Kern

The Unified Free Peaceful Neutral Survivors (called Kern or UFPNS) is an of the United States of JBR and formerly a  of the Californian Union. The nation-state of Kern emerged from the former  of  and now includes portions of neighboring counties. The capital and largest city gave its name to the former JBRican territory of Bakersfield.

Kern is an autonomous state which has chosen free association with the United States of JBR, although it lacks full. All citizens of Kern are de facto JBRican citizens. Prior to recent political changes in the US of JBR, President Justin Vuong was the titular (serving as President of Kern). Now the Premier of Kern, Alejandro Vaslov, is the current and serves as the sole executive authority within Kern's borders.

Diplomatic relations were previously conducted by the U.S. of JBR on Kern's behalf -- although contacts with the Mostly Harmless Alliance reflect Kern's history of independence, since the JBRican government itself was affiliated with the New Pacific Order. Kern's government differs from that of the United States of JBR, as it is not promcapablic. Instead, Kern is a governed by Vaslov and the so-called Council of Twelve, along with elected Citizens' Courts.

Geography
Kern's territory extends east beyond the southern Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi range into the Mojave Desert, and includes parts of Indian Wells and Antelope Valley. To the west, Kern extends across the floor of the San Joaquin Valley to the eastern parts of the. To the south, Kern reaches over the Tehachapis into northern regions of the former Los Angeles and Ventura counties, at the borders of the JBRican states of Angeles, Lancaster, Barbaran, and Malibustan. Extending north into the southern San Joaquin Valley, it also includes portions of the former Tulare, Kings, and Inyo counties, where the Central Kingdom borders the US of JBR.

Criminal Law
The basic laws for any who live in Kern are plain and simple: No murder. No coercion of others by force (including assault, rape, kidnapping). No theft of property by stealth (burglary), deceit (fraud), or coercion (robbery). No sexual activity involving minors. No use of synthetic or refined psychoactive drugs. No laxity or stupidity in the care of infants and/or rearing of young children. These laws are strictly enforced by the Citizens.

Treason or militancy against the Unified Free Peaceful Neutral Survivors (UFPNS) of Kern is also forbidden.

The penalties for breaking these laws are determined and imposed by the Citizens' Courts of Kern. These penalties may include confiscation of money or property, removal of children to charity care, public media ridicule, bond-enslavement until restitution is paid, exile from Kern, or swift public execution by guillotine. Much of Kern's Criminal Law derives from the Old Testament (Hebrew Torah). Torture, amputation, and so-called "corrective" incarceration are NOT allowed.

Regulation of marriage and family relationships is delegated to the various religious and social organizations within Kern. Religious or affinity groups may impose any penalties or punishments upon their own members which do not conflict with the basic laws cited above. Conflicts between groups (and their members) are arbitrated by the Citizens' Courts, whose members are elected from organized groups of entrepreneurs, religious leaders, scientists, disabled people, and skilled laborers.

Economy
Kern has maintained a rich agricultural base, enhanced by mechanized irrigation. Notable crops include carrots, grapes, pistachio nuts, almonds, and even cotton in years past. Much of the area's produce is exported to other regions in lucrative trade. Unfortunately, a significant part of Kern's water is supplied by a system of inland canals extending from the Sacramento delta into the southern San Joaquin Valley. Dairy farms and cattle ranches also provide meat and milk products for Kern and its many trade partners.

Kern has been a major producer of crude oil for over 100 years, beginning with petroleum deposits found in the area of and other oil fields which were drilled and developed in later decades. Recently Kern has innovated the use of wind power in the Tehachapi range as well as geothermal power and "fracking" technology. In the late 19th to early 20th centuries Kern was also noted for its mineral wealth, including gold and borax deposits. The largest open pit (borax) mine in North America is near the town of Boron in eastern Kern. Recently, unobtainium ore deposits were reported near Sharktooth Hill northeast of the capital,, but such reports are considered spurious.

Despite the turmoil and destruction of the Dissolution of the USA during the early 2000's, Kern's railways and roadways have continued to function as the primary inland trade routes between the northern and southern parts of the former Californian Union (although, as noted, Kern's agricultural water is chiefly supplied from the north). A so-called "high speed rail" system has been touted as an investment for Kern's future, although many citizens question its long-term cost and ultimate viability as a transportation link between the fragmented regions of the former State of California.

Kern's economic infrastructure is entirely owned by private companies which are in turn wholly owned by the Kern's citizens. All basic enterprises, including energy production, food production, and transportation of goods and people, are operated by local companies. They compete in a traditional "free market" according to the tenets of anarcho-capitalism. Education, communication media, internet access, law enforcement, and judicial courts (see above) are also provided by Citizen-owned enterprises.

The only taxation in Kern is a 5% sales assessment on all transactions of goods and services. These funds support the Citizens' Courts, the Council of Twelve, the border militia, diplomatic functions with other nations, and Citizen Shield, an organization which regulates testing of people for Citizenship (both native-born and immigrants). Persons who decline this minimal tax are required to leave the territory of Kern within one year. Other taxes or fees may be assessed by companies involved in providing infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roadways and railways, etc.) as well as by law enforcement, judicial, and educational enterprises. Fees or tithes may also be required by affinity groups or religious organizations. Any citizens who object to local fees or tithes are free to leave their respective groups and/or depart from the territory of Kern.

Because of Kern's firmly neutral political stance, it has been the site of significant diplomatic and trade missions between the United States of JBR and the Duchies of the Central Kingdom in northern California. Meetings are often held at.

Military
All adult citizens of Kern are considered to be part of the Citizens' militia. Adult able-bodied citizens are required to spend three years of active service, typically when they attain full Citizenship. This includes six months of physical education and military training, followed by three years of duty with either the border militia, Citizen Shield, or an internal law enforcement company. (Any citizens who hold strict pacifist beliefs may serve an equal amount of time in a health care company.)

Citizens who choose to remain in these public services as a career are accepted as candidates for the Council of Twelve after a period of seven years. Thereupon they may be nominated to the Council by written acclamation (i.e. petition) of 10% of all Citizens at any time, at which point a general election is called.

Certain historic military facilities are located in the "high desert" of eastern Kern, including, , and the. These R&D and military assets are under the direct authority of the United States of JBR, whose nascent Space Infantry is based at Mojave Spaceport.

Because of its isolationist/neutral foreign policy, Kern has allowed JBR's military presence, but does not participate directly in military enterprises (similar to the Russian Federation's control of space travel at in ).

Science & Technology
Some of Kern's private companies are developing orbit-capable vehicles at Mojave Spaceport for future commercial endeavors, including possible space tourism or interplanetary exploration. Also, some laboratories in Kern are researching ontological multiverse-shifting, psychic remote viewing, and hyperluminal travel. This research is as yet hypothetical and secret, but some experimental results have been divulged.

One test physically retrieved a silver coin inscribed "Napoleon II/Norte Amerique" showing an unidentified profile, with a mint date of 1835 in a city called "Ste. Louis". Radio-dating of the coin (and some carbon residue) confirmed it as being from ca. 1810 to 1870.

Another experiment brought into remote view a newspaper page dated October 31, 1976. It appears to show a completely divergent history of the USA after 1962, in which John Kennedy was not assassinated, and South Vietnam was abandoned and became part of an independent southeast Asian socialist bloc of nations. After Kennedy's second term, Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 and re-elected in 1972, and served two full terms as President. The election of 1976 is the subject of the newspaper page that was viewed.

Scientists at this laboratory have said nothing more -- except to question why they were able to retrieve an actual physical object from nearly 200 years ago, but were only able to glimpse and record a visual image from 35 years ago. The empirical data (so far) seems to confirm the "Multiverse" interpretation of the cosmos, as it includes both Quantum Theory and General Relativity.

History
The people of Kern fought a series of bloody skirmishes at the time of the Dissolution to defend their borders and resources. There was also much violence within the region itself as various factions fought for dominance. The former Kern County dissolved into chaos, not unlike the former USA itself. Out of this confusion there arose a charismatic leader and orator named Alejandro, who grew up in the small town of Edison. In his early writings he described himself variously as a reincarnation of the legendary Indian/Buddhist emperor Asoka or the Filipino polymath -- however his early (some said monomaniacal) pronouncements were ascribed to youthful enthusiasm. His ideas gradually gained followers over the next few years as he traveled throughout the region of Kern, espousing a rational philosophy of free-market capitalism, isolationism/neutrality, religious freedom, and strong self-defense. He was later said to believe in various ideologies and religions, including Soka-Gakkai Buddhism, the objectivist philosophy of, and the teachings of Jesus Christ -- despite the fact that these contradict each other in significant ways.

Religion
There is complete freedom of religion in Kern with the exception of any which teach or condone non-judicial (i.e. criminal) violence or enslavement of other people.

However, adherents of certain historical faiths with questionably violent scriptures (e.g. Islam, early Christianity, earlier Judaism) have been "grandfathered in" as long as their followers remain non-coercive and non-violent within the nation of Kern itself. Adherents of any religion who violate Kern's basic laws (see Criminal Law above) are subject to the described penalties.

Marriage is not regulated in Kern. Religious and social groups, as well as individuals, are free to determine the rules of marriage and sex (with regard to gender, plurality, and duration) with the exception of age. Sexual activity involving persons under the age of 17 (or developmentally impaired persons) is strictly prohibited and punishable.

Because of its near-total religious freedom, many people have immigrated to Kern in recent years. Temples, mosques, churches, and other religious buildings have been constructed. Local meetings and churches have flourished in many Citizens' homes. Faith-based charities have also flourished. Atheists and "pagans" have been equally welcome, and have formed humanistic affinity groups and capitalist enterprises within Kern.

Culture
Kern's culture reflects its recent history as part of California. Traditional USAmerican and Mexican foods predominate in its cuisine, along with a strong Asian influence. Sports and entertainment have followed the dominant pre-Dissolution trends, although Kern maintains a tradition of "country western" music, and the largest city (Bakersfield) was once known as "Nashville West". Fermented fruit and grain products along with other psychoactive drugs in their natural (i.e. plant) form are legal, and marijuana is exported to surrounding nations (along with many other cultivated hemp products). However, the production and/or personal use of refined or synthetic drugs is outlawed except for approved medical uses.

Kern has a strong commitment to literacy and reading. In fact, public libraries are one of the few non-essential enterprises that are supported by the national 5% sales tax. Citizens may borrow books and other media at these libraries, and a wide variety of free classes are offered by various educational and religious organizations as well as commercial corporations. Citizens may also purchase books or media from the public libraries.

Several unusual customs have developed in Kern. These include inviting vacationing tourists to drown in the Kern River during the summer, hosting humane guinea pig fights and snail races, igniting tiny spinning swastika fireworks near border checkpoints, watching movies on plasma TVs while floating in swimming pools, holding "demolition derbies" using remote-controlled weaponized monster trucks, and of course the annual "Herding of the Cats" tournament in Pumpkin Center. Renaissance faires and free concerts are also popular.

Politics
Kern had collapsed into near-anarchy after the Dissolution of the old USA. During this time of confusion a writer and political philosopher named Alejandro Rizal Jackson appeared on the scene. Of mixed Russian/Filipino and Hispanic/Punjabi/Scottish ancestry, he adopted the surname "Vaslov". He gained wide readership and popular support, and he eventually organized Kern into a viable political entity. He was acclaimed Premier of Kern upon its acceptance as a free associate state of the United States of JBR.

Under his leadership, Kern pursued a policy of libertarian/capitalist economics, minimal government, freedom of thought and religion, free media expression, and free public association, along with a stance of isolationism toward surrounding nations and the outside world -- while still maintaining a well-armed voluntary citizens' militia for defense of the people, their property, their lands, and their way of life against any and all exterior threats.

For further details, please see the sections on Economy, Military, and History above.

Education
Education of children is provided at home by parents or guardians, or by privately-operated schools at the expense of the parent(s). Full citizenship in Kern is granted to native-born children (minimum age of 16) and prospective immigrants upon completion of a basic test of intelligence, survival skills, and general knowledge, including literacy (both reading and writing) and numeracy (arithmetic and algebra). The so-called "Citizenship Exam" is provided once per year by a citizen-funded testing agency.

Able-bodied and able-minded citizens (aged at least 16) with no recorded violations of basic criminal laws are required to own a personal firearm following their mandatory 3-year training and service in the citizens' militia. Pacifist citizens are provided training in non-lethal self-defense skills. Prospective foreign immigrants are required to undergo a one-year probationary period, background check, and drug testing, followed by the aforementioned Citizenship Exam.

Current Events
There has been discussion in the Premier's Council of Twelve as to the dominance of Kern's self-governance as a "under the thumb" of Premier Vaslov. The whole idea of politics is distasteful to the Council and all the people, as most of them are extremely libertarian to the point of near-anarchism.

However, after associating with the US of JBR, the new concept of a promcapablic form of government has stirred some debate among Kern's citizens and their Council members. They question Vaslov's ongoing dominance as the "first and only" Premier of Kern. An open is being discussed as a step toward removing him from power, and electing a new Premier from the Council of Twelve.

At the founding of the UPFNS, the Premier's Council of Twelve was personally chosen by Vaslov from his most loyal, intelligent, and economically successful supporters. It should be noted that Council members are now elected by the Citizens in a popular vote (see above). The Council exercises veto power over Vaslov's acts and decisions, but only by unanimous secret vote.