Building a new structure for society and its government. - Writers Forum

GhostingReality101 · 02-27-2005, 05:57 PM

I need some help in creating a new governmental system and ways for that system to put the people in control of its major decisions. I already have two key laws that this government has.

LAWS

Unified Order is a special law that can only be requested in a time of war or planet wide danger. This law is requested by the Queen Empress, once a document is drafted for the exact reasons of her request it becomes a public petition that must have 90% precent of the populations signatures. Once 90% of the population has signed off on it, the petition becomes active before the next hour.

once active the whole population becomes unified, meaning that at any point during the 72 hour day 1/3 of the population is working along side the military forces to defend the planet, produce new military units such as ( engineers, medics, pilots, comandos, assassins, and scouting drones) they also take part in processing of food, construstion of fortifications in case of ground invasions, and finally the regular public's major job under unified law is to invent new technologies for the betterment of the population and the planet.

Decree of Freedom and Unity 10,010

This states that rebellion against the governement is a disruption to a free and united population, anyone who is a rebel will be hunted down and assassinated.

Thanks!

mammamaia · 02-28-2005, 08:50 AM

if the people are to be in control [= a democracy], why do you have a redundantly-titled monarch [= an autocracy]?

valeca · 02-28-2005, 09:08 AM

LOL maia
Welcome to Canada

Yeah, the Queen has really no power here...but that's what it reminded me of. I couldn't resist, heheheh

mammamaia · 02-28-2005, 09:53 AM

yr right, smart-aleck!... not exactly what i was aiming at, but right, nonetheless... the poster's situation seemed even more of a contradiction, but i didn't word my question tightly enough for niggling nit-pickers like you, gal... 10 pts to your side!

hugs, m

[and, fyi, i've been in canada for 3 months this time, am no stranger to its political peculiarities]

Ajax · 02-28-2005, 10:59 AM

Quote:

once active the whole population becomes unified, meaning that at any point during the 72 hour day 1/3 of the population is working along side the military forces to defend the planet, produce new military units such as ( engineers, medics, pilots, comandos, assassins, and scouting drones) they also take part in processing of food, construstion of fortifications in case of ground invasions, and finally the regular public's major job under unified law is to invent new technologies for the betterment of the population and the planet.

Sounds like "Battle Stations" on a naval vessel.
I'm thinking that there are a lot of civilian jobs that don't relate to military aspects. The people in the potato chip manufacturing facilities, for instance, don't have a lot of training in anything useful. To make them useful you may want to have mandetory military indoctrination in this society so that each person has a military occupation as a reservist, and when this type of order gets issued, those that are in the 1/3 called up report to their designated duty stations.

Quote:

This states that rebellion against the governement is a disruption to a free and united population, anyone who is a rebel will be hunted down and assassinated.

Here you'd need to define "rebellion" and what constitutes rebellion. Freedom of speech and freedome of assembly can both be curtailed under a law like this. So when you look at groups that meet to discuss how to "change" the government for the better, there is a fine line that you need to thread between concepts of alteration in the government and actual treason.

As you have it stated, the term "rebellion" can be defined by whomever is enforcing this law. If you are intending this to mean disruptive physical action of a military type against the government, then you should probably rephrase or include that in your definition of rebellion.

valeca · 02-28-2005, 02:13 PM

I know maia

I saw the thread describing where everyone is. You're about 2 hours away from me.

mammamaia · 03-01-2005, 07:41 AM

val...
yeah, i remember you saying so earlier... well, next time you're over this way, give me a shout and come by my cozy basement digs!... hugs, m

DavidC · 03-02-2005, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostingReality101

LAWS

Unified Order is a special law that can only be requested in a time of war or planet wide danger. This law is requested by the Queen Empress, once a document is drafted for the exact reasons of her request it becomes a public petition that must have 90% precent of the populations signatures. Once 90% of the population has signed off on it, the petition becomes active before the next hour.

Ok, first of all you need to ask yourself where does the power lie? With the people or the person? Having the ability to call for a public petition as the only means for a Unified Order as you call it places a few dangers into immediate concern. What if the Queen can't be convinced because she's stupid, weak, bought etc yet everyone else is sure that there is a need? A way around this would be to have a check or balance whereby the people can call for a petition without the Queen's support, possibly a another public vote whereby again 90% is needed to act as a failsafe should the Queen's judgement be brought into question. Also, 90% is a big number to get of any people. 60% to 75% is a vast majority of the populace, surely enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostingReality101

...the regular public's major job under unified law is to invent new technologies for the betterment of the population and the planet.

Shouldn't they be doing this anyway at all times?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostingReality101

...This states that rebellion against the government is a disruption to a free and united population, anyone who is a rebel will be hunted down and assassinated.

As pointed out, need to establish what rebellion is? Is a protest a rebellion, is only armed violence in a massed force rebellion? Clarification on this would be essential, as assasination for would surely be a touch extreme if someone threw a bottle at a police officer was seen as rebellion.

river-wind · 03-03-2005, 03:26 PM

the logistics of getting 90% of an entire planet to sign a document are somewhat mind boggling. Are we talking pen-and paper signature, general vote; direct representaional democracy? Representative republic?

Might the head of state (Queen Empress) be just a figurehead? is there a parliment or at least some sort of advisory committee? Who rules on a peacefull day? who gets to decide when the need for this Unified temporary state of affairs ends?

Ajax · 03-03-2005, 04:36 PM

Maybe they're required to vote.

"Attention all citizens, a call for Unified Order has been issued. Please proceed to the nearest computer terminal to verify your identity and submit your vote. Voting will conclude in one hour. Failure to vote will result in a fine of twelve quatluus and a 3% cut in your monthly food rations."

Or maybe they're all cybernetically connected to a central computer system, and when a vote of this nature is called, suddenly everyone everywhere just stops and has a blank stare while the system downloads the necessary information, parses through the concious decision making portions of their brains, and extracts their vote.

crzywriter · 03-03-2005, 05:09 PM

extracts thier vote? sounds messy...i'd picture them being able to CAST their vote through this cybernetic system...but extracted?

~Crzy

Ajax · 03-04-2005, 07:49 AM

I think it sounds more authoritarian. So if you're going for a beautiful world, you wouldn't want to use that. But if you're going for a "Brave New World" sort of world, extract away.

But yeah, I can see doing it either way depending on the type of world you're wanting to create.