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Living on Chiron, my Musings on Social Engineering

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  • Living on Chiron, my Musings on Social Engineering

    I got to thinking about what certain Social Engineering settings are really about, what it means for a non-elected Leader to run a Democracy, or how you can end up with a Morganite Fundamentalism. Then I wrote it down, and here it is.


    Politics

    Police State: The police state is characterized by an extremely strong and deep chain of command, right at the top the faction leader, supreme dictator, where every level holds the level below at figurative gun point and secret police watch for anyone to slip up. The Police State excels at mobilizing human resources to where they are needed, regardless of whether or not the people are willing. Violence is considered the appropriate means of control. Dissenters disappear, and are either never seen again or return brainwashed, people are afraid to think for themselves or come up with new ideas. Under the Police State citizens are unhappy, but if they try to do anything about it get beaten ruthlessly by the police – The secret police monitors and “reeducates” any activists that might lead the population to wide scale revolt.
    Democracy: Democracy in SMAC is not the representative Democracy practiced by Democratic nations, or Tyranny by the Majority; rather it’s a structure of command that gives more say to the people. The Democracy probably extends to the local council level rather than the faction leadership level, this would give Citizens considerably say in their community without compromising military and diplomatic issues, I feel this is a more likely form of Democracy than some sort of corrupt faction-wide democracy with only one party (the Faction Leaders). People feel freer under Democracy and there are no mechanisms in place to pressure them to go to war, hence a lack of support for the Military, the local community structure allows for expert (or local knowledge) application of solutions for specific communities/bases, improving efficiency and growth.
    The basic Command Structure would be:
    Faction Leader and corrupt cronies -> Base Governors + Local Community Council, either elected members or volunteers, that help make decisions regarding base operations and policy (a similar council may be present at leadership level)
    Fundamentalism: While for Miriam this is a religious fundamentalism I feel that for other factions the government hammers home this message “That ours is a way of life worth fighting and dying for” and equally “That the other factions way of life are inferior” (this message may not be blared out over loudspeakers, but would be the natural result of the first message). Fundamentalism would promote factional pride. On the other hand it also breeds intolerance and hate. This has the positive side of making infiltration by enemy forces difficult (they stick out like sore thumbs), when the faction goes to war the people really do believe in the war so fight harder for it. Because of all the dogma shoved down their throats most the citizens stop thinking for themselves (or are too afraid to), hence the decline in research. Ultimately the population does exactly what the leaders want, much like under Police State. However the mechanism is based on mass brainwashing rather than fear.

    Economics:

    Free Market: This is I believe capitalism unleashed and untamed. What capitalism excels at is extracting every last joule of energy from its human resources (aka wage slaves). Citizens are left close to the breaking point and unhappy, the police are under-funded and ineffective (and probably equally unhappy). What capitalism excels at is extracting every last joule of energy - that is the bottom line. The name Free Market makes it a bit more palatable for the 90% of the population who gets a rotten deal, while the 10% who get a great deal have all the power anyway. From the faction leaders perspective, Free Market provides an excellent method to rapidly exploit resources and build infrastructure, it helps to ignore the human and enviroment costs.
    Planned: Much how it sounds, everything is planned by the state and implemented by local authorities (once again a strong chain of command, with extensive use of computers and networks). And I mean everything, people may be able to choose their partners, but there might be things like birth quotas, children are probably state educated and even raised (for efficiency, allowing the parents to do assigned work). The education and work allocation system would result in citizens who all turn out alike and don’t really think for themselves all that much. There wouldn’t be much suffering under Planned, needs would be met with efficiency and exactness. There would also be little Joy.
    Green: In some ways, Green would be a lot like Planned. Citizens would be forbidden from doing certain things by strict regulations, birth would be controlled (but in a different way to Planned). The fundamental aspect where Green differs is that it would aim to instill a love of life, nature and planet in citizens, and more through experiencing the joy of life rather than religious dogma. However this could extend to fanaticism at times – Green citizens clearly have no strong qualms about going to war (and sending their native friends to war) to preserve their way of life and further spread green values. Green has powerful positive aspects; citizens are less wasteful. Thinking and philosophy would be actively encouraged. Under Green citizens would be mostly happy, though strangers to lifestyles of luxury and excess.

    Values:

    Power: Power involves compulsory military service and an unshakable belief (or perhaps truism) in the need of being powerful to survive. The Industry penalty mostly comes from compulsory military service by the young people and perhaps a view that factory work is weak and inferior to the warrior’s way. Clearly under Power the citizens are extremely patriotic and more than willing to go to war. War, Fighting and Winning are considered Good Things, and this is a value instilled from early years.
    Knowledge: Under Knowledge, thinking and the free flow of ideas are encouraged. It would be unlikely to find information copyright laws, in fact the very idea of hording information to gain a competitive edge would be alien and perhaps repulsive to the Citizens of a Knowledge state. The Open networks ensure efficiency (less reinventing the wheel) and cross-pollination of ideas. Citizens would be enlightened and well-read. Because the networks are so open and the regulation against information-hording it is easier to steal technology from factions with Knowledge values.
    Wealth: Hard work and the “Rags to Riches” dream would be strongly promoted under Wealth, in fact many things would be promoted, commercial advertising would be everywhere and completely unrestricted as corporations pump out a never ending stream of new consumer goods & services for the hard working population to buy. The Citizen under Wealth can never have enough stuff and would always be trying to keep up with the Joneses. Generally speaking the leadership and capitalists have more to benefit from Wealth values than the population, although this is mostly true of the other values.

    Next up, I muse on how various SE settings interact, including with factional ideologies & society.

    Comments? Agreements? Disagreements? All very welcome.

  • #2
    I've liked reading this specultative expose Blake; more in-depth than the pre-packaged datalinks SE descriptions.

    Of course, you left out the future society models. But maybe they speak for themselves or are otherwise so far-flung they are open to just about any loose interpretation one cares to offer.

    Factional bias would have a huge cultural difference (if not a practical in-game one). I'd like to hear your musing on what type of society a University running Police State/Planned/Knowledge would be vs. the Hive running the same SE choices. Equally disparate would be the Peacekeepers running Demo/Green/Power vs. the Spartan spin on Demo/Green/Power.

    Out of your perception of the realities of a SE choice it seems like the most desireous society to live in would be Demo/Planned/Knowledge, as long as it wasn't terribly corrupt on the administrative "Pre-Destination" level for its citizens.
    "I wake. I work. I sleep. I die. The dark of space my only sky. My life is passed, and all I've been will never touch the earth again." --The Ballad of Sky Farm 3, Anonymous, Datalinks

    Comment


    • #3
      I've always wanted to try an Alpha Centauri roleplay. To see what it would be like to get several dozen people, pick seven (Or fourteen, if we were feeling really frisky and had enough players) to be the various factions, have the math-concious among us do all our math to tell us how we're doing as factions, but do it all in a roleplay perspective, with less emphasis on "winning the game" and more on experiencing what life on Chiron would truly be like.

      Of course, as I am a roleplay fanatic, I eventually try to turn every fun thing I ever do into a roleplay (Which can be interesting after awhile... "I want to try a roleplay based on Castlevania... but without any Belmonts or Dracula!"... Trust me, it doesn't work out... *L*), but I really think such an idea would be interesting.

      'Course, as with 99% of the RP ideas I try, it won't ever happen, but it's a nice dream, no?
      Noctre, Dak'Tar, the master of the endless shadow that envelops you... That is what they call me. Fear, little mortals, and feed me, for you, my little ones... are mine.

      Comment


      • #4
        I may get around to the Future socities, but really, the names almost say it all. Cybernetic = Embrace the Machines/Cybernet, Eudaimonic: Abundance, Sustainability, Happiness - Utopia, pretty much.. Thought Control: Direct manipulation of human resources.

        The Hiverian Utopia

        Of particular interest is the Hives ability to evade the efficiency penalties of Police State and Planned, in this case, the efficiency results in less research and energy, it is reasonable to assume that Police State and Planned stifle entrepreneurship and creativity. Because the Hives economy is already so weak, it is likely there is little to stifle in the first place.

        The good Chairman Yang is probably a benevolent dictator, he really does want the best for his people, and he really believes that his way is the best way to run a society, Yang is also possibly the most intelligent faction leader of them all. But the pressing question is how does he shake off the inefficiency and achieve his Hiverian Utopia.

        I believe that the Hive has an evolved values system and also embraces spirituality rather than rejecting it like Communist states of Earth have been prone to, these values would be far more eastern than western, and promote co-operation along with competition, community more so than individualism, in a Yin Yang sense Hive society would be balanced and whole, this achieved by the expertise of Chairman Yang.
        Police State: The usual mechanism of control in Police State is fear, the Hive uses brainwashing – so to speak. Very few Hive citizens probably feel the need to rebel, they would understand that they are an important part of the whole that is The Hive. Without living in fear the citizens would be productive. How do Police work in The Hive? It’s quite simple really, Citizens feel safer when the police & military are around, police presence is comforting in a society so used to security. It is almost never nessecary for the Police to actively supress dissent.
        Planned: Without doubt Chairman Yang follows some form of eastern religion or spiritualism, Yang would spend much time in meditation and contemplation. He would consider these extremely important, and it is likely that all Hive citizens are allowed time to meditate and engage in other religious or spiritual practice if they wish. While the normal planned society is without joy, the Hive citizens find joy in serving the Hive and in spirituality. In this sense Yang is no different to the lowest Drone, for Chairman Yang too serves the Human Hive.

        From the very weak economy of the Hive it is clear that very few Hive citizens spend much time thinking and being creative, still they would mostly be content and find their work fulfilling.
        One thing is for sure, life in Hive society was very difficult to comprehend for most people born on Earth, in the early years many that went down in Yang’s pod found the society oppressive and even unbearable, thus they revolted and formed the Free Drones faction. This revolution was engineered almost entirely by those who still remembered Earth, the subsequent generations felt little reason or desire to revolt. This problem was to be repeated every time the Hive conquered bases of other factions, ironically when a Hive base was captured the citizens were almost unable to function under the paradigms of other factions, cut of from The Hive they truly were nothing.

        Datalinks – Of the Human Hive and Free Drones.
        (Yes I made that up, it's safe to assume anything I quote is actually made up)

        Random Aspects of Hive Society:
        The Hive uses it's own language engineered by Yang to help manipulate the thoughts of citizens (that which cannot be said, generally cannot be thought). There are very few words for self, like Me, I. There are extra words for co-operation, relationships and serving.

        The Hive doesn't have family units, in this sense making it even more extreme than normal Planned society. Everyone is cared for equally by The Hive, the Mother will generally actively partake in nursing and raising her child (to do otherwise would be cruel) but there is no notion of parents ownership of a child. Each child has many mothers, many fathers, many sisters and many brothers. That is how the Hive family works.

        Hive society almost defies description; there are no parallels on Earth.

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        • #5
          I would suggest that Free Market actually has generally well-off, prosperous workers -- workers that won't stand for martial law, and refuse to be sent off to some warfront when there is so much to live for at home.

          Remember, Free Market dosen't produce more drones, it merely keeps you from militarily oppressing the drones you have.
          No, I did not steal that from somebody on Something Awful.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by The Mad Monk
            I would suggest that Free Market actually has generally well-off, prosperous workers -- workers that won't stand for martial law, and refuse to be sent off to some warfront when there is so much to live for at home.

            Remember, Free Market dosen't produce more drones, it merely keeps you from militarily oppressing the drones you have.
            It all depends on whether you have a benevolent Free Market arrangement wherein profits are shared via profit sharing and employee stock ownership i.e. how much allocation goes toward psych.

            "Just puttin on the foil" - Jeff Hanson

            “In a democracy, I realize you don’t need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that’s the dictator, because he speaks for all the people.” - Jimmy Carter

            Comment


            • #7
              The Human Hive is also xenophobic. Hence the underground bases and the need for a vast network of internal security. Hive citizens can reject outside ideas more easily because they already know that to be with the Hive is to be useful and to work wholly with the State.
              It's really Synthetic God... I guess I didn't notice my own typo.

              Comment


              • #8
                Yes, xenophobia fits the social mentality that the Hive has. I do not wish to offend anybody of a particular religion so I will not name it here. A while ago, I took a course titled Compartive Religions in which we looked at some mainstreamed and not so mainstreamed religions and examined how their doctrine and beliefs affect their lives and so on. Fastincating class. We also were required to visit few churches/temples/halls and observe their ceremonies and so on.

                One religion (there are others but this one I observed the most) stressed the mentality of 'Us versus Them.' Basically members in that religion are 'good' since they're in the one and only true religion and that the rest of us are destinated for damnation. First thing I noticed when I entered their Hall - there were no windows. None. This reinforces the feeling of 'Us' and that 'Them' is bad and that they would try to corrupt 'Us' and 'Us' have the moral duty to try to save their souls. I could go on but I think my point is clear - the way the Hive is structured as presented by Blade, it's very easy to see how people can be literally brainwashed by their surroundings and environment.

                Just like in America, due to strong social messages presented in the media, by the government, and everybody else, I was brainwashed to believe that the communists are evil and so on. Fortunately individual independence is also highly valued so the brainwashing effects weren't that overwhelming. Perhaps fundamentalism/free market/wealth for USA?

                Anyway, Blake, thank you for a very entertaining read and I certainly will be looking forward to more of your postings on this topic if you plan to do so.
                Who is Barinthus?

                Comment


                • #9
                  A voice of reason is heard above the wildlings, especially your Fundamentalism paragraph, because "fundamentalism" does not always have to mean "religion".
                  The American Heritage Dictionary:
                  fundamentalism
                  2.
                  A movement or point of view characterized by rigid adherence to fundamental or basic principles.
                  fundament
                  4.
                  An underlying theoretical basis or principle.
                  etymology: Middle English foundement, from Old French fondement, from Latin fundamentum, from fundare, to lay the foundation, from fundus, bottom.
                  Last edited by gwillybj; February 9, 2004, 15:01.
                  I am on a mission to see how much coffee it takes to actually achieve time travel.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I would suggest that Free Market actually has generally well-off, prosperous workers -- workers that won't stand for martial law, and refuse to be sent off to some warfront when there is so much to live for at home.

                    Remember, Free Market dosen't produce more drones, it merely keeps you from militarily oppressing the drones you have.
                    From the penalties involved I would suggest that the Free Market in SMAC is much like capaitlism of early industrialization, when workers were worked to the breaking point and sometimes beyond. After a while capaitlists came to understand that human resources ceased to function well when worked too hard and payed too little, thus wages went up and hours went down, this resulted in more socialist tendancies in many countries (especially europe), acting as a brake on capitlism. Altough currentely a reversal is being seen, especially in USA, where once again hours are increasing and cost of living increasing far faster than wages, causing wide spread poverty.

                    The point of Free Market in SMAC is to build your economy quickly, disregarding the costs. With that as the goal, the means is unrestrained captitalism.

                    I must emphasis again that the Free Market in SMAC is capitalism - Freedom to exploit the labor Market. In a way the pysch spending represents the socialism brake on capitalism.

                    My next post will be on the Data Angels and their Anarchist society.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      /me dons Level 4 Biohazard suit and waits for the holy wars to begin
                      Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Would the holy wars be capitalism vs communism? If so then I find it pointless because capitalism is overly competitive and cruel while communision is overly co-operative and impratical. Human beings are ideally suited to neither system because both are flawed. Both deny a fundamental side of human nature.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Onward sage Blake! You've divined the Hive Utopia, now muse on the Gaian "Paradise on Chiron", if you would.
                          "I wake. I work. I sleep. I die. The dark of space my only sky. My life is passed, and all I've been will never touch the earth again." --The Ballad of Sky Farm 3, Anonymous, Datalinks

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe


                            It all depends on whether you have a benevolent Free Market arrangement wherein profits are shared via profit sharing and employee stock ownership i.e. how much allocation goes toward psych.

                            Well, that's exactly it, isn't it? You can't beat down the masses in a Free Market, you have to *gasp!* keep them happy! With rec commons and hospitals and paradise gardens and the like, and energy invested in their mental well-being.
                            No, I did not steal that from somebody on Something Awful.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Blake

                              From the penalties involved I would suggest that the Free Market in SMAC is much like capaitlism of early industrialization, when workers were worked to the breaking point and sometimes beyond. After a while capaitlists came to understand that human resources ceased to function well when worked too hard and payed too little, thus wages went up and hours went down, this resulted in more socialist tendancies in many countries (especially europe), acting as a brake on capitlism. Altough currentely a reversal is being seen, especially in USA, where once again hours are increasing and cost of living increasing far faster than wages, causing wide spread poverty.

                              The point of Free Market in SMAC is to build your economy quickly, disregarding the costs. With that as the goal, the means is unrestrained captitalism.

                              I must emphasis again that the Free Market in SMAC is capitalism - Freedom to exploit the labor Market. In a way the pysch spending represents the socialism brake on capitalism.

                              My next post will be on the Data Angels and their Anarchist society.
                              Yet this game occurs in the future, where all those lessons have already been learned! You are ignoring the evidence of your eyes, Blake.

                              Also, as has been pointed out by many practicioners in the past, going to Free Market too early can be crippling, and lead to your downfall -- it is important to have the proper infrastructure in place to keep the people happy when your goons are no longer able to oppress them.

                              Free Market is not an opening move, it is a finishing move.
                              No, I did not steal that from somebody on Something Awful.

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