Congrats on a successful Jeopardy appearance.

-Eric Brandt (CR Jeff classmate)

NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION PUSH NOW UNDERWAY!!

An effort is now underway to call for a National Constitutional Convention as authorized under Article V of the Constitution. The ultimate aim of this Convention, as envisioned, will be the dismantlement of the federal government in its present configuration, and then reassemblement at the regional level. In essence, 10(# flexible) independent republics will be created on American soil(state borders intact), each having the Constitution and Bill of Rights as the basis of their new governments. Liken this to the breakup of AT&T into the baby bells some years back. This action has become necessary to diffuse the power of the largely self-serving globalist oligarchy which has hijacked America's federal government bringing our nation to the verge of economic and social ruin while greatly compromising our national security. It's time for AUTONOMOUS REGIONAL GOVERNMENT! See link below for more info:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NationalConstitutionalConvention06

Check out OurStory.com. You can write personal histories (it's free) and set up dialogs about whatever story you want to talk about. Great place to do a "biography" or story of a nation's rise, fall, whatever. Everything goes into a timeline and images look great. Worth a visit.

I created a micronation called Satirocity, an intergalactic empire that claims those unclaimed lands. It has a flag ( blue background, with that box in the corner with red white red and the word Satire in the white part) and tons of stuff. It was created in October 2005, yet its origins go back well beyond a year earlier. I do not have an email or a site, so I will write back soon from my micronation which's headquarters are surronded by a suburb of Philly. I hate bush and Walmart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike, sorry for the awfully long lag time in responding. I really ought to watch the board more closely.

The Internet is a wonderful thing. As to what you're suggesting, I don't know that there is. You might want to check out www.rulers.org, which lists that sort of thing incidental to its main thrust, which is listing every head of state ever. Totally cool.

JE

Mr. Erwin:

Thanks for your Footnotes to History website. Great stuff! I'm glad to know that there are other people in the universe with an interest in this subject matter; for the longest time, I thought I was all alone being "sick in the head." ;-)

My obsession with atlases, political reference works (Europa World Year Book, Stateman's Yearbook, etc.), boundaries/border disputes, micronations (but not the virtual types), and politico-historical oddities began at age eight. And over the last quarter century, I haven't been able to get enough. Thank God for the Internet!

I'm thinking of putting together a definitive list of national independence dates, completely annotated with occupation/annexation/confederation dates, de facto proclamations, de jure recognitions, etc. Is there any such site already in existence?

Well, this reply is long overdue, Jack. Hope you spot it.

"We" ( ;) ) aren't. You can find several Native American states in FtH, from the Cherokee Republic to Alcatraz Nation. However, while the Hopi and several other First Nations have asserted their sovereignty, they have not declared full independence.

Each of the 19 active Pueblos in New Mexico and the 1 in Arizona (Hopi) are sovereign, with fixed borders. Are we neglecting American Indian states?

Sorry about the lag in replying!

Allan- You're absolutely right. I'll correct this in my next update, which should be coming shortly.

Judson- I did consider including it, but it failed to meet my completely subjective "obscurity" requirement. It's the same thing that's kept me from covering the Napoleonic states of Italy and the Confederate States of America. It's something I decided on a while back to keep me on the right side of the "obsessive" line.

And for more notes on "why is James not updating so quickly," please check out the new blog (link on the front page). I'm in the midst of two new projects which you can follow there.

James, why no "Fascist Republic of Salo"? If there were ever a real life/fictional nation, that was it: the puppet state, ostensibly run by Mussolini but actually controlled by the Nazis, that "ruled" northern Italy from the time Mussolini was ousted in mid-1943 to his murder and the collapse of the Axis two years later. One good source, aside from ones on the Web, is A. James Gregor, *Contemporary Radical Ideologies* (1968)

Re Alamut: FYI, the home castle of the Assassins was not in central Persia. It was 37 miles north of modern Kazvin, in the Elbruz Mountains. If it had been much further north, it would have been in the Caspian Sea.

Useless?!? ;)

An excellent way of putting it. And out of curiosity, what's afp?

Picked up the ad in afp. It's always nice to find a mine of useless information. If only to keep a perspective of realpolitic on the rest of the information I come across.

History is made by people with teeth missing. All too often the perfect dentures of news reporters tends to distract from the fact.

Goto> Exactly what I mean. But the Raelians aren't quite the threat that a Kinakuta might be.

Cesidio> Fascinating stuff. I'll reply to you by email. And while we're on the subject, a note to other heads of state: please contact me by mail and not by posting here. Thanks!

Mr James Erwin,

If you are interested in a real nation that recently became a true Virtual State, you can contact me for further details. The story below, however, might serve as a good introduction.

===========================================================

The Tallinian-Bucksfanian Dream began on 9 January 2003 (9 Archimedes 2003). On that day TTF-Bucksfan made history by becoming the first nation without the approval of the United Nations or ICANN to gain legal control of its very own Top-Level Domain (TLD). The day after TTF-Bucksfan even gained control of another two TLDs, becoming in effect one of the few nations on earth controlling more than one TLD.

Then TTF-Bucksfan started to build and test a Domain Registry. By 27 February 2003 (6 Columbus 2003), TTF was able to control the DNS of the http://cesidio.god domain, TTF-Bucksfan first alternative second-level domain (the ".god" TLD is owned by The dot.GOD Registry, Limited).

Then on 5 March 2003 (12 Columbus 2003) TTF-Bucksfan achieved DNS control of its first TLD: http://gov.ttf (.ttf TLD). In the days following this technical achievement, TTF-Bucksfan gained control also of the third-level of the .ttf TLD, and attempted, unsuccessfully, to gain control of its other TLDs.

Then on 12 March 2003 (19 Columbus 2003) TTF-Bucksfan achieved DNS control of its second TLD, http://gov.bucksfan, and the day after it also achieved DNS control of its third TLD of http://gov.bucrafan.

TTF-Bucksfan is now involved in an endeavour that normally involves nation-states only. Not only is TTF-Bucksfan now doing only what nation-states normally do, but it's becoming good at it too! When was the last time you saw a nation administer 3 TLDs, and have total control of its domains on second- and third-levels? There is only one nation that administers 3 or more domains, and is able to do multilevel DNS, and that nation is a superpower!

What is next? Well, if prophesies that were made in the past about so-called "indigo children" are correct, then it seems that TTF-Bucksfan and the Fifth World Council will soon be building massive cities, "Cities of Light" on the Internet, and eventually they will learn to weave their own Internet altogether!

HM Cesidio Tallini
King of TTF-Bucksfan
President of the Fifth World Council

Email: hmcesidio@hotmail.com
URL1: http://www.microstate.org
URL2: http://www.nation-state.org
URL3: http://www.buckuniversity.org
URL4: http://www.cesidian.org
URL5: http://www.cesidian.ch
URL6: http://www.5world.org

  How about wealthy cults such as the Railliens who recently moved to Romania I think it was in order to proceed with their human cloning agenda.Presumably they have the protection of the State in which they operate.

Well, Sealand is within UK territorial waters. The only question is 1) whether Sealand was recognized before the 12-km limit came into effect and 2) whether Sealand can make anyone care. Back in the 60s, someone tried a Sealand-type stunt off the coast of Italy. The Italian government sent frogmen to blow up the platform. End of that story.

As far as defense goes: under the current interpretation of international law, all land has been found and all land has been claimed. New nations can't be built or new land claimed. So any attempt at defending a data haven enclave would be officially piracy or insurrection or something of that sort.

Basically; the only real option open to an aspiring data haven is to co-opt an existing government. And then to make sure you don't run into a conflict with the existing haven countries. The Swiss have lawyers, the Bahamians have cartel connections... make no mistake, a real-life Kinakuta project would face massive difficulties, to put it lightly.

  Thanks for ur response James.I heard that UK gov are now disputing whether Sealand is in fact within UK territorial waters.The other example u mentioned begs the question of armament and if future-tech could provide means of defense which are presently unavailable in order to secure the soveriegnty of such a micronation.Any thoughts on this?

Edited by author 03-15-2003 11:38 AM
God, I loved Cryptonomicon.

My first impulse is to say that a Kinakuta could never exist, but I've learned my kneejerk responses are sometimes just that. If you asked me if a hypothetical former bishopric about the size of a county park could maintain its independence for centuries and become a major tax haven, I'd call that implausible on its face...

Basically, though, here's my thinking. If someone tried to set up a data haven (and here I'm specifically thinking of Sealand) it would threaten the existing tax havens, who have a vested interest in shutting it down and scads of money. I don't think they'll ever get off the ground. Whatever they set up, the existing havens will match. And if they can't match it, they'll flood the market with rumors of undependability and try to cripple it with lawsuits and other remedies available to established sovereign nations, which datahavens don't have. Tonga invaded Minerva and built over it, after all.

  What did u make of the fictional datahaven in Neil Stephensons Cryptonomicon? Will a real-life Kinakuta someday exist and where are the likely candidates?

*high five* Thanks, mystery guest!

(are we talking very short or just a little shorter?)

HAY YOU! Looks like they found out how cool you are. Congratulations on being in the top 100 at PC mag. Much love, friend.

I like them very much indeed. Thanks for asking!

I would also like to thank the person who contributed earlier today. I am deeply grateful.

Hello James. Do you like nations?

Best,

Cpt. Moniker

Edited by author 09-22-2002 11:20 PM
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