Difference between revisions of "Annexea (old)"

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Annexea is an isolationist nation located in Taijitu. The country is perhaps best known for its incredibly lax policy regarding drugs, as well as its pursuit of the Philosophy of Ectoplasm. The government's stated aim, in accordance with this philosophy, is to absorb all that there is into the unity of the "Ectoplasm"'s corrupting influence.

History

The rise and spread of Annexean society can be thought of as a swarm of locusts traveling from field to field. Its pattern of expansion has been to use the resources of an area, convert it to an ectoplasmic community, then find other 'pure' lands to warp to its needs.

The First Regime

Our records can be accurately - as much as history can be 'accurate' - traced back to the regime of the Socialists, on the first island of Annexea (note that we name the current island of conquest Annexea...). The society of Annexea had been functioning in a sort of libertarian state for some time, but the quality of life was also dropping steadily. This poor standard of living led to significant support for greater government intervention. A faction of Socialists quickly grew to the majority and took over the government. Their policies were textbook socialism, a simple and idealistic response to the crisis. Universal health care was established, taxes were raised for the rich, a massive social welfare program was created, and everyone was to help each other succeed. But the regime quickly took advantage of its newfound influence over society and began to shape it towards its warped ideals. It made the fundamental claim that people were good, and that it was the duty of the government to shape its citizens to its ideal of goodness. In accordance with that philosophy, curfews were enacted, dress codes put in place, even harsh limitations on speech. Their insane desire for politeness went as far as a chart for greetings (Fig. 1A). Driven by their desire to escape the past, and believing in the idle promises of the future, the people accepted these laws. They were stifled souls in superficial shells, living superficial lives. The government indoctrinated them with their optimistic orthodoxy (see Fig 1B for an example) at a young age. Yet even this inconsistency of murder used to preserve the "goodness" of society could not influence the public to change; they were too deeply under the spell of this regime.

The Resistance

It was 15 years of oppression before free will once again began to be instilled in the minds of the people. At first, the resistance was limited to occasional acts of "civil disobedience" as the people individually found themselves "succumbing to desires" against the wishes of the government. A minority faction grew out of these scattered dissenters, choosing the free lifestyle contrary to the goals of the government. The Socialists used "rehabilitation programs" and other strategies to quell this disobedience, but they were ineffective - their society relied upon the goodness of man, and thus their laws were inherently unenforceable by their own logic. Powerless to stop it, the government watched as their great society collapsed, with only feeble, ineffective reactions. (see Fig 2A, which exemplifies their helplessness).

The fall of the Socialists

With no people left to govern, the socialist government quickly dissolved, leaving all of Annexea in chaos. The people, now tired of government, lived in deliberate anarchy, rejecting almost all attempts at any kind of order. Dissenters who advocated for more regulations or a return to old policies were swiftly mobbed and removed from society. What little structure did exist came in the form of amorphous "communities" that represented people naturally clustering together.

The Entropic State

The prevailing philosophy of today has its roots in this organic society brought upon by the collapse of government and disillusionment of its people. The people began to realize that society tends towards entropy. The most "stable" form of society is a loosely bound "chaos", and society will naturally move towards this state. The community reasoned that this pull towards social entropy creates stress on society, and that therefore the ideal society, which has no stress, must be the formless chaos of entropy. And so the first Post-Socialist society was formed, referred to as the "Entropic State". Although this society began to understand the value of the chaotic model of society, its philosophy was simplistic and fatally flawed.

The formation of the Cell State

The next phase of Annexea's development into modern day society was its formation of specialized structures and a central government. This, contrary to the philosophy of the prior society, is the natural tendency of humanity. This process is analogous to the natural process of cell growth; the various components of a cell form from the cytoplasm and are controlled by a nucleus. Hence, this form of society is referred to as a "Cell State". The origin of this new desire for (limited) order in society grew, ironically, from the anti-order sentiments that dominated the entropic state. Inevitably, to preserve the chaos, rules were necessary to prohibit anything but anarchy. The first governments with any power were formed from the most strongly anti-order individuals seeking to preserve anarchy. These local authorities shifted and merged, eventually creating a centralized system for controlling society. Just as total chaos was kept through social pressure, so was the existence of government. The most powerful anarchists became the first government leaders, and so were able to maintain influence over society. The prevailing philosophy, thusly, changed to reflect these new circumstances. It now advocated controlled chaos, and, most importantly, a loose union of society's parts. This natural change in public opinion quickly brought about a fairly stable cell state.

The flaws of the Cell State

The nucleus of the Cell State had a fundamental flaw in its origins. The first members of the government were former ex-anarchist local government officials from throughout Annexea. The government was seen by the people an authoritarian democracy, the ex-anarchists being representatives of the various communities. With their new principles of loose unity and controlled chaos in mind, the Annexean people advocated for an authoritarian democracy that could impose the basic ideals of Annexea and preserve its society, yet still grant the people freedom at a local level. This new system, however, was paralleled that of the Socialists - the only difference being the commitment to social freedom rather than social conditioning. The social atmosphere of the Cell State, again afflicted by optimism, began to ignore the inherent corruption of the human soul. Their society, though superficially similar to that of today in its policies and practices, was driven by naive hedonism (known as Cytoplasmism), not the true philosophy of Ectoplasm.

The Ectoplasmic State

Though for the most part, the myopic society did not have the horrors of the Socialists embedded in their memory, there were a few who recognized the terrible path Annexea was taking. In order to correct the flaws of the Cell State, these reformers developed the idea of expanding the central government to reduce its efficiency, thus making "progress", such as socialism, nearly impossible. This major expansion of government was a difficult task, but eventually, the goal of the massive bureaucracy was achieved (the details of this maneuver are complex and too long to describe in this summary). Along with these government changes came the propagation of a new philosophy - Ectoplasmism. This new philosophy declared that the ideal state of society is a controlled chaos, and that a society should move towards the corrupted "ectoplasm" that underlies the universe. It was similar to Cytoplasmism, but clarified two things: it asserted the inherent taint in all things, and it stopped the movement of society towards "progress".

Geography

The entire nation is located on an island roughly the size of Australia, lying just north of the Antarctic. The island can be divided into four divisions.

Interzone

Interzone is the massive, sprawling, overdeveloped, morally-degenerated, inhospitable region that is the heart of Annexea both physically and socially. Interzone is chaotic and corrupt, with little regulation. The environment is largely desert; the region expands outwards, slowly destroying natural resources and claiming more land. Entrance for immigrants is through the northern port city of Barat. The Ectoplasmicon, Annexea's religious leader, resides in central Interzone.

Freeland

Freeland is a semi-autonomous "republic" (i.e. oligarchy) that contrasts sharply with Interzone. While still having the same "depraved" feel to it, it has far more order. Freeland is totalitarian where Interzone is a corrupt bureaucracy. Freeland is home to most of the scientific research and much of Annexea's military operations (details sketchy, of course). Whereas entrance into Interzone is easy, entrance into Freeland is a more rigorous process.

Qezzef

The province of Qezzef is the "sane" province of Annexea. It is less populated than Interzone, so it has less sprawl and urban corruption. Qezzefi believe as other Annexeans do in freedom to pursue happiness (i.e. "hedonism"), but try on large to be less depraved in this pursuit. Qezzef is smaller than Interzone, but continues to grow, especially on its coast. Qezzef is the location of foreign embassies and is generally considered the most pragmatic sector.

Bassa

This region is the smallest of the four regions, and would like to keep it that way. They are hedonistic but less "pragmatic" than Qezzefi. For the most part, they are left in the southwest. Bassa has the largest percentage of Kandankero ("native" forest-dwellers oppressed, etc.) integrated into their society. The other regions generally don't care much about Bassa. Bassa is the nicest looking destination for tourists (to have fun!), and the regional government is in the process of creating a resort island to attract said tourists.

Environment

The Annexeans' quest for Ectoplasm has ultimately resulted in a destructive environmental policy, with the area of the island which has been transformed into urban sprawl growing daily. The exception are the forests in which the Annexean giant centipede is farmed for the black meat.

Deserts

The only true desert of Annexea is in the center of the island. This desert formed as a result of overgrazing and other human influence, coupled with low rainfall. It is a moderately dry desert that still holds some life, mostly cacti, snakes and other small animals.

Plains

Slash and Burn agriculture has transformed once forested areas into much bleaker plains. Because of the suburban sprawl that has taken over much of the area, the wildilife largely constitutes creatures that are specifically adapted to living with humans, such as squirrels and pigeons. Flora is limited to bushes, the occasional cactus, and sparse trees.

Annexean Giant Centipede

This creature is exclusive to areas deep within the forests of Annexea. For whatever reason, they are very difficult to breed in captivity, and are only bred by Kandankero centipede farmers who have a long tradition of doing so. Feeding on mice and lizards that are native to the forests, the centipedes are poisonous, carrying chemicals which act as hallucinogens on humans. The effects of these chemicals are minimal when coming in contact with skin or being bitten; To produce the Black Meat, it is necessary to heat the substance, a process which increases its potency.

Government

Main article: Government of Annexea

In Annexea, there is one branch of government - The Bureaucracy. It is vast and inefficient, and gains new members through absorption (hiring without consent).

It is important to note that the bureaucracy is like an organism, with many shifting, interacting regions. There tend to be situations where multiple departments may work on the same project without knowing, etc. Also, oversight committees exist in certain departments for other departments, leading to an endlessly confusing network of bureaucracy watching still more bureaucracy.

Political Affiliations

Main article: Political Groups in Annexea

Although there are no official political parties in Annexea, as is inevitable in any society, political groups form. These groups begin to play an important role when there is pressure for change in government, even though there are no elections. Influence of non-government members as well as bureaucrats in parties are felt as the new government is developed.

Economy

The Annexean economy, like its society, is characterized by a confusing lack of order with distant but omnipresent government oversight. The culture may seem to indicate that Annexeans do not "care" about having a profitable economy, but like any people, they do seek to have a successful economy.

Compulsory Consumerism

Annexea's economic system is characterized a society-driven free market influenced by government oversight and subsidizing. This dual paradigm of government control and laissez-faire economics is the result of two major modes of thought in Annexea: libertarianism, and a desire to promote "Ectoplasm". Thus, Annexeans want to be economically free, but only if people are free following the right ideals.

The primary means by which the government controls business is through subsidies. The Annnexean government provides massive subsidies for drug producers and energy companies (see sections below). This means that these two critical industries are under strict oversight, and it is near impossible for smaller companies to gain any traction against the subsidized giants.

The government, however, does not go so far as to regulate small businesses. It is at this level where the laissez faire philosophy is most realized. A small business could be anything from a coffee shop to a small scale drug operation (As a side note, these "street dealers" are part of a complex drug market; they buy drugs from the government or elsewhere and resell them, usually along with slight modifcations or other gimmicks. They are left in business by the government because they make effective distributors; thus,they are, in a sense, indirectly subsidized). Anyone in Annexea can start a business, as there is virtually no regulation or restriction (there are a few, but most are obscure law and are not enforced). Cut-throat competition is common, especially among these smaller businesses; there is a constant struggle to make profit and eliminate competition.

The second major means of economic control by the government is, strangely, anti-trust regulation. According to the philosophy of Ectoplasm, the ideal economy is a sprawling, organic system with a variety of opposing forces. Thus, the government finds it necessary to ensure that no company becomes too powerful. It will create and support new businesses with opposing models, and break up monopolies. Unlike most anti-trust policy in other nations, the Annexeans accept "corrupt" business practices, so long as they are opposed and balanced by other ambitions. For instance, hiring people to heckle potential customers outside a rival store is allowed, so long as this does not create monopolic control. It is important to note that this pluralistic model does not extend itself to the heavily subsidized industries, which the government runs with little explanation.

Drugs

Annexea is best known in the international economy as a producer of drugs, due to its legalization of just about every drug and strangely positive emphasis on the issue. Just as some nations have subsidies for food farming, the Annexean goverment supports and fosters drug production. A large portion (relative to that of other nations) of Annexean agriculture is devoted to "agricultural drugs (marijuana, poppies for opium, etc.). The drugs that are not traded wihtin the domestic economy are sold on the black market, whose workings are very familiar to the Annexean government. Though they will not admit it, the Annexean government provides connections to the black market in various nations to well-behaved drug producing companies.

The Black Meat is produced in small quantities, because of the intensive process of raising centipedes. Thus, it is extremely expensive in the international market, and has had little success. A kind of nationalism and social pressure drives many Annexean citizens to partake of the delicacy, a practice not as appreciated by outsiders. Black meat only comprises of about 3-8% of the total drug market.

Annexea also has, in its scientific community, a great emphasis on "pharmaceutical research". This includes research into "psychedelic therapy" and other treatments that would seem questionable to most nations. Synthetic drugs, especially hallucinogens, are created in government pharmaceutical labs as well as in private drug companies (whose compliance to government rules is ensured by black market incentives). Tests of drugs are usually completed on "human samples", i.e. drug addicts eager for something new.

Power (Oil and Uranium)

A large part of the Annexean economy is centered around energy, specifically that from oil and uranium. Oil is drilled from offshore platforms mostly to the west of Annexea, and it is refined near the northwestern coast. The Annexean oil pipelines carry this oil throughout Interzone. The majority of oil goes to Interzone, where it is used for everything from machinery to vehicles. A smaller amount is transported to Bassa and Qezzef, mostly via ship (because there are no major pipelines in that direction). The Annexean oil industry operates without any regard for the natural environment, and little regard for its own workers.

Annexean Uranium is obtained through mining in central Interzone. Much of the power in Annexea is supplied through nuclear power plants through a new nuclear energy program. Like the oil industry, the Uranium Industry has little concern for individual workers, and even less for the environment. Uranium mining is considered to be one of the most brutal jobs in Annexea. It is rumored that the Ectoplasmicon consumes uranium regularly (because a small amount seems to find its way to *slurp*), but such rumor should not be taken seriously, considering many of the same people believe he glows when you turn the lights off.

Society

Social Hierarchy

Although there is no official class system, and it is actively discouraged by the government, there is an unofficial social hierarchy derived from societal values and expectations. The primary stratification of Annexean society is, surprisingly, rooted in measures of success. Annexeans, despite their philosophy of Ectoplasm, do look down upon those who do not do anything with their lives. The lowest class is the group of people who live on the streets in miserable, desperate hope of securing more drugs. Next, near the bottom, are those who perhaps have some small job, but spend all their money and most of their time on drug addictions and the occasional party. This class gives much business to lenders of money. The lower middle class comprises most of Annexeans - they have food, shelter, whatever drugs they need, they socialize. These people are often able to work their way into the bureaucracy. High level bureaucrats and successful capitalists form the upper middle class, which believes in its own right of wealth and power more than the government appreciates. However, they are appreciated for forming the entrepreneurial backbone of Annexea's economy. The highest class, only slighty more respected than the middle class (and sometimes less), is comprised of thevery wealthy or very popular, who are the upstanding citizens of Annexea. Some are drug lords, some are billionaires who hold massive parties, others are leading diplomats. The upper class is rarely seen as having control of the lower classes; the power, most sociologists agree, is focused in the lower and upper middle class. In this way, the very well off can remain, for the most part, in the favor of others.

Ectoplasm

Main Article: Ectoplasm

The philosophy of Ectoplasm is the predominant "religion" of Annexea. It is state sponsored, pervades almost every corner of Annexean life in some way, and is the defining attribute underlying much of Annexean culture.

Ectoplasm describes the spiritual material from which all things are made. In a twist to the standard interpretation of this metaphor, this philosophy asserts that this fundamental substance is inherently "tainted". According to Ectoplasm, in order to acheive what is the equivalent of "enlightenment", one must reconcile with this corrupting force and "meld" with it. In practice, Ectoplasm is not usually quite so extreme, but the spirit of corruption looming insidiously behind everything has a profound effect on the society. For instance, most prominently, it is used to justify the prevalence of drugs, because drugs bring people closer to Ectoplasm through their corrupting influence.

Kandankero Society

Main Article: Kandankero

The Kandankero are Annexea's only surviving native group (that is, society that existed before the Great Annexean Migration to their current home). The Kandankero, often called 'Kero for short, are thought of by most Annexeans as inferior and are generally left to their isolated forest homes, which are continually threatened by Annexean expansion. They have perfected the practice centipede farming, which makes them the sole producers of the Black Meat. For this reason, 'Kero society is kept alive by the Annexeans who would not otherwise care, though this sometimes takes the form of "colonies", i.e. subjugated 'Kero groups.