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[LORE] The Earth Federation
🕑 Added 2023-05-19 01:33:42 +0000 UTCSince there was some discussion on the Earth Federation over on Twitter, I dug into my Gundam Officials folder to polish my old translation on the entry for the Earth Federation. I'm not a political person, so hopefully I translated the terminology correctly (compound state/composite state are apparently interchangeable?) and all, but here's a massively long data dump on the Federation for you all if you like this nerdy stuff! Keep in mind, Gundam Officials is written from what the Federation considers to be the "official" history of things in the Universal Century. I should get around to posting the thermonuclear reactor article too.
地球連邦
THE EARTH FEDERATION
Three fundamental elements constitute a state: the population, the territory, and the governing body. In narrower terms, a state is defined as a governing body that exercises exclusive authority over the people residing within its territory, forbidding interference from outside sources. This practical authority manifests as police powers, penal powers, judiciary powers, and military powers, all of which serve to repel interference from external entities.
Generally speaking, this governing body of a nation is referred to as the government, although this term can also refer more narrowly to the Cabinet or the executive branch. However, the power of the government must be justified by the reason for the nation's existence and is regulated by law. The inherent violence of a nation is limited by the very reason for its existence.
In this way, a nation is an entity with independent and supreme sovereignty. It is inherently contradictory for a nation to be restrained by the authority of another nation. A nation in such circumstances could not be considered complete. "Colonial states" serve as classic examples in past histories. Nations are categorized into "unitary states" and "compound states." As the name suggests, a single governing body forms a unitary state. A compound state, on the other hand, is typically represented by a "federal state," where multiple nations combine to form a larger single entity. This amalgamation of nations is conducted based on shared interests and national sentiments, organized under a centralized authority for a persistent common objective. Member nations delegate some of their governing power to the central government in this arrangement. Therefore, a compound nation, while composed of many nations, retains the duality of being a single nation.
Today, the "Earth Federation," to which we belong, is positioned as the largest compound state in human history.
Despite being composed of numerous nations, what fundamentally differentiates this entity from international bodies like the League of Nations or the United Nations that existed in the previous century, is that this body possesses independent and supreme sovereignty. Various issues surfaced towards the end of the previous century, necessitating an authority beyond traditional international mediation bodies. Most notably, the problem of Earth's environmental pollution was grave. In addition, the need to address issues arising from the population explosion, such as energy and food, was pressing. Leaving these issues unattended was commonly recognized as threatening the very survival of humankind.
The Earth Federation was established with the resolution of these issues as its "consistent common objective." However, initially, it was a temporary organization supported by compromises from each nation. The establishment of the Earth Federation was an act of putting aside ethnic, religious, and national ideologies for the urgent resolution of these problems. There is speculation that, after resolving these issues, the intention was to revert the federal government back to a more lenient international mediation body, much like the United Nations, which was still in existence at the time of the Federation's inception.
Nevertheless, the solution proposed to resolve these problems was an ambitious space colonization plan. Far beyond the space exploration efforts of the previous century, this project demanded a central government with authority surpassing that of individual nations, necessitating substantial funding. The Earth Federation, initially conceived as a temporary organization, amassed considerable power on a global scale through the progression of this plan, becoming a global administrative body with solid authority.
This newfound power was underscored by the realization that promoting space colonization was imperative to resolving global issues affecting humanity. On a practical level, the Earth Federation Forces, established to maintain permanent peace across the globe for the swift execution of the project, shouldered this responsibility.
The creation of the Earth Federation Forces had already been carried out in the previous century when the Federation was established. This essentially equated to implementing military treaties at the national level but on a global scale. Therefore, the federal government took the form of centralizing the military forces of each country, with personnel and equipment being inherited from the existing United Nations forces (which mainly consisted of nations with significant military capabilities, effectively incorporating each country's military organization into this particular nation's military structure).
With the commencement of space colonization, the Earth Federation government declared the transition to the "Universal Century." However, the national foundation of this new era was not as robust as we know it today. While not as frequent as in the previous century, regional conflicts on Earth did arise. The Federation Forces were repeatedly mobilized to suppress these disputes for the first several years of the Universal Century.
The greatest threat to the survival of the Federation government was separatism. If constituent nations were to secede from the Federation and independently establish a "compound nation," the Earth Federation government would cease to function as a global governing body. Indeed, issues that had emerged in the latter part of the previous century, such as the economic disparities between North and South (the North-South problem) or the rise of nationalism spurred by the spread of education to economically disadvantaged regions (which included religious conflicts), could easily lead to movements of secession from the Federation.
In response to these movements, the Federation government, backed by the military power of the Federation Forces, responded with measures such as dividing constituent nations. For instance, old military superpowers were divided into multiple nations, made equivalent to other constituent nations. Even though the military power of each nation had been appropriated by the Federation Forces, those of the old military superpowers remained formidable compared to what a constituent nation could wield. This measure was also aimed at fragmenting the military of these old powers to a degree where they could not oppose the Federation Forces. Furthermore, policies were implemented to incite conflicts among the divided nations, making it impossible for old military superpowers to form alliances.
Fortunately, the economic effects of space development contributed to the resolution of economic disparities, and the paradigm shift brought about by space colonization rendered old ideologies incapable of adequately addressing ethnic and religious issues. As a result, regional conflicts did not escalate into confrontations between the Federation government and new compound nations (It is also true that the strong military power of the Federation Forces, under the noble cause of resolving global issues, suppressed these voices as reactionary under the pretext of resolving global issues).
As a result of these measures, the Federation government established its sovereignty over the Earth Sphere in the 0020s. The declaration of the "Elimination of Conflict on Earth" in 0022 was a manifestation of the Earth Federation government's confidence in solidifying this immense governing structure. However, there are opinions within the Federation government today that consider this declaration unofficial. In the so-called official Federation chronology, such interpretations are frequently inserted, prompting some contemporary historians to critique this as historical revisionism.
Subsequently, the Federation government was able to significantly reduce its military budget, allowing for an accelerated increase in the space development budget and the progress of space exploration.
In a federal state, constituent nations hold governing authority over their people. The central government is merely delegated governing power from the constituent nations, not the other way around. Therefore, what is required to constitute a nation, such as a constitution, parliament, government, judiciary, police, and military, exists in both the central government and the constituent nations. Citizens are required to maintain dual loyalty to both the federal nation and the constituent nation, and dual sets of laws and political structures must govern them.
The magnitude of the central government's power is determined by the extent to which the dual structure of a federal nation exists within the constituent nations. As mentioned earlier, the Earth Federation government was granted authoritarian powers for the resolution of global issues. The constituent nations anticipated that the powers delegated to the central government would gradually be returned to the constituent nations in a more relaxed manner at an opportune time.
However, beyond the 0020s, the power dynamics between the Federation and the national governments had diverged. Controlling the Federation, a sovereign entity, was practically impossible for the national governments. Instead, more governing power of the constituent states ended up being transferred to the Federation. This action can be aptly described as 'usurped' from the perspective of the constituent states. As a result, reducing the size of the fully established federal government as a comprehensive governing structure was no longer feasible.
Furthermore, the new territories of the Federation that emerged through space colonization inevitably had to take on a form similar to local governments within a unitary nation. Unlike the constituent nations on Earth that had existed since the previous century, each Side, which served as an administrative unit in the space colonies, had to seek the source of its governing authority from the Federation government. Thus, while each Side was formally treated as an autonomous district, they were essentially 'colonial states,' entities bearing the form of a nation but having their power limited by another nation.
Thus, while it is said that the Earth Federation government operates based on the collective will of the constituent nations, from around mid-century, the actual situation became that the constituent nations governed autonomously under the protection of the Federation government. The scope of the constituent nations' autonomy was limited to domestic affairs, and various permits and authorizations from the federal government were required for matters such as diplomacy and trade.
Nevertheless, the legal relationship between the Earth Federation government and the constituent state governments was, from the very beginning, a rather ambiguous one, conceived as an interim measure for the Federation. This ambiguity laid the groundwork for the strengthening of the Federation's governance after the 0020s, while at the same time, it also served as the basis for the autonomy movement led by the Spacenoids.
Precisely because of its ambiguity, it was possible to argue that sovereignty existed in the autonomous regions formed by space immigrants, despite their inherent state-like nature. It must be noted that not all citizens who make up the Earth Federation have equal political rights vis-à-vis the state. As we moved into the mid-century, residents of space and those living on Earth were stratified, relegating space dwellers to a so-called "second-class citizen" status. This distinction has deeply embedded itself into the consciousness of the populace, with many space dwellers bitterly and ironically describing Earth dwellers as "elites."
The movement for Spacenoid autonomy became particularly active from the 0050s to the 0060s. This movement gained significant momentum, especially in Side 3, leading to the Republic of Zeon's declaration by its ideological leader, Zeon Zum Deikun, in 0058. The Federation responded to Side 3 with economic sanctions and other measures, but through the 0060s, the autonomy movement only intensified. The movement reached its peak in 0067 with the proposal of a "Colony Autonomy Act" intended to legally guarantee the autonomy of the colonies. However, this bill was rejected by the Federation, and the sudden death of Prime Minister Zeon Zum Deikun the following year resulted in a rapid pacification of activities on various Sides.
In 0069, Side 3 declared independence as the Principality of Zeon and announced its secession from the Federation. Until that point, the Federation had positioned Side 3 as a rebellious colony, but this declaration effectively forced them to recognize it as a de facto "independent state." However, they did not formally recognize it, and the One Year War that broke out in 0079 was called the "Zeon War for Independence" by the Principality. The political goal of this war was to have the Federation legally recognize Side 3 as an independent state.
The One Year War ended with the de facto defeat of the Principality. Following the dismantling of the Principality's system at the end of the war, the interim government of the Republic of Zeon, established in its wake, was designated a constituent state of the Federation under the peace treaty concluded with the Federation on January 1, 0080. However, this was purely a formality. Despite the token recognition of independence, the autonomous regions simply changed their name to "states."
The ambiguity regarding the governing authority between the Federation government and the constituent national governments remained unchanged even after the end of the One Year War. The Federation government primarily relied on its formidable military power as the basis for its governing authority.
That some constituent states and autonomous regions, such as Side 6, were able to declare neutrality during the One Year War due to them taking advantage of this ambiguity of governance rights. Logically, it should be impossible to maintain neutrality while being a part of the Federation. However, the legal stipulations regarding constituent states and autonomous regions under the Federation, which was established as an interim mechanism, were not robust enough to restrict such actions. This problem did not come to the forefront solely due to the Federation's strong sovereignty backed by military might. The appearance of the Principality as an independent sovereignty with military power made it possible for the constituent states and autonomous regions to take separatist actions within the Federation.
Even after the One Year War, the Federation continued to govern on a global scale, backed by military power, and the Republic of Zeon pledged to give up its autonomy by 0100. However, the conflict with the autonomous regions trying to escape the status of "colonial states" has not yet been resolved. In the next century, it cannot be denied that there is a possibility of another movement for the separation and independence of autonomous regions led by the Spacenoids.
[POLITICAL SYSTEM] There exists a term "absolute democracy," which is used to criticize the Earth Federation government.
The political system of the Federation government is a parliamentary democracy, where the Earth Federation Assembly holds legislative power, and the Cabinet, headed by the Earth Federation Prime Minister, handles the administration. The term "absolute democracy" can be interpreted in two ways. Firstly, it refers to the idea of deciding everything through democracy, the "absolute" aspect. This type of absolute democracy can lead to a situation where the logic of the majority dominates politics.
Bills become tools of political maneuvering, and majority manipulation becomes the essence of politics. Moreover, this situation can cause delays in policy implementation and decisions driven by the desires of the majority. If the majority truly represents public opinion, it would be called "mob rule," but in reality, the Earth Federation has a dual governance structure known as the federal system, where there is no direct connection between public opinion and politics.
This is the other aspect of "absolute," akin to the traditional term "absolute monarchy." In an absolute monarchy, the separation of power from the assembly is regarded as the absolute aspect, and it is not accurate to assume that the monarchy has absolute power. Criticizing the Earth Federation with the term "absolute democracy" refers to the disconnect between democracy within the Federation government and the constituent nations.
The background for this disconnect in democracy lies in the Earth Federation's consolidation of power with the aim of promoting the space colonization project. As seen in politics that directly reflect public opinion, it takes time for such a massive undertaking to progress through a bottom-up approach. To achieve the space colonization project within a short period, it was essential to have a governing structure that could implement top-down policies.
However, once the space colonization project achieved certain results and urgent issues affecting all of humanity were supposedly resolved, the problems inherent in the disconnected democracy became apparent and have been criticized today. Particularly, the existence of political factions within the Federation government, often referred to as the Federation military clique, vividly demonstrates the disconnect from public opinion.
The Federation military clique is attributed to the fact that the Earth Federation Security Council has jurisdiction over the Federation Forces. This jurisdictional arrangement aimed to control the Federation military, which had historically been the largest instrument of violence, by civilians, prioritizing the interests of the Federation government. However, even civilian control reveals a flaw in its attempt to build smooth relations between the Federation military and the Federation Assembly. Specifically, the fact that active-duty generals are allowed to become members of the Federation Assembly created a situation where the request for military action could be initiated from the military side to the Prime Minister, who serves as the highest commander of the Federation military. This led to the hidden existence of the Federation military's political influence within the Federation government.
Consequently, military career advancement is often considered a shortcut to entering politics, and many Federation military officers, after serving a term, transition to the political realm as secretaries or in other roles.
As mentioned in the context of establishing the sovereignty of the Federation government, the military power of the Federation military and the policies of the Federation government had to be inseparable. Otherwise, the Earth Federation government would have become a fragile entity like traditional international mediation agencies, lacking the ability to resolve urgent global issues. Although modern nation-states caution against military organizations' interference in politics, the Federation government required a close relationship with the military to maintain its sovereignty.
The negative consequences of this close relationship between military factions and politics became evident in the 0080s. The oppression of Spacenoids by the Titans, an internal organization of the Federation Forces in the mid-0080s, was a result of military factional politics. The absolute democracy of the Federation government is a clear manifestation of the problems with today's federal system, and the challenge in politics is how to conduct dual governance with constituent states rationally.
This diverged democracy entails the character of the Federation's centralized governance, and the anticipated abandonment of autonomy by the Republic of Zeon in the year 0100 suggests the direction the Federation government intends to move forward in the future.
![[LORE] The Earth Federation](https://img10.patrefans.com/storage/8/tn/fb/563145-019e863a-6d11-7b88-ae3f-81a63de52641.png)
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Deacon Blues
Anywho, back to manga tomorrow! I"ll also have a revised schedule for novel postings going forward to mention too!
