The Sfupdo Agglomerate
Although founded in its current manifestation by the Sfupdo in Standard Year 228 B.C.E., The Sfupdo Agglomerate finds its roots as far back as Standard Year 634 B.C.E. when the nomadic peoples and geograpically-grounded states created a worldwide network of trade, communication, and cooperative governance.
In any other species or collection of cultures, such an arrangement would have fragmented due to resource conflicts, regional contests, culture clashes, and slow communication, but the disparate Sfupdo cultures shared a common regard for contracts, honor, and trade. The decentralized network proved exceptionally resilient against any internal conflict and warfare that did arise, with subsidiarity and freedom easing tensions and ensuring many wars never did. Over time, the constant trade and movement of peoples created an agglomerated monoculture, and it was this monoculture in 228 B.C.E. that formed the Agglomerate in the form now known to the other clusteral powers. The technological shift that enabled this movement was the widespread adoption of blockchain and the proliferation of the internet, connecting all Sfupdo and fostering improvements in how contracts were established and enforced.
Although most non-Sfupdo look at the organization of the Agglomerate and declare it a government, the Sfupdo balk at this description, insisting that it is a network of voluntary smart contracts, legal contracts, and word-bond trusts. What others would perceive as laws are merely agreed-upon standards with specified consequences, enforced by private companies contracted to neutrally uphold contracts. What others would perceive as politicians are merely experts in contract-negotiation hired by contractually-connected groups of people to negotiate on their behalf with the representatives of other contractually-connected groups of people. What others would perceive as taxes are merely nominal payments required by voluntary contracts to provide for the common good of the signees. What others would perceive as states, clans, municipalities, or other subnational polities are merely confederations of individuals with aligned interests, connected by contracts outlining standards and consequences; facilitated by experts in organization, public good, or contract-negotiation hired to ply their trade on behalf of the individuals; and protected by companies specializing in security and combat.
Outside observers debate whether to describe it as a direct democracy, anarchy, or by some other term, but the Sfupdo reject any attempt to name their "system" or classify it with other systems because, they object, it isn't a system at all, it's just how they do things. Other common suggestions include timocracy, plutocracy, meritocracy, and corporatocracy, though the last is largely disregarded as its intended meaning would have to be stretched—there's no government for the corporations to control. For convenience, most settle on the term "anarchy."
Structure
There is no heirarchical structure in the Agglomeration but that which is voluntarily established, and any positions with authority (such as analogs to a municipal authority or a representative in a republic) are directly hired by the citizenry through whatever manner the citizens in that region prefer.
There are, however, heirarchies of social contract. At the lowest level, you have the individual, then the family, then a neighborhood organization, borough, city, county, all the way up to the nation as a whole. The standards of these communities are usually similar, but can vary dramatically. There is significant mobility within these categories—with individuals and families freely moving to whatever community most suits them—giving populations great fluidity both in constitution and quantity.
When a group is discontent within a larger group, there are numerous ways to resolve the discontent. If negotiation is unfruitful, the discontent individuals within the population may move. Sometimes a group will declare independence or join a geographically-disconnected group that borders the group they dislike, but this requires the larger group's agreement and so is rarely successful. Often, the discontent group will "trade" territory with a similar group bordering the preferred group. This is a complicated process that does not always go smoothly. Reasons for disagreement within sub-groups vary, but a common one has to do with the sorts of behavior or businesses allowed in an area. The latter is rare unless an outgrowth of the former.
If, for example, the population of a city opts to ban the sale or advertisement of sexual services, a district reliant on such commerce would seek some sort of recourse. The population would be unlikely to approve the district declaring independence to circumvent the new standard, but the businesses might be able to negotiate a land-swap with a district in a nearby city. If there is no acceptable arrangement forthcoming, those in the district would choose to conform or else relocate to a place they preferred. A more common situation would be for the various affected businesses across the city to negotiate for a zone of exception.
Due to the interconnectivity of industries, residential areas, and geography, it is rare for locations to ban any sort of commerce unless it violates moral standards or taboos. Ultimately, the people in a given area are driven by improving their lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of those in their community, and so embrace almost anything that brings trade and economic prosperity to their region.
Culture
Naturally curious and gregarious, early Sfupdo gathered into nomadic tribes, roaming their home continent and establishing meeting places where friendly tribes would stop to trade. These grew into trading posts, and from trading posts to cities, some of which still dominate [Planet 6]. Some took to maritime exploration, settling the wide archipelagos and sailing in search of new lands.
With their budding civilization scattered across their watery world, much trade became maritime in nature, early on with small boats meant to "island hop" or ferry between nearby islands, and later with massive ships that could cross from one continent to the other. Merchant navies became central to their culture, carrying people and product from one place to the next and fostering the interchange and new experience they so craved.
During this time, three divisions were formed in Sfupdo society, three main "sorts" of people, although genetics had very little to do with it. The first were land nomads, wandering in trading caravans from city to city. The second were water nomads, living on a ship and traveling wherever the winds of trade took them. The third were considered stagnate, performing some kind of productive industry, but the people themselves were not stagnate, only the industries. Many workers would travel for a time with a caravan or merchant ship, seeing new sights and learning new skills before settling down to work the same trade, or even a new one. Most of this third type were young men, who settled down at the end of their wandering to give wife and children a stable life. These divisions still exist in the modern age, but "land nomads" are now those who roam a particular planet and "water nomads" are those who roam the cluster as spacers.
Contracts and promises are held sacrosanct by the Sfupdo, with a first mystic, then philosophical belief in contracts as spiritual beings like a genie or household sprite. This reverence for promises is a major motivator in their culture and does much to facilitate trade. Outsiders hoping to take advantage of this, however, have been disappointed by the strength and cleverness of Sfupdo contracts, often finding themselves taken advantage of—respect for keeping one's word does not mean respect for the other's prosperity.
Demography and Population
The Sfupdo Agglomerate claims approximately [X] billion citizens across its homeworld and colonies, 58% of which are Sfupdo. Another 8% are Arbiter, [demographic breakdown of remaining 37%].
Foreign Relations
Most "diplomacy" is carried out by private citizens in pursuit of commercial interests, but there are a few "outreach" companies who provide able diplomats to whoever hires them. When a need is felt, the Sfupdo may hire one of these companies to pursue their interests. This need is rare, however, and is usually in order to meet the diplomatic efforts of Clusteral nations who don't quite understand the Sfupdo, or who lack the ability to engage with them on their own terms. A carefully-maintained neutrality and the lack of a singular government on whom other nations can blame the actions of private citizens keeps the need for diplomacy low. Alliances are formed not by the signing of treaties, but by the passive cultivation of economic reliance through trade and the private actions of citizens.
Open for business! (informal)
Founding Date
228 B.C.E.
Capital
Alternative Names
The Agglomerate
Demonym
Agglomerate
Government System
Anarchy
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
- Goggaraands (continuous)
- Energy Credits (post ~300 A.C.E.)
Legislative Body
None
Judicial Body
- Judicial corporations
- Contract-stipulated arbitrators
Executive Body
Enforcement corporations
Location
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Comments