This is part of a discussion that felt very relevant in 2020 when I wrote it, but seems superfluous in 2024 as I work on a new edition of the game. Everything below has been cut from the Maya dialog about how government works:

“How does Artema enforce laws?”

We don’t have human police officers, because human police are racist, sexist, etc. We have cameras literally everywhere in public spaces. From the moment you leave this loft to the moment you return, you are on camera.

This is the part of Arteman society I don’t like. Justice is supposed to be blind. Here it is watching you all the time. Perpetrators are immediately identified. Without a real police force, it might take a while to apprehend a criminal, but we know who it is right away, so there is no rush.

“Isn’t it dangerous to take your time apprehending criminals?”

Most police related accidental deaths are the result of police being over zealous. Here it is discouraged to rush in pursuit of a criminal, thus making streets safer.

We have no bail system either. If a criminal is deemed not dangerous, they are released until trial. Also many “jail sentences” are house arrest, and designed for reform rather than punishment. So lots of opportunities for “criminals” to be on the streets, but you shouldn’t worry, they are being watched.

“Cameras are everywhere, that seems very “Big Brother” like for a state that prides itself on freedom.”

In philosophy it is called Bentham’s Panopticon problem. Philosophers correctly point out that the direct violence reduction is replaced by “structural violence” inherent in constantly being observed. Michel Foucault would argue that crime and punishment only exists to enforce power hierarchies, and in theory Artema is not supposed to have power hierarchies.

But ultimately the cameras are the cheapest and easiest way to enforce behavior. I still struggle with this idea.

“What about inside people’s houses?”

Having cameras monitored by the state inside your home can be done if the residents request it, and some fearful of their lives, like abusive exes, do request it. Ariane works in security, and knows for a fact that they are not necessary, and very invasive. Hence no cameras in this loft.

“Besides fear, why would anyone put cameras in their home that others can see?”

Rachel has a hot sexy client that makes money selling subscriptions to their house feed.

“Anarchism has obvious drawbacks. We can’t do what ever we want when we want.”

You are right. Some people can’t handle the anarchist lifestyle. They don’t like that we insist on equality for everything. And the best thing about there being 96 different countries where there used to be one is that you are free to leave to a country more suited to your lifestyle.

“Equality for everything and yet there are few laws, isn’t that a contradiction?”

The laws that are enforced are applied equally. The old US was bogged down with systemic racism that put people of color in prison way more often than the white majority. There was also unequal justice between the rich and poor.

A $300 speeding ticket was pocket change to a rich person, but meant not eating for a week to a poor person.

One of the first reforms was means testing fines. Rich people get up to 30,000 moola fines for speeding while poor get as low as 30.

“Is there demographic differences in Artema compared to other states?”

Yes, previously exploited classes: Women, minorities, and LGBTQ tend to make up a bigger chunk of the population than normal. I think we are 51% female, 47% male, 2% other currently.

Even in our household. We have three LGBTQ women and I’m a minority race. You friend are the rare white hetero cis male.

If Male:

“Interesting. I don’t feel privileged or exploited.”

Then the system is working as intended.

If Female:

“Four LGBTQ women. I’m an L.”

Oh, yeah I heard rumors that you and Ariane had an affair.

“What happens to people that do break the rules?”

Depends on how severe. Could be fines. Imprisonment or Hospitalization with emphasis on reform is possible for greater crimes. Banishment is possible if they are a threat to society. Death penalty is out of the question.

“How exactly did you “Overthrow the unjust state”?”

We didn’t actually. It was the radical extremists driven by envy that started the second civil wars. In times of disaster, whether natural or human made we are naturally driven to try to go back to “normal” as quick as possible.

But the radical extremists made “normal” impossible. So we adapted. The path of least resistance to stability and some form of normalcy was to form a corporate oligarchy.

Thanks to the way the old United States worked, corporations had the money and the influence to change things. Probably wasn’t a good idea to give them that kind of power. Once power is given, it is not easily taken back. But in the case of Artema, we got lucky.

The biggest corporation here was the Ellison Group, a real estate empire run by a liberal board of share holders after the founder died. They took power over the region because they could, but then the local high tech companies, the inventors of MUM, and the robot laborers you see around, joined them.

Together they came up with the technopoly idea, and radically modernized the liberal democratic state. All they really did was refuse to make laws out of spite or envy, because such laws always favor the strong over the weak. More liberty and justice for everybody.

“So there was no actual anarchy “revolution”, you just took advantage of the chaos of a misguided authoritarian revolution, and got really lucky. “

You are right, it was at least in part dumb luck. But a lot of important history comes from dumb luck. At least according to my old history professor, who now sits on the Artema Council and is therefore my boss.

An anarchist “overthrow of the unjust state” never ever happens in reality. It only happens when the state is already at the point of complete collapse, therefore not really an “overthrow” at all.

We take our freedom seriously in Artema. It is not a perfect system, but it is better than any that came before.