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Anaxes Oppositon Party
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| Ronium_Abram | Date: Sunday, 01 Apr 2012, 8:09 PM | Message # 1 |
 Sergeant
Group: Users
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| I'd like to request an Anaxes Opposition Party, that would be united against Senator Ordan's constant bullying of the Outer Rim, and the wasteful squandering of the people's credits with his continued and often constant blockades of Outer Rim worlds for little to no reason, and for little to no viable cause.
I'd also like to request a public opinion pole on Senator Ordan from the people of Anaxes, not the 'upper' class, but the working people of Anaxes.
Ronium Abram
Senator of Hemei IV
Representative of Shumogi
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| Senator_Ordan | Date: Monday, 02 Apr 2012, 2:01 AM | Message # 2 |
 Lieutenant general
Group: Users
Messages: 633
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| Welcome to the great game old boy! I don't think your perhaps socialistic concepts of "the peoples credits" or the "working people" of Anaxes would get any further than you would running against a Tory candidate in Surrey! I think so long as you bear in mind this -IS- a culture of 18th/19th Century English people then you shouldn't go far wrong, things like blockades, wars etc are popular because they are patriotic. "Jolly jack tar" is a national hero and the pride in serving in the Interest Protection Squadron (or fleet more generally) is immense, this is a martial society. The trick is for enough wealth to be spread around and given away by those at the top of society, for those at the bottom to have enough of a stake not to seek revolution, and usually live in some comfort.
The franchise is rather victorian, and only landowners, master craftsmen and various other groups are able to vote, with the vast bulk of society being fairly blissfully politically unaware, cheering the news of each victory or conquest at the pub, but not really knowing or understanding the consequences (as most modern citizens aren't), except that their boys were defeating the foe for the greater glory and pride of their Sector. The people of the region are noted for being vastly pro-Imperial (and indeed militantly so) and also pro-Core (as such you might want to rethink having a Rim-friendly party), seeing it as where the sophisticated people live, just as 19th Century British firmly believed that the Anglophone world and Europe were the bastions of civilization in an otherwise disorderly and dangerous world.
Ordan's party is the "Conservative Whig" party, a broadly popular party for it's firm Imperial and Pro-Core credentials with all segments of society. It's also not a party of tax, having abolished many kinds of taxation and having privatised what can be privatised while keeping the core of the state (Fleet, Post Office, Treasury etc) firmly State owned. The party has been in power for over a hundred years and elections are somewhat of a formality, being held once a decade. Minimal government is generally the order of the day, with many internal services being run by Grandees in their fiefs or by local associations, not the state. The Judiciary is an exception to this, with all "Justices of the Peace" and Judges being appointed by Grandees but needing the approval of the Lords (although this is not usually a problem as it's considered bad manners among this class to interfere in another's sphere of influence).
Parliament is a slow drawn out affair, where Orators in both of the houses debate and counter debate for years before passing any legislation. The opposition parties, having withered from lack of patronage to a shell of their former selves (rather as the Tories did in the early part of the 18th century). On Anaxes, patronage is everything, and without office in the state there is little chance of advancement. Sinecures are sought after and held jealously (not being political offices they usually depend on the whim of a senior patron with a government position).
The state is in fact run by around fifty "Grandees" who represent a hereditary elite. This elite owns roughly 75% of the land in the Sector, and in their own fiefdoms these landlords writ tends to run large, with Parliament being distant, remote, and irrelevant to most people. But this is not the society of the ancienne regime, far from it. Grandees as much as any man love a good drink, a good meal and a good wench (in that order), and this "popular touch" is the reason for the society being preserved so long, Grandees will often drink in their local pubs with their tenants and labourers, or open up their houses to spectacular Walpolean debauches, in which roast beef, good ale and wine are abundant.
Thus the system works as follows
Parliament is in two houses, the junior of which is elected and is the "House of Gentlemen" and the upper house is the "House of Lords" and is not elected and appointments are made to it only by it's own consent. Thus the numbers have never increased beyond 140 for the Lords while the Gentlemen seat over five hundred (although some of these are appointees). Government is drawn from whichever officials the Lords vote to office, and the Lords tend to confer the offices as they are told by their patrons (who are often also their relatives). Some governmental appointments are indefinate, and are held as "titles" until such a time as the person wishes to surrender them to the Chamber, or passes them on to the next generation.
The seats in the Lords and Gentlemen are essentially given and taken at the behest of the Grandees and their political agents, who allow crumbs of patronage to fall down to those they deem promising. There are often scholarly and gentlemanly debates in the chambers, but as debates between people of a certain class, who all went to the same schools, they are largely civil and rarely confrontational (the occasional duel will be fought, but men will shake hands and share a jug of Claret afterwards).
The House of Gentlemen, the elected house, has little power on it's own, but in a state worked by consent it has power to appoint the officers of the Revenue and the Junior placements in other departments (at the behest of the Lords). In a political era marked by consensus it has rather shrivelled, although it still has the power to introduce or veto legislation (requiring 2/3rds of the Lords to overturn), and with an Absolute Consensus (all members in favour) may over-rule the decision of any Government official or the upper house.
Ordan, initially was a member of the House of Gentlemen (as only titled men tend to be directly appointed to the Lords), although only sat for around a year before he surrendered his constituency as he was appointed to the Lords and then to the Cabinet by that Chamber.
The Grandees usually hold the most senior local offices on the worlds or regions of the Azure Sector, these "Lord Lieutenancies" are granted to the largest landowner in a given region (often a continent or planet) and and grant the right to appoint one or two men to the gentlemen along with however many elected members may be returned each election. As such around 125 seats to the Gentlemen are political appointees, although "nominally" elected by the Grandee "acting in the interests of his tenants".
While there are few enough Grandees (in a sector who's population likely runs into the multiple hundreds of billions), there are also few "abject" poor. A local system of "poor relief" based on subscription from local taxation is, while not popular, a tradition, and has successfully lifted most out of the more miserable fates. Lords and Squires (feudal tenants of Grandees) are often also beneficent in their grants, it being in the interest to the whole of society that no rump of dispossessed or poor people develop. The Emperor is a remote figure, toasted as every meal and respected as the head of state.
Above all the attitude on Anaxes (and the wider sector) is that the ship of state is a ship, while you may disagree with the direction it is going, it is not appropriate to attempt a mutiny, and only a madman would sink the ship. Families and regions are tied together by sponsoring their own regiments and ships, and the military is the most important institution across all classes, with many hereditary posts existing for all classes, granting even some Hereditary Petty-Officerships, which are a valuable currency in a society where the lower middle class scramble for such positions at local academies (being too poor to send their children to the "Officer's Schools" if they do not pass the strict scholarship exams). Equally, there is always a scramble among the upwardly mobile for places in Imperial Service, which is held as hugely honourable, and Veteran status also confers considerable perks and privilege for every honourable discharge or service with the Empire.
Lastly, blockading is an activity which is popular for two reasons. Firstly, because it is glorious, patriotic and makes a profit for the Sector. A profit which is in part split between the crewmen participating, this profit then turns up spread across society with even common crewmen on blockade vessels often receiving thousands in "prize money". Second, because participation into the "Most Loyal and Honourable Company of Blockadeers" (two weeks blockade service required) automatically confers the vote to the member, and all his successors.
The present Governor-General (who also rules the Sector) is His Excellency His Grace Sir Horatio D. Chestwick-Carruthers-Fairfax, who is an adroit political dancer on the stage of the Azure Sector, but has little wider interest (so long as the credits keep flowing in), leaving Foreign policy to his éminence grise. His family, the Ordans and several others form the "creme de la creme" of the Grandees, who own the largest sum of land and real property in the Sector. The order is profitable for most in society so change will not be easy to effect.
It's perhaps instructive to look at Ordan's titles to help understand his background.
Note while Ordan is "the Honourable" by birth, he has no title, Grandeeship (usually a Dukedom or Earldom) is conferred only via Primogeniture, with other sons usually contenting themselves with sinecures, the military, or at worse as a senior merchant or trader. Fortunately, due to the indolence (primarily interested in breeding mastiffs and farming improvement) of his older brother Rupert, Hubert has been able to carry off a successful career without being in his shadow.
Senator of the Azure Sector - Elected by the House of Lords (unlike other positions this position is not held for life and re-election by the Lords is required each decade).
Foreign Minister of Anaxes - Elected by the House of Lords
Captain-General of the Azure Interest Protection Squadron - Sinecure tied to the Foreign Ministership
Deputy Chairman of the Ethics Committee - Imperial position
Worshipful Master of the Most Loyal and Honourable Company of Blockadeers - Founding member.
Archtreasurer of the Vault of Pols Anaxes - A profitable sinecure awarded him by his father (Duke Ordan of Anaxes, owning the Major continent he was able to freely distribute scraps of titles to his children) at the age of 16 as a manhood present.
Autocrat of Selgon - A sinecure appointed for his successful blockade of Aeeq.
Owner of Azure Durasteel - Ordan's self-made business Empire.
Systems Admiral (Retired), Imperial Navy - Imperial Navy position.
Reading "English Society in the 18th Century" by Roy Porter, and concentrating on the first half's culture and political atmosphere, that will give you a flavour of how Anaxes and the Sector is.
Senator Hubert Ordan
__________________________
Senator of the Azure Sector
Foreign Minister of Anaxes
Captain-General of the Azure Interest Protection Squadron
Deputy Chairman of the Ethics Committee
Worshipful Master of the Most Loyal and Honourable Company of Blockadeers
Archtreasurer of the Vault of Pols Anaxes
Autocrat of Selgon
Owner of Azure Durasteel
Systems Admiral (Ret)
Order of the Canted Circle
Message edited by Senator_Ordan - Monday, 02 Apr 2012, 2:09 AM |
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| Ronium_Abram | Date: Monday, 02 Apr 2012, 10:30 PM | Message # 3 |
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Sergeant
Group: Users
Messages: 22
Status: Offline
| Okay...... Well then. From the looks of it, Ordan has it in such a way that it'll be too much of a hassle to even attempt replacing him. So for posterity sake, Lets just get rid of the Anaxes Opposition party part of this request and just turn it into a request for a request for a public opinion pole of Ordan.
In other words I'm going with the tl;dr defense on this word wall.
Ronium Abram
Senator of Hemei IV
Representative of Shumogi
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| Senator_Ordan | Date: Monday, 02 Apr 2012, 11:50 PM | Message # 4 |
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Lieutenant general
Group: Users
Messages: 633
Status: Offline
| Just thought detail might be useful for you if you wanted to get involved, the last line sums it up! A bellicose early 18th century England is pretty much the Axure Sector.
Senator Hubert Ordan
__________________________
Senator of the Azure Sector
Foreign Minister of Anaxes
Captain-General of the Azure Interest Protection Squadron
Deputy Chairman of the Ethics Committee
Worshipful Master of the Most Loyal and Honourable Company of Blockadeers
Archtreasurer of the Vault of Pols Anaxes
Autocrat of Selgon
Owner of Azure Durasteel
Systems Admiral (Ret)
Order of the Canted Circle
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| OrionKarath | Date: Tuesday, 03 Apr 2012, 10:20 PM | Message # 5 |
 Lieutenant general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 612
Status: Offline
| CLOSED
Orion Karath
Manager from June 2009 to Present, Administrator from December 2011 to Present
My posts here, pre-2009 archives here
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| Jace_Varitek | Date: Wednesday, 04 Apr 2012, 9:05 AM | Message # 6 |
 Generalissimo
Group: Administrators
Messages: 2245
Status: Offline
| (We'll get on that opinion poll as soon as I can touch base with Karth and Jaron).
Jace Varitek
Manager/Administrator from January 2003 to Present
My recent posts here, pre-2009 archives here
"When my information changes, I change my opinion. What do you do, sir?"
—John Maynard Keynes
Furthermore, a dancing Wookiee:
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| OrionKarath | Date: Wednesday, 04 Apr 2012, 2:03 PM | Message # 7 |
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Lieutenant general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 612
Status: Offline
| (Woops, forgot about that part... my bad)
Orion Karath
Manager from June 2009 to Present, Administrator from December 2011 to Present
My posts here, pre-2009 archives here
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| Jace_Varitek | Date: Thursday, 05 Apr 2012, 10:27 PM | Message # 8 |
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Generalissimo
Group: Administrators
Messages: 2245
Status: Offline
| This is the last figure we have, from June of some year, either 2011 or 2010. I forgot.
Hubert Ordan
Approval Rating on Anaxes
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 68% Approve
||||||||||||||||||||| 21% Disapprove
||||||||||| 11% No Opinion/Undecided
I'm thinking there should be fewer undecideds in the time Ordan's been doing his thing in the RP. And they should break at least 2/3rds in Ordan's favor. So if we bump undecideds by 5, from 11% down to 6%, that'd be, what, 4% more approval and 1% more disapproval, rounding it out? So that'd be..
Hubert Ordan
Approval Rating on Anaxes
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 72% Approve
||||||||||||||||||||| 22% Disapprove
||||||||||| 6% No Opinion/Undecided
Mind you I actually did read his entire explanation of the Anaxsi political system, which is basically engineered so that Anaxes approves of what Ordan does. Hence my assumption of the break in Ordan's favor. His representation isn't that off from what we see in canon, though. Anaxes is a martial world and probably does like a good blockade. This, obviously, is Ordan's specialty. So those are my thoughts on the numbre.
Jace Varitek
Manager/Administrator from January 2003 to Present
My recent posts here, pre-2009 archives here
"When my information changes, I change my opinion. What do you do, sir?"
—John Maynard Keynes
Furthermore, a dancing Wookiee:
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| Jaron | Date: Thursday, 12 Apr 2012, 8:18 PM | Message # 9 |
 Major general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 252
Status: Offline
| And...
CLOSED
Jaron Park
Manager from June 2009 to Present, Administrator from December 2011 to Present
(pre-April 2012 posts) (post-April 2012 posts)
Pre-2009 Archives
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