| An Soviit Àird á Aiteam á Srath Chluaidh |
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| People's Democratic Soviet Republic of Strathclyde |
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| Motto "We are the future, the future is socialism" |
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| National Anthem Workers of the World | |||||
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| Capital | Kilmarnock | ||||
| Official languagess | Strathclydian Gaelic | ||||
| Demonym | Strathclydian | ||||
| Government | Soviet Republic | ||||
| - Head of State | General M Mazur | ||||
| Formation - Sovereignty |
8 August 2013 |
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| Disestablishment - Dissolution |
10 February 2014 |
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| Major Religions | Atheism1 | ||||
| National Animal | Griffin | ||||
| Total Area | 5,300 sq. mi. | ||||
| Total Population - Ethnic groups |
1,251,190 Celtic |
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| Alliance Affiliation | None | ||||
| Currency | Strathclydian Shilling ($) | ||||
| Literacy Rate | 93.9% | ||||
| Time Zone | UTC ±0 | ||||
| 1 Although the Government encouraged Atheism, the primary religions are Druidism and Christianity. | |||||
The People's Democratic Soviet Republic of Strathclyde (Gaelic: An Soviit Àird á Aiteam á Srath Chluaidh [aɲ s̪oviht̪ aːɾʤ a aːtʃʰɛmj a s̪rˠahj xɫ̪uəɣ]), also known simply as Strathclyde and Soviet Strathclyde, was a communist nation on the island of Great Britain from August 2013 until it's dissolution six months later.
Strathclyde was during its existence a parliamentary democracy founded on the principals of the "dictatorship of the proletariat, an elected government, and freedom for all."[1] Prior to national dissolution, the country was a member of the United Socialist Alliance. Strathclyde had a large lead and oil industry, both of which were largely dependant on government-owned production facilities. Lead was mined from the inland mountains, and oil drilled from the Irish Sea.
History
Strathclyde first formed as a political body shortly before the Roman conquest of Britain. Originally a small and unimportant Celtic kingdom, it grew rapidly under a series of great rulers to overtake most of Scotland, and many argue it eventually became the Scottish Kingdom.
Following the collapse of the world capitalist economy in December 2012 (see "The End of the Line"), a period of anarchy ruled over much of the world. The small population of Scotland was nearly wiped out, leaving room for a new beginning. On 8 August 2013, General Mazur, in charge of a small band of Celtic nomads who had escaped the colapse of the economy, proclaimed the People's Democratic Soviet Republic of Strathclyde, a revolutionary state, at the ruins of Kilmarnock. Soon after, a communist government was elected.
World Events
Subcontinental War
In September of 2009, military conflict arose in Kashmir between India and Pakistan. What should have been a minor conflict in what was an ongoing dispute was escalated by Pakistan's new president, Ahmed Rana, who replaced General Pervez Musharraf following an American invasion to remove him in 2008. Rana, who was installed by the Americans, responded to the presence of Indian forces in Kashmir by deploying a nuclear missile against New Delhi. India's response to the matter was totally lost by the People's Republic of China, who had signed a mutual defense pact with India, deploying nuclear missiles against Pakistan and the United States, who they blamed for the attacks due to their installation of Rana. Although the United States did not respond with nuclear force, the combined use of nuclear bombs was enough to plunge the entire world into a nuclear winter that would last to this day.
"The End of the Line"
In early 2012, distress from the rising cost of living, widespread poverty, and lack of basic necessities led to riots and chaos worldwide. This was in part due to global economic recession, caused by a mixture of natural disasters largely linked to climate change and the rise in global radiation levels caused by the Subcontinental War, and the polarization of wealth caused by corporate capitalism, a form of free market economy that arose in many states around the world following World War II. This corporate capitalism, which many refered to as 'corporate fascism', focused on the accumulation of wealth in the corporation, at the expense of the individual. This led to corporate cartels raising prices, while the majority of incomes remained static or fell.
With business at a standstill from strikes and the loss of individual disposable income, governments began declaring martial law. The first nation to do so was the United States of America, who, as the only global superpower, influenced many other nations to follow suit. With martial law in place, the American Congress was disbanded, and elections postponed indefinately. This loss of freedom, something held as sacred to the Americans, sparked state and local militias nationwide to begin a resistance movement against the government. Commenting on the riots in Washington, DC, a reporter famously said that “this is the end of the line for America.” She might have said, “this is the end of the line for the world.”
Kilmarnock
On Friday, 21 December 2012, fears related to the stability of the United States, who remained at war with China, led to huge losses on the New York Stock Exchange. As the day progressed, stock markets around the world followed suit, so that by the close of the New York market on Monday, the entire world was in a deep economic depression. Riots worldwide intensified, and on Christmas Day, American President John Malcolm was assasinated. The nation plunged into civil war, as did various other nations. By January 2013, the world was in a state of total anarchy.
Various militias arose in an attempt to stablize the political scene of various regions. One of these, led by General M Mazur, was the Strathclydian People's Liberation Front. In August, Mazur proclaimed the Strathclydian state at Kilmarnock.
Dissolution
On 10 February 2014, five days before the second national elections were to occur, General Mazur gave a speech to the people of Strathclyde at Revolution Square in Kilmarnock. In it, he dissolved the nation of Strathclyde and resigned as president, citing the government's inability to represent the people internationally in the face of what Mazur described as the "terrorism" of the New Pacific Order.
Following dissolution, the regional soviets which previously only controlled economic matters assumed full governmental control over their respective regions.
Politics
Strathclydian President General M Mazur
The Strathclydian Constitution, adopted at independence, provided that a Grand Parliament be elected by the people, on the basis of one Delagate per five thousand persons or portion thereof. While military units were included in the total population, they did not recieve any votes. The Parliament had a fixed term of six months, but could have been reelected indefinately. The Parliament also contained Delegates appointed by the Communist Party of Strathclyde of the same proportion of population plus one. Therefore, the Grand Parliament in session immediately before dissolution was comprised of five hundred three delegates, two hundred fifty-one elected directly by the people, and two hundred fifty-two appointed by the Communist Party.
The President was elected seperately, and can only be elected from the Communist Party of Strathclyde. He ruled until death or impeachment (General Mazur, therefore, ruled until national dissolution). Process for impeachment involved a petition of no less than half the total population being presented to the Grand Parliament, who must have ratified the petition by a vote of more than two-thirds in favor. The President did not recieve a vote in Parliament, however, he did recieve a vote in case of a deadlock. He also held the sole power to propose legislation and to appoint the Executive Council from the members of Parliament. The President also had the power to declare martial law, but only by the majority vote of the Executive Council. During a period of martial law, the Grand Parliament would have been dissolved, and rule vested solely in the President and the Executive Council.
The Executive Council consisted of the following persons, who must have been appointed from the Parliament (with the exception of the Minister of Defense and the Head Justice of the Supreme Court), and who headed the various Ministries or departmnets as denoted by their title:
- Minister of Defense
- Minister of Internal Security
- Minister of Environmental Protection
- Minister of the Economy
- Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Ambassador to the United Socialist Alliance
- Head Justice of the Supreme Court
Various other rules and norms applied to the appointment of the Executive Council. The Minister of Defense must have been appointed from the Strathclydian Armed Forces, and was to be appointed from Parliament if a member of the military was a member of the Parliament. The Head Justice of the Supreme Court must have been appointed from among the justices of the Supreme Court, and was to be appointed from Parliament if a member of the Supreme Court was a member of the Parliament. The Minister of the Economy was to be appointed from the Communist Party of Strathclyde. The position of Ambassador to the United Socialist Alliance may have been filled by anyone, but was only ever taken by the President himself. Members of the Executive Council were to be appointed from at least one left-wing and one right-wing party.
Political Parties
Prior to September 2013, Strathclyde enforced no restrictions on political parties. After the events of the Heritage Crisis, however, the Strathclydian Christian Heritage Party was banned by Minister of Internal Security, G J Baker. The main political parties in Strathclyde prior to dissolution are shown below, left-wing parties on the left, right-wing parties on the right.
Heritage Crisis
The Capiħall, Strathclyde's main government building
The floor of Parliament Hall, inside the Capiħall
The Strathclydian Constitution, as it was originally adopted, declared that "All political parties shall be trated as equal and hold equal ability to enter the Government... no political faction shall be banned for any reason, unless that faction is unlawful by nature." Soon after the first elections, however, the Strathclydian Christian Heritage Party (SCHP) began directly challenging the Government, protecting the illegality of their doing so by demonstrating how it was sanctioned by their religion, and, as such, protected by the Constitution Articles 155 through 159, which protect freedom of religion. The Government, which has to this day maintained an atheistic perspective, began passing laws that were proposed not by the President, but by the SCHP.
The President, seeing this as the problem it was, proposed a bill to Parliament which would have ammended the Constitution to disallow any political parties affiliated with a religious organization. When the motion was tabled, it was met with great hostility from the SCHP. The entire party vacated the Parliament Hall, and begin equiping its members with weapons. The Christian Liberty Militia was formed, and for a period of approximately one month the Militia fought a guerrila civil war against the Government of Strathclyde. The Minister of Internal Security, G J Baker, immediately declared the entire party a terrorist organization. During the war, mass killings were committed against the majority Druidist population. The last of the Militia was captured on 5 October 2013 at Glasgow Mound. Charged with Treason, Sedition, and Committing Terrorist Acts, the members were executed on 20 October.
Major J Gray
Pre-Dissolution Government
The government of Strathclyde as it stood immediately prior to national dissolution is represented below in three sections. The first lists the political parties, how many Delegates they have in the Parliament, and what percentage of the popular vote they recieved. The second section lists the President and the Executive Council and what political party they represent. The third section lists foreign diplomats to various other countries.
Parliament
- Communist Party of Strathclyde, 336 Delegates, 33.3% of popular vote
- Strathclydian Social Democratic Party, 46 Delegates, 18.5% of popular vote
- Strathclydian Conservative Alliance, 38 Delegates, 14.8% of popular vote
- Marxist Union, 27 Delegates, 11.1% of popular vote
- National Party of Strathclyde, 27 Delegates, 11.0% of popular vote
- Liberal Party of Strathclyde, 17 Delegates, 7.0% of popular vote
- Scottish Capitalist Party, 9 Delegates, 3.7% of popular vote
- Democratic Alternative, 3 Delegates, 0.6% of popular vote
President and Executive Council
- President - General M Mazur (CPS)
- Vice President - Madame J Fletcher (SSDP)
- Minister of Defense - Leiutenent General A Maclean (SCA)
- Minister of Internal Security - The Honorable G J Baker (CPS)
- Minister of Environmental Protection - The Honorable M Ross (SSDP)
- Minister of the Economy - The Honorable B Devereaux (CPS)
- Minister of Foreign Affairs - The Honorable T Hewitt (SSDP)
- Ambassador to the United Socialist Alliance - General M Mazur (CPS)
- Head Justice of the Supreme Court - His Worship J Lannum (MU)
Foreign Diplomats
- Ambassador to the Aerican Empire - His Excellency E Herring (no affiliation)
- High Commissioner to the Republic of Jerna - Major J Gray (CPS)
International Relations
Strathclyde joined the Communist Party of CyberNations very soon after a communist government was elected, in order to further the policies of democratic communism being instituted within the nation. Recently, however, General Mazur began having disagreements with CPCN government officials regarding censorship within the alliance and the sovereignty of Strathclyde within the CPCN.
In December 2013, the Grand Parliament, at the discretion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, T Hewitt, voted to hold a referendum of the people as to whether to maintain membership within CPCN. The referendum was held on 8 December (coinciding with the four month aniversary of the nation's independence), and the people rejected maintenence of membership by a vote of 51% to 49%.
On 10 December 2013, Strathclyde officially resigned from CPCN. Immediately after withdrawing, it joined the United Socialist Alliance. Membership in the alliance, as well as General Mazur's position as Minister of Foreign Affairs, ended with the nation's dissolution.
Economy
The Strathclydian economy was based on a system of soviets, or workers councils. Unlike the traditional 'Soviet Republic', Strathclyde's economy alone was governed by the soviets, and not the government.
Soviets served two functions: to act as trade unions and collective bargaining organizations for workers, and to govern the the economy at large. Each city and surrounding area was served by one soviet. Each soviet consisted of a council of eight members popularly elected by the workers of the region for a term of three months. The President of Strathclyde appointed the President of the Soviet for each council from amongst the members, who arranged and presided over meetings of the soviet.
The Grand Soviet of Strathclyde was the national soviet, which oversaw the regional soviets. The Grand Soviet consisted of an Upper and a Lower Panel. The Upper Panel was appointed by the Grand Parliament at the advice of the President, and could overrule any decision made by the Lower Panel. It consisted of as many members as there are regional soviets, each member representing one of the regional soviets. The President of Strathclyde was the President of the Upper Panel of the Grand Soviet. The Lower Panel was the main decision-making body of the Grand Soviet, and consisted of the Presidents of the regional soviets. The Minister of the Economy (most recently B Devereaux) was the President of the Lower Panel of the Grand Soviet.
Corporations with more than twenty employees were to be owned by the Government, under the control of the regional soviet. If such a corporation operated cross-regionally, it was put under the control of the Upper Panel of the Grand Soviet. Corporations with twenty or less employees may have been privately run, but were still to be overseen by the regional soviet for purposes of ensuring labor relations and quality control regulations.
Following the dissolution of the nation, governmental control was given to each regional soviet, in order to ensure a peaceful transition toward whatever government should next arise in the region.
Culture and Demographics
The former Bank of Scotland building became a state-owned café under the Strathclydian government
Ethnic Groups
Strathclyde was founded by roaming Celtic nomads who survived the collapse of the world economy in December 2012. To this day, the majority of the population of the region is Celtic, though minority groups of British and Scandinavians do exist. Under the Strathclydian Constitution, all ethnicities were granted equal rights to live in Strathclyde and participate in Strathclydian society. Despite this, many Celts did discriminate against minority groups, citing the fact that the nation was founded as a Celtic state to justify their actions. Despite government attempts to curb such discrimination, it still continues to this day, and has increased following national dissolution.
Religion
The Strathclydian Constitution guaranteed the separation of church and state, and granted every man, woman, and child the right to choose and practice their own faith. The government itself advocated atheism, but did not interfere in the individual practice of any faith, so long as said faith does not advocate hatred or harm towards others. The majority of the population is Druidist, but a significant portion of the population, around 30%, is Christian.
Religious tension recently become a large problem facing Strathclyde. Although initially citizens of all religions coexisted peacefully, the events of the Heritage Crisis led to increased tension between the Druidist and Christian populations. Prior to dissolution, the Government of Strathclyde attempted to encourage members of both religions, as well as others, to live together peacefully. Following the placement of government control under the regional soviets, religious tension between predominantly Christian and predominantly Druidist regions has led to limited warfare between such regions.
Age Groups
Strathclyde's average life expectancy was average for the region, at an average of 64 years for women and 62 years for men. The following chart summarizes age groups as a percentage of population at the time of dissolution:
Age Group % of
Population0-14 45 15-29 30 30-44 13 45-59 10 60+ 2
National Holidays
Strathclyde celebrated many holidays, none of which were religiously-based. The following is a list of holidays sanctioned by the Strathclydian government:
Month Day Holiday January 1 New Year's Day 8 Emperor Norton Day February 20 Family Day March 15 Ides of March April 22 Lenin Day 30 President's Day May 5 Marxism Day June 9 Kaveh Day July 13 Civic Holiday August 8 National Day of Strathclyde September 14 Proletariat Day October 25 Revolutionary Weeks begin November 7 Revolutionary Weeks end December 21 Commemoration Day
Although the government did not generally promote monarchal viewpoints, Strathclyde celebrated Joshua A Norton, better known as Emperor Norton I of the United States of America and Protector of Mexico, for directly and successfully challenging the authority of the Government of the United States of America.
Kaveh Day commemorated the foundation of the Persian Socialist Soviet Republic (also known as the Soviet Republic of Gilan).
Commemoration Day marked the date commonly accepted to be the beginning of the economic collapse of the world capitalist economy.
Revolutionary Weeks
October Parade 2012
Revolutionary Weeks were held between 25 October and 7 November annually, and marked the Russian Revolution of 1917. The dates chosen signified the date of the Russian Revolution under the Julian Calendar (25 October) and the Gregorian Calendar (7 November). Although commerce continued throughout the weeks, except on the beginning and end days, celebrations commemorating the Revolution were common throughout the fourteen day period. The largest event was on the first Saturday of the holiday, when the October Parade is held. The Parade, organized by the government, actually consisted of several parades throughout Strathclyde's settlements occuring simultaneously. The largest of these parades was in Kilmarnock, and was presided over by the President.
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New Iceland | Alba-Thuath |
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| Ulster | 
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 Strathclyde 
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| Mann and the Isles | Dumfries and Galloway | Roxborough |
References
- ↑ A Message from the Office of the President - Strathclydian Diplomatic Channel broadcast
External links
- A Message from the Office of the President - Strathclydian Diplomatic Channel broadcast
- Communist Party of CyberNations
- United Socialist Alliance