Ave, Sandum Citizens!
Two important conversations have been had recently: one concerning individuals creating culture, as opposed to state-sanctioned culture, and another concerning the Sandum view of individualism coinciding with socialist society. By referencing both conversations, it is not to say that both concepts are not currently practised in Sandus, a State wherein the rights of expression and conscience are guaranteed and the individuality of people is not only respected but also defended. In Sandus, however, we are confronted by a point of view of the majority of citizens which is incompatible with the spirit of rights in the State.
One major barrier on liberty in Sandus is the view of activity and power. Most citizens consider that the only power in Sandus comes from the Sôgmô, whose activity is unrivalled, a view that is irrelevant of democratic and socialist processes. This is not the case. This barrier is created by two sides: the citizens, who yield to the fount of honour, and the Sôgmô, whose position as fount of honour is certainly feared. Over the past few months, emphasis has been placed on the rights of citizens and, now that a text is being made for peregrae citizens to learn the Founding Law, hopefully these rights will be followed more closely in the future. With more citizens aware of their clearly defined rights, we can thence move forward as a nation, towards cultural development and the future advancement of our democracy and the creation of our judicial system.
As micronations, we are on a path of history condensed into much fewer years. Once micronations evolve from the “amusement” stage, wherein little consideration is placed on the nation but rather on fun and humour, and create their own purpose for being, that is when micronations begin to evolve into greater, more complex organisations and nation-projects. The purpose stage is one where a nation begins to develop its reason for existing, as Sandus has done, and then micronations move on to more advanced stages: cultural and social development, political development, judicial development, economic development, military development, and so on. As we have moved forward through the cultural and social development stages, our political development must too be matched.
Citizens knowing their rights and liberties is one part of political development that will strengthen both Sandum civil society and also Sandum nationalising-development in cultural fields. The next is also the Sôgmô working with citizens for cultural advancement and for each citizen’s activity. The Sôgmô has often tried to get the common citizen to work on expressing themselves, though emphasis ought to still be placed on cultural projects and ventures. However, this system of merely pushing is not strong enough. Instead, we must consider a new way to engage citizens — a way we have yet to consider. Perhaps a museum, perhaps specifically stressing the cultural pluralism of Sandum culture wherein all citizens’ cultural expression is honoured, the Sandum nation must work to involve all her citizens.
What shall become of the cultural vanguard and the role of the fount of honour, then, is a rule by prestige. Although this has always been the case, it too must be expressed and defined: showing to all citizens that the Sôgmô maintains no power to deny any citizen the right to expression. This rule by prestige has been too strong and has often led to the barring against citizens expressing their culture. Instead, the ‘rule by prestige’ must be reformed to make it clear that all Sandum citizens have the same right, indifferent of position, and that all citizens make up the Sandum culture: not just the Sôgmô as fount of honour. For the most part, these are minor redefinitions and changes in stress that will hopefully result in cultural change willing to involve every citizen and make them active in the affairs of State.
The basis of activity and involvement is most closely linked to culture. Many have observed that micronationalism is so popularly because of its perspective on fun. However, when a micronation moves from “amusement” to “purpose”, that perspective is lost; something new must take its place. This new thing is culture, which we have been rather successful in creating — but not spreading amongst our citizenship. Not only will culture create new activity from citizens, but it will also create nationalism.
Whilst nationalism as a political theory is linked to terrible actions on the part of nations, nationalism as an identity and sentiment has often united a nation as we would prefer. At the moment, Sandum citizens see themselves more as their macronationalities. However, if we are to succeed in cultural advancement and in the Advance of our State, we require a sense of nationalism. We must not think of ourselves as American, for example, but as Sandum — a wholly independent people and a nation built by our own hands. This ought not to be offensive to others, as we turn from our mother countries, but a remark on the strong identity of our Sovereign People to build for us individuality in a whole society.
This nationalism, or this sense of nationality, is a characteristic of Socialist societies. Many consider that, in Socialist societies, the individual comes after the nation (which many consider to be Fascist, though wrongly so). An interesting discussion, on the change of society from pre-1980s “we” culture to post-1980s “me” culture due to the rise of computer technology, has led to a further definition of something that we, as Sandum citizens, closely feel. Many have criticised the institution of our Communist Party for reasons such as the Party putting the nation above the people: however, we consider it differently. Instead of the “we” and “me” being mutually incompatible, we consider them to be mutually compatible. That is to say that we believe in individuality in a united, equal society. We consider that an individual can not only exist within a Socialist society, but that the individual can thrive as well and work for the welfare of both the self and of the society.
One way to bind this society together, as we remarked above, is through culture. Once more, we see the individual being stressed in the whole, the citizen in the Socialist nation, through these perspectives on hopeful policies. In sum, these are what we plan to do, as the vanguard Office of the whole nation:
- We shall stress the cultural pluralism of Sandum culture, wherein each citizen is vital.
- We shall stress the freedom of expression and conscience of all citizens and note how the prestige of the Sôgmô as cultural vanguard shall be changed through stressing of those freedoms to not restrict cultural advancement.
- We shall explain why culture is so vital to national-identity, nationalism, and further prosperity — especially in activity and in citizen involvement.
- We shall stress the mutual compatibility of the individual in the Sandum socialist society.
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