An Examination of Extra-Universal Systems of Government


  1. rvbomally Russian Hacker

    Dec 13, 2008
    They’d probably be folded into the two French parties. But they’d be replaced as a boogeyman by Germany.
    halfcoop likes this.
  2. halfcoop Well-Known Member

    Nov 14, 2016
    I just had a thought, the divergence could be Napoleon death sometime in the French Consulate. 1802 if you want France to win the war, before if you want it to lose. His death could be anything, just that it happens.

    After his death their is is not really anyone who could step up to the mantel of ‘first counsel’. Eventually a faction between the ‘conservatives’, probably lead by Talleyrand, and the ‘liberals’, a group of low born generals who use Napoleon brother as a puppet, is formed. Neither side feels confident in actually winning a war so they make a ‘temporary’ power sharing agreement. 150 years later...
    rvbomally likes this.
  3. Betelgeuse Well-Known Member

    May 11, 2014
    The fabled 100 pages... And all it took was 8 years;)
  4. pattontank12 Better Dead than Red!

    Mar 1, 2015
    Southern Idaho
    Here's an idea: A superpower that on the surface looks like the embodiment of the ideals of the European Union or United Nations, a federation of nations coming together to uphold their common ideals and to improve the world. Only once you peel away the surface it's actually closer to your standard military junta or fascist regime, similar to the CoG from Gears of War.
  5. General Lemarc Countdown to Extinction Sponsored by McDonalds

    Apr 25, 2015
    Congratulations, you made a bureaucratic nightmare that isn't murderous or oppressive. Damn do I love the creativity we get with these entries.
    DrWalpurgis likes this.
  6. General Lemarc Countdown to Extinction Sponsored by McDonalds

    Apr 25, 2015
    *Glances at outlines for my next 2 entries*. Apologies in advance.
    President Eternal and Betelgeuse like this.
  7. Earthallias Who TF keeps liking but not replying?

    Jun 30, 2017
    That's pretty much all my human factions in stellaris ever since having militarism in your democracy meant you're automatically a military comisariat
  8. rvbomally Russian Hacker

    Dec 13, 2008
    An idea for that *Hobbesian absolutist state: it’s a surviving Bourbon union of France and Spain, where they managed to win the War of the Spanish Succession and actually keep their empire together (mostly). I may diverge from the standard model by having the subject of the interview comment on political developments in other universes as well. Namely, liberalism. Let’s just say that the guy absolutely despises liberalism and blames it for communism and fascism, which their world never experienced. He’s also particularly horrified by the French Revolution.
  9. rvbomally Russian Hacker

    Dec 13, 2008
    Not My President
    My world map for this United States of America EEUSG entry. I'm surprised nobody got the Star Wars references yet.
    • The PoD is rather well-covered in the entry, but basically the 2000 election leads to the creation of two federal governments, working in parallel and opposition to one another.
    • An alt-9/11 takes place on September 10th, but the divided America couldn't lead invasions into the Middle East. The war only served to fracture the country further.
    • America's split left a power vacuum. Many of the institutions that it championed, such as NATO and the WTO, and the institutions of its allies, like NATO, fell apart.
    • China has filled the power vacuum left by America in a rather scary way. China trades with both Americas, although predominantly with the richer New York government. It has grown to not only be the manufacturing capital of the world, but also its economic heart. It has extended its economic influence, first in Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa, then Europe and Latin America. Many countries are in the Chinese sphere for political reasons, economic reasons, or both. The Chinese have formed or coopeted multinational institutions to replace the American/Western ones, and is far more brazen about using them as tools of Chinese power.
    • NATO was disbanded when the Russians called the two Americas' bluff and invaded the Baltic states. The other NATO powers, knowing that they couldn't defeat the Russians in time, instead chose to disband the organization.
    • An alt-Brexit, followed by an Italexit and then almost the entirety of southern Europe leaving, spelled doom for the EU. Germany and France both remilitarized heavily in the face of the death of NATO, with Poland militarizing most of all.
    • The French are focusing their efforts in "combating China in Africa," although in truth it's a form of neo-colonialism that is effectively trying to accomplish what China has.
    • Russia, initially a beneficiary of the Chinese system, transformed into a pseudo-Duginist Confederation of Eurasia, and is now opposed to Chinese power. They back old time ally, Iran, which managed to defeat the Saudi Arabians in a war over the Persian Gulf and is flexing its muscles as American power in the region weakened and all but disappeared.

  10. General Lemarc Countdown to Extinction Sponsored by McDonalds

    Apr 25, 2015
    Easily the most depressing non-nuclear entry yet. Kinda reminds me of the After America Series by John Birmingham-"alright, y'all want a world without the US? Here you go! Hope it's everything you dreamed of."
  11. suul'ken Well-Known Member

    Oct 29, 2014
    Why didn't Japan join the Euro asian Security Compact?
  12. Earthallias Who TF keeps liking but not replying?

    Jun 30, 2017
    9/10 doesn't roll off the tongue, curse them :p.
  13. BrentiusAtticus Emperor of the Milky Way

    Nov 13, 2015
    The Philippines
    Apparently, there aren't much Philippine entries (only one I seen). I will probably submit create one.
    BrianD and suul'ken like this.
  14. tehskyman Engineer for the money

    Jul 8, 2013
    How come some of the redder states in blue America haven't ignored commands from New York and joined up with Houston?

    Also, how do congressional elections work? What does congress even do?
    suul'ken likes this.
  15. rvbomally Russian Hacker

    Dec 13, 2008
    They’re nullifying some of the laws they really don’t like.

    Congressional elections work as the always have, but Congress does nothing.
    President Eternal and suul'ken like this.
  16. tehskyman Engineer for the money

    Jul 8, 2013
    They can do that? Does the !President in New York really lack that authority? Does the !President in Houston have the same lack of authority?

    Also are the borders fenced? I think you mentionned no free movement.
  17. rvbomally Russian Hacker

    Dec 13, 2008
    All of this governance is being done on an ad hoc basis, and so what politicians and government entities can or can’t do is up in the air. Both sides basically rule by general consensus and fear that further disintegration can happen.

    Some places are, most aren’t.
    suul'ken likes this.
  18. Earthallias Who TF keeps liking but not replying?

    Jun 30, 2017
    Someone should do a EEUSG on whatever the fuck country Taured is.
    suul'ken likes this.
  19. Kerguelen Prime Specimen

    Jun 6, 2017
    Das Kapital
    EBR approved submission

    The Divine People’s Republic of Ghana
    As I enter the streets of Accra, smells of strong spice, fried meat, and melted chocolate waft through the air while the city is alive with the chatter of hundreds. I see groups of people smoking cigars and laughing, while others crowd into massive churches. Tall glass buildings tower over the markets and shantytowns, reaching towards the sky. In the center of the city, the capital building stands tall, designed in traditional Ashanti architecture. And in front of it lies a grand metal statue of a smiling man, reaching out to a child. The flag of Ghana flies proud above his head, shining its star of gold. The plaque below him reads: THE PEOPLE’S HEAVENLY PASTOR JAMES WARREN JONES: FOUNDER OF THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE, SAVIOR OF THE COUNTRY. Without a doubt, I know that this will be an interesting trip.

    I head into the taxi and meet my driver, Mr. Donkor Ewe, who insists that I call him Donny. He is a tall man with a pearly white smile and friendly eyes. His vehicle is a vibrant red and the roof is painted with the overlapping star of People’s Temple. After packing my luggage, Donny greets me with a welcoming handshake and a question that catches me off guard.

    “So Mr. Chana, you come here for the wee, yes?”


    “Yes, many akata come here for the wee.”

    I recognize akata as a term that most Ghanans would call foreigners by, but this wee is something that I have never heard of until now. I decide to ask Donny about the meaning of this strange word, only to receive an even stranger response.

    “Wee, the one that give you the red eye when you smoke it. The one that make you dizzy.”

    Soon, I began to realize this wee Donny was talking about was simply cannabis. While I knew that illicit substances were often abused in countries below the poverty line, I was surprised at how common drug usage had become for a nation that called itself a “Divine Republic”. I think back to when I first stepped out of the airport and saw groups of people smoking what I assumed to be cigars. I decide to ask Donny about punishments associated with marijuana usage in Ghana.

    “Oh no, Jones made wee for legal everyone. Now many akata from China and Russia come to Ghana. Everyone say new buildings ruin the city and the tourist is rude, but I still get more money for driving them!” Donny lets out a fit of laughter and goes back to the road.

    After our conversation, I open my brochure and do a quick review of the strange history of this strange country. The Republic of Ghana was founded during the early 1960’s after it was granted its independence by the British Empire. The country’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah was enamored by the ideas of Marxism and African Nationalism. Soon, he would move back to his homeland to join the Gold Coast Convention that governed the British-owned colonial territory. Nkrumah declared the Gold Coast be an independent nation and was made leader of the young Republic of Ghana. Soon, the ethnically diverse nation was united under Nkrumah's dream of a self-sufficient socialist utopia, free of colonial influence.

    The CIA, wary of the rise of left-wing government across Africa, organized a military coup known as ‘Operation Cold Chop’ with a group of discontented generals. After being discovered by government agents, the plotters were forced to launch ‘Operation Cold Chop’ early, leading to the coup’s immediate failure and a purge within the military. Nkrumah, now distrustful of American power, began to develop closer ties with China and the Warsaw Pact while attempting to modernize his nation. However, his attempts to spread socialist ideas was faced with resistance amongst the tribal and religious population, forcing him to find other methods. Now we enter Pastor James Warren Jones.

    James Warren Jones, also known as Jim Jones was an American-born religious leader who founded the People’s Temple during 1955. Jones, a committed Marxist, studied the works of leaders from Stalin to Hitler to Gandhi and sought to create an organization that would protect American communists from persecution. Jones preached a radically different view of Christianity, one that viewed Jesus Christ as a communist whose message had been misinterpreted during the Dark Ages. Despite being accused of using his movement to mask his communist ideas, the People’s Temple had already gained around 7,000 American members.

    After being granted a permit to build churches and a mass of settlements around the capital of Accra, Jones found that his congregation would be growing faster than ever. To gain funds, the Temple performed a large number of faith healings which proved to be popular amongst the superstitious population. Many bought into Jones’ claims, building his reputation to a god-like status. Outside of the country, Jones was known as “the African Rasputin”, due to his overwhelming influence over the government and the population.

    Some believe that Nkrumah started to grow distrustful of Jones and began plans to purge followers of the People’s Temple. However, those plans would never be realized after another coup turned the nation on its head. ‘Operation Exodus’ led by General Ignatius Acheampong assassinated Nkrumah in an attempt to overthrow the government. The People’s Temple was forced to go underground and began to prepare for a nation-wide insurgency against the military junta. Jones’ Red Brigades would storm the capital building, crucify Acheampong, and burn him to death on the streets of Accra.

    As the ’80s came around, Jones would be worshipped as a living demigod, the reincarnation of Marx, Nkrumah, Christ, and the Holy Ghost, all reborn as one man. Later, he would recluse further into isolation while retaining command over the Temple and the Red Brigades. However, Ghana began a process of liberalization during the 21st century, introducing foreign businesses to urban centers. Today, the Divine People’s Republic of Ghana, or as some call it, Jonesland has been associated with human rights abuses, multiple armed insurgencies, and, as I recently learned, is the cannabis capital of the continent.

    “Alright Mr. Chana, we are here” says Donny.

    Eventually, we’re parked in front of the Grand Revolutionary Temple, a massive building encased in bright shades of painted glass and white marble. The church itself is shaped like an upside-down cone, surrounded by four tall spires all topped with the eight-sided star. From a distance, the temple resembles a strange attraction from a Mormon amusement park. After entering the church, I ascend a winding staircase and meet my interviewee, Mr. Robert Nelson.

    “Please, Mr. Chana, call me Bob!” he says as I introduce myself. It appears that friendly smiles are not too hard to come by in this country. I begin my interview by asking Mr. Nelson about his role in the government.

    “You see Mr. Chana, I am not a member of the government itself, although I can see why you might be mixed up. After all, both the Temple and the state serve to preserve the peace and the rights of our people. But while the government rules over the country, the Temple presides over its followers and the spiritual realm. I myself am an international ambassador for the People’s Temple. Much like you, I’ve seen over multiple missions outside of this word, spreading the good word all across the multiverse.”

    I then decide to ask about the Temple’s policy on non-believers.

    “Of course, you have to expect there to be some people that don’t follow the same religion as you, and everyone has to respect that. As long as they aren’t killers, like the Northern Alliance, we still respect them as human beings. But let me ask you this, Mr. Chana. Without the temple, who will give them moral guidance? Who will show them the path to God and lead them away from sin? That is what Jones intended when he made himself the People’s Heavenly Pastor. He wanted to create a nation that realized all of us were God’s children. Young and old, rich and poor, white and black.”

    I nodded and asked about the recent reforms that had taken place in Ghana.

    “Jones originally planned for the Temple to unite Ghana under the idea of “Christian communalism”. Everyone would live off the land and remain devout to the Temple. It was what Karl Marx wanted when he fought against imperialism and capitalism. Everyone would live together, undivided by ideas planted into their head by corporate propaganda. All of their possessions would be given to a higher power, while they worked for the greater good. But now, Jones wants something new for Ghana. He wants it to become the face of modern Africa. Now, I know that Ghana doesn’t have the best reputation abroad, but by opening the country, Jones will improve people’s lives drastically. Our comrades in the Soviet Union and China have done the same thing and look where they are now! They don’t call Russia the automobile capital of this world for nothing.”

    I then questioned Mr. Nelson if the Republic of Ghana in itself was a democracy or not.

    “I assure you Mr. Chana, unlike other self-proclaimed People’s Republics, Ghana is a truly democratic nation. The people are free to elect their own President. The country oversees a direct democracy where the people can vote their own members into the National Assembly. There is no invisible bureaucracy or obstructive political parties that you might see in other parts of the world. I mean, just look at what’s happening in America! In Ghana, only the people decide their country’s fate, thus putting an end to political deadlock. After all, it wouldn’t be called a people’s republic if they didn’t. If you want more information on how the system works, I can guide you to someone inside the government.”

    In response, I brought forth the question regarding whether the elections themselves can be considered legitimate, citing multiple reports of ballot burning and interference by the Red Brigades.

    Mr. Nelson nodded his head “Ghana… is still a developing country, I won’t deny that. And in countries like this one, you can expect that some gangs or rogue militias won’t like what one candidate is doing and try to change that. But the church itself doesn’t intervene in elections or support one candidate over the other. The Red Brigades were created as a civilian defense unit for followers of the Temple. And they are only authorized to interfere in elections to make sure that the process goes smoothly.

    Finally, I question the multiple reports that came from refugees and human rights organizations regarding the horrific crimes of the Red Brigades.

    “You see, Mr. Chana. Ghana may not seem like a nation at war, but right now, our nation is being attacked by religious radicals, who seek to undermine our country and destroy it from the inside. But unlike those bandits that run the Northern Alliance, we have been careful in avoiding civilian casualties and defending the freedom of our people. I assure you, that any rumors of ethnic cleansing or genocide are just that. Rumors.” With one arm, Nelson gestures to a grand statue of the People’s Heavenly Pastor behind him.

    “Did you know that Jones was one of the few religious leaders who truly fought for racial and social equality? And for that, he was loved by people all over America. Some of your presidents such as Carter, Mondale, and Brown praised him for his crusade of justice. After converting so many of our people to the socialist cause, it was no wonder President Nkrumah took him as a spiritual advisor. The people loved him but it was a shame that the west didn’t. The capitalist world can churn out as much propaganda it likes, but we Ghanans will never forget that it was their imperialist ambitions that killed Nkrumah.”

    I thank him for his time as I head to the door, Mr. Nelson hands me a colorful brochure with the smiling face of Jim Jones on the cover. “Just in case if you want to learn some more,” he says with a smile. I enter the taxi and ask Dony to drive to the nearest train station. For my next interview, I’m keen on meeting the bandits and war criminals that Mr. Nelson has spoken about so negatively.

    In Kiboso, my eyes are greeted by the gloomy savannah plains. Elephants roam amongst acacia trees and oil pumps, while a group of run-down hostels stands by the Volta River. As I enter the hostel, I see beer cans and burned out paper cigars littered across the floor. I narrowly avoid stepping on shards of broken glass and sleeping men, armed with AK-47s. After entering a dark room, I look to my esteemed host, Mr. Joseph Ajura who offers me a seat on a bright plastic chair. Before the interview begins, Mr. Ajura offers me a cigar, which, by the smell, is most likely filled with marijuana. I kindly refuse and look through my notes. General Joseph Ajura is one of the many leaders of the Revolutionary Alliance for Democratic Independence, also known as the Northern Alliance. I decide to begin my interview by asking him what motivates RADI’s war against the Divine Republic.

    “You see Mr. Chana, we are an alliance of warriors and revolutionaries who fight for the freedom of every child of Mother Ghana. Many say that we only fight for a Muslim nation in North Ghana, but our true purpose is to build democracy. The Government has no power here in Ghana, only the False Temple, using the President as their little puppet. Europe and the Arab Union have joined us in our democratic revolution, fighting against the horror which has taken over this country. I have seen the crimes of the Temple with my own eyes and I know without a single doubt that the entire world will fight for us when the truth is made clear.”

    I then decide to ask Mr. Ajura a more personal question. How he joined the Alliance.

    “Before I joined, I fought in the Brigades for Jones and the Temple. There I fought on the frontlines against the Northern Alliance. One day, the Alliance surrounded the Volta Dam and we were sent to defend it. Most of our troops were still in Sudan and Biafra, along with most of our guns and aid. We were a group of young men, fighting a war we did not want, growing tired and hungry. So we did the only thing we had to do, we joined the Alliance. Many of the workers were people who owed too much to the temple and worked with their families to repay their debts. We gave them our guns and together, we overthrew our commander and surrendered to the Alliance. I may sound like a coward, but now, I know that it was the right thing to do. Not for myself, but for Ghana.”

    After a brief pause, I ask him about his life in the People’s Temple and the Red Brigades.

    “It began years ago, I don’t remember when, but I’ve been with the Temple for most of my life. Before Jones, my father died and my mother left me. There were many of us back in those days, orphans with no one to turn to. So when the pastors come to the village, saying come to the temple my children, we will give you food and a place to call home, we all join. At the Temple, they gave me a choice. I could become a holy man and spread the word of Jones across Ghana, or I could join the Red Brigades and fight for my people. You can guess what I choose. Teenagers think they are invincible, Mr. Chana, always wanting to fight. When I was alone I fought for myself, stealing and picking pockets. But with the Temple, I had something to fight for. We were taught to see our comrades as our brothers and my sisters. We were taught to fight for our family but most important, we were taught to fight for Jones.

    But my time in the Red Brigades was nothing like what I had imagined. We would go around, attacking villages who refused to bow to the Temple. When we saw a village of non-believers. We killed the men that did not surrender and cut them like animals. The women… we took them and the children were given to the Temple to join the Brigades. This is what you dogs deserve, they said. Sometimes my brothers accused someone of being a witch or a warlock. We had them stripped in front of the village and stoned them until we couldn’t tell if they were even human. My brothers like to forget it ever happened, but I didn’t, I couldn’t. So they sent me to a place for Brigadiers who were either too weak or too cruel.

    At the dam, I did things, horrible things. Sometimes, we would throw sick men onto the wire fences. I couldn’t watch them die, but their screams still haunt me. Thieves had their hands cut off, the weak had their feet cut off. If a worker begged for food, we ripped their tongues from their mouths. I almost lost my faith in Jones, but as I was starving, I remembered what the Temple taught me during my youth. When Jones created the Red Brigades, he made an army that served not himself, but God and all of his children. The problem wasn’t Jones, it was the Judas who had taken over his sacred Temple as he grew old and weak. It was them who opened the country to the businessman that poisons Mother Ghana with his greed. They have only made this country look better for the akata but on the inside, Ghana has become even worse. The Red Brigades rob this land of its pride while our people suffer under the False Temple. But when Jones returns from the heavens above, he will cast those sinners aside, just as Christ did to the Romans!”

    I then asked if there were more worshippers of Jones within the Northern Alliance.

    “The True People’s Temple has actually become quite popular across Ghana. Many people across the country have realized the truth, that the apostles of Jones killed him in secret. But Jones has not truly died, he has only ascended to heaven and will return when the time is right. Many Muslims here worship Jones. They believe that he is the Mahdi, or a prophet from Allah, who will return during to save them during doomsday. And if you listen to his speeches, Jones said that he was the reincarnation of Christ, Buddha, and Prophet Muhammad making him the holiest man to ever walk the Earth.”

    I finally asked whether the allegations of war crimes committed by the Northern Alliance were true in any way.

    “As a soldier of God, I have done bad things, but in reality, we are merciful compared to the False Temple. We allow our prisoners to pray to their God and we give our goods to the poor, while the False Temple only takes. We do kill in the name of our Lord, but what happened when the Pharaoh beat the Jews? Moses told them to rise up, and they cast the Pharaoh aside, to build their kingdom of God. Jesus rose against the Romans, Muhammad rose against the pagans, and Jones rose against the Mad General. Yes, the blood of the innocent must be shed, but as the book says, their souls will be delivered to God. It is our fight for what is just that strikes fear into the Judas in Accra. They may call us terrorist or warlord, but they grow weaker while we grow stronger every day."

    Before leaving, I ask if Mr. Ajura if he would like to say any more words.

    “In my youth was lost with no home or family, but thanks to Jones, I am loved. I will fight for him and when my time comes, I know that I will see him in heaven. His words have guided me to the path which is righteous and true. I ask you Mr. Chana to tell my story, so people across many worlds will open their heart to the one true god.”

    Last edited: Jul 11, 2019
  20. Bookmark1995 Bookmark95 Reborn!

    Dec 26, 2016
    Jim Jones building an entire nation in his image: that actually is scarily plausible. The man was able to manipulate hundreds of people despite being an cruel charlatan.
    suul'ken, xsampa, Kerguelen and 2 others like this.