Anthology of «Realism»

Ave, Sandum Citizens!

As we celebrate the second anniversary of the beginning of the Realism politic today, we have created a short anthology of all Realist treatises with summaries that are roughly 100-150 words long in each case. As we prepared to celebrate the Day of Secession, the day of the beginning of Realism, we send good wishes for the advancement of Realism!

The Fire of the Central Hearth:
This treatise established the concept of Realism as a politic that focuses on achieving real and pragmatic achievements for micronations. In doing so, this treatise focuses on the fact that there are multiple categories of micronations, but the ones Realism is concerned with are secessionist micronations – both passive and active – which have their roots in many of the micronational phenomenon’s “elders.” Secessionist micronations do not create their own reality like other micronational categories (virtual, hobby, simulation): they actively work and intend to better themselves according to the general reality of the world, often by recognising themselves as masters of their states and leaders of their people. For many micronations, there is a process of development towards Realism.

Cybele – the Magna Mater:
This treatise argues that the scale applied closely to individuals and the common body of a micronation but that it failed to assess the culture of a micronation, hence the treatise opens to discussing the Active Micronational Cultural Development theory.[1] Here, it was argued that politics can not be the sole basis of a micronation: a micronation must be a political and cultural entity. The culture of a micronation ought not to be too closely linked to the culture of one or a few macronational cultures but it should exert its cultural independence, otherwise it risks being too dependent and inflexible to one culture. The treatise concludes by arguing that politics can shape the development of culture.

The Realistic Application of a Micronational Socialism:
This treatise introduces micronations as, in essence, self-created independent countries. The treatise takes a sharp turn, then, from the introduction to a focus on the topic of socialism elsewhere in the world, focusing especially on the Incan Empire and American “sewer” socialism. In many regards, the successes of sewer Socialists and the Incans as “basic socialism” reflect various micronations’ basic socialist virtues, especially the socialist basics of Sandus. Taking a focus on Realism as a spirit, the treatise concludes with the focus on Sandus as possessing the basics of socialism and entering the path of both of these important proto-Socialist and pragmatic Socialist movements.

Activation Energy: Political and Scientific:
This treatise focuses on a scientific analogy between micronations and the chemistry concept, which the treatise does not delve into out of respect of the basic division between natural and social sciences. It does, however, focus on the concept of a necessary energy for the correct collision and development of chemical compounds: an energy that one can find in micronations that restrict their attributions according to their size, activity of their citizens, and the attachment to a micronation’s system. The treatise examines several case studies – including St.Charlie, Kozuc, Zealandia, and Sandus – and the various attributes of their “activation energy.”

The Soaring Glaucus of the Sovereign People:
This treatise focuses on the various attributes sociology grants to culture, whose importance to micronations was discussed in Cybele – the Magna Mater. In so laying out these attributes, the treatise establishes where both Sandus and micronations in general can improve. These are:
Attitude – dispositions or behaviours characteristic of a society or culture;
Beliefs – the empirical truths or moral and religious convictions of a people;
Customs – the habitual practices of a people;
Traditions – the customs of a people preserved over time;
Art – activities or objects to emulate reality that are made special and aesthetic;
Clothing – the habitual garments of a people;
Food – the typical foodstuffs eaten by a people;
Language – the way of communication of a people.

The Heart of the State:
This treatise is important for the codification and identification of various elements of the Sandum Philosophy: in sum, it answers the question “what is Sandus’s philosophy?” The treatise examines the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, and the Middle Way theories of Buddhism and how these maxims of the Buddhist Dharma influence Sandum Socialism as a socio-political and economic term. The “heart of the State,” as it were, is the intent to eliminate suffering for Sandum citizens, based upon the poisons described in Buddhist Dharma and activities in a turbulent world: the focus is on education and social work to counter the many instances of suffering.

On the Sandum Government and its Definition:
This treatise establishes the concept of the “dual definition” of Sandum government as either an elective monarchy or a republic. In recognising Sandus as an elective monarchy, the treatise points to monarchical elements in Sandus — all power being to the Sôgmô, the Sôgmô as fount of honour¸ and the historical past of elected monarchs that is revered in Sandus. The treatise then points to how Sandus is not a monarchy — all people are equal, the Sôgmô’s power is checked by the People, there are democratic institutions in Sandus but is without the correct “activation energy” to develop a democratic civil society. The treatise concludes that Sandus is, in many ways, its own unique republic “which 1) guarantees the equality of the people, 2) affirms the role of democracy, and 3) is socialist in virtue and nature.”

Adonis & Hephaestos of the Phygrian Mother:
This treatise examines the fine difference between secessionist micronations and hobby or simulationist micronations in terms of virtual worlds, such as Second Life. This treatise examines whether or not these virtual worlds would make a secessionist micronation into a simulationist one – which it concludes would not, given that sovereignty is not claimed on virtual worlds but that it is used as a tool of the micronation. The benefits of virtual worlds for micronations include greater visibility, for cultural development (especially in ways micronations can not normally develop, such as architecture), and for a greater democratic civil society.

Achieving Nationalism: the Voluntary Association to Nations and States:
In the post-modern world, many people are returning to pre-Nationalist modes of thinking out of dislike for Nationalism and for Imperialism. Micronationalists, in many ways, are the perfect example of those people. This treatise, therefore, seeks to analyse micronational and macronational nationalism. In doing so, the treatise concludes that Nationalism is a dividing force between peoples and, as a result, concludes that it is better to enforce a micronational Nationalism without regard to innate qualities in a person but based upon the achievements of a micronation and its people. In doing so, the treatise also reconsiders the process of nationalisation whereby one is a citizen at birth; in disagreeing with this process, the treatise argues that micronational children are best suited to be non-citizen residents where they can choose – at a later date – whether or not to be a micronational citizen.

Sandum Perception of Land:
In analysing legal concepts of a state’s claim to territory, this treatise regulates the Sandum definition of its claim. While not necessarily a Realist treatise for its universal impact or appeal, it does nonetheless display a new concept of land claim: the gradient-sovereignty condominium claim. In this sort of claim, there is a strong sovereign metropole and its periphery, whose sovereignty in the state diminishes in distance from the metropole(s). Furthermore, as micronations typically “share” sovereignty, they are in effect condominia, whereby two powers share sovereignty and legitimacy over a territory. This territorial concept has used in Sandus since 2 September 2013, when the treatise was authored.

Liturgies for the People:
In examining the roots of the word “liturgy,” this treatise focuses on the historical root of the word in ancient Athens, where important cultural functions of the polis would be the prerogative of rich members of society. In examining the basics of this sociocultural function, the treatise concludes that important liturgical (which the treatise uses its ancient word, leitourgía) functions can be met by the citizens of a micronation in order to develop the micronation’s culture.

— Sôgmô Sörgel