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Introduction
The year is 355 G.R. (Governmental Reform). The world has become a place where books like Brave New World and 1984 are not grim reminders of what the world could become. They are rather road maps for what the world should be.
The political system has turned from a two-party system into the illusion of a four-party system. Capitalism has been refined to its purest form. No profit, no loss.
Profit from Americo is redistributed back to Americo’s shareholders, as donations to The Church of Americo, as employee salaries, and as a trust designed to offset unexpected costs. If there are too many employees, Americo does not make a profit. Since every citizen in Americo is a shareholder, it is every citizen’s duty to make sure that the population of Americo stays constant. The ultimate goal is to give every Americo citizen the privilege of working.
Americo only has two holidays and every Americo citizen is expected to celebrate them: Thanksgiving and September 11. On Thanksgiving, every Americo citizen is given extra vouchers for food. The September 11 holiday is celebrated from September 1 to September 11, during which Americo citizens are expected to fast and pray. Every year on September 12 “The day of polling” is held, this is a veiled way for Ultra Republicans to entertain, feast, and indulge after eleven days of fasting and praying.
All Americo Presidents take the esteemed title of “Reagan” for it was argued that the ideals of the 40th President of the now defunct “United States of America” became the foundation for what Americo was based upon, thus allowing it to become the successful capitalist machine that it is, there fore his name should carry this honor in tribute. Americo has been able to successfully incorporate almost every other country in the world into its base company. Thus, only two great superpowers exist: The European Democratic States and Incorporated Americo.
The European Democratic States have taken what they believe to be the views of Thomas Jefferson as the cornerstone for their new constitution. In the European Democratic States, slavery is a part of everyday life. But unlike in the past, most citizens choose to become slaves. This is because in European Democratic States, true slaves are treated as prized pets and used mainly in the fashion industry. Slaves are pampered and treated as royalty. To this end, The Church of Americo will allow you to sell yourself into slavery and proceeds from the sale are donated to The Church.
In the year 27 G.R., Americo was able to successfully incorporate all remaining organized religions into what is now known as The Church of Americo. The Church of Americo or the “Church” is in charge of all social, welfare, and internal revenue programs. The Church selected chief director to be out-stationed in the New Vatican in Europe. This figurehead retains the everyday title of Pope. His business-as-usual involves posing for pictures with new members and guests of “Heaven.” During consulting ceremonies, however, when his “approval” was required on decrees and declarations, he was referred to as the “Holy Father”. As Pope or “Holy Father”, he had very little power, except those that were granted to him by The Party.
Seven Cardinals were then selected by the Ultra Republicans during the “day of polling” These Cardinals serve their term for life although, but as decreed, they cannot outlive the Pope or “Holy Father”. Representing the seven deadly sins, the Cardinals have come to be the epitome of the very sins they were supposed to guard against.
If you are male and wish to become an active member of The Church, you must be willing to be castrated. This symbolizes your commitment to The Church. Prior to castration, a sample of your semen is frozen, to symbolize that you are still a man.
The Church of Americo abolished what was once the Vatican and replaced it with the New Vatican in Europe – nicknamed “Heaven on Earth” – to take advantage of the slave market. Slaves make great party favors for the Reagan’s and other Ultra Republicans who can afford a Governmental Reform Credit (GRC) of $100,000,000.00 to become members of the New Vatican.
The Church of Americo believes that Heaven or Nirvana exists only up to the moment of when life is conceived. Thus, The Church has the power to take a life from any citizen.
After the Governmental Reform in the early 2000’s, the most extreme Republicans rose to power. Abortion was determined to be illegal and punishable by death, resulting in a large abortion black market. “Miscarriages” became very common.
After the Great War in the East, the earth was left desecrated and scorched. There was not enough food for all. Americo’s Governmental Economists did a study and determined that only 20 billion people could inhabit the earth for Americo to maintain a profit. By limiting the population, there could be enough for all. For this to work, every individual had to know what his or her role in Americo was.
Birth control is a large part of the success of Americo. No one can have a child without prior approval from The Party and The Church. The penalty for having a child without papers (WOP) is loss of vouchers. If a couple has an unwanted pregnancy, losing her vouchers to cover the cost of bringing a new soul into the world would be the punishment for the would-be mother. She is then sterilized because she has proven that she has no self-control.
In order to have a child, the couple must apply for a waiver from The Party. Depending on the current total population, The Party decides whether the application is approved or denied. The line of questioning required for the application is usually enough to discourage the average citizen who wants to have a child.
A Priest in The Church of Americo is also the Census Taker. Census Takers are known to be very corrupt and heartless when it comes to their job. As soon as the would-be mother has any knowledge of her conceiving, she must report it to The Church within 10 days of becoming aware of the new life. The Census Taker will then visit the family to determine if the birth has the prior approval of The Party and The Church. After a child is born, the Census Taker comes back to circumcise the child, whether male or female. The Census Taker returns the sample to DNA Life Record Archive Facility. The DNA from the sample is used for whatever purpose The Party deems appropriate for the benefit of Americo.
If it is determined that the birth was unapproved the Census Taker may void some of the family’s vouchers as punishment for breaking the law. For multiple offenses, the Census Taker has the right to force the father or mother – whoever is deemed least responsible – to swear on the “B.I.B.L.E,” which almost always proves fatal.
The acronym B.I.B.L.E stands for Basic Individual Bioscopy Life Evaluator. It is a multi-use mechanical device that members of The Church enjoy the privilege of using to judge all citizens of Americo. The B.I.B.L.E. resembles a 1-inch thick black box with a top and bottom that measure 10 inches long, by 8 inches wide.
The main function of the B.I.B.L.E. is to store and retrieve information about laws and procedures governing the people of Americo. When opened it can be used to find data regarding current statutes, laws, or commandments. It can also be used to send data back to the master database. The B.I.B.L.E. is also used by The Church to help confused souls relieve the errors of their ways.
The top part of the B.I.B.L.E. has a groove the outline of which is shaped like a dove with its wings spread out. Prior to swearing on it, the B.I.B.L.E. is turned in such a way as to face the accused person. In this direction, the head of the outlined dove points directly to the accused. The accused is then asked to put his or her right hand on the grooved outline of the dove, with the wrist resting on the dove’s head, the palm placed on the dove’s body, and the fingers firmly planted on the dove’s outspread wings. Once the hand and fingers are in this position, the B.I.B.L.E. captures a reading of the nerve endings, the pulse rate, and the amount of sweat. Should an Americo citizen lie while swearing on a B.I.B.L.E., his or her punishment could be swift and painless – the B.I.B.L.E. contains a small needle that could inject a deadly dose of poison into the palm of whoever is swearing on it.
Since preserving nature was never the concern of The Party, the earth’s natural resources has been depleted and teeters on a very fine balance. The natural resources that remain are guarded behind gated communities called Clean Areas. Only the privileged elite and the highest-ranked Americo citizens can visit and see nature’s wonders that are the trees and flowers. Only these deserving Americo citizens are allowed to see what beauty nature can truly be. Visiting Clean Areas is very expensive and there are no vouchers for this type of retreat.
Despite the advancements in what has been labeled the “Dawn of Humanity,” it is imperative that each citizen knows his or her place in society. The Party has created mandatory work programs for each of Americo’s four class levels. Americo citizens have little choice which mandatory work program to join. As an Americo citizen, you are born into a class and must accept the path that The Party has chosen for you.
The Party sees its citizens not as human beings but as resources that need to be directed and controlled for The Party’s benefit. As an Americo citizen, your assigned work program is not based on what best suits you, but what best assures Americo’s profits and economic balance.
Citizens who belong to Sub Parties can choose work programs but are limited to certain roles. Liberal Republicans have only two choices: to work as dump miners for the Americo Resource & Welfare Facility, or to devote his / her life to The Church of Americo. To become a member of The Church, however, you must relinquish all your worldly goods and take the vow of castration. This applies to all who enlist, male and female. Working for The Church requires rigorous training. This includes courses in Ethics, Spirituality, Accounting, Sexual Responsibility, and Marksmanship. Most members of The Church are drafted at a young age into their role of servitude. Although you can apply for any position within The Church, there must be space available to be considered for the position.
Most Liberal Republicans work in the Americo Resource & Welfare Facilities. These Facilities are nothing more than forced-labor camps built around old landfill dump sites. These Facilities are rich with aluminum, paper, and fertilizers. They are also rich with discarded coins and currency that people threw away in the 1980’s. It is amazing how much money ended up in landfills since the 1980’s. All these materials are what Americo depends on for its wealth. The Liberal Republicans who work in these Facilities mine the resources from daybreak until nightfall.
There are countless dangers within theses resource facilities. Disease, landslides, cave-ins, deadly methane pockets are but a few of the threats that dump miners must face at any given time. The putrid smell of the dump is so venomous that Facility Guards, dump miners, and other workers are required to wear masks to keep from gagging or vomiting. But some dump miners have grown accustomed to the smell, having lived with the reeking stench their entire lives. Still, the smell of the rotting garbage is so maddening and unimaginable that it is impossible for almost anyone to sleep for more than a few moments. It is said that fortunate is the dump miner who passes out from sheer exhaustion.
To help resolve this problem, which cuts into Americo's production and profits, the Governmental Medical Review Board developed AM and PM pills. These pills take effect almost instantaneously. Dump miners are to take the AM pills by 7:30 a.m. to keep the dump miners awake for a full day to work in the mines, shop at the Americo store, eat, and prepare for the next day of work. By 8:00 p.m. they are then required to take their PM pills. These pills keep them asleep until 7:00 a.m. the next day and the cycle continues.
The dump miners are reminded to take their appropriate pill by the music that is played through the loud speakers in the dumps – revelry before 7:30 AM or a lullaby before 8:00 PM – whichever is appropriate. Dump miners who neglect to take their pills and report late to work are docked a full day’s pay.
Food is scarce in these Facilities. Most dump miners live on rats and rodents, and other animals that flourish there. The population of rats is significant in the dumps, for it determines the amount of food vouchers to be distributed. If the rat population gets too high, then the Bishop in charge of the Americo Resource & Welfare Facility as Chief cuts down on the food vouchers.
Tram systems have been set up in the facilities that travel deep into the mines. The walls of the tunnels are covered with 3-d images, which give the illusion of fields of flowers, waterfalls, and rainbows. All paid advertisements sponsored by Americo, the signs display messages to inspire the miners to continue on and remind them of their place in society. As the tram speeds to its destination messages fade in and out of view, “Work hard and return to heaven”, “You are a creation of sin”, “You are blessed with the gift of life”, “To want is to sin”, “Redemption sponsored by Americo”. These murals can cause a trance like effect for the dump miners. It is not uncommon for a miner to leap out into what they believe at the moment to be a true. If this happens their bodies often are impaled on what they thought would be wonderful causing only brief flashes of distortion to the image for the rest of passing. Resource facility maintenance workers can often be seen prying remains from the walls as the tram whisks its way.
Liberal Republicans start to work in the Americo Resource & Welfare Facilities at the age of three. As dump miners, they go to mandatory training classes to guarantee Americo’s success. Within its walls, dump miners are taught about survival inside the Facilities by The Church-run schools. As dump miners, they are taught that they have no choice, that they cannot question authority, that they are the product of sin and are therefore in hell. They are taught that they were born dump miners and will die dump miners.
Happiness does not come easy for dump miners. As a “gift” on their birthday, dump miners may keep one item they find in the dump. Rumor has it that on his birthday, a dump miner found a huge diamond. Thus, he was able to afford a house with walls and a floor. This could never happen, of course, and is nothing more than hearsay. The Party will never allow a dump miner to be anything else but. If ever a “prize” were found, The Church would seize it immediately. The resulting wealth would then be redistributed through tax breaks back to the Ultra Republicans, who maintain Americo’s economy.
Every Saturday, Confession is held throughout Americo. Confession is taught to be of the utmost importance. As a ritual, Confession is used to keep all Americo citizens healthy and free of disease. Every Saturday, all Americo citizens must go to their local Church for confession. In The Church, an altar boy hands each citizen a mild laxative to be taken five minutes prior to confession. When citizens enter the confessional, they urinate in a large basin that is administered and watched over by the local Bishop, or in some cases, by a Priest. Confession has saved countless of souls in Americo, during which potentially deadly diseases were detected. As a deterrent, Confession also detects a pregnancy within three days of conception.
If a new disease or illness is discovered during Confession, it is reported to the Governmental Medical Review Board where a cure is designed for the specific illness or disease. Since the cost of the research and designing a medicine are very high, a cure is sometimes not produced if resources are nil.
Chatter on the streets can be heard from Moderate Republicans daily. “Those dump miners have it so easy. Do you know that The Church pays for their medical benefits? Stinking bastards. Why don’t they try to make something of their lives? We should all have the same chances.” The upper echelons of society further encourage this attitude – blame those that cannot defend themselves.
A dump miner’s average life span is 75 years. In contrast, the average life span of a member of The Church is 150. However, both The Church members and dump miners are Liberal Republicans. This makes the average life span of a Liberal Republican to be 137. In contrast, the average life span of all Moderate Republicans is 125; the Conservative Republicans is 135; while Ultra Republicans live to be an average of 150.
As a result, both the Conservative and Ultra Republicans take full advantage of their life spans and build their pure capitalistic empires even more. The People’s Free Press, a publication owned by the current Reagan, often remind the Americo citizens of their expected life spans for two reasons. These reason are: so that the Moderate Republicans’ focus on what is really happening is clouded with distorted facts, and so that the horrors of working in the Facilities are not considered as harmful as they really are.
Becoming Reagan is the highest office and title a citizen can hold in Americo. When Reagan dies, only citizens within their direct bloodline can become the new Reagan. In the past, there have been male and female Reagans, all have proven to rule with total discipline.
Losing the Reaganship is not uncommon. In the past, families have lost their rights to the name and office of Reagan through “Hostile Takeovers” or bad stock investments. The Americo citizen who proves to be the best provider for the welfare of all Americo becomes a Reagan. This is further proven by the amount of stock they own in Americo.
In Americo, voting during elections is mandatory rather than a privilege or a right. The penalty for not voting is losing of vouchers. However, there are no choices during elections. Every Americo citizen must vote for the only candidate available – a candidate decided upon by The Party – the Reagan.
The Government of Americo has privatized every public institution. There is no public health care, no public schools, and no social security. This enables the Government to control its citizens, since the politicians are the owners of the hospitals, banks, and schools. The Government successfully lobbied to have Americo and all its subsidiaries convert the monetary system into a system of vouchers. This voucher system applies to anyone who makes less than a percentage decided upon by the Senate and the Reagan.
It was argued that by creating vouchers that expire, citizens of Americo would be forced to be productive. You have to work to get vouchers. But you have to use your vouchers or trade them within a specified period of time that is specified by the Government. The dollar was been put back on the Gold standard monetary system. Moderate, Conservative, and Ultra Republicans only hold currency.
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