Alexandras Free Tribune (Message From the First Citizen) - Lessons from Boganhem

[Alexandras]

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Free Community of Alexandras Chooses a New First Citizen

Pawtucket, July 31, 1953 - Today The Annual Grand Commune chose a new First Citizen in Samuel Westmoreland. It took twelve hours of discussion, with the main points of interest being the discussion over Samuel's views over religion. The Catholic majority commune of Cramerton found Samuel's views to be "anti-religious" and "inflammatory" with Samuel's supporters claiming that his views were still, as all First Citizens before him "the support of choice above a forced morality, either in support or against religion."

Samuel Westmoreland, as customary, was silent during the entire proceedings. However the vote was unusual, with two factions clearly split between Samuel and his closest rival from Cramerton, one Alex Newton. The vote was close, with twenty four and fifteen against, leading the Cramerton representative to once again bring up the idea of a change for next years Grand Commune to base it not just on a singular representative, but a representation based on population, to better represent the true choice of the people. The idea was shot down however, with one representative claiming that Cramerton was "attempting to move us more towards statism, with a representative democracy."

Westmoreland has spent most of his adult life working in Pawtucket for the Alexandras Free Tribune, writing a column called "A Moment of Your Time" about the day to day life in Alexandras. His column is being re-named, he announced, to "A Message From the First Citizen" where he will lay out his plans as First Citizen, and speak at length for our domestic and foreign readers about his, and he hopes the communities views at large.

"I wish to prove that my heart stays with the ideals handed down to us from Richard Alexander, that choice and self above all will reign supreme and solitary above any and all things in Alexandras. My thanks goes to the delegates who saw me to this position, and I hope to use this position to keep the peace and prosperity of our community as have all First Citizen's before me." Said Westmoreland.

Commune of Lake Buckhorn Finalize Whiskey Distillery

Lake Buckhorn, July 31, 1953 - In a opening ceremony that had locals lined up around the block, the Lake Buckhorn Firehouse Whiskey Distillery opened yesterday, July 30th, to massive fanfare. The Distillery was a three year collaboration of the community, specifically a Mr. Alfred Jones. Most of that time was spent negotiating prices between Mr. Jones, the current occupiers of the land he wished to use, and his fellow community members for money as well as for workers, which led to a squabble that went all the way to the First Citizen due to the land being located on the designated border between the communes of Lake Buckhorn and Summerset.

Mr. Jones said of his achievement that it is "Exhilarating to say the least," adding "It may have taken me three years to get here but it was worth every ounce of blood sweat and tears. I have a wonderful staff of workers, and we promise to make the best booze in Alexandras."

Lake Buckhorn, like most communes, runs off a Gold Standard, with goods and services being paid either in pure gold, gold certificate, or a goods equivalent of said gold. Rumor has it that Mr. Jones settled with the land owners at the time for a tidy sum of an ounce of gold per acre, paying for much of it in goods, specifically from his former occupation as a corn farmer. He has mentioned that he planes on sourcing the hops and other materials locally, as Lake Buckhorn's farmland is perfect for its production.

 

[Alexandras]

A Message from The First Citizen - The Powers That Be

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Welcome citizens, and hello. As you may have heard from our very own newspaper, there will be some changes both to this column, and my life in the upcoming months. The Grand Commune has elected me as your new First Citizen. Let me start by saying I am flattered. It is beyond my ability to think that I would have the honor to serve you as First Citizen before my life was through, and I am glad to share this honor with you. Let me start though, with another greeting entirely.

For it is has come to my attention that the first foreign copies of the Alexandras Free Tribune have started to show up on the shores of other lands. To all of you foreign readers especially, I greet you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you find this little artifact of what must seem like a foreign world to be to your liking, and hope that through my own plentiful soap boxing and the knowledge that you are getting the most honest reporting that is fit to print, that it opens up your eyes to the strange nature of the world around you.

For indeed, what a strange little community we have made for ourselves here in humble Alexandras. A Community of Citizens, a welcoming commune of many different peoples and cultures who all saw the modern trend towards Statism and control and decided instead, to choose. It is this idea my fellow citizens and readers abroad that makes Alexandras so unique. We are a community of choosers, not a nation of people. We have seen The Powers That Be, as our philosophical elder Richard Alexander so eloquently put it, and we have decided instead that our own way is the way to go.

But what are The Powers To Be, I'm sure some of you are asking. If you have read our paper I'm sure the phrase has come up, but what does it mean? To put it simply, they are the three evils of modern statism. The Church, which wishes to take your morality. The State, which wishes to take your voice. And finally, the Corporation, which wishes to take your labor. These three sides of the same coin are the basis, the bricks of the vile construction that is modern statism. However I can hear some of you scoff already. You turn your nose up at this, state how these three things cannot possibly be the basis of all world evils. Clearly this is some sort of hyperbole.

Look to the Communist, I say. What is he made of? Three things. The Church, the State, and The Corporation. To the comrade, these may seem impossible. "Our country does not believe in the opiate to the masses!" they say. But what is Atheism but a Pope in Black, speaking of the Death of God, while the Pope in White speaks of his inevitable resurrection? They are two sides to the same coin. Two thieves of your ability to choose. Communists feel their people are to intelligent to choose religion, and to that I simply proclaim that they should let them choose, and see what they find. It may shock them that the ability for choice in and of itself is the thing they have been missing all this time.

The communist then might point to their state, claiming how it provides for man the way no others do. True, it may provide the necessities for life, but what of the voice of its people? The communist may have enough food to fill his belly, but they lack the lungs to speak their mind. They are a people muted by power, stolen of breath. There is no choice in a communist state, no say of its leaders, no representation of its soul. It is an empty thing, devoid of choice or thought or feeling, a machine made to maintain the basics of life while purposefully crushing the humanity of its people.

And the corporation. The communist may say they agree with me here. "The rich fall so that all may prosper!" They yell. But this is to miss the point. Corporation is a business of the state. A corporation is a vehicle, a cog that oils itself on the sweat of others, and gleams with the shine of its ill gotten gain. But to where is the corporation in communism, you may ask. To that I say look to the state. Does it not show the people where their labor goes? Does it not feed off of the sweat of others? Does it not function as one giant entity, squelching and destroying the free enterprise, the business choice of its people? Ask again then, where the corporation lies, and I say to you it lies on the throne.

Church, State, Corporation. Look to your own countries and see if you can't see the same, then ask if such things are truly necessary. Can a man not have the morality of his own mind? Can he not have the wisdom of his own voice? Is he not entitled to the sweat of his brow? If you answered yes to these, I welcome you citizen abroad, and give you my best wishes. And as always, there is always room in Alexandras.

- Samuel Westmoreland, First Citizen

 

[Alexandras]

A Message from The First Citizen - Power Projection and Your Voice

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Welcome citizens, and hello. I come to the world stage once again in my little humble column to talk about something that seems to be troubling some of the readers abroad as of late, Power Projection. Now I know the more versed among my fellow citizens at home may know of the idea, it was another thing that Richard Alexander spoke about at length. However to my fellows abroad, my fair readers stuck in the midst of a statist world, you ask me, what is Power Projection, and how does it affect me?

To a statist, Power Projection is everything. Power Projection is something they not only do to the people at home, but to people abroad. Think of the police, think of the military. Perhaps, dear reader, you are living in a state that you consider one of the lucky ones. One of those that has 'noble' and 'just' police officers, there to put down criminals and nothing further. Perhaps your military is simply one of defense. I am here however to tell you: You are wrong. A police at all is a standing army, protecting its leaders against the most violent and dangerous force a state knows: it's subjects. A state criminalizes humanity, keeps you from speaking out, and all from the fear of being locked away, of being different, of being suspected. That is Power Projection, forcing upon you the ideas of a master in order to maintain power.

In the same way, the military, a standing army made up of career men, is a force of aggressive Power Projection. A true military of defense, as put forth by Richard Alexander, is an armed and trained populace. Alexandras holds its principles of self defense very seriously. Most own firearms, with each commune able to hold a certain amount of military hardware in reserve armories in case of an aggressive war. But we keep maintained war machines, but no standing army to use them. Some call this madness, but I, and Richard Alexander our elder philosopher before us called it common sense. As a rule communes are also not allowed hostilities with one another, or with any outside state. We have no need to do so, as to force our ideals through force of arms on the people of another nation goes against our ideals et al, rendering the entire process moot. You cannot take from the state the power of the people through the gun, because you cannot force a man to choose. Revolution breeds demagoguery, demagoguery breeds further stateism. In much the same way, a standing army breeds the idea of a ideological army, a force of crusaders, there to put forth the ideas of its state through the power of the sword.

Alexandras, and I as her First Citizen, choose the force of ideas, my readers. Ideas, voices, whatever you may call them, as I've said, are the most dangerous weapon that a man may hold in this world. Keep knowledge close, as it is a precious commodity envied by your peers, and feared by your controllers. Statists wish to keep you simple, keep you pliable in your ignorance. To that, my dear readers, I simply say to keep reading. Read me, but not just me. Learn of your enemy. A man who only listens to the voice that he enjoys is no better, nor less ignorant, then the man who doesn't listen at all. Read of the communist, the liberal, the fascist. Learn how each keeps their people in much the same way, how every form of statism holds the same issues, the same problems, the same evils. And only then, dear reader, will you know, truly, the value of a well honed mind.

- Samuel Westmoreland, First Citizen

 

[Alexandras]

Alexandras Free Tribune - Free Community of Alexandras Seeks Ambassadors

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Free Community of Alexandras Seeks Ambassadors

Pawtucket, August 1, 1953 - In a shocking announcement, First Citizen Samuel Westmoreland asked both his fellow citizens, and the citizens of the world to help him in what he calls "An ideas exchange program."

"I wish to see foreign embassies in Pawtucket, as well as our own across the communities of the world. As Richard Alexander stated, know thy enemy, so that you may better combat it in yourself. While we Alexandrans may not necessarily agree with the policies and attitudes of the governments of the world on principle, should we not at least entertain their ideas, if only as a hand of courtesy so that we may share our own?"

However some commune representatives are crying foul, saying there is no precedent for Alexandras to make or receive embassies with known statist organizations.

"It flies in the face of our foreign policy." Alex Newton, Samuel Westmoreland's recent rival for the '53 First Citizen seat that was decided yesterday, "Alexandras should only focus our attention on fellow non-statist entities. To recognize foreign states, or to be recognized by foreign states through the trading of embassies would make us, in part, a state, de facto speaking."

However Samuel Westmoreland appears to deeply disagree, and it seems the majority of the commune representatives agree with him. "Alex Newton can claim what he likes. I know for a fact that an embassy in another land does not make us a state, any more than a 'liberal democracy' advocating for the freedom and equality of man makes it a community on the likes of Alexandras. My efforts here are merely focused on strengthening the bonds with the world community at large, nothing further. An embassy alone will not draw us into statehood, or war, or any other such nonsense. Dialogue is an important part in an educated choice, so why are people so afraid of it?"

Westmoreland continued in saying that he already had more than a dozen people willing to become foreign dignitaries for the Alexandran community, should there be any takers.

 

[Havenshire]

The People's Republic of Havenshire, always keen to demonstrate that it has no fear of ideas, would be happy to welcome representatives from the Alexandran Communes to visit and represent that people here in Havenshire. If permitted, we would also be glad to construct a Trade Mission in Alexandras, and facilitate dialogue and potential commercial relations between our co-operatives and Alexandran commercial entities.

-Foreign Minister John Key,
People's Republic of Havenshire

 

[Alexandras]

Alexandras would welcome a trade mission from the People's Republic of Havenshire. We will put aside land in Pawtucket for whatever form of embassy or mission you wish to build there, on condition that you do the same for our ambassadors somewhere in your nation. May this exchange be profitable and cordial for all involved.

-Samuel Westmoreland, First Citizen

 

[Havenshire]

A small residence has been set aside in Westhaven for an Alexandran mission of up to 10 people. We are grateful for the land, and will dispatch a suitable embassy team by the end of September to take up residence there. We hope that this will be satisfactory for the establishment of cordial relations between our two nations.

-Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Office of the Foreign Minister
People's Republic of Havenshire

 

[Alexandras]

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Alexandras Negotiates First Embassy

Pawtucket, August 2, 1953 -While the debate still rages over the legitimacy of the idea in Alexandras, a handshake agreement was reached yesterday over what will become Alexandras's first embassy with another community, the People's Republic of Havenshire.

"It's great news." Said Samuel Westmoreland in a press event at the christening of the land, "Despite what my detractors say, an embassy here is the first door Alexandras, and Richard Alexander's ideas will get into a statist country. While our political belief systems may not align, I must tip my hat to the people of Havenshire for being the first to come forth. They say they are not afraid of ideas, and from their actions I would have to agree with them. We hope that this first success leads to many more."

The news however has been received to mixed reactions around the Community. One pawtucket man, a Mr. Joseph Samson of Pawtucket, rallied at the groundsbreaking, claiming that the transfer of Alexandras soil over to a foreign state was "A declaration of war on the ideas of Richard Alexander and the non-statist community at large." The protest was small, but vocal, with the First Citizen's delegation eventually having to tell them to move.

"The entire thing is a sham! States have no business owning Alexander's soil. You can see the gleam of a devil inside that Westmoreland. You could see it when he told us to move, sent his lackeys after us. Sent his private police more like. They threatened that I'd be publically shamed, or physically harmed if I continued without moving. Such drastic measures should be withheld for much greater crimes than simply speaking your mind. What happened to choice, to ideas?" Said Mr. Samson.

However, a large crowd of supporters came as well, clapping after Westmoreland's speech, and welcoming the delegation that will be sent in kind to Havenshire.

"The others are just anachronistic thinkers. They can't see the trees for the forest. They see the broad strokes of Richard Alexander's philosophy, but can't figure out how this plays into it. This is purely an issue of choice and knowing thy enemy. Dialogue with a state is not against any rule of ours, its in fact laid down quite clearly otherwise." Said Mrs. Lauren Fishbourne, a Lake Buckhorn native.

Samuel Westmoreland also announced that Mr. Jeoffrey Higgins would lead the Alexandras delegation to Havenshire at the press conference, and named the other nine members of the ambassadorial team in kind. They are expected to leave tomorrow morning.

 

[Alexandras]

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Welcome citizens, and hello. I know that my column has become a bit of a lecture on the finer points of the philosophy of our elder philosopher, Sir Richard Alexander. Some readers have claimed that I have been coming off as preachy, as too caught up in the finer points of Alexander's doctrine. Yet others say that I see the words, but don't see the actions.

There is some validity to these claims. True, words and philosophy alone don't mean anything unless there is a real world scenario that you can point at and say "This. This is what this philosophy was made to prevent." So dear readers, let us take a trip to Boganhem.

Now our more learned readers may know of the Nation of Boganhem as a place recently caught between monarchism, and nationalism. The throne was abdicated, and in its place, from popular demand, came the Social-Nationalist party.

Right away followers of Alexander can see some problems here. Richard Alexander eloquently put that Monarchism was the most "pure form of statism, a form of statism that all others aim towards, and the beginning of humanities enslavement to the doctrines of the state and nationhood." Monarchism represents the most obvious examples of statists love to use the Powers That Be to control the choice of its people. The idea of rule by divine right, the autocracy, or even authoritarian nature of the state, and the mercantile system of economics, are all classic examples of Church, State, and Corporation melding together into the trifecta of prime evils.

Likewise, Alexander warned against nationalism, claiming that nationalism was just "populist autocracy; a dictatorship of the group over the minority, a force for the homogenization and control of the masses." Likewise, I tend to agree with Alexander more than I do not, and here I believe he eloquently puts the current very good 'learning moment' as my professors used to call them, the transfer of power in Boganhem.

Shall we count the ways that the new government fits the fears of Alexander? Put in force through a populist directive, proving that a democratic rule is simply a dictatorship of the masses. Aided by the church, in this case a pagan tradition. Ruling now, the state, throwing off the yoke of monarchism, but replacing it with the harness of nationalism. Now the news states that Boganhem is nationalizing its economy, and re-organizing its police into an even more "effective" entity against its people.

My citizens at home and readers abroad, Boganhem is not a success story. Boganhem is a tragedy, on the line of greatest of the Antiquities. It follows the ark quite well in fact of an old tragedy, starting with the possibility of greatness, the element of hope that follows the abdication of the Boganhem monarch. Follow that with the beginning of the worries, the anxiety of failure and loss when the first new directives were made public. And finally now, at the end, they have slain their Caesar in front of the Senate, the bloody dagger in the hand of the people of Boganhem. What could have been a wonderful transistion from the most pure and tainted Statist entity into a post-statist society instead finds itself locked into what could become an even more virulent regime.

But why is this a lesson? What can we learn from this tragedy? My friends the lessons are countless, but a few stand out to me even now. The first is the idea of a populist society, a society ruled by majority rule as being fair, as being honest, as being respectable. A nation ruled by majority rule squelches, by definition, the voice of the minority. Never trust a state that claims that a majority is all that is required for things to move forward. People desire more than a binary option, people choose by their nature, it is human to choose, and to limit those choices to two is criminal, it is immoral, and it is counter-intuitive.

Secondly, Monarchism, Nationalism, as stated, are simply different names for similar tyrants. Finally, remember Alexander's words. I spoke at length two days ago of the Powers That Be, and here in Boganhem I have never seen them in action so clearly, so shamelessly. Restrictions of the liberty of the freedom of religion. Control over the voice of the people through the strengthening of police and the increase in prominence of a majority peoples, shows the damage inherit in the state. Finally, the nationalization of both land and business, show truly that the ideas of the Corporation and the state are intertwined, married in their abilities and desires to restrict the choices of humanity. Never trust a man who says, through popular change, he can give you prominence dear reader. Remember, demagoguery begets statism, as rulers heads get the better of them, their egos desiring less and less criticism, and more and more power. Remember the Boganhem that never was, and most probably never will be dear readers, and despair.

 

[The Federation]

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
CONTINENTAL REPUBLIC OF SYLVANIA

​

To First Citizen Samuel Westmoreland and the Free People of Alexandras,

I write to you in relation to your openness to accept diplomatic missions from other nations, as your northernmost neighbor we have for a long while now desired to open a diplomatic dialogue with your people. On the authority of the Continental Congress and the President, Sander Rygaard, we formally request to exchange embassies and welcome you into our capital city of Charleroi. A word of warning, I have noticed that you have entered into diplomatic relations with Communist Havenshire, though we have no desire to tell your people which nation they can and cannot have diplomatic relations with, the Communist is a dangerous person whose sole purpose is to spread his destructive ideology. We must keep Occidentia a continent of free peoples, remain vigilant and trust no one.

In peace,

Autumn Viklund
Director of Foreign Affairs

PEACE. VIRTUE. FREEDOM. LIBERTY.

CONTINENTAL REPUBLIC OF SYLVANIA
​

 

[Alexandras]

We appreciate both the offer and the concern Ms. Viklund, and would be pleased to have a neighbor so close in both proximity, and, seemingly, ideology as well. We'll set aside land for whatever form of building you desire, or we can arrange for a building to be bought for the purpose as well depending on your needs, on the grounds of course that you do the same. And as for your warning, I appreciate the concern, however if a communist state is still willing to deal with me after my rant specifically targeting their ideology, and the very idea of their existance, their claims of being open to other ideas seems sound enough. I wouldn't go so far as to say I trust Havenshire, but I believe that their motives, for now, are not complex. They hope to persuade and they hope to teach, as do we, both in Havenshire and in Sylvania if you'll have us. Until they, or for that matter you or I, do otherwise, our embassies will remain open places of ideological exchange and an open forum for the philosophical and commercial avenues that make a truly free people great.

- Samuel Westmoreland, First Citizen