*Ah-hem*
My name is Nintenderek. I come representing a gorram good alliance. Browncoats is our name. We just came back to this here 'verse recently after a bit of a vacation. Our motto is that when you can’t run,you crawl. And when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you. We would like to be that somebody.
A small applause starts, and suddenly stops when the man starts to speak again
Now I'm not saying Browncoats is a perfect alliance. We have our flaws like everybody else. But we'll be damned before we let any one of our members get hurt. Each member is just as important as any other and we are damned proud of that.
So, if you want to be part of an up and coming alliance, come check us out. We value each member's opinion and so you won't be getting any kind of orders to shut up from us. That's just how we work in this crazy 'ole planet of ours. So check us out here.
The man pulls out a stack of business cards and hands them out to the crowd, they read as follow
QUOTE
The man takes out a watch and looks at the time
Well, I've got to go now, but just in case any of you young'ins are still interested, I'll nail our charter up on the back wall.
The man walks to the back wall and pulls a hammer, nail and a piece of paper out of his suit. He puts the paper on the wall and starts to hammer the nail into it. When he's done, he takes a look back at the room of people and starts to walk out the door. The paper he left reads.
QUOTE
Browncoats Charter
Here's how it is.
The Earth was used up, so we found ourselves a new Earth. A new Bob, specifically. We settled new nations and proliferated across the globe. The central nations got together and formed Alliances. They decided that everyone ought to unite under their rule. A couple fools tried to stop them, but it was no use. Out here on the raggedy edge, cleverness will get you a nation and a gun will help you keep it. The mission is simple: construct infrastructure, develop technologies, and keep flying.
Basic Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities
We ain't gonna tell you what to do, most of the time anyway. You can say what you like here on our turf, and we'll uphold your right to do that here. In the greater world, though, your words have consequences and we ain't backin' you up if you done get yourself in some pointless drama. We help each other when we can though--whether it's giving our smaller nations first dibs on tech deals, trading amongst ourselves when we are able, or just helping a fellow Browncoat out with some cash. Out here on the raggedy edge, you remember who your friends are. Also remember this--some smart fella on Earth-that-was once said, "with great freedom, comes great responsibility." Do as you like, but if you go and get yourself killed for acting a fool, we're as likely to sit back and laugh at you as anything.
Membership in Browncoats
Anybody can apply to join, and the process ain't too rough. If you get in, you start out as an Independent Browncoat, and probably want to become a Confederate Browncoat.
Independents aren't lesser people. You'll be under our protection, welcome to participate in any shindigs we happen upon, and if you stay an Independent forever you'll probably never know the difference. You'll be a Browncoat either way, it's just some of us don't like to trust new folks until they give us a reason.
Confederates get to see what we're up to a little better than Independents, when it comes to foreign affairs and such things. They can also write up new ideas or changes to old ones, and submit them for a vote to see if it's what other Browncoats believe in. Anybody can vote, but you gotta be a Confederate to start one up.
The way you go from an Independent to a Confederate is just to stick around a while, make sure everybody knows your name and what you're all about. Soon enough you'll get a tap on the shoulder.
Browncoats Government
The government of the Browncoats is split up into four offices, each of which has the right to appoint members to official positions to give them a hand. Any Confederate Browncoat can run for office.
The Prime Minister keeps tabs on the other cabinet members, has the final word on all major decisions, and represents us internationally.
The Home Minister is responsible for recruiting new members, and helping them out however necessary. The Home Minister is also considered the chief adviser to the Prime Minister.
The Foreign Minister manages our relations with other alliances by negotiating treaties and making sure we've got knowledgeable ambassadors to keep a channel of communication open with our allies.
The Defense Minister keeps our military strong enough to defend our members, oversees Generals to keep the troops organized, and in times of war is in charge of coordinating our efforts.
Order of Succession
If the Prime Minister can't do the job anymore, then the Home Minister will take over, followed by the Foreign Minister and then the Defense Minister. If none of these fellows are able to do the job, then the Prime Minister's first appointed official under his office will take over, followed by the Home Minister's, then the Foreign Minister's, and finally the Defense Minister's. The Prime Minister can appoint members to fill any other abandoned post.
Decision Making
Parliament:
All Confederate Browncoats are given a voice in Parliament, where they can debate freely and submit their big ideas for change. So long as two other people like an idea, we'll put it to a vote.
The Prime Minister can veto anything passed in Parliament, so long as it's done before the vote is up. If another member of cabinet wants to overturn the veto, a second vote will go down requiring a 75% majority. Pass or fail, the second vote can't be challenged by anyone.
Voting:
When something has been put to a vote by Parliament, then it is voted upon by every Browncoat member. Independents are, at this time, allowed to debate, as are Confederates.
A vote passes with a simple majority, with the exception of changes to this document which require a 3/4s majority.
Elections:
Elections for cabinet positions begin over the first weekend of every January, May, and September. On the first Saturday and Sunday any Confederate Browncoat can announce their candidacy for a Cabinet position. Through the next five weekdays we'll hold debates and gives speeches and such. Finally, at midnight on Friday the polls will open until midnight on Sunday, giving all Browncoats time to vote, with the winners announced on Monday.
Warfare
Browncoats want to be peaceful -- really, we do -- but we're not about to lie down and roll over for anybody.
Defensive War:
If a Browncoat is attacked, we'll ask the aggressor for an apology and possibly reparations. If they can't manage that, or if they just ignore us, we'll put them in anarchy before we ask again.
Aggressive War:
We're very much against aggressive wars. Mostly it's just bullying, and we're not interested in establishing our dominance over defenseless people. Browncoats do not advocate aggressive warfare.
However, if a Browncoat has a bone to pick with somebody outside of an alliance, we're not going to try very hard to stop them. We're not their parents, and they're not children, so our members can take care of their own politics however they see fit. The catch is, if a Browncoat picks a fight with an unaligned nation without getting our approval, we ain't bailing them out 'less the war ends and the attacked becomes the attacker.
When it comes to nations in alliances, it'd be suicide to attack them in a way that would prohibit your friends from backing you up, so for your own safety we just can't allow it.
Raiding technology is prohibited 'less you run it by the Defense Minister first.
Nukes:
Nations that are capable of maintaining nukes are highly recommended to do so, but again, we can't force you to do nothin'. Nuclear first strikes aren't recommended, but if an alliance decides to declare war on us, we will use this method as part of our defense. If some feller with more uranium than brains gets it in his skull to make our cities glow at night, we will retaliate in kind.
Spies:
Nations are welcome to have spies, we have no issue with this. If they want to go play with some unaligned nation, that's their business. Spies are a military function and we see them as such, you spy on us and we will gladly consider that an act of war and go from there. We won't use ours on you, unless you provoked us first.
Policies on Zero Infrastructure:
We realize that sometimes people do things we aren't too happy with, and may need to be individually held accountable for their actions. At this point, if they refuse to apologize and give reparations or fulfill other appropriate terms, we may choose to attack the nation until it reaches Zero Infrastructure, and we might hold them there for a week, maybe two, but the punishments known as Permanent Zero Infrastructure, or Eternal Zero Infrastructure will not be used 'cause they're not cool.
Amending This Document
Any Confederate Browncoat can propose changes to the charter, just like anything else. It's not exactly a sacred document, it's just the basic set of rules we currently live by, so if you don't like it then you had better do something to fix it.
*slinks back into the shadows*
