.

The south wanted freedom from “Northern tyranny” specifically because the North was going to take away their “freedom” to enslave people. Period. Full stop.
 
My post with the Bonnie Blue Flag was meant to point out that that version of the Confederacy had indeed grown to embody the ideal of the South wanting to be free rather than necessarily wanting to enslave.I am truly sorry if anyone was offended.

That is not the Bonnie Blue Flag. That is the Confederate Battle Flag. Bonnie Blue Flag is a blue field with a single white star.
 
@Ephraim Ben Raphael gave me permission! Behold! A Sikh religions republic!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Misl Republic of Khalistan

Misala Gaṇatatara Khālisatāna

When I was told I would be going over to the Misl Republic of Khalistan, I was recommended that I should take the tour, given how it is a confederacy, especially given how it is distributed across waters as well. I am intrigued though, especially given how it is a theocracy yet one of the most stable and prosperous states in the world. As such, I was advised to start my tour over in the Punjab Misl. It is the first among equals and the most prominent, given how it holds the holy capital of Amritsar there. I arrived there from a connecting flight from the Mahra Misl. Being well versed in the Gurmukhi script, I was able to navigate through with little problem. Stepping outside, the bright sunlight hit my eyes. I began looking around for my guide and could not help noticing the Vedic and Islamic inspirations within the buildings. Furthermore, I couldn’t help but notice how many of the people here were Sikhs or non-Sikhs yet communicating with little problem.

Not surprising given the history. However, exiting the airport, I found my host waiting for me. She acquired for us some transportation though her sheepish smile indicates something a little suspicious. It was a form of bicycle rickshaw, albeit one different than I was used to. The seats were together and the two sets of pedals placed in front indicated that I would be pedaling as well. Furthermore, behind the rickshaw was some sort of containment area, likely for my baggage. And of course, the rickshaw had a screen of what was probably acrylic glass in front and from what I saw, retractable screens to lower if it rained

"I apologize for the lack of preparations..." she began before I reassured her that all of this would be more acceptable. She smiled and relaxed a little at my response. Automobiles weren't much of a sight here in Sikh homelands, even in heavily urban areas like Lahore. Granted, there were motor vehicles the state owned though they were primarily emergency response vehicles or security vehicles. However, most people got around by foot, bicycle, tram system, horse or the occasional motor scooter.

I put my baggage in, secured in and I began by ride with her. Initially, it was a bit of a comfortable silence, her letting me take in everything of the sights of the location. Before long though, I asked her about the interview and she was more than happy to do so while we were riding. I began asking her how the Misl Republic would be born. She took a moment to pause, trying to decide a good starting point.

"The Sikh Empire. Around that time was the decline of the second Gurkani empire or as you may have known them, the Mughals. They lost power in Bharata after the rise of the Marathas and the arrival of the British. However, the Gurkani and their devout followers arranged a deal with the Marathas and the Sikh Empire for safe passage over to the north, above the Pashtun lands." she explained.

I asked her if she was referring to the lands of Central Asia where a variety of Khanates were present, most notably the Kazakh Khanate.

"Correct. Their prestige, strength and so allowed them to become leaders of the Khanate, especially after they were weakened by the Oirat and Dzungar invasions. The Gurkani dynasty still maintained plenty of prestige and assumed the throne under promises of victory and glory. They maintained these promises through the conquest of their neighbors such as Buhkara, Kokand and Khiva, uniting the peoples and to stand in opposition against the Russians. Since we assisted in their unification, they granted the Sikh Empire an alliance and symbol of friendship. This ensured some protection over for the Sikhs," she elaborated.

I nodded in response though I also recalled the Pashtuns and how they would end up being annexed by the Sikh Empire, especially given its infamy as the supposed “graveyard of empires.”

"The Durrani Empire was in decline, but it would be crippled in its war with the third Gurkani empire, the Toruk Khaganate. The Khaganate wanted to rebuild what Timur created, but while victory was in their grasp, the Russians up north demanded more attention. They instead signed a peace treaty that nonetheless crippled the declining empire. In desperation, they turned to us in a series of “Pashtun-Sikh” wars, claiming them holy wars to justify the land grab. However, the three wars resulted in defeat every time for them, with the final defeat resulting in the annexing the last of the lands. The Sikh Empire provided enough stability and autonomy that the wary populace was willing to tolerate Sikh leadership after years of war and strife. They practiced their faiths in equality with the only requirements was learning the Gurmurki script and following basic laws. Although perhaps because the wars against the Sikhs were framed as holy wars and led to defeat, it began turning the Pashtuns away from Islam and toward Sikhism. Eventually, the Sikh Empire grew to encompass the lands from the Makran shores to the Pamir and Himalayan mountains. It became a safe haven for those looking to avoid the wars in Bharata, the Gurkanis' new dynasty or other troubles," she noted as we rode through town.

I noted how she hinted that the Pashtuns would gradually begin converting to Sikhism over time though I also wondered how everything changed. During this time, the Sikhs were a minority faith in their own nation after all.

She smiled at me with serendipity. “The Sikh-Omani War served as the catalyst. Initially it was a trade dispute over from in the Gulf though it escalated into religious conflict, especially when some of the captured Sikhs were enslaved," she began explaining, a slight scowl appeared at recalling it. "When the Sikhs first invaded, they had help from the Mehri people for autonomy," she noted.

I recalled my stop over in the Mehri Misl and what caught my attention was the usage of an abjad based on the ancient South Arabian script. It stuck out in comparison to the modern Arabic that their neighbors used. In fact, the modern Mehri abjad even went left to right.

"Correct. The Mehri people did achieve their liberation, their new lands containing the Dhofar Mountains and even the edges of the Hadhramaut Mountains. It reached from the shores of the Gulf to the edge of the Rub' al Khali. That of course led to the African campaign and where the anti-slavery revolts began," she explained. "Sikhism promised no slavery. To the slaves, it served as inspiration and the Sikhs would be reinforced by slaves yearning to be free. When the Omani finally surrendered, the Sikhs found themselves with an extended empire going down the eastern shores of Africa and a growing number of people converting abroad," she noted. "Right around there was also when the seeds for the Reoublic were placed as the majaraja put in more autonomy measures to prevent the Empire from potentially falling apart," she added.

I asked her if she was referring to the modernized implementation of the misl system.

"Exactly. Beyond providing autonomy to each of the misls to ensure stability, it would also solidify the borders of the African misls. The Sikh Empire suddenly became an influential power thanks to its location and influence over trade routes," she noted. "Even with that, the Empire underwent various exhausting years of standardizing the laws across along with implementing the Gurmurki script everywhere or creating new scripts that better fit their native languages,” she explained with a sigh.

“Over time, everyone identified the empire with the faith and so more and more people began converting, even when the faith was not mandated or even favored. In fact, I think that was part of the appeal," she said while we rode past a temple. "However, our troubles were far from over. The Sikhs' arrangement with the Marathas meant further conflict with the British until they surrendered after their third loss. They would instead turn to the Kingdom of Mysore along with the island of Sri Lanka for their conquests. Though when that finished, the British negotiated a trade deal with the Sikhs which involved both parties using the other’s ports for the purposes of trade. This lessened over time when the British colonized the large African island off the continent’s shore along with the surrounding smaller islands,” she explained to me.

I took in everything, noting how the establishment of the modern misl system likely served as the foundations for the modern republic and the predominance of the religious would make it an accidental theocratic republic. She gave me a slightly sour look before sighing.

"Despite our name, we never meant to have our faith be the dominant force in legal affairs, but faith influences culture and culture influences law, so perhaps it was somewhat inevitable,” she conceded. “The Sikh Empire ended near the end of the century. The last majaraja noted the era of kings was over and so we transitioned into a republic. He gave up the crown and pursued the life of a holy man. Many worried what would hold us together and it would be our faith. In the gurus and in ourselves," she proclaimed with a slight smile. "I suppose being called a theocratic republic is somewhat accurate, " she added. "We became the Misl Republic of Khalistan… the land of the Khalsa. A republic built on the values inspired by that of the gurus. After our transition, we remained relatively quiet in world affairs. Yet we were surrounded with global affairs. The Toruk Khaganate north and the Iranian Empire west allied to destroy the Ottomans, with the former claiming the Azerbaijani lands and Iran claiming the Kurdish lands along with most of Iraq, leaving only Assyria as a state like Europe’s Switzerland and Greece defeating the remnants of Turkey. The Marathas became the Bharata Majarajahnate when they claimed Tibet from the Chinese during their revolution against the Qing. But we remain a stalwart presence in a region of violent change,” she noted with a quiet smile. Her brief summary of the events going on was understandable. The only noteworthy thing was the fact that the African parts of the Misl Federation chose to remain within the Federation rather than secede. Granted, compared to most other African nations, they were not colonies but equals. No surprise they stayed. As for Ethiopia, they were an ally of the Sikhs ever since King Menelek II’s ascension, as Ethiopia assisted the Sikhs in the Somali lands and vice versa to secure the briefly-lived Italian colony of Eritrea back to Ethiopia.

We ended up stopping over at a cafe and while we partook in some refreshments, she pointed to be in the direction of the capital building. I could not help but ask how the system worked and she gave me a basic rundown of the system.

The republic was divided into various misls, the autonomous states that made up the republic. Every misl had their own elections for their own leaders along with deciding various aspects such as economics and trade as long as they did not overrule the rules of the republic as a whole. The misls themselves were held to certain standards in regards to healthcare, civil rights, equality and so on, so they all had to reach them in different ways. Each one had their own militia though there was also a national army along with navy and airforce. Despite the cultural differences, republic remains quite stable in part thanks to the prominent influence of the Sikh religion along with cultural rules and influences that followed from the faith. The misls held biannual meetings of their legislature, the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar, which was to debate issues on the whole of the republic and on foreign policy, Meanwhile, each misl was run by an elected official and the parties in each misl were different depending, often relying on coalitions or agreements. The ruler of each misl was the wazir with the legal ruler of the Federation being granted the title of majawazir or Great Counselor. The waziers and majawaziers were comparable to ranks like governors and Prime Minister respectably. And of course, cities and towns had mayors along with other elected officials. What surprised me about the system was usage of a ranked-choice ballot, which she explained was done to ensure a true republic. However, the religious Jathedars hold prominent cultural influence, at least through religion, and of course there was also a legal Supreme Court, known as the Khalsa Majakōraṭa, with the Jatherdars making up some of the members among others such as lawyers.

I see a Somali family taking pictures of the architecture. I see a Pashtun woman talking excitedly to her mother on her cellphone, noting her excitement on returning home after being abroad. I see two men, brothers from what it looked like, debating about one of the Gurus in Swahili and I even see a Punjabi couple showing their son, adopted most likely given his Anglo-Saxon appearance, several details of the buildings and his awed expression taking on every little detail. All of them are united by their Sikh faith.

1589301207596.png
1589301220023.png
 
There's the Scholastic League, which is a less grim take on a similar concept.
Think about it like this, imagine you're the leader of an ancapistan utopia/cyberpunk dystopia megacorporation. What product can you sell that is both cheap for you to make and essential for everyone else to buy? The answer, a diploma mill. Everyone needs to pay you to watch recorded lectures and fill out automated tests on the internet, in exchange for a fancy piece of power, without which, they're unemployable.
 
I would like to see more of this world.

It’s on my to do list already. Which, given its length, means you can expect it by the end of the decade. :p


Think about it like this, imagine you're the leader of an ancapistan utopia/cyberpunk dystopia megacorporation. What product can you sell that is both cheap for you to make and essential for everyone else to buy? The answer, a diploma mill. Everyone needs to pay you to watch recorded lectures and fill out automated tests on the internet, in exchange for a fancy piece of power, without which, they're unemployable.

Hm, perhaps cross this with the concept of “meritocratic” technocracy, so only the people who pay for the “advanced courses” have any political say.
 

tehskyman

Banned
I wonder if an oligarchical style republic but where all the members of government are AI could work.

Your town/neighborhood/ward has it's own representative AI, which can meet with constituents and other"members" of government simultaneously.

How would that be implemented? An AI takes over California and decides to preserve democracy for some reason or another?
 
I wonder if an oligarchical style republic but where all the members of government are AI could work.

Your town/neighborhood/ward has it's own representative AI, which can meet with constituents and other"members" of government simultaneously.

How would that be implemented? An AI takes over California and decides to preserve democracy for some reason or another?

You are talking about AI states from Silicon summer:
 

tehskyman

Banned
You are talking about AI states from Silicon summer:
I drew inspiration from there, but instead of a centralized single Skynet you get a distributed network of semi-autonomous AI fiefdoms. Maybe the AI takes over and realizes that it doesn't have the processing power to actually do everything it wants. The problems of latency and the limits of cloud computing/cloud governance lead it to take an edge-computing approach.

Sort of like AI percolating down from the top. First the central government and then local governments and maybe you'd get AI acting as the factory managers.

If the AI decided to have some form of AI-representative government, you could have elections where constituents vote on a "personality" for the AI. Do you want it to be aggressive about certain issues. More collaborative with other members? Target infrastructure, or be more focused on local industrial concerns?
 
Last edited:
Top
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top