Official Jernean Correspondence

Nordstjerne

Nordstjerne’s Statement of Condemnation

Signed by Prime Minister Sigrid Bergman,

Ratified by the Jernean Parliament,

We, the Colony of Nordstjerne, do hereby condemn the Incorporated States of Promothea for their abolishment of all maritime protection laws.

We uphold the fundamental right of an independent, autonomous nation-state to govern itself as it sees fit, including regulating its trade, hunting, and environment.

However, international waters are legally governed collectively, as is tradition and practice. While Promothea may not recognize this territory as an international space, it should not be surprising to them that the violation of this practice will result in backlash from the international community.

The preservation of maritime organisms, especially those listed as endangered or threatened, should be the paramount concern of the international community. It is therefore concerning that Promothea does not recognize the unalienable rights of living beings, as Nordstjerne and the Jacarian Realm do.

Furthermore, it is the view of the Colony that the deregulation of maritime practices (such as commercial fishing, clamming, and hunting) unnecessarily endangers the lives of rare organisms and threatened species, whose numbers have already been dwindling rapidly from human involvement. Many of these organisms are critical to the stability of their ecosystems, and disturbances to their environments could prove dangerous to global stability.

Henceforth, this government, representing its people and its allies, pledges to designate sections of our portions of the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, the Danish Straits, and the North Sea as Maritime Protection Zones posthaste in an attempt to preserve these critical environments. In addition, the Colony hereby places an embargo on Promothean maritime goods and raises a 25% tariff on all imported Promothean goods.

@Promothea

Nordstjerne

Notice of Intent

Issued by Ambassador General to the United States Ian Copernickel,

We take note of your concerns regarding our trade embargoes and tariffs against Promothea. These measures were intended to be a temporary solution to ward off further deregulation by the Incorporated States until negotiations could take place. Trade wars, as mentioned by officials from the Thessaran government, are not the Colony’s weapon of choice. By raising tariffs and placing restrictions on imported goods, we remove Promothea’s financial incentive while also voicing our thoughts on the matter.

The Jernean Delegation to the United States of Thessara, led by myself, accepts the invitation to Thessarapolis for diplomatic discussions. Sadly, this invitation cannot be accepted by our Prime Minister, who has voiced her regret at not being able to attend. We shall see you at the table.

Office of the Ambassador General, USoT

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

@Thessara

Nordstjerne

Statement 3.1.1, Nordstjerne

Hereinafter, this statement, as ratified by the Jernean Parliament 468-32, as approved by Prime Minister Sigrid Bergman,

Shall be held as a national standard until such time as it is repealed through an act of Parliament or the Judiciary.

In light of the recent expansion of the Jernean borders into the Old regions of Denmark, Poland, and Germany (known as Nytland), we of Nordstjerne’s elected government do see it fitting to establish a framework for the expansion of our governance into new territory.

The High Courts have ruled 14-1 that a territory within Nordstjerne’s borders that does not receive official support from the Jernean government and is therefore in practice a separate body entirely is unconstitutional. With this in mind, we must create a plan to incorporate the designated territory of Nytland into the wider administration of Nordstjerne’s federalized government.

This plan, dubbed the Bergman Plan by Parliament, will be conducted in multiple stages in the coming months.

Stage 1: Clearance

The first step deemed necessary for the integration of Nytland is the permanent removal of the Afflicted from major population centers. The Ministry of State has produced a list of the 10 largest cities within Nytland for this purpose.

Aarhus
Odense
Aalborg
Esbjerg
Hamburg
Bremen
Hanover
Flensburg
Szczecin
Koszalin

Teams are to discover, monitor, and terminate groups of the Afflicted across the whole of Nytland, focusing especially on these listed cities. This will allow for refugees to find safety within the currently unadministered territory, and will allow Nordstjerne to secure a foothold in the region while Stage 1 continues.

Stage 2: Investment

After enough of the Afflicted have been terminated, the Jernean government will divert significant funds towards the furtherance of Nytish infrastructure and development. Major priorities will include:

The establishment of the Jernean Public School System within Nytland;
The construction of hospitals, clinics, humanitarian centers, etc. within Nytland;
The repairing of existing public infrastructure such as roads, parks, and entertainment centers;
The construction of voting and administration infrastructure; and
The direct investment of funds to support local industry and handicrafts.

We have deemed local infrastructure to be among the most important steps to integration. Therefore, this will most likely take the longest and cost the most financially.

Stage 3: Coordination

Once infrastructure has reached a point where widespread public elections may be held, the people of Nytland are to vote on the following points:

The division of Nytland into administrative districts;
The officials to represent these districts in the Jernean government;
The persons who shall staff the local governments of these districts; and
Anything else deemed necessary to the function of both the local and federal government.

After senior officials have been selected to represent Nytland, a federal summit is to be held to negotiate further integration, trade deals, transportation, investment, etc. between the peoples of Nytland and the rest of the Colony.

Full administrative capabilities are expected to be established within the next 6 months. Stage 1 is to begin immediately.

Nordstjerne

The Colony of Nordstjerne,

In cooperation with the United States of Thessara,

Does hereby authorize the export of 1.200.000 metric tons of surplus agricultural products to the United States of Thessara for the establishment of agricultural reserves for a final cost of 8,5 billion Eurodollars. This export order has had its taxes and tariffs waved on the Jernean side of business due to its diplomatic importance to Jernean-Thessaran relations. These agricultural goods shall be collected from the Stockholm Agricultural Facility’s surplus stockpile, and shall be loaded onto ships stationed within the Oslo Straits Dockyard post haste.

Furthermore, a private retail firm has donated 120,000,000 home appliance units to fill a similar order with a final cost of 14 billion Eurodollars. These appliances, including toasters, ovens, refrigerator + freezer units, and large screen televisions, shall be loaded within a similar time frame to the agricultural goods, and shall arrive alongside them.

The Ministries of the Treasury and Commerce look forward to future transactions between the Colony and the United States.

Nordstjerne

On the Topic of Human Solidarity

Amid various discussions on the topic of free trade, human rights, and the role of governance, the Jernean government feels obligated to take a stance on the topic. The discussion hereinafter will consist of Nordstjerne’s views on the topics at hand.

1: The Role of Government

As previously stated in official memos from our government, Nordstjerne stands behind the Jacarian Realm’s collective views on governance. When the grand question is asked, it is the Realm’s motto that holds the answer.

What is the role of government?

For the Good of All.

This is reflected in Nordstjerne through many unique processes that bring the power to the people and prevent a smaller group from gaining significant control over certain areas of life.

For instance, the Jernean Treasury, through the Federal Revenue Collection Agency (FRCA), allocates the general budget through public consensus. When filling out national tax forms, citizens are encouraged to allocate their paid taxes to several sectors of spending, including education, defense, and transportation. The specifics of these budgets are then decided by Parliament, such as which schools need more teachers, where to invest in hospitals, etc. This process not only increases public trust in the government, but also prevents overspending in sectors not supported by the general public.

Beyond this, all laws passed by Parliament must be approved by a public majority ruling via referendum. This prevents abuse of power within Parliament, increases civic engagement, promotes integrity and trustworthy governance, and prevents unpopular laws from being passed nationally.

While these are just a few of the ways Nordstjerne involves the public in national ordeals, there are quite a few currently employed by the Northern Domain.

But this brings us back to our point. The purpose of government is for the good of the people, with the consent of the people, and at the mercy of the people. A government that fails in one of these sections has deemed itself as one detrimental to society’s advancement, and furthermore has failed to protect the interests of its citizenry.

2: The Role of Economics

While we agree with Novara’s principle that any extreme can prove detrimental to society, we also agree with Promothea that it is not the role of the government to use excessive force against those in business.

The purpose of the economy, first and foremost, is to promote independence, personal freedom and security, and advance society. An economy with little to no regulations, while free to do whatever it wants, can promote the unfair treatment of workers, exploitation of the environment and other areas of life, and subpar living standards. Is it in the best interests of a multi-billionaire, for instance, to provide adequate wages to their workers if their competitors don’t? Who is it that lobbies for looser environmental regulations, lower wages, and tax loopholes?

It is not the purpose of the government to punish the successful. However, it is the purpose of the government to enforce proper standards when the successful take advantage of others. It is also the role of government, and the greater economics of the state, to act as a steward for Mother Nature, and to protect her from dangers that would risk instability.

When poachers take out any species, that disrupts the entire food chain, up to and including humanity. For instance, if whaling becomes out of control, suddenly, the ocean’s nutrient cycle is critically disrupted. This endangers many different species that live within the ocean’s depths, many of which are consumed by humans. Some communities rely entirely on maritime goods for their livelihoods. Hence the need for regulations in certain portions of industry.

A free market is, without a doubt, a democratic staple. Without competition, humanity could never advance beyond where we are now. However, an unregulated industry can prove detrimental to society. Therefore, if one could combine a free market with regulations and intervention into a mixed economy, one could achieve the best of both worlds at a relatively low cost.

But at the end of the day, the regulation of the state’s economy should be supported by the people they affect. A new bill regarding the regulation of fisheries shouldn’t be supported by one group; instead, compromises have to be made so that regulations and policy fit the needs of the people.

3: The Public, the Citizenry, and the State

We agree with Promothea that public interest can be vague. However, Novara’s use of the phrase is justified and represents a global trend toward open democracy supported by the consent of the governed. The public interest should not, and cannot be decided by the government. This is the purpose of public referendums, allocated taxes, motions of no confidence, and every other protective measure used in Nordstjerne. By involving elements of direct democracy in everyday governance, the public themselves can decide where their interests lie.

In a world where technology connects us in ways previously unthinkable, our governments need to shift and follow suit. Direct democracy, or at the very least its ideals, has become feasible on a much larger scale. While it is certainly possible to have a nation entirely run by the people without the elected officials that make up this government, we are not yet to the point where such a thing is practical. For now, the democracies of the world should push for public involvement and should strive to embody the ideals of the great founders of our systems.

United we stand, divided we fall.

—

From Survival, Solace

@Novara @Promothea @Ephitemeus

Nordstjerne

To Further Define a Mixed Economy

There is another thing that has been a misunderstanding between the parties of the world. There is no such thing as a completely free market, no matter what anyone says.

By definition, the economy of the state follows the laws of the state. Therefore, this is government oversight on the economy. The only true free market is that of an anarchy or a lawless state, which currently is nonexistent within the Commonwealth. Therefore, the rejection of a “mixed economy” is a fatal misunderstanding of what an economy is.

Even a law that doesn’t directly affect the economy can still be government oversight within the economy. Any sort of restriction on murder, for instance, prevents corporations from using citizens as disposables, therefore restricting the free market.

A government that taxes, tariffs, or restricts imports and exports does not operate under a free market economy, given that taxation is inherently the transfer of funds from private to public purses.

This also includes a government that supports industry. If said government in any way, shape, or form aids in the growth of the economy, this can be seen as a form of government intervention.

Conclusion:

Given this information, the free market does not exist. It is simply an excuse by governments to heavily support industry at the possible expense of the wider citizenry. Mixed economies are the standard of the world, and they will remain so until society finds other, more practical alternatives in the future.

Therefore, the debate against mixed economies cannot be supported when some form of governing body exists. A truly free market economy, much like a truly communist society, cannot have a central government, or else the definition is voided.

—

In Survival, Solace

Nordstjerne

In Response to Promothea

May we remind your government that the people who rest within the lands of Nordstjerne do so through their own consent. There is no law that forces a person to stay in our nation. Every person here is here of their own will, or has been born into it through those who are. Jernean citizenship is not a privilege, nor is it a responsibility. It is an option that is chosen to secure a person’s interests, especially in a world where the dead roam free.

Every decision ever made by Nordstjerne has been made by its people, most of the time directly, sometimes through elected representatives. We have no ruling elite, no system of upperclassmen who own 90% of everything. The median rate of approval for passed legislation is in the upper 80s. The satisfaction rate with taxes is even higher.

Our people are not yours, nor are yours our own. Our nations’ cultures are fundamentally different on many levels, and it would be impossible to find perfect solutions for each other’s problems, especially from half across the world.

So we leave you with this: we are not a tyranny of the majority. Nor are we a tyranny by minority. We do not hate billionaires, nor do we hate the poor and unemployed. We are a balance, one perpetuated by the will and whim of the people. After all, it is they who know what is best for themselves.

@Promothea

—

In Survival, Solace

Nordstjerne

Proposal to the Kingdom of Javnia and EAST3

Regarding Project Mighty Mite,

After careful planning from many high-level Jernean universities and organizations, and several months of cooperation between the nation’s top engineers and researchers, the government of Nordstjerne has finalized a formal proposal regarding the future of EAST3 and its associated nations.

Once mining operations have concluded, researchers at the University of Stockholm’s Department of Applied Engineering and Sciences have deemed that the satellite could have further commercial use beyond its current purpose.

Infrastructure could be built to surround 2140 KD to allow it to be remotely maneuvered, and using this, the asteroid could stage a flyby of the Moon, using it as a gravitational slingshot to bring it down into a high-Earth geostationary orbit. Some fine tuning would be needed to perfect the orbit, but beyond this, the fuel cost would be exceptionally low. From this point, cables composed of carbon nanotubing would be strung between a ground station and the satellite, with further elevator-like technology or rail systems allowing for the transportation of cargo outside of Earth’s atmosphere and reducing transportation costs by over 90%.

Effectively, we’d be turning 2140 KD into the counterweight for a space elevator.

Using this system, one could launch satellites into almost any level orbit required without spending millions on fuel costs. Additionally, cargo brought out to the edge of the elevator could use the extreme rotational force experienced there to be slingshot out of orbit with, again, almost no fuel cost.

Further checkpoints could be established along this route as well, such as hotels, shops, power plants and solar panels, even civilizations ranging from small towns of several hundred to grand cities.

The ascent, of course, would take around a week to prevent damage to the tethers, but the elimination of exorbitant fuel costs would most certainly be worth it.

@Javnia

—

In Survival, Solace

Nordstjerne

Prime Ministral Order

From the Office of the Prime Minister

Under the unusual circumstances recorded within Novara’s Wild Zone, with the uncharacteristic docility of an instance of the Afflicted when faced with a young child,

The government of Nordstjerne does hereby order all Patrol Agency officers and JCB agents to strictly monitor the Afflicted Corridor for any deviations from know behavior. Any and all deviations are to be immediately reported to the subsequent authorities until such a time as this order is deemed unnecessary.

Nordstjerne

Acceptance of Invitation

From the Desk of the Lord High Justice, DNUJ

As is tradition within United Jacaria, I, Marton Williamsburg of the DNUJ, do hereby accept the invitation from @Ephitemeus to attend their nation’s celebration of The Lasting Noon.

While I find that my own specific invitation over other figures from the Realm, such as the Northern Domain’s Sigrid Bergman, is surprising, make no doubt that I will thoroughly enjoy my time in Ephimeteo and will happily partake in the celebrations.

I look forward to the event.