Golgotha Mining Station

[henry quirk]

Originally Golgotha was to be a minarchy of the night-watchman kind (what I personally favor in the here and now).

If I'd gone that route surely there'd be some kind of constitution, sumthin' extending out of 'mnd your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else'. But I discovered while researching economic systems, and fleshing out Uroboros, Golgotha isn't a minarchy but an anarchy. Much of what I assumed in terms of court, police, military for Golgothans didn't pan out and wasn't needed.

So: beyond the (One and Only) Law, there is no law, no constitution, no courts. What you got is a small population of (essentially) blue-collar miners and haulers and tradesfolk surounded by a variety of polities. Golgotha is self-governing in the purest sense (each 'one' responsible for himself wholly).

Makes for rough times, harsh circumstances, and guns....lots and lots of (coil) guns.

Public forum: The Bazaar is as close to a 'town hall' as you'll get. It's the prime spot for major, public trade and it serves well as a market for ideas. However, anything from a quarter to half of the population is off-Golgotha at any particular time, so the weighing of issues is on-going, informal, more a matter of gossip and grapevine than organized debate and action.

Much of the foundational Golgotha infrastructure was put in place by the Union Central Planners who intially oversaw the place. Since going independent, the place (including all the smaller bodies in proximity) has become a hodge-podge of idiosyncratic styles and engineering techniques. There are frequent (sometimes violent) disagreements on proper 'use' of a particular volume of the interior. Not surprisingly, there's just as much cooperation (motivated by self-preservation) as competition.

#

Golgothans don't care how you learned to repair an atmosphere scrubber, or how you learned to figure atmospheric pressure for an irregular volume, or how you learned to target a comm laser, or how you learned communicate -- in writing and speech -- exactly what you mean. They just care that you can.

To that end: there is the equivalent of home-schooling, and apprenticing, along with whatever folks pursue on their own when adults.

#

As I mentioned above: I've rethought certain aspects of things, moving Golgotha from minarchy to anarchy, so constables are off the table. Order, such as it is, is maintained through equal parts of self-direction, self-defense, thinkin' before you act, vigilantism, etc.

As for 'fire' (or explosive decompression): self-preservation over the long haul has taught Golgothans a lot about how to drop everything and go patch that hole...NOW. That guy you hate? Hate him later ('later' bein' sumthin' you won't see if you and that guy you hate don't patch that hole...RIGHT NOW)

Golgothan economy inspired by this essay...

http://www.anarchism.net/anarchism_b...capitalism.htm

Golgothan notions of 'property' inspired by this essay...

http://www.anarchism.net/anarchism_p...asynthesis.htm

Full explanations to follow, as my time gets un-stuffed.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Sounds to me like the mining towns of the wild wild west, with all the good and bad history has shown us.

[henry quirk]

That's a good comparison.

Those gold rush communities sprang up overnight, weren't really planned, were wholly motivated by profit.

The difference: Golgotha is well established with certain ideas concrete-set. Folks who thrive there are hard and spare. Folks who don't thrive, who mebbe look to ride coat tails, end up dead.

Some one, can't recall who, wrote about a place -- Jackson's Hole -- on a (I think) colony world. It was lousy with all manner of organized crime. The primary difference between that place and Golgotha is a fanatical adherence to the (One & Only) Law. Unscrupulous types arrive all the time...some are even able to get a leg up...the clever ones can hang on for a long time. But if Jane Deuterium miner discovers she's been bilked, she's gonna gonna have sumthin' to say about it. Larry, the one who sold her substandard scrubber parts may wake up dead.

[Happy Monkey]

What's preventing organized crime? If the one rule is MYOB, they can target people a few at a time to build a power base, and people trying to organize against them will be accused of not minding their own business. Does the one and only law prohibit them from hiring outside contractors for security to protect against reprisals from people like Jane?

[henry quirk]

"What's preventing organized crime? If the one rule is MYOB, they can target people a few at a time to build a power base, and people trying to organize against them will be accused of not minding their own business. Does the one and only law prohibit them from hiring outside contractors for security to protect against reprisals from people like Jane?"

But MYOB is not the whole of it.

'Mind your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else.'

And: you gotta remember context. The Law isn't meant to primarly govern interpersonal interaction, it's meant primarily as an admonishment to those who'd presume to rule, to govern, Golgothans.

Some busybody lookin' to get up in your affairs: that's on you how you handle it.

Some busybody lookin' to establish a conduit on Golgotha wherein illegal (elsewhere) product is moved to and fro, that's on individuals how they wanna deal (some will ignore, some will align).

But folks comin' and tryin' to muscle Golgothans, or develop a power base so as to direct the affairs and finances of Golgothans, well, it won't just be Jane goin' to war.

Let's say Munson is lookin' to replace one of the electron beam initiators on his pulse drive. He's got a cargo box full of spices from a previous run. He knows Lazarus Whey is the go-to guy for refurbished initiators and he knows Whey has a sidebusiness trading in rare organics. A normal transaction would have the two haggle over price and they'd settle on sumthin' mutual or Munson would take his business elsewhere. But suppose Whey wouldn't sell the initiator, or asked for a price way beyond what the market dictates, or just flat out admits he has 'partners' who win't let him deal the way he used to. Munson (cuz he dreads the loss of Whey's products, and mebbe cuz he likes Whey) will make his inquiries. Golgotha is small...some one will spill the beans. Before you know it, Whey is gettin' visits from concerned folks lookin' to help (introduce his 'partners' to vac). Within the confines of the Law this is wholly acceptable and probably even mandated. If Jane has a lucky run and brings home surplus deuterium that will skew the economy but naturally. If Whey's 'partners' skew the economy through artificial price hikes and created scarcity, this is a large-scale event, a major 'not keepin' your hands to yourself' event. '...or else' is invoked with a vengance.

And if Whey goes pussy and refuses to assist Golgothans lookin' to break his 'partners' most surely he's slated for vac. He's already on thin ice lettin' himself be used in the first place.

[glatt]

I understand the Golgothians value self reliance and are solitary minded.

Do they ever need help from the community? Are there ever natural disasters there? Floods? Fires? Earthquakes? Do they age? Do they ever get sick and need care? Do they get early onset dementia in the same proportion that other humans do? What happens when a self reliant solitary minded individual suffers some misfortune that is more than they can handle themselves?

[henry quirk]

"Do they ever need help from the community?"

Probably. They can ask for help (no crime in asking). Mebbe they'll get some; mebbe they won't. No one is forced to lift a finger.

#

"Are there ever natural disasters there?"

Touched on that up-thread...

(S)elf-preservation over the long haul has taught Golgothans a lot about how to drop everything and go patch that hole...NOW. That guy you hate? Hate him later ('later' bein' sumthin' you won't see if you and that guy you hate don't patch that hole...RIGHT NOW).

This is SPACE...SPACE wants to kill you...you do what you gotta to not let it.

#

"Do they age? Do they ever get sick and need care?"

They age, they do get sick, they do need care (and they pay for it with their own resources [which they have or they wouldn't be Golgothan]).

#

"Do they get early onset dementia in the same proportion that other humans do?"

I'm assuming 500 odd years down the line some of what ails us, won't ail them. But that's okay: there's plenty in the Uroboros that kill 'em dead. The absence of senility isn't even noticed with all the other shit flittin' around.

#

"What happens when a self reliant solitary minded individual suffers some misfortune that is more than they can handle themselves?"

As I say: they can ask for help...best to start with the people who love 'em...mebbe those folks will lend a hand (but that ain't guaranteed).

[henry quirk]

"The thing about anarchy is it's not organized."

Not formally, no. But don't equate 'anarchy' with 'chaos'. The two aren't -- in context -- synonymous.

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"It's fine to say that a particular event is an "or else" situation, but you have to actually convince each Golgothan individually that it is the case. If their default mode is FYIGM, that's going to be hard to turn around."

But the default mode is not 'fuck you i got mine', it's 'leave me be'.

And: in the example laid out above (with Whey) ther'd be little convincing needed. Some one is screwing with the natural economy, this endangers all Golgothans: dem motherfuckers got to go (out the nearest airlock). Absolutely, some Golgothans won't lift a finger, but some will and 'there will be blood'.

[henry quirk]

"The ones who made out best in the old west were saloon keepers and general goods suppliers because a large segment of the residents didn't want them to fail or leave."

Yep, like Whey, for example. He's 'important' (he best keep in mind, however, he ain't 'that' important).

[Happy Monkey]

The thing about organized crime is the organization. They can call on outside resources. If they're at all clever, whatever hold they have on Whey will not be directly dependent on any individual enforcer the Golgothan posse is able to space.


The thing about anarchy is it's not organized. It's fine to say that a particular event is an "or else" situation, but you have to actually convince each Golgothan individually that it is the case. If their default mode is FYIGM, that's going to be hard to turn around.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The ones who made out best in the old west were saloon keepers and general goods suppliers because a large segment of the residents didn't want them to fail or leave.

Oh, and Levi Strauss.

[Happy Monkey]

Looks good. One question:

can't say I blame the it.

Is this patois or a typo?

[henry quirk]

Thanks.

[glatt]

If you are soliciting typos:

actedvsurprised

[henry quirk]

Thanks.