Post by The Candy Lane on Sept 8, 2014 18:27:59 GMT -5
The following is the interview of our latest featured nation, @scowcreek.
First, a quick overview taken from the Scow Creek Factbook.
The Kingdom (usually referred to as "Scow Creek" for short) is a complex series of low-lying marshlands, a cluster of rocky island headlands, and three long, narrow barrier beaches running end to end for some 39 nautical (45 statute) miles. It was originally founded not as a single entity, but as a collection of unconnected escapes for individuals seeking refuge from the suffocating rules and norms of non-island society. As colonies developed on the various islands, they grouped together for common defense against the Woods Point Colony (see the History section of the Factbook) under the leadership of the current monarch, King Tuathal I in 2005, at which they time they adopted a Constitution and elected their first Kingdom Assembly. The nation is named after Scow Creek, a main waterway that served as both an economic engine in the early days (fishing and shellfishing), a hiding spot for pirates and those running from mainland law, and a flash point incident in the defeat of the Woods Point Colony.
The nation is highly libertine, permitting freedom in most areas of personal life, and holding a strong disdain for both internal policing and outward miltarism. The Kingdom does employ a Coast Guard as its main security force, though this is usually seen as a resource in emergencies rather than a police force.
There are no prisons, and education is highly decentralized and conducted through local cooperative groups. There are no built roads in the Kingdom and cars are prohibited; wooden boardwalks comprise the transportation networks within communities, and boating remains the most significant form of long-distance transportation.
1. How has the banning of cars impacted your local economy and infrastructure?
Actually, the non-existence of roads pre-dated the banning of cars. The low-lying nature of the marshes and the shifting nature of the sandy barrier beaches has simply made road-building impractical...and expensive when inundation and undermining by winter storms occur. It has made us into a nation whose two major forms of transportation are walking, and nautical systems.
Each community tends to be small, as they need to be walkable on a daily basis. Most residents in communities that are separated by only a few miles of sand rarely have daily interaction because of this. It has preserved the uniqueness of each community and island, and created strong "local economies' on each island.
The major form of long-distance travel is by boat. Public ferries, private water taxis, and resident-owned boats are as active and plentiful in Scow Creek as automobiles are in other cultures. Every community has at least its own public dock, if not a marina.
It absolutely makes most of our imported goods (grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, clothing) very expensive due to the need to on-load and off-load freight at docks.
2. How much autonomy do the islands have? Are they more or less one minded or has it been a challenge for the government to maintain control?
I have to separate the concept of 'autonomy' from the concept of 'government control.'
They are autonomous insofar as each has their own quirky culture, from family-centered conservative home educators in one location, to an over-the-top GLBT community in another. Each community runs their own affairs, but they do so on a volunteer basis: services are provided and funded through volunteer action and local fundraising, not through taxation. In fact, the islands have each *rejected* a grant of local 'authority,' as each believes that local governments would simply cause control issues and friction between neighbors who have always volunteered for projects rather than been 'told' to do them.
The national Government of Scow Creek has not had a need to assume or maintain control, as we do not believe in a heavy-handed government to begin with, and each community fends for itself well. We formed into a Kingdom largely as a defense against outsiders, rather than as a way to impose authority internally.
[Aside - not part of interview: I have based my nation on an ACTUAL place where I live much of the year, and it really IS like this. This upcoming Wednesday, after having raised funds to buy snow fencing at a party at a local bar last week, we will be installing it in front of a section of sand dunes where they have been worn down by foot traffic. Pure Volunteerism. "Authority-by-Being-There."]
3. How does your nation deal with criminals? I noticed you don't have any prisons.
Violent crime is rare, as the communities are small and the social pressure to be a good citizen is very, very heavy - almost oppressive in and of itself sometimes. In a few instances, communities have been basically shunned criminals to the point where they leave, because their lives become miserable.
Legally, our Constitution specifies a hierarchy of punishments, which emphasizes Restitution to the victim. Community Service and involuntary Servitude are acceptable means of achieving this, under the watchful eye of the community.
For your reference, Article II Section 7 reads:
"Penalties for all criminal convictions shall not be imposed except according to the following hierarchy: primarily to compensate the victim; secondarily to rehabilitate the convicted; and lastly, to remove the convicted from society in an effort to prevent future crimes. Punishment and retribution aside from this hierarchy are prohibited, and only minimal reasonable punishments may be imposed. Involuntary servitude may be imposed to carry forth a penalty upon conviction. The rights enumerated in this Constitution may not be suspended after a criminal sentence is served, and the right to vote shall be retained at all times after conviction."
If necessary, a repeat-offender criminal will be banished and refused entry at any port. (I expect we will be doing this soon, actually, given current developments in our Kingdom, but it will be "news' precisely because it is so rare.)
Having said all of that, our Coast Guard does have the capacity to detain prisoners captured at sea at all three of their bases.
4. What is the most popular beer in your nation? I don't suppose you have an extra pint or two at hand?
Ah, a favorite subject of ours. One of our communities, Rum Point, was founded precisely to escape the Prohibitionist tendencies on the Mainland, and they maintain a healthy brewing tradition; likewise, local tavern are the traditional "community centers" in each of our communities.
Blue Point Brewing Company Oktoberfest is surely one of our favorites: bluepointbrewing.com/bpbc/
[/quote]The following is the interview of our latest featured nation, Scow Creek.
First, a quick overview taken from the Scow Creek Factbook.
The Kingdom (usually referred to as "Scow Creek" for short) is a complex series of low-lying marshlands, a cluster of rocky island headlands, and three long, narrow barrier beaches running end to end for some 39 nautical (45 statute) miles. It was originally founded not as a single entity, but as a collection of unconnected escapes for individuals seeking refuge from the suffocating rules and norms of non-island society. As colonies developed on the various islands, they grouped together for common defense against the Woods Point Colony (see the History section of the Factbook) under the leadership of the current monarch, King Tuathal I in 2005, at which they time they adopted a Constitution and elected their first Kingdom Assembly. The nation is named after Scow Creek, a main waterway that served as both an economic engine in the early days (fishing and shellfishing), a hiding spot for pirates and those running from mainland law, and a flash point incident in the defeat of the Woods Point Colony.
The nation is highly libertine, permitting freedom in most areas of personal life, and holding a strong disdain for both internal policing and outward miltarism. The Kingdom does employ a Coast Guard as its main security force, though this is usually seen as a resource in emergencies rather than a police force.
There are no prisons, and education is highly decentralized and conducted through local cooperative groups. There are no built roads in the Kingdom and cars are prohibited; wooden boardwalks comprise the transportation networks within communities, and boating remains the most significant form of long-distance transportation.
1. How has the banning of cars impacted your local economy and infrastructure?
Actually, the non-existence of roads pre-dated the banning of cars. The low-lying nature of the marshes and the shifting nature of the sandy barrier beaches has simply made road-building impractical...and expensive when inundation and undermining by winter storms occur. It has made us into a nation whose two major forms of transportation are walking, and nautical systems.
Each community tends to be small, as they need to be walkable on a daily basis. Most residents in communities that are separated by only a few miles of sand rarely have daily interaction because of this. It has preserved the uniqueness of each community and island, and created strong "local economies' on each island.
The major form of long-distance travel is by boat. Public ferries, private water taxis, and resident-owned boats are as active and plentiful in Scow Creek as automobiles are in other cultures. Every community has at least its own public dock, if not a marina.
It absolutely makes most of our imported goods (grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, clothing) very expensive due to the need to on-load and off-load freight at docks.
2.How much autonomy do the islands have? Are they more or less one minded or has it been a challenge for the government to maintain control?
I have to separate the concept of 'autonomy' from the concept of 'government control.'
They are autonomous insofar as each has their own quirky culture, from family-centered conservative home educators in one location, to an over-the-top GLBT community in another. Each community runs their own affairs, but they do so on a volunteer basis: services are provided and funded through volunteer action and local fundraising, not through taxation. In fact, the islands have each *rejected* a grant of local 'authority,' as each believes that local governments would simply cause control issues and friction between neighbors who have always volunteered for projects rather than been 'told' to do them.
The national Government of Scow Creek has not had a need to assume or maintain control, as we do not believe in a heavy-handed government to begin with, and each community fends for itself well. We formed into a Kingdom largely as a defense against outsiders, rather than as a way to impose authority internally.
[Aside - not part of interview: I have based my nation on an ACTUAL place where I live much of the year, and it really IS like this. This upcoming Wednesday, after having raised funds to buy snow fencing at a party at a local bar last week, we will be installing it in front of a section of sand dunes where they have been worn down by foot traffic. Pure Volunteerism. "Authority-by-Being-There."]
3.How does your nation deal with criminals? I noticed you don't have any prisons.
Violent crime is rare, as the communities are small and the social pressure to be a good citizen is very, very heavy - almost oppressive in and of itself sometimes. In a few instances, communities have been basically shunned criminals to the point where they leave, because their lives become miserable.
Legally, our Constitution specifies a hierarchy of punishments, which emphasizes Restitution to the victim. Community Service and involuntary Servitude are acceptable means of achieving this, under the watchful eye of the community.
For your reference, Article II Section 7 reads:
"Penalties for all criminal convictions shall not be imposed except according to the following hierarchy: primarily to compensate the victim; secondarily to rehabilitate the convicted; and lastly, to remove the convicted from society in an effort to prevent future crimes. Punishment and retribution aside from this hierarchy are prohibited, and only minimal reasonable punishments may be imposed. Involuntary servitude may be imposed to carry forth a penalty upon conviction. The rights enumerated in this Constitution may not be suspended after a criminal sentence is served, and the right to vote shall be retained at all times after conviction."
If necessary, a repeat-offender criminal will be banished and refused entry at any port. (I expect we will be doing this soon, actually, given current developments in our Kingdom, but it will be "news' precisely because it is so rare.)
Having said all of that, our Coast Guard does have the capacity to detain prisoners captured at sea at all three of their bases.
4. What is the most popular beer in your nation? I don't suppose you have an extra pint or two at hand?
Ah, a favorite subject of ours. One of our communities, Rum Point, was founded precisely to escape the Prohibitionist tendencies on the Mainland, and they maintain a healthy brewing tradition; likewise, local tavern are the traditional "community centers" in each of our communities.
Blue Point Brewing Company Oktoberfest is surely one of our favorites: bluepointbrewing.com/bpbc/
