james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2012-09-04 11:03 am

Note to self

Even if the polity of asteroid city-states calls itself the Republic of Independent States, they probably won't refer to themselves collectively as the RISables.

[identity profile] agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com 2012-09-04 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Mwahaha. :)

[identity profile] jeriendhal.livejournal.com 2012-09-04 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
No, but their enemies certainly would.

[identity profile] bwross.livejournal.com 2012-09-04 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, they'd probably go with the RISen instead.

[identity profile] james-nicoll.livejournal.com 2012-09-04 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Because I am unoriginal and like simple models, for me asteroids are islands and therefore stuck with the social and economic issues that come with being a low population, isolated communities* and the RIS itself would have the essential unity of the West Indies Federation (which, by the way, is a state of affairs that is immediately graspable on an intuitive level for a Canadian; the main difference is Canada was lucky enough to have more reasons for unity than West Indies Federation had). Not sure if there is a cricket league or not.


* Although communication would be speed of light, direct rock to rock transportation will generally eat lots of time and potentially lots of delta vee. Indirect routes will save delta vee but add time.

Jupiter and its vast family of minors worlds on the other hand is clearly more like Srivijaya or Majapahit, a combination of useful physical resources sitting on a transportation choke point.
ext_6388: Avon from Blake's 7 fails to show an emotion (Exoticising the otter)

[identity profile] fridgepunk.livejournal.com 2012-09-04 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Not to be a party pooper, but can a republic be made of independent states? Technically they'd be a confederacy of independent states, or "CISables" with a hard "C".

Something-beginning-with-H of Unified Geoscape Governments would give you "HUGGables". Or the "huggies" for a demonym (do they have a brand of nappies called "huggies" over in the north americas?)

(Anonymous) 2012-09-04 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Just as no serious political party would call itself the Canadian Reform Alliance Party?