NEWS.VALEHART.OS [Lore Maintenance/Closed]

[Valehart]

[ BEST VIEWED IN DARKMODE ]

>> HOMEPAGE << CNRD WEATHER: 43C / SULFURIC RAIN
U.N.-CORPORATE FORCES LOCK-DOWN JOVIAN MOONS
COLONIAL ADMIN. ANNOUNCES CURFEWS ON FREEDOMS AMID GROWING INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT. VALEHART CONDEMNS MOVE.

UNPF SOLDIERS IMAGED POINTING FIREARMS AT PROTESTORS, TITAN, TODAY

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CONCORD DISTRICT // UN Peacekeeper Forces clamped down on pro-independence protestors today all across the Jovian system as riot squads dispatched from the local colonial administration authorities and expeditionary forces of UN Fleet Command Jupiter surrounded and dispersed protests after authorities declared restrictions on peaceful assembly.

The restrictions come following the increasingly volatile labour relations crisis, although the brunt of the security action was seen on Titan. As a burgeoning colony split between UN, UMS and corporate control, Titan is undergoing mass civil disorder after the death of fifteen workers and a protestor - during a tense work dispute between the un-sanctioned Titan Miners Guild Union (TMGU) and CSDC security - sparked widespread rioting and looting.

Last week, UN Command issued an ultimatum against the TMGU to disband within three days or face security action. The declaration was issued in response to an explosive data leak by a UMS hacker group allegedly proving the TMGU has financial ties and connections to the infamous pirate enclave "Red Ringers." After the ultimatum ran out, CSDC security blocked TMGU workers from returning to their homes and cordoned off the Truchot Methane Processing Complex. During a violent altercation, fifteen workers were shot with non-lethal rounds but died shortly after inhaling the toxic atmosphere after their suits were punctured and depressurized. Large-scale protests followed the shooting, in which another non-lethal dispersal round punctured a protestor and died similarly after.

UN Command blamed poor quality CSDC-issued suits and demanded reparations from the company, while CSDC blamed the weapons manufacturer, Argo-Navis Systems, claiming they inadequately rated the crowd dispersal rounds for Titan. The UMS Directorate called the crisis "a shining example of Earther incompetence" and threatened to send its own security forces to uphold the lockdown.

The Liberate Ganymede Movement, the Titan Independence Front, and the Free Europa Front denounced the violence. The group reiterated calls for independence from Earther and Martian control, calling the "security action" a fear tactic, and issued a directive to its members to protest regardless. The Qiu-Roberts administration in Valehart issued a statement blaming the UN and UMS for inciting violence through "its history of heavy-handed and unnecessary" crackdowns against freedoms.




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Valehart and its fellow Venusian free settlements enjoy high approval in the embattled moons, and many leaders, such as infamous Liberate Ganymede leader Rajendra "Razzy" Lee, call them "inspirational" in speeches and statements. Last year, the UMS briefly suspended an Argo-Navis brokered trade agreement between Marstech after allegations claimed Concord supported pirates connected with the independence movements.

According to political science professor Ritu Iwamoto from New Xian University, the free Jovian movement "has become a mainstream phenomenon, capturing the hearts and minds of anti-UN and anti-UMS voices across the system - including pirates." She adds, "Concord must consider that, while politically popular in Valehart, the disparate independence movements are either willingly or forcefully aligned with significant Asteroid Belt pirate groups that often even target Valehart-bound vessels." When asked about the volatile situation in the Jovian moons, Councilor Qiu-Roberts replied last week, "Their struggle is our struggle, too," but did not comment on its pirate affiliations.

The CSDC, UN Command, and Argo-Navis Systems declined to comment. The UN General Assembly and UN Security Council issued a press statement criticizing CSDC corporate security forces and acknowledged UN Command's "concerning" influence over colonial administration but did not comment further.

[Valehart]

>> HOMEPAGE << CNRD WEATHER: 40C / SUNNY
STOCKS RALLY AS DAVIDA EMCS SALE DRAWS CRITICISM
ASTEROID STOCKS JUMP AFTER THE UMS SELLS EXCLUSIVE MINING RIGHTS ON DAVIDA TO MARSDYNAMICS. MARSTECH VOWS TO FIGHT.

A SPACEX STARSHIP III (LOWER RIGHT) DOCKS WITH AN MISV IN ORBIT OF DAVIDA.

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CONCORD DISTRICT // Several exclusive mining claims (EMCs) on Davida, one of the most lucrative asteroid mining stations, were sold off by the United Martian States Gov to Marsdynamics, which was followed by a massive jump in stocks for the state company (+12.1) and an overall gain for ASRD (+1.01).

The sale was marred by investor company Valles Marineris Group's lawsuit accusing rival investor company VaSteph Corp of coordinating with the state and Marsdynamics to sell the EMCs for several times lower than market value in return for political donations. The suit was thrown out in court last week.

Considered the most prominent government handover to a non-government entity since the Collapse, the sale was closely watched by investors across the system. All four QGAEs, Argo-Navis, CSDC, Dyna, and Marstech, showed much interest in the stake. Following the sale announcement, the four respective companies denounced the decision. Marstech, Marsdynamic's biggest competitor and fellow state-owned company, called the UMS decision today "preposterous" and vowed to fight the decision in court.

The UMS did not officially respond to questions. However, an anonymous TT source signalled the government's willingness to renegotiate after there were concerns it might provoke UN Command to accuse the Directorate of failing to abide by the Mars-Earth Accords, which could ignite the already simmering tensions between Earth and the Martian nation.

Another concern highlighted by Intersolar Commerce Management Group (ICMG), a for-profit astropolitical think tank, was "the possibility of reigniting tensions between Argo-Navis and the two Martian state companies," who are still reeling from the Corporate War more than a decade ago. The Corporate War, considered a corpo-proxy conflict between the UN and UMS, was regarded as the greatest economic crisis since the Collapse era.




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The UN Redevelopment Administration (UNRA) assembled in a meeting in Montreal, N.A.A. and urged the UMS Directorate to reconsider, citing Article VI of the Mars-Earth Accords which restrains the "over-privatization" of celestial bodies. The article has come under increasing scrutiny and calls for rewording as more celestial bodies are threatened with over-mining and interplanetary debris becoming an increasing hazard.

Environmental groups, including the UN Astronomical Preservation Agency (UNAPA), have warned that continued excessive mining is defacing humanity's last "universal commons" and regulations protecting historical landing sites of robotic missions from the pre-Collapse era are not stringent enough.

However, the UNRA still operates under a hefty development policy that incentivizes govs to develop celestial sites for resource extraction. The UNAPA and UNRA have been at odds with each other after the UNAPA elected radical environmentalist activist Vital Isidoro. The dispute is regarded as a part of the UN's long-standing crisis of inter-agency friction and is cited by investors to explain the lull of EMC sales by the UN.

[Valehart]

x x x x x x x x
A MESSAGE TO ALL THE CORPO FASCIST PIGS

DO NOT THINK WE WILL REST WHILE THE SLAVERS OF JUPITER ATTACK. DO NOT THINK WE WILL NOT RESPOND WHILE THE IMPERIALISTS CONQUER. THERE WILL BE JUSTICE FOR THE SLAIN.

IN RECENT DAYS, SAVAGE ATTACKS AGAINST INNOCENT WORKERS WERE COMMITTED BY THE UN EXTRAGLOBALIST GOVERNMENT AND THEIR CORPORATE CRONIES, THE CSDC.
SIXTEEN CIVILIANS WERE KILLED, HUNDREDS WERE INJURED. THE SUPPOSED " SECURITY ACTION " WAS AN APPARENT RETALIATION AFTER THE UNITED MARTIAN FASCIST STATES FOUND THAT THE TITAN MINERS GUILD HAD LINKS TO US, THE RED RINGERS. LET US CLEAR OUR NAME, AND LET THE TRUTH COME OUT.

YES, WE AND THE TMGU SUPPORT EACH OTHER. YES, WE FERRY UNION MEMBERS ACROSS THE JOVIAN SYSTEM TO HELP ORGANIZE AND RALLY THE MOVEMENT. AND YES, WE GIVE THEM FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

WHY?

BECAUSE THE RED RINGERS WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT FELLOW FREEDOM FIGHTERS. THOSE ON VENUS, THOSE IN THE UMS, OR THOSE IN THE COUNTLESS NATIONS UNDER THE UN BOOT.

ONLY WHEN OUR COMRADES ARE FREE WILL WE SURRENDER OUR WEAPONS AND RETURN TO A LIFE OF PEACE.

ONLY WHEN THE PEOPLES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM ARE FREE FROM EARTHER TYRANNY AND MARTIAN TECHNO HORRORS!

ONLY THEN SHALL WE HAVE PEACE!

RAZ

ERROR. USER DATA EXPUNGED.
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[Valehart]

Navigating Tense Inter-Corporate Relations and Possible Responses To: ESTEEMED INVESTORS From MARSTECH Public Relations Department MARSTECH Political Analysis Department INVESTOR EYES ONLY Valdez-Stephensons City - - - - - - MARSTECH today would like to formally acknowledge the current strain in inter-corporate relations between MARSTECH, MARSDYNAMICS, and ARGO-NAVIS GROUP. The two Martian companies have long settled their differences through UMS courts and the UMS Inter-Agency Competition Bureau (IACB), and were famously partnered during the Corporate Conflicts and the subsequent Mars-Earth Accords. The relationship was based on mutual respect, bargaining, and realpolitik. However, with the onset of peace with Argo-Navis, and increasing favouritism from the UMS Government, MARSTECH has yet to receive equal dividends that MARSDYNAMICS has experienced despite MARSTECH being the larger, more influential, and experienced partner. The UMS Government has not responded to any questions regarding the EMC sale at Davida this week, nor has it acknowledged MARSTECH's concerns regarding the unscrupulous strike against the lawsuit made by the Valles Marineris Group. These two injustices have led to a crisis in trust between the two companies and MARSTECH's faith in the government. Further, it weakens the combined strength of the companies to counter the growing threat by Argo-Navis. The sale of Davidian EMCs only serves the interests of our rivals and competitors. With this context, MARSTECH is currently seeking avenues to demonstrate to the UMS Government that attacking MARSTECH interests is a grave error on their part, and they will come to regret that decision in due time. The board of directors and the MARSTECH Oversight Administration are considering two options, each involving retaliatory strikes demonstrating MARSTECH's dominance in the information technology and defence sectors. OPTION 1. A retaliatory strike against TMGU workers will be conducted through ███████████ ██████████ ████ █████████ ████ ███ ████. The unrest will force CSDC to either respond in force or back down. AI algorithms at MARSTECH predict with a 95% accuracy that the former will happen. Contingency plans are in place for the latter. After the CSDC responds, MARSTECH operatives embedded ██ ███ ██████ ████████ ████ execute coordinated attacks to weaken UN military presence. Finally, UMS contacts ████ ██████ ████ ███ ███ ███████████ ████████ ██ ███████ █ ███████ ██████ █████ ██ ███ the resistance. OPTION 2. An operative embedded in the ███████████ ███████ of the ██ ████ leak sensitive investor information from ████ and garner public buzz and attention. Current success rates have indicated that Option 2 is the riskiest but has possibly the most reward per investment. After popular support is formulated through ███ ███████████ ███████, ██ ███████ will be forced to take over ████ ████ █████████ ████████. ███ ████████ ██ ███████ ██ ████ ████████, ███ ██ ████ ████ ██ ███████ ███████████ ███ █████████████. The "Red Ringers" will then infiltrate MARSDYNAMICS and implicate (their already embedded forces) in the event. COUNTER-OPS Current models predict you, the investors, will likely pick OPTION 2. In this scenario, counter operations will immediately activate. There is a high likelihood that CSDC, MARSDYNAMICS, or ARGO-NAVIS GROUP responds to operations in several instances. A lesser likelihood of a UMS or UN response is noted but ineligible and within MARSTECH safety margins (0.1%) compared to possible corporate responses. Counter-Ops will have a "████-████████" scenario that if any competitor leaks this dispatch or other sensitive info prior to the operation, "████-████████" will erase any memories of this message, which is covered in your insurance plan at MARSTECH Financial. - - - - - - MARSTECH Headquarters

[Valehart]

>> HOMEPAGE << CNRD WEATHER: 48C / PARTLY CLOUDY
PIRATES HIJACK YACHT, CEO'S FAMILY HOSTAGE
"RED RINGERS" GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIJACKING OF YACHT WITH MARSDYNAMICS CEO'S FAMILY HELD HOSTAGE.

THE CEO'S VIRGIN-ORIGIN VSS ENTERPRISE IMAGED ABOVE EARTH [ IMAGEFILE ]

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NEW XIAN DISTRICT // A star yacht belonging to Marsdynamics CEO and former UMS Competition Bureau President Yoan Cheng Constantin was hijacked today in aphrodiocentric orbit while it was preparing to dock with the Aphrodite Aldrin Cycler in Lagrange point 2 (L2). His family is confirmed to be onboard and held hostage.

A few hours after news of the sudden capture of the vessel above Venus broke out, THE TIMES received a communique from the infamous pirate enclave "Red Ringers," and claimed responsibility in a video depicting the CEO's family pleading for Marsdynamics to send their hijackers a sum of 40 million UN-Credits in exchange for the hostages. "Give the pirates what they demand, please, please, give us the opportunity to-" [ crying ] "-to live longer," a voice said in the video.

The video, omitted from this article due to possible legal issues, shows Cheng's wife and daughter emotionally distraught and under duress while pleading for negotiators to follow the demands of the pirates. Visible injuries can be spotted all around their faces and arms.

Shortly after their captivity was confirmed by the Valehart Internal Security Services (VISS), the Valehart Defence Council (VDC) announced an effective quarantine of L2 until the crisis had been resolved. Trade services also announced it would divert Venus-bound craft to the Bartholomew Aldrin Cycler in L1 orbit. A response team comprised of VISS and VDC personnel and Councilor Qiu-Roberts was formed and is currently drawing up plans on how to respond to the crisis.

The hijacking and subsequent hostage situation was met with frustration by markets as Venus's ARNAV fell by (-3.1), ASTRD by (-2.1) and, the biggest hit so far, MARSDY by (-15.1) as investor confidence in the Martian company's security situation plummeted. Earlier in the month, Marsdynamics was enjoying a record boost in stock price and had plans to expand beyond Mars and into the Jovian systems aggressively.

The aggressive expansion plan, along with the controversial sale of Davidian exclusive mining rights (EMCs) had rocked the company and had analysts worried of possible retaliation by its competitors. "It seems that retaliation has come into fruition," said noted Intersolar law professor Tatiana Sidonia at the University of Montreal, "Whether it was because of Marsdynamic's corporate-neo-colonialist plans or some other force, the Red Ringers saw a fragile moment for the corp and took it without remorse."




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The United Martian States issued a strongly-worded letter to Valehart and warned the Venusian city-state that failure to address the hostage crisis would force the UMS Special forces to respond. The UN and UN Command also shared updated routes to avoid the crisis, although they did not comment on the matter officially. Marsdynamics declined to comment at this time.

The Red Ringers first gained infamy during the 2139 raids in which their fleet decimated a UMS patrol craft. While it was not their first pirate action, it was the first pirate attack against a gov. Subsequent competitor pirate enclaves attempted raids against the UMS in the asteroid belt, but none had the success of the Red Ringers.

The Red Ringers is also known system-wide for their propaganda outlet, The Mouthpiece, which features editorials and manifestos written by guest writers who are often highly critical of Martian and Earther governments and corporations. In recent times, noted Marxist and Communist writers have gained prominence on The Mouthpiece, and many experts believe the Red Ringers have stronger connections with extreme left factions, such as the Socialists of Jupiter Project, than previously assumed.

[Valehart]

Breaking News | Earth
Hurricane C626 & C627 Devastates American East Coast, Tens of Millions Impacted



Hurricanes C626, 627, 625, and 628 from left to right (UNSA)

Montreal, NAA | Hurricanes C626 and 627, both category 3 hurricanes, simultaneously slammed against the east coast of the United States, producing 178 km/h and 167 km/h winds respectively. The two hurricanes damaged homes, infrastructure, and impacted the livelihoods of tens of millions. 11.2 million residents in the Baltimore-Washington and 5.7 million in the Gulf Coastal Plains Recovery Region currently face power outages and flooding as local governments struggle to coordinate badly needed repairs to inundated flood control systems, electric substations, and transformers. The UN Disaster Coordination Office (UNDCO) and the UN Redevelopment Administration (UNRA) have intervened between the local governments in response and are currently spearheading reconstruction efforts.

The UN Disaster Relief Office (UNDRO) and UN Climate estimates that Bal-Was could have fared worse were it not for the state-wide UN flood control systems first installed in the 2090s following Hurricane A102, the El Nino-boosted mega-storm that devasted eastern America and killed 1.4 million people. Nevertheless, thousands are feared missing or dead throughout the metropolitan areas as search crews work day and night to find and locate survivors. Compounding the difficulty, many missing individuals come from the thousands of informal and improvised settlements throughout the East Coast.

UNDRO has issued a statement calling the situation "a grim but regular humanitarian crisis" that the agency "hopes to resolve and recover from before the next hurricane system hits," which it estimates could arrive next week, pending forecasts by UN Climate. Natural disasters have claimed the lives of 200,000 people this year alone, which is relatively low compared to last year's figure of 1.1 million. Historically, due to the long term effects of climate change, hurricanes have been exponentially intensifying in their longevity, severity, and lethality. Experts warn that intensifying weather systems like these will persist for hundreds of years. Two years ago, five category 6 hurricanes battered the Americas, and the chances of another torrent increases with time.

An NAA member, the United States is constantly battered by mega-hurricane systems that commonly produce twin or triplet hurricane systems that barrage the coast with high winds that effectively shift the coast further inland. Before the Collapse, hurricanes of this calibre would not have killed so many. However, in modern times, even with extremely accurate warning systems, evacuation coordination is all but impossible. Transportation corridors throughout America are consistently unreliable and overburdened, and personal automobile ownership is at 5% on average. UNDCO and UNRA have committed to redeveloping these corridors through the American high-speed rail network, although construction is not expected to begin until 2160.



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Related

| The Effects of Long-Term Climate Change | Why Hurricanes in SoCal Used to be Rare | Tips On How to Say Goodbye to Your Family | A Category 7? Experts say another expansion is due |

[Valehart]

D Y N A I N V E S T M E N T S C H E M E 2 1 5 8 D i s c o v e r - t h e - F u t u r e - W i t h i n - Y o u N a n a i m o , C R Press Release DYNA is pleased to unveil its largest investment in human augmentation to date. An injection of 5.2 billion UN-Credits will be put toward pioneering cyberware and DNA sequencing research, constructing two additional deep-space manufacturing sites in Valehart, and fully introducing the BioLink™ project to the Venusian public. Research into advancing cybernetic augmentation and bioengineering drugs to accustom human life to the unforgiving rigours of deep-space life has been an enduring pursuit for DYNA - epitomized by the widespread deployment of DYNAWARE™ designer systems, harnessed only by armed forces and corporate security entities across the system. Until this week. Today, DYNA is pleased to report that reception to DYNAWARE™ systems by the public has been met with overwhelmingly positive figures. An internal analysis of DYNAWARE™'s five packages, each modified for the discerning customer, has indicated strong demand for the basic example. The basic package, which starts at a competitive 1.6k UN-Credits, includes multiple proprietary chips and pills. The most in-demand of which was the improved motor functions modification, DYNAKinesthetic. Bioteam Orange and the Cyberware team have already started work on next year's array of DYNAWARE™ systems, with an increased understanding of the public appetite for physical pills that do not require extensive invasive surgery. With a proportion of the 5.2 billion investment plan dedicated to its research, DYNAWARE™ is poised to become the sole leading product in the body enhancement market. Our manufacturing sites in Nanaimo and Victoria, Chinook Republics, have been overwhelmed with the public's thirst for DYNAWARE™, and orders have a backlog of one month. DYNA believes this timeline is unacceptable and incongruent with DYNA's brand image. The investment scheme will primarily focus on constructing two additional chip and pill production sites in New Xian District, Valehart. Thanks to generous subsidies and an incredible tax incentive by the Valehartine government, Valehart will be the primary gateway to DYNAWARE™. To that end, DYNA would like to acknowledge a separate internal analysis by Bioteam Grey, identifying Valehart and the Taibei Martian Republic as DYNAWARE™'s top markets, as to be expected. The BioLink project, spearheaded by the Valehart government, allows DYNA to thrive in the Venusian city-state unlike anywhere else in the system. BioLink, as part of the investment scheme, is a plan to distribute basic-level products across the population of Valehart for free, without charges, with the only stipulation being that DYNA is the public's sole supplier of cybernetics and body enhancement drugs. BioLink's goals are two-fold: to introduce a vast new market to DYNA, and to dissuade DYNA's top competitor, Marstech, from expanding into the Venusian market. As a safety measure against potential retaliatory action, the BioLink contract signed with the government of Valehart stipulates a collective defense agreement with Argo-Navis against Martian-corporate incursion. Argo-Navis, once a fierce competitor in the defense systems sector, has now agreed on an unofficial alliance and has become a reliable customer of DYNA products. DYNA reaffirms its dedication to pushing the boundaries of technological innovation. With every sale, breakthrough, and innovation, DYNA continues to pave the way for a future where humanity thrives amidst the cosmos, transcending the limits of what was once thought possible.

[Valehart]

CAPITALISM RESURRECTED: NEO-CAPITALISM, MARX, AND YOU

By Ayo Uju Ayodele | January, 2158


Statues of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels at the Marx-Engels-Forum park in Berlin, EUP, United Nations


“ The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the entire surface of the globe.
It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connexions everywhere. ” – The Communist Manifesto

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A spectre is haunting the solar system - the spectre of capitalism. It is a ghostly figure, ensnaring its limbs around the institutions made to dismantle it. It boils and evaporates the human experience, society, and governments into commodities and markets to be traded between commodifiers and marketers. And what is left are mere parodies of themselves; shallow and hollow of their meaning, empty in their nature, and devoid of culture. In the place of the human commons, we find the inhuman commodity.

First, the perverse engines of capital reignited across deep space, funnelled by the mass production-accumulation-consumption dynamics long thought dead. Then, the megacorporation - thought to be eradicated and squashed - was resuscitated and brought under a new name; the so-called “Quasi-Governmental Administrative Entity.” Then, securities and the stock exchange were resurrected from the archaic, pre-Collapse globalized world. Finally, monopolies of violence and coercive power, once scattered about amongst the devolved post-collapse world, have re-concentrated into powerful private entities and governments. The end of globalization was a falsity; it continues as extraglobalization.

. . .

A lot of writers and readers often message me, telling me that they’re scared. Frightened that the capitalist world order has reemerged as a capitalist interplanetary order. But I argue that it is merely a continuation. It is directly caused by the failure of the United Nations to recover from the Collapse in a sustainable, ecological, and post-capitalist direction. I often think back to those post-Collapse days when there was hope for a solarpunk future, in which our rapid technological progress coincided with a more nuanced relationship with the natural world and, thus, ourselves.

But we were naive. Capital never died during the Collapse. It was lurking behind the reformation of the UN, that solemn emergency declaration of UN rule; it was always there. This may ruffle many feathers amongst fellow Earthers here, but it is the truth: the UN of today is still that same US and EF-centric organization we all rioted against. Where did the UN Redevelopment Administration come from? The aerospace lobby. The military-industrial complex. The energy conglomerates. Where do these QGAEs originate from? If you look deep enough, Argo-Navis was backed by Airbus-BAE, Thales, and so on. Dyna comes from the mega-conglomerate of Boeing-General-Dynamics. These were not distinct UN development administrations. These were neo-chartered companies.

Marx’s analysis of capital stipulates that it is so transformative that “all that is solid melts into air.” - Melting solids takes much energy, and yet capital’s power is such that we find that the solid pre-capitalist social formations around us have melted away. In today's context, the post-capitalist social formation melts once again. But in outer space, metals are known to spontaneously weld together due to the lack of oxidation, also known as ‘cold welding’; in the absence of air, we find typically solid materials quite malleable. Thus, in the frontiers of capital, where there is an absence of social and, by extension, legal formations, it is through this transformative power that QGAEs weld together society, bounded only by their own rules and markets. As a result, they hold a monopoly on violence and society-making. Perhaps then, we should rephrase this point: All that is solid melts into one; one market, one company to rule them all. The rapid concentration of wealth may have stopped during the Collapse, but it has continued under neo-capitalism.

This is not to say that the Collapse did not have any semblance of capitalism, nor even the pre-Collapse, since many have recently argued that the globalization era of humankind was merely a 'neo-feudalism' of sorts, in which the nobility and the elite controlled the dynamics of capital. But what is clear is that our post-Collapse multiworld society has led to the continuation of neo-feudalism's style of capitalism.

Also, I am aware that many thinkers, including Giorgadze, Aleshire, and Kariuki have argued that we live in a neo-merchantalist post-collapse society - and reject the conceptualization and discourse of neo-capitalism altogether. But that is a subject for another post.


“ The need for a constantly expanding market for its products has chased the bourgeoisie so much that they now chase it beyond the gravity well.
It shall nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connexions everywhere. ” – A New Intersolar Order, Giorgadze

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DISABLED BY YOUR NETWORK... PLEASE TRY ON A DIFFERENT INFODESK.
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[Valehart]

[ OOC: Eugenics trigger warning ]

UMS NATASEM ISSUES 'DESIGNER BABY' DIRECTIVE 542
DIRECTOR DIMA HAILS "TRUE RED BLOOD FOR TRUE RED MARTIANS" MANDATORY BIOENGINEERING SCHEME


| MARSTECH-BRANDED TRANSPLANTED STEM-CELLS | STOCK IMAGE |

The United Martian States National Assembly, in a 42-2 vote, has issued Directive 542, a sweeping law criminalizing unclean natural birthing nationwide.

The previous Directive 531, which required transgenic /and/or bioengineered birth as a requirement for UMS citizenship, was criticized by a semi-subversive wing of the Total Transhumanist Party (TTP) that called for harsher penalties against subversive elements working against human advancement. These critics of the bill also understandably pointed to a troubling 1.2% increase in poor eyesight figures amongst newborns in the Valhalla District, although the issue was resolved following a swift cleansweep of the ward under the direction of District Manager Ardenta Mäkinen.

Directive 542 however, now ensures that a birth outside the Martian norm results in a harsh but fair sentencing of a minimum five years in community service, while a maximum penalty will incur a ten year prison sentence if a Judicial Director sees fit. The bill makes sure to outline possible sentencing requirements, such as if the subversive acted in good faith or willfully schemed to damage UMS unity and human advancement. Another precondition is if the birth was accidental or was through a controlled experiment, such as comparing unclean natural human performance and the 2158 Martian human standard.

While answering questions for the press in her biweekly press meetings, Director Dima said that "the Directive is not meant to stifle scientific progress or experiments, and it shall be immediately reworked if a loophole is found. On the contrary, it is meant to advance science by enforcing all UMS citizens to participate in the grandest science project of all: to ensure that Mars is where the superior human evolves and emerges to win the evolutionary battleground. This bill will make that written in the stars."

The announcement of Directive 542 has triggered a spontaneous pro-Dima rally in Unity Square, Val-Steph City, celebrating the Natasem and welcoming the news. "It is a step in the correct direction," said one participant, "Transhumanism is the future of humanity. The cripples can have their old, dilapidated Earth, and the ingrates can scrounge for coin on Venus. Mars is where humans advance! Dima! Dima! Dima!"

Across the UMS, polls for Director Dima climbed an impressive 4.5 points against her competitor. Perceptions and image of the Director also improved quite dramatically since the signing of Directive 531 across Mars, with support for the UMS at its highest in the Tibei Martian Republic. "Director Dima, and more leaders like her, will one-hundred-percent be the people Mars needs for a unified nation," said Polsci Director for Val-Steph University Anass Abdullah, "the unification wars, in hindsight, were a distraction and caused so much progress to be halted. Mars shall surely be united in peace instead."

[Valehart]

>> HOMEPAGE << CNRD WEATHER: 51C / PARTLY CLOUDY
NAA CRIME SOARS WHILE ECONOMY STAGNATES
SPECIAL REPORT. LOS ANGELES METROPLEX SHOOTINGS, LOOTINGS, AND SMALL CRIMES CAUSES WORRYING ECONOMIC STAGNATION.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, 2157. IMAGEFILE.

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Los Angeles Metroplex, United States, NAA, UN // Nineteen-year-old Komi Okorie-Kariuki was an hour into his day shift at his community’s local UN Food Distribution Center when he heard his fourth round of gunshots that week. Only this time, it was inside the building. He covered his face in fear, and ducked behind a counter. The kitchen was the only room sealed off from the cafeteria and distribution garage, so he thought he would be safe.

But about ten minutes into the ordeal, Komi found himself at the end of a barrel when the assailants broke down the door and demanded food. The staff complied, and within minutes, the gunmen left the building with hundreds of thousands of credits worth of synthetic meats, vegetables, and cooking supplies. The distribution hub found itself with weeks worth of supplies vanishing instantly.

Because the local UN administration could only afford to provide the bare minimum based on outdated statistics, there were no alternatives to feed the undocumented thousands of homeless ex-nomads in their community. With no other choice, the staff confessed they resorted to the blackmarket. While it would briefly alleviate the less fortunate, it proved a costly mistake, and the center couldn’t afford to pay its staff for the rest of the year.

The shooting, and many others like it in the past month, are considered by the LAM Anti-Crime Department as a part of the systemic and crippling crisis of food shortages near informal and improvised encampments that litter the city’s old parks and disused highways. While food stocks are reportedly well replenished, almost 2 million refugees and destitute US citizens can not find a UN allotment because of the NAA’s severe housing shortage. They, therefore, cannot prove NAA citizenship or permanent residence.

To some of our older and historically interested readers, this reads eerily like the North America of the Collapse more than a hundred years ago. Although the circumstances may be similar, its causes are not: According to the 2158 TT Climate Economy Report, generations of climate refugees and the destitute that fled from the cities during the Collapse now find themselves flocking to metroplexes in search of stability and employment in the space sector, only for them to become lost in bureaucratic red tape and waitlists. Many return to nomadic or rural life, but most are stuck in limbo, which creates an overpopulation crisis on top of everything else.




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Unreliable services and life in improvised encampments have created a powerful blackmarket which subverts the local economy and authorities, exacerbating the inequality and unemployment crisis. In response, the North American Association has committed to combating crime and the blackmarket by increasing its police numbers and have gone on an equipment spending spree. While this has led to the private security sector in good spirits, consumer spending generally stagnated at -0.2%, tax evasion is at an all time high at 14.1%, and unemployment is at 41%—which is still relatively low compared to the UN average.

“Almost every crisis relating to the economy can be traced to the Climate,” said Dr. Dmitar Abbey, the head of the political science department at Montreal University, “and there’s very little the NAA can do about it, other than to point at inadequate UN funding.” But to blame the UN is missing the forest for the trees, Dr. Abbey says, and that tackling a stagnant economy requires tackling the crime, housing, refugee, and tax evasion crisis all at once. “It’s a really daunting task. Especially for such a lethargic administration as the NAA and UN.”

But it’s been done before, as a response to the Collapse. The UN mustered all of Earth’s remaining financial institutions into investing into infrastructure and eventually space development and industrialization followed suit. The current socioeconomic and political landscape however, is radically different than in the late 21st century. “We’ve become too complacent, and the resurrection of powerful special interest groups have not helped, either,” Abbey said, referring to the corporate security and space development lobby.

A hundred years after the Collapse, North America seems to be again riddled with crisis on top of crisis, with no alleviation in sight. Millions of people are without homes, and hundreds of millions are unemployed and live off of UN assistance - but that is the reality of life in the 22nd century. And it is a wonder that the NAA economy has stagnated rather than receded. Many analysts, including Dr. Abbey, attribute this miracle to the ever-growing asteroid extraction sector and the continent’s industrial powerhouses in Texas, Pluralist Canada, and the Chinook region.

[Valehart]

2157 in Photos: The Year That Space Continued to Boom
Images courtesy of spacedev photographers across the system. Images are protected under the Mars-Earth Accord Copyright Act of 2139.



An MISV showing off its Electromagnetic Radiation Shielding above the Jovian pole. spacedev image of the year by Jingyi Chen.

Before we begin, some initialisms must be defined for the novice spacedev geeks out there, just in case.

Freighter prefixes: LISV: Large Interplanetary Shipping Vessel | MISV: Medium Interplanetary Shipping Vessel | SISV: Small Interplanetary Shipping Vessel | HOSV: Heavy Orbital Shipping Vessel | OSV: Orbital Shipping Vessel

General-use prefixes: LIV: Large Interplanetary Vessel | MIV: Medium Interplanetary Vessel | SIV: Small Interplanetary Vessel

Naval prefixes: UNCSV: UN Command Space Vessel | UMSAV: United Martian States Army Vessel | TSV: Taibei Space Vessel | VSV: Valehart Space Vessel |

Corpo prefixes: ARNAV: Argo-Navis Vessel | VSS Virgin-Origin Space Ship



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"To Boldly Go..."
Photograph by spacedev registered photographer Sani Lawali



The SIV Spearhead, a lightweight science vessel operated by the UNSA in MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) beginning a trans-lunar injection burn.
The UN Space Administration traces its origins to the legendary National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. As one of the system's last dedicated civil space and aviation agencies, the UNSA has explored and surveyed the most remote places in the solar system.

Its latest mission placed a rover on Pluto, and extracted ice samples from the dwarf planet's surface to be returned in a follow-up mission. The SIV Spearhead, although not part of the Pluto mission, is the workhorse of the UNSA and ferries scientific experiments, equipment, and personnel to and from the inner and outer planets.

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"Making Money Over Mars"
Photograph by spacedev registered photographer Indu Nagarkar



The LISV Sardinia with a SpaceX Starship IV docking in an areocentric orbit with Valles Marineris in view.
The Sardinia is one of the most recognizable LISVs out there. Built around the industrialization of space in the 2090s, and constantly refitted over the ensuing decades, the Sardinia was the first modern generation of LISVs that dwarf any previous interplanetary craft, as shown by the size comparison with an equally aging Starship IV located just below its enormous radiators.

When it's not at a spacedock somewhere in the system being serviced, this LISV can carry billions of credits worth of processed and unprocessed rare-earth commodities per trip. An average run can last many months, going back and forth between inner system stations and the asteroid belt. Sadly, there are talks of decommissioning her since the vast majority of mining operations now process raw materials in situ, and the latest shipping vessels focus on ferrying processed goods.

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"Some Servicing Required"
Photograph by UNC registered photographer Anne-Laure Bertrand



The UNCSV Caebus SoCal-class frigate docking with UNCSV Oak Ridge in MLO (Medium Lunar Orbit).
Servicing something as complex and technically challenging as a warvessel is something only an equally complex platform can do. The UNCSV Oak Ridge is one of two auxiliary vessels of UN Command that regularly refits, rearms, and services the UN's fleet of corvettes and frigates around the Earth-Luna system.

The Caebus, a SoCal-class frigate of UN Command, is a seminal part of Strike Group Blue, one of the ten frigate strike groups that regularly conduct power projection actions across the solar system. Strike Group Blue recently saw action during the Titan labour relations crisis last month when it ferried a contingent of UNPF soldiers to the Saturnian moon.

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"Ready for Action"
Photograph by UNC registered photographer Ömür Guliyev



A flight of three UNCSV Corvettes in battle-ready mode. Courtesy of UN Command Public Relations.
UN Command has always been the system's largest space force in sheer tonnage and personnel. During the Collapse Wars, such as the conflict over Taiwan, space warfare technologies accelerated at an unprecedented pace; these technologies were so ahead of their time, such as improved material sciences, compact and lightweight nuclear power generation, and heat dissipation and radiation sheltering, that UN Command is still using many Collapse-era platforms.

Despite an aging fleet, UN Command is still capable of power projection all the way to Saturn. Warvessels focused on anti-piracy missions like the Interdictor-class Corvettes shown above are some of the newest and most advanced vessels in the UN's arsenal. This particular flight is undergoing close-quarter combat and boarding drills.

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"Protecting Human Unity"
Photograph by UMS registered photographer Franziska Wirth



The UMSAV Shijiazhuang conducting anti-piracy action in MMO (Medium Mars Orbit) as part of Operation Enforcing Order.
The UMS regularly treats us spacedev and space defense geeks with glimpses of its cutting-edge weapons platforms, such as its newest destroyer, the Shijiazhuang. While the UMSA uses a different nomenclature for its warvessels than UN Command, UNC frigates and UMSA destroyers are relatively at parity, and both can be interchangeably classified as either or.

One of the biggest distinctions of UMSA vessels however, is their impressive power generation capabilities, allowing for a more compact design and bigger armament than the Caebus, for example. UMSA Destroyers and UNC Corvettes are feared amongst pirates, and their presence in the battlespace is a powerful symbol of Earther and Martian power.

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"Symbols of Wealth and Power"
Photograph by spacedev registered photographer Ayame Matsumoto



The VSS Enterprise docking with a SpaceX Starship VI in an aphrodiocentric orbit. The Starship pictured above is the 200th built by the venerable company.
The VSS Enterprise made headlines last month after it was boarded and hijacked by pirates in Venusian orbit, the first-ever pirate action above the planet. Nevertheless, the situation was quickly resolved thanks to the Valehart Internal Security Services (VISS) and the city-state's small but highly regarded anti-pirate/escort fleet of the Valehart Aerospace Council (VAC).

The Starship VI pictured in Matsumoto's image is equally as interesting. Being the 200th Starship produced by SpaceX, the orbital-sub-orbital and the (very briefly) interplanetary platform is based on a nearly 150-year-old design and is the embodiment of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" While SpaceX isn't nearly as signifcant as it once was in space development, it is a historic remnant of an old world.

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This Century in Photos
"Hope"
Photograph by UNRA photographer Valentin Dvořák, 2074



The legendary Argo-Navis MIV InertiaStar orbits Venus. After eighty years of continual service, it continues to serve without issue.
How else could we end this year in photos than by looking back a century at the famous photo of the ARNAV InertiaStar orbiting Venus for the first time? Like with the Sardinia, the InertiaStar remarkably still serves Venus faithfully, and is a pivotal part of the infrastructure of the inner planetary economy. It has recently been refitted into a cruiseliner.

The first humans that lived on Venus boarded this vessel. After three generations of life on Venus, their trusty metallic companion in the vacuum of space continues their journey over and over again, as if they were never gone. The title "Hope" expresses the attitude at the time. All of humanity's hopes in recovering from an apocolyptic collapse were placed in space. Those that could fled to the open skies of Venus. And their vessel witnessed the birth of an entire society. The InertiaStar is perhaps as important to space flight as the the Starship, the Space Shuttle, the Saturn V, and the Soyuz.

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[Valehart]

Breaking News | Earth | North America
NAAGov formally launches the ambitious 3.1 Trillion UN-C SUN Infrastructure Act



A spaceport in San Antonio, Texas. Spaceports are pivotal for a community’s access to space travel and are sometimes the lifeblood of a town’s industrial area.

Washington, US, NAA | Following the belated approval by the 184th United States Congress, the NAA Assembly of Ministries and Bureaus formally unveiled the Stimulus for Underdeveloped Neighbourhoods Act, or the S.U.N. Act. The 3.1 trillion UN-Credit plan, spearheaded by US and MexFed authorities, is an infrastructure spending bill focusing on the Sunbelt region that includes provisions for the Panamerican Highspeed Rail project, the redevelopment of transportation infrastructure and urban centres across the region, and the construction of spaceports and state-owned manufacturing facilities. The spending bill, footed predominately by the UN World Bank and the NAA Central Bank, was months in the making and pitted state and local governments across the US and Mexico against each other.

The Panamerican Highspeed Rail megaproject, now two decades in the making, has yet to see much progress; however, the California-Baja California corridor line is expected to be fully funded thanks to the SUN Act, and it marks a significant step towards dismantling barriers to mobility and transportation in America. The redevelopment and urbanization section of the bill has seen the most praise from impacted cities, which will fund the demolishment of almost a dozen abandoned interstates, which will be replaced by a series of yet-to-be-finalized regional rail lines and an NAA highway section with a much smaller footprint. Spaceport construction will see a similar boost thanks to the bill, and cities across the Sunbelt will see hundreds of millions of funds towards linking American and Mexican industries to space. The manufacturing sector will also receive significant attention as the NAA seeks to lower unemployment figures to below 35% by 2170.

The arduous process of designing such a bill was made easier thanks to the widespread participation of the UN Deliberation Days initiative, in which municipalities and their residents are invited to gather in community centres and town halls and deliberate on matters of municipal importance for several days of the year. In turn, the UNDD initiative paid employers free days off for those employed. The UNDD also unintentionally highlighted local divisions. The SUN Act was often met with fiery engagement in communities most impacted by regional inequality, such as those in the Gulf Coastal Plains Recovery Region and northern Mexico. During an interview with a local UNN affiliate, the mayor of Nuevo Laredo called the gatherings “lively and loud,” with many residents “taking issue with state-owned manufacturing in general,” with some arguing that it “concentrates jobs in Texas.” Meanwhile, Texans took issue with the increasing supranationalization of the space industry, with the mayor of San Antonio himself calling the provisions “too NAA focused.” Texas has seen a growing anti-UN and anti-NAA fringe movement to secede from the US and NAA, with the mayor of San Antonio being one of its most prominent members.

Texas is the only state in the Sunbelt that has seen consistent economic growth in the last five years attributed to the indomitable space development sector. The US state has long been the center of rocket manufacturing in the NAA and holds the world's largest and most developed spaceports, such as the Houston Complex. Tensions between highly developed Texan communities and the underdeveloped border regions in New Mexico, Chihuahua, and Coahuila have been the most significant barrier to SUN Act progress, with some mayoral councils arguing that Texas should be excluded from the bill altogether. However, after several months of deliberation, input from these meetings allowed for the act to be amended several times before being presented before the US Congress and the Congress of the Union. In the launch announcement, the NAA Assembly has said that funds for communities will be distributed by November, while the most undeveloped regions in Arizona and Southern California will see funds by next month at the earliest.

The UNDD initiative was established in 2122 by the member states of Pluralist Canada, Chinook Republics, and the European Federation. Deliberation days are a staple form of governance in Canada and Western Europe. Some of its most notable developments include helping ease tensions during negotiations between indigenous communities and providing a consensus between the governments of Southern Italy and local municipalities for the redevelopment of the Sicilian region.



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Related

| Ten Best Places to Live in the Sunbelt | The Long History of North Mexican and Texan Reindustrialization | The Sunbelt Line and What it Means for Highspeed Rail in the NAA | NAA vs. EFP: Supranational governments compared! |

[Valehart]

VALEHART DEFENSE COUNCIL JOINT FORCES COMMAND - A - R E P O R T - T O - T H E - A S S E M B L Y - O F - D I S T R I C T S - - A N N U A L - - N A T I O N A L - S E C U R I T Y - R I S K - A S S E S S M E N T - 2 1 5 8 CONCORD DISTRICT, VALEHART. Public Release FORWARD The Free Settlement of Valehart faces constant pressures and potential risks to its national security because of a multitude of societal, socioeconomic, and political factors that are unique to the security situation of the 2150s, namely: its strategic Venusian location that intersects one of the busiest trade routes between the inner planets and Asteroid Belt region (ABr) (the Venus Earth Gravity Assist principle [VEGAp]); great power competition between the United Nations (UN) and the United Martian States (UMS) and its associated effects on the interplanetary political economy (IPPE); corporate competition between Valehartine Quasi-Governmental Administrative Entities (QGAEs) and non-Valehartine QGAEs; increasing pirate activity beyond the ABr; unprecedented rates of immigration and migration into Valehart; class, ethnic, ideological, national, and religious divides and tensions; the heightened militarization of space; and, interplanetary and orbital space debris. DEFINITIONS and MISSION STATEMENTS The VALEHART DEFENSE COUNCIL represents the chiefs of staff of the Free Settlement of Valehart’s joint forces and outlines the general national strategic direction through policy and mission objectives. The VALEHART SECURITY COUNCIL oversees and administers the four branches of the security forces. The VALEHART AEROSPACE SECURITY SERVICES (VASS) functions to: Provide security for Valehartine operations in, from, and to space through: the combined use of cyber defense and space defense platforms Deter aggression in, from, and to space by: seeking de-escalation through deterrence Conduct space operations; and Protect Valehartine space interests The VALEHART CYBER SECURITY SERVICES (VCSS) is organized, trained, and equipped to: Defend, deter, and retaliate against cyber attacks by: ensuring a state of constant readiness demonstrating rapid response through retaliatory action; and Protect Valehartine cyber interests The VALEHART INTERNAL SECURITY SERVICES (VISS) functions to: Provide internal security services by: administering the federal police force investigating and protecting against criminal activity Maintain civil defenses and key logistics through: the integration of civil air, ground, and space assets; and Gather, analyze, and utilize national security information through: the use of human and cyber intelligence and provide intelligence directly to the Councilor and Defense Council The VALEHART GROUND SECURITY SERVICES (VGSS) functions to: Maintain peace and defend Valehart Provide security to national defense and security interests Deter hostile actors by: using measured responses demonstrating response and readiness; and Implementing national security policy and objectives THE VEGA SECURITY PRINCIPLE Since the first interplanetary missions to the outer planets, the orbital positioning of Venus has made it essential for gravity assists to save on fuel costs and reduce time spent in dangerous deep space transit. This has made the Venus-Earth-Gravity-Assist a cornerstone for most transit corridors between Earth and its former and current colonies. Around 48.2 trillion UN-Credits worth of cargo pass through the VEGA shipping corridor every week, which accounts for about 70% of total traffic between Earth and the Asteroid Belt region. Acquiring control of Venusian orbits thereby means the control of the majority of interplanetary trade. As Valehart seeks to assert its sovereignty and independence, the VEGA security principle stipulates a security task force capable of rapidly responding to and protecting the vital lifelines of VEGA trade routes. Securing Valehartine skies and its access to space is necessary in order for the function of Venusian trade, finance, and energy sectors, as well as the greater interplanetary economy. The VALEHART DEFENSE COUNCIL defines the operational domains of the Valehartine security forces in the 2150s into three key domains: the space domain, the cyber domain, and the corporate domain. The Defense Council has analyzed the current status and variable risk attributed to each domain on the following page: DOMAIN RISK: KINETIC COMBAT IN SPACE Kinetic exchanges in space are the most dangerous and self-destructive form of warfare except for nuclear weapon exchanges. A single piece of debris can become a projectile capable of destroying critical communications infrastructure and fields of debris can disrupt the entire interplanetary space economy (IPSE). A single peaceful spacecraft can accidentally become a civilization-threatening weapon. A kinetic weapon exchange in Venusian orbit will always cause collateral damage due to the volume of satellite constellations, and will always come with the risk of causing the Kessler effect. An exchange in deep space has substantially less immediate risk to civilian and military infrastructure, however due to the nebulous complexities of orbital mechanics, interplanetary debris adds long term risk to the strategic shipping lanes between the ABr, Mars, Earth, Venus, and Mercury. Exchanges in space must be placed high in the escalation ladder, and exchanges near or in orbits with high volumes of traffic (Earth, Mars, Venus, ABr) must be a last resort option. DOMAIN RISK: CYBER COMBAT IN SPACE Cyberwarfare is the most common and cost-effective form of combat in the space domain. The cyber and space domains are closely interrelated. The integration of cyber systems and satellite constellations is a strategic necessity for the IPSE of the 2150s to function efficiently. As such, any compromises to the cyber security situation of the nation is a compromise to the nation’s access to space and vital strategic trade links. VCSS tracks and destroys hostile actors in the cyberspace domain on a daily basis. Cyber attacks are often difficult to trace and are regularly conducted by state and non-state actors. A cyber attack exchange however, can quickly escalate due to the domain’s flexibility and perceived aphysical presence. Cyber exchanges must be carefully considered before implementation, and de-escalation and deterrence are always preferred. DOMAIN RISK: CORPORATE COMBAT The Corporate War of the 2130s demonstrated the rise of the Quasi-Governmental Administrative Entity as a potential tool for competitors to engage in proxy conflict. Engaging in mercantilism and defending Venusian corporate interests against non-Venusian corporate interests is an effective way of de-risking the IPSE. A foreign company that penetrates the Venusian market heightens the risk of foreign interference significantly. A foreign company seeking to expand into Valehart must be monitored by all levels of the military. To further de-risk foreign interference, maintaining a substantial voting stake in the foreign company on a constant basis is another effective solution. The VALEHART DEFENSE COUNCIL has identified and studied key state and non-state actors that pose potential and real risks to national security and their respective competitor/adversarial relations with Valehart. IDENTIFYING COMPETITOR AND ADVERSARY The nation’s key strategic competitors are the UNITED NATIONS and the UNITED MARTIAN STATES. The nation’s adversaries are the pirates of the ABr and hostile political actors within the UNITED MARTIAN STATES. The UNITED MARTIAN STATES represents the nation’s most existential potential adversary and economic competitor for the ABr. Following the rise of the Total Transhumanist Party (TTP), rhetoric against the independence of Valehart has risen dramatically, and high-ranking personnel of the UMS Army have openly called for conflict between Venusian nations and the UMS. Due to its proximity to the strategic shipping lanes of the ABr and its force projection capabilities, de-escalation must always be considered. The RED RINGERS is the nation’s most significant current adversary. The pirate group employs a highly organized paramilitary force and functions as a mass political movement formed by dissidents of Earth and Mars. While the independence of Valehart is an ideological position that many high-ranking members share, the RR group regularly conducts pirate action against Valehartine-flagged vessels. The January 2158 incident in Lagrange Point 2 has demonstrated that the group’s real goals often contrast the rhetoric of its ideological goals. Despite its relatively organized nature, there are many competing factions within the force that make its strategic goals nebulous and chaotic. Responses to RR attacks must demonstrate a force posture of constant readiness and rapid deployment. Retaliatory strikes should be conducted to rapidly eliminate its capabilities. De-escalation should be conducted to dismantle the organization’s paramilitary force. The various NON-RR PIRATE groups of the ABr should be engaged whenever the risk to civilian and military infrastructure is lowest and deterred whenever the risk is greater. An anti-pirate action is always preferable during transit. An anti-pirate action while in orbit of a station carries such significant risk that a military conflict must be perceived as self-destructive on either side. Regular patrols that broadcast VASS presence on all frequencies, fitting kinetic weaponry on shipping vessels, and/or regularly escorting vessels eliminate the risk of a confrontation while in orbit significantly. A mixture of all three elements should be employed for maximum effect. The long-term strategic goal is to seek and destroy the organized criminal elements of the pirate groups of the ABr through strategic strikes. The UNITED NATIONS is the nation’s biggest peaceful competitor. The UN regularly cooperates with the VDC on matters of piracy patrols and is a reliable trade partner. Its positionality is substantially closer to Venus than Mars. De-escalation with the UN will always be preferred regardless of ideological rhetoric. The risks of an adversarial UN are so high that Valehartine independence will be under existential threat. Responding to and retaliating against UN attacks must be measured and not be escalatory. ADVERSARIAL CAPABILITIES The UNITED MARTIAN STATES maintains the solar system’s most advanced defense forces. Its proximity to the ABr and highly defended Martian infrastructure means it is highly capable of withstanding attacks and rapidly recovering from attacks. The UMS is capable of projecting force from Earth to Jupiter and has plans to extend its reach and patrols to the Saturnian system. Its industrial and autonomous/AI capabilities make up for its lack of manpower and thus make it susceptible to cyber attacks. However, its sophisticated cyber defense network creates a significant obstacle to any direct attack on Martian assets The UNITED NATIONS maintains the most comprehensive defense-in-depth strategy in the system. The Earth-Luna defense system is highly layered by anti-satellite and anti-vessel platforms and is complimented by the debris from the Collapse Wars and space junk from the pre-Collapse period. The UN maintains the largest fleet in the system and is capable of projecting force from Mercury to Saturn. A UN response strike force can be rapidly maneuvered to counter any action in settled space. As of 2158, the UN does not maintain the industrial capacity needed for long-term extraterrestrial conflicts. However, it has the technical expertise and manpower required to reactivate pre-Collapse industries if it sees fit. The RED RINGERS group comprises 14 vessels of differing sizes, with the largest, the Red Claw, comparable to a UN Corvette. The exact details of the group's paramilitary powers are still relatively unknown as they are constantly being refitted with scrap parts. The Red Ringers do not possess a physical headquarters but are organized through clandestine outfits spread across the system: within ABr stations, the Jovian moons, Mars, Earth, and Venus. The total value of stolen goods the RR group traded in 2157 was worth an estimated 32 billion UN-Credits UMS STRATEGIC AIMS The UMS’s long-term strategic goal is the complete unification of Mars and to secure space-based assets for terraforming and sustaining Martian life. Short-term strategic goals: The pacification of the ABr; The elimination of all significant pirate groups, especially the RR group; and The expansion of orbital and deep space defense platforms UN STRATEGIC AIMS The UN’s long-term strategic goal is to secure and defend vital deep space resource extraction and manufacturing sites to fund the recovery of Earth’s biosphere and economic capabilities. Short-term strategic goals: The pacification of its extraterrestrial colonies; Counter the UMS’s economic and military growth; The elimination of all pirate groups in the solar system; and Continuing the colonization of the rest of the solar system VALEHART STRATEGIC AIMS The long-term goal of the Valehart government should be to develop autonomous industrial capacities for sustainable growth and military development to off-set its size and manpower disadvantage and deter potential adversaries. Short-term strategic goals: Secure vital Valehartine economic trade corridors by deterring pirate activity and increasing patrols in and around the inner-planet trade corridors Develop a sophisticated cyber defense network comparable to the UMS’s CORPORATE STRATEGIC ROLES Argo-Navis: The strategic role of Argo-Navis must be to integrate its security systems with the Valehartine defense framework and be able to respond to threats of national importance under the discretion of corporate command. Dyna: As a new UN-based player in Valehart, its strategic role must be to secure trust in the Valehartine government and cooperate with security actions deemed necessary for the national interest. Marstech: As a QGAE under the direct control of the UMS government, its strategic role is to act as a proxy for Martian security interests through the widespread employment of covert operations throughout the solar system. CSDC: The CSDC is a UN-affiliated QGAE responsible for the pacification of independence movements in UN colonies; the Valehart government must be cautious when dealing publicly with the CSDC. THE PRESENT PIRATE SITUATION An estimated 12 billion UN-Credits' worth of shipping goods is lost to pirate activity every quarter. All pirate actions in 2157 occurred between corporate-flagged vessels and pirates armed with kinetic weaponry. The forceful seizure of vessels is most common within the ABr and during transit periods between mining and refuelling stations. As the window between mining and refuelling becomes shorter due to advances in in-situ refineries, pirate groups are increasing activities in the Venus-Earth-Mars trade corridors. In 2157, the VCSS tracked over a dozen credit exchanges between ideological organizations, such as the Red Jupiter Project and the Marxists of Venus, and criminal elements affiliated with prominent members of the Red Ringers group. Using primarily shell corporations and illicit goods trade, transfers worth a combined 16 million UN-Credits were found and apprehended. However, since the ideological organizations were not connected to Venusian criminal activity, at present, it is illegal to continue investigations as the Red Ringers group is not explicitly tied to Venusian crime. On January 2158, a cell identified as an armed division from the Red Ringers group stormed and seized the VSS Enterprise in Lagrange Point 2 near the Aphrodite Cycler. The hijacking represented the first pirate action in Venusian orbit and the group's increasing assertiveness and capabilities. Negotiations between VISS and the pirate cell resulted in a peaceful resolution amid public pressure not to interfere militarily. In future, the VDC recommends reevaluating the government's hands-off policy and neutral attitudes toward radical political organizations and working with allies and partners to develop an interplanetary treaty for policing beyond borders. CULTURAL-POLITICAL TENSIONS The VDC operates on recognizing a unique Venusian multicultural, pluralist, and democratic society that is prone to constant shifts in culture and politics and, thus, shifting national interests and security concerns. Adversarial state and non-state actors routinely attempt to interfere between genuine democratic processes. Cyber and human intelligence infrastructure must reliably identify threats from non-threats to the democratic process. The most pressing tensions in Valehart include the AI rights question, the inclusion of new space-based religions & their associated rights, increasing ideological conflict, and the prevalent apathy towards pirate groups. While the VDC takes steps to reduce bias in reporting and doctrine creation, AI rights represent a paradigm shift in understanding national security risk. If sentience is achievable with artificial intelligence, the health and well-being of the nation's AI citizens are directly tied to the cyber security situation and the high-tech manufacturing/trade sectors. The VDC recommends the creation of a dedicated commission on AI rights and National Security as soon as possible. Armed religious factions in space are not organized enough to represent a serious threat to Valehart. However, their influence in pirate groups and renegade pilot outfits must be investigated further. CONCLUSION The security environment of the 2150s necessitates integrating the cyber, space, and corporate fronts through a clear and unified doctrine of deterrence and de-escalation. The VDC recommends that all future doctrines include corporate security assets as part of a combined security framework to extend the nation’s power projection and protection abilities. It also recommends continuing to communicate the importance of the VEGA security principle to its partners, allies, and the general public. Lastly, the VDC stresses the need for more resources in the cyber and space domain as pirate groups have become increasingly assertive and the security situation in the outer planets deteriorates.

[Valehart]

ON SOVEREIGNTY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND OUTER SPACE

By Ayo Uju Ayodele | February, 2158


An intervention of the frontispiece of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan by Fahmida Sherazi, 2157

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Until the mid-21st century, sovereignty had long been the claim states had to legitimize their power, authority, and monopoly of violence. Yet during the later half of the 21st and early 22nd century, the United Nations directives and orders can and frequently overrule the state; thus they are effectively subservient to a larger institution with a monopoly of authority. But what happens to this dynamic in the anarchic outer space? When confronted with issues beyond the understanding of human rights theory?

To start, we must look at the burgeoning political actor that is the increasingly militarized and politized Quasi-Governmental Administrative Entity (QGAE). The QGAE has, in all intents and purposes, subsumed the traditional Westphalian nation-state's roles in space colonization (administration, policing, distribution of resources, sociocultural identification, production of knowledge, etc.), resulting in the seemingly corpo-anarchic nature of astropolitics. Many thinkers see this as a return to form, before the UN’s role as primary arbitrator of international relations, and towards a system of independent and sovereign nations and corporations abiding by their own rules.

The UN is “a leviathan of leviathans keeping actors to play nice,” said Giorgadze in his book, A New Intersolar Order. In turn, the supposedly neutral international body that is the United Nations, has transformed into a normative organization that establishes itself as a sovereign entity in of itself; it vyes for the common interest of Earther governments—not humanity—analogous to how a state vyes for the national interest. It confines and identifies itself as Earther; it relies on a geographic location and orbits as borders. Has the nation-state truly died? Not truly. Not to mention the various former colonies of the UN such as Taibei and Valehart which share these characteristics on different worlds.

On the other hand, QGAEs in the interplanetary political economy (IPPE) have such intimate connections with their respective governing bodies that they become branches of government themselves. These entities that blur the line between private and public interests simultaneously inhabit the domestic, international, and corporate realms. The notable similarity is that these entities can serve as proxies for political and cultural interests and can flagrantly abuse international law because of their non-state status. Giorgadze calls this new dynamic “corporate neo-merchantalist cabalism.”

International law and regulations are meant to be universal and absolute, especially in the IPPE. Fair competition, equal pay, rights of workers, etc. Yet in outer space, how can the UN or any other body regulate these rules decisively and effectively when millions of kilometres separate lawmakers and those who must abide by them? The Corporate War and the tensions between Earther, Martian, Venusian, and Outer Planet political actors have demonstrated that the underlying ‘world police’ role the UN plays is simply absent in outer space. The UN Declaration of Human Rights as a universal prerogative becomes debatable when those in the United Martian States become self-declared “better-than-humans” through an intensive eugenics and transgenics program. The concept of being human and finding commonality is uncertain when actors reject being human in the first place. And what of the rights of the environment, animals, or artificial intelligence? How can the UN undertake these humanitarian causes if it is busy administrating an entire world?

Answer: it doesn’t and it can’t. By nature of being a global commonwealth, the United Nations’ powers and decisions must be legitimate and absolute—the IPPE by nature, is incredibly decentralized and fractured; as such, the use of force and coercion is not something the UN can ever hope to accomplish if it seeks compliance from dissident off-world settlements and communities, nor could it ever argue it does not perpetuate the project of empire. Militarily intervening between dissident actors like the action done on Titan only reinforces the idea that the UN has simply become another hegemonic power in a new astropolitical order. But how can it legitimize itself without a monopoly of violence? Perhaps if it did not rely on violence, states, companies, and institutions cooperating—or rather, the existence of states and corporations at all.

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DISABLED BY YOUR NETWORK... PLEASE TRY ON A DIFFERENT INFODESK.
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[Valehart]

>> HOMEPAGE << CNRD WEATHER: 47C / LIGHT DRIZZLE
SOLAR SYSTEM GDP HITS 700 TRILLION, QGAEs DOMINATE 66%
THE QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITIES REIGNS SUPREME IN THE ECONOMY, PRIVATE COMPANIES LEFT IN THE DUST

THE BIG FOUR QGAES REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE MAJOR POWERS OF EARTH, MARS, AND VENUS.

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Concord District, Valehart // As the UN’s 2157 Intersolar Report on the Interplanetary Economy marks the total GDP of humanity inching ever closer to a quadrillion credits, TT reports that more than half of that is controlled by the “Cabal of Four” Quasi-Governmental Administrative Entities (QGAEs). Of that 462 trillion, the American-European colossus Dyna contributes almost 130 trillion credits per year, closely followed by the Chinese industrial concern CSDC, the darling of the UMS, Marstech, and the Venusian giant Argo-Navis.

More than 31% of the economy is dominated by the asteroid extraction and refinement sector, followed closely by energy production, deep-space manufacturing, the services industries, and other sectors that comprise the space economy's support infrastructure. The TT market analysis shows that deep-space manufacturing will continue to be the market’s golden goose for the foreseeable future as the sector seems unstoppable in its twelfth year of growth, while the extractivist asteroid economy seems sluggish as friction between QGAEs and regulators continues to bring headaches for investors.

Deep-space manufacturing may soon face that same regulatory pushback, as the UN Astronomical Preservation Agency (UNAPA) is hinting at a major legal challenge against CSDC for its controversial buyout of twelve unnamed S-type asteroids in a major push that was interpreted as a response to Marstech’s takeover of Marsdynamics’ holdings early this year. Argo-Navis and Dyna meanwhile, seemed more hesitant to expand into the Belt this past few months and instead focused on their respective manufacturing divisions, which has severely curtailed the private sector’s hopes of tapping into the lucrative market.

Marstech, which now has a market capitalization of 106 trillion following the Marsdynamics fiasco, has spent much of the first quarter of the year consolidating its grip over former Marsdynamics assets. This April marks the two-decade anniversary since the end of Marstech’s involvement in the Corporate War and the start of the rebuilding effort by then-CEO Lucia Sommer. Her son and current CEO, Chidi Lohrenz, issued a press briefing marking the anniversary as “a reminder of why we must have morals in business,” and vowed to “honour his family’s name as the great Martian peacekeepers of our time.” However, analysts are skeptical.

Intersolar Commerce Management Group (ICMG), a for-profit astropolitical think tank, warned regulators of increasing subversive corporate activities in cyberspace, highlighting that Marstech and Argo-Navis affiliates have ramped up offensive capabilities and probed each sides’ defenses. The Marsdynamic takeover, and conspiracy theories linking the kidnapping of the former Marsdynamics CEO’s family to a Marstech agent, have only made the ICMG more unsettled.




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Independent analyst Ejike Akuchi Ihejirika, reporting for TT, said that “the markets and investors must be prepared for a potential turning point that could lead to another corporate conflict, which would coincide with the escalating tensions between the UN and Mars and their outer belt colonies,” suggesting that “due to the nature of the QGAE being invariably linked to the state apparatus of their founding countries, corporate conflicts can be interpreted as the great powers relieving some tension in the form of corporate-proxy wars.” Ihejirika and the ICMG have both urged the UN and UMS to commit to a series of de-escalatory steps to alleviate concerns about a burgeoning hot war.

The domination of the QGAE makes them formidable actors in the space economy, but a sizeable 37% are still made up of start-ups, independent companies, and trade unions that compete in the open intersolar markets. Investors who are wary of another corporate conflict may find refuge in these burgeoning fields of capital. “I hear many of us come from corporate life,” said an anonymous independent merchant flying under a Japanese flag, “it’s the same old story for many. Sick of the business, the connections, the regulations, the family drama, and office politics. The cabal of four fight for the interests of their country, while we fight for our pockets. That’s true capitalism, through and through.”

[Valehart]

Breaking News | Earth
Fighting Intensifies in Pakistani Coastal Recovery Region as Rebels Attack UN Base



The anti-UN and anti-government insurrection has killed more than 1,230 UN soldiers throughout UNISMP (UN Command)

Mumbai, AOC | Anti-government insurgents attacked the UN Integrated Stabilization Mission in Pakistan (UNISMP) in Sindh, UN Command said in a statement, forcing many displaced civilians to flee from designated UN Safe Zones and risk navigating the flooded ruins of Karachi. Resistance forces, armed with improvised suicide drones (ISDs) and rebuilt UN Peacekeeping droids, launched a coordinated precision strike on UN forces at Base Hyderabad, wounding several personnel, disabling around a dozen armoured personnel carriers, and damaging two drone launch bays. Following the strike, around a hundred insurgents attempted to storm the base but were successfully repelled by the UN garrison.

The attack showed "a next level of complexity and professionalism that has never been seen in the Pakistani insurgency before," said UN Command spokesperson Olabode Ahmed, suggesting that the insurgents are receiving much more intelligence, materiel, and training support than initially assumed. While terrorist cells in the Pakistani Coastal Recovery Region (PCRR) have been largely dispersed over the last decade, thanks to robust reconciliation efforts by UNISMP, some local communities have seen a rise in neo-nationalist and anti-UN sentiment. The Intelligence Secretariat of UN Command recently began recommending plans to peacefully succeed governance control over to local authorities, suggesting that direct UN control has a long-term negative effect on populations around the world.

The Afro-Asian Ocean Community (AOC) held a virtual emergency meeting in response to the attack and reiterated their "unyielding support for UN Command and the UNISMP mission for security and stability, and that the Pakistani people have historically been and will always be supportive of UN missions." PCRR authorities issued a more stern message, calling for all "subversives to disperse or face dire consequences." PCRR Governor Abdul Baasid Shirazi has long faced criticism for his alleged abuse of UN Special Forces directives in order to quell dissidents violently, but much of the populace openly supports him and sees the UNSF as a necessary security force against organized crime activity and dangerous nomad clans that continue to raid the ruins of old Pakistan.

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The Pakistani Coastal Recovery Region is a special UN-administered zone between Afro-Asian Ocean Community members India and the Afghan Emirates. Its origin dates back to the Collapse period, in which an emergency interim government took control of the former lands of the Islamic Republic following the catastrophic floods of the 2050s and 2060s that resulted in almost 70% of the territory becoming submerged, infertile, and inhospitable to human habitation. Over time, UN authority solidified, largely due to the vast exodus of people fleeing to neighbouring territories or becoming part of the nomadic population of the Afro-Asiatic region. In the 2090s, the remaining peoples of the region revolted against the UN under the banner of an ultraorthodox branch of Islam. Tensions escalated until the UN agreed to reform the region into an autonomous state.

However, the movement dissipated, and the UN's commitment was largely forgotten as another catastrophic flooding event occurred in the 2110s. During the next four decades, the UN established UNISMP, committed to the reconstruction and redevelopment of Pakistan and the eventual vision to resettle the displaced peoples of Afro-Asia to their historical lands. Many groups once belonging to the militant Islamic movement reacted harshly against further UN presence and took up arms against UN security personnel. Anti-UN insurgents made their presence known in 2148 when a UN hydrogen tanker was seized by militants, claiming its ownership for a new Islamic Republic. As a post-Collapse region slowly recovers and more displaced peoples are resettled, the growing power vacuum left behind by a nation-state can result in open conflict, as seen in Bangladesh and the Gulf Coastal Plains Recovery Region, among others.



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