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==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
" | {{main|Name of Ardmore}} | ||
Ardmore gets its name from ''Ardmór'', or in its original [[Garán people|Garán Gaelic]] spelling, ''Ard Mór'', which means "Great Ard". Although the word ''ard'' does exist in Garán Gaelic, it meaning "high", all evidence suggests that this is just a coincidence as "ard" in fact derives from the name used to refer to the ancient [[Paleo-Levantine peoples|Paleo-Levantine people]] who inhabited the islands; they were known as the [[Paleo-Levantine peoples#Ardmen|Ardmen]], the name of said ethnic group has its origins in sources written by the [[Adonerii]], who spelt it as ''aratomen''. There have been multiple debates on what "Ard" had originally meant and whether it was a Latin word that has long since been forgotten or a latinization of a word from the extinct language of the Ardmen people. Those who argue that "ard" comes from the Latin language, which is currently the accepted theory on the origins of the name of the country, have stated that "ard" is in fact an Ænglish translation of ''{{wp|aratrum}}'', a word which means "plough". Thus, the Latin camp have theorized that Ardmore could in fact be translated to "great plough", with ''aratomen'' meaning "to do some ploughing". Theories that suggest an origin from the long-extinct language of the Ardmen people, although popular in Ardmore, are nowhere near as accepted as the mainstream Latinic theories. | |||
==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
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===Industrialization and social decline=== | ===Industrialization and social decline=== | ||
[[File:James_Larkin,_circa_1910_(cropped).png|thumb|right|175px|[[Ros Mac Daibhéid]], prominent Ardmori socialist activist and [[Ardmori Civil War|civil war]] leader.]] | |||
The Industrial Revolution was a period of tremendous economic, social, and even political changes. For Ardmore, this meant further prosperity on top of the wealth already amassed from Crona. Much of the industrialization of Ardmore occurred in the southern urban areas of the island of Great Ardmore and on the peripheral islands of the Ardmori Isles, which was generally the poorer part of the kingdom and thus was full of plenty of laborers who could be cheaply employed all the while the profits were sent to the more affluent northern areas and most especially in the nation's capital of Rosmore which was where the kingdom's aristocracy and nouveau riche mostly resided in. For much of the lower classes of Ardmore, material conditions have worsened thanks to the Industrial Revolution as not only were villages demolished to make way for new industrial buildings, these new buildings were highly {{wp|pollution|polluting}}, which meant that smoke and smog often got into people's lungs and introducing them to new health problems, as well as highly dangerous as safety conditions were practically nonexistent, meaning that multiple workers would run the risk of losing a limb or even their lives. | The Industrial Revolution was a period of tremendous economic, social, and even political changes. For Ardmore, this meant further prosperity on top of the wealth already amassed from Crona. Much of the industrialization of Ardmore occurred in the southern urban areas of the island of Great Ardmore and on the peripheral islands of the Ardmori Isles, which was generally the poorer part of the kingdom and thus was full of plenty of laborers who could be cheaply employed all the while the profits were sent to the more affluent northern areas and most especially in the nation's capital of Rosmore which was where the kingdom's aristocracy and nouveau riche mostly resided in. For much of the lower classes of Ardmore, material conditions have worsened thanks to the Industrial Revolution as not only were villages demolished to make way for new industrial buildings, these new buildings were highly {{wp|pollution|polluting}}, which meant that smoke and smog often got into people's lungs and introducing them to new health problems, as well as highly dangerous as safety conditions were practically nonexistent, meaning that multiple workers would run the risk of losing a limb or even their lives. | ||
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===Civil war=== | ===Civil war=== | ||
{{Main|Ardmori Civil War}} | {{Main|Ardmori Civil War}} | ||
[[File:John_Maclean_1918.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[Ardghar Mac Shuibhne]], [[Chairman of the Ardmori Board of Labor|Chairman of the Board of Labor]] and [[Syndicalist Party of Ardmore|Syndicalist Party]] leader from 1931 until 1960.]] | |||
Despite the crackdowns, Mac Daibhéid still remained as a respectable leader of the Workers' Party and soon began to plan a labor event in early 1927, only this time diverging from his usual tactics to maintain the element of surprise. Picket lines and strike areas were set up to prevent workers from entering the factory while at the same time making the event seem more like an initiative to gain more union members than a protest like previous incidents. The intent was to encourage factory workers to join Mac Daibhéid's cause instead of allowing the upper classes to continue abusing them for much longer. The event, now known as "Red Wednesday", soon received the attention of the police after they were alerted by the factory's senior management. Over two hundred officers were sent to clear out the disturbance, leading to a clash that resulted in multiple deaths of both unionists and policeman. Unlike previous events, "Red Wednesday" became a rallying cry for the trade unionists and the lower classes of Ardmore and was a major blow for the government. | Despite the crackdowns, Mac Daibhéid still remained as a respectable leader of the Workers' Party and soon began to plan a labor event in early 1927, only this time diverging from his usual tactics to maintain the element of surprise. Picket lines and strike areas were set up to prevent workers from entering the factory while at the same time making the event seem more like an initiative to gain more union members than a protest like previous incidents. The intent was to encourage factory workers to join Mac Daibhéid's cause instead of allowing the upper classes to continue abusing them for much longer. The event, now known as "Red Wednesday", soon received the attention of the police after they were alerted by the factory's senior management. Over two hundred officers were sent to clear out the disturbance, leading to a clash that resulted in multiple deaths of both unionists and policeman. Unlike previous events, "Red Wednesday" became a rallying cry for the trade unionists and the lower classes of Ardmore and was a major blow for the government. | ||
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==Economy== | ==Economy== | ||
{{main|Economy of Ardmore}} | |||
Ever since the end of the Ardmori Civil War, the economy of Ardmore has largely been structured around the principles of {{wp|socialism}}, specifically the ideology of {{wp|syndicalism}} which makes use of workers' self-management, decentralized control over the mains of production, collective decision-making through {{wp|direct democracy}}, and {{wp|trade unionism}}. Thus, the economic system of Ardmore has, for many decades, been designed so as to prioritize the needs and interests of the common man in the name of socio-economic egalitarianism. Ardmori workers on average have very high levels of income equality as well as a very high quality of life, but its median income still lags far behind the median income of most Levantine Union member states on the mainland. | |||
The basic and lowest tier of the Ardmori economy is in the hands of the workers' cooperatives, which both serve as the primary units of production and distribution, and as small, localized councils that are both affiliated with a national trade union and a member of one of the nation's syndicates. The workers' cooperatives are organized in a manner to suit any industry and sector of the economy such as agriculture, manufacturing, services, technology, and even retail. As councils, workers' cooperatives are managed and operated in a democratic manner by its members, who in turn make collective decisions in regards to production, investment, wages, and the distribution of profits. The workers' cooperatives are members of a syndicate, which is the official term to refer to a business or an enterprise in Ardmore, wherein the members of each of the member workers' cooperatives have direct control over its management and make executive decisions based on a cooperative decision-making process. Each syndicate or groups of syndicates elect one of their members to serve as their representative in the Board of Labor which determines the economic policies on the national level. | |||
Resource allocation in Ardmore | Because direct democracy has become one of the major aspects in workers' self-management in not just syndicalism, but also in the cooperative republic overall. The interest of the workers are greatly prioritized over the interests of corporate entities, and decisions are made with the collective interest of both community and workers' cooperatives in mind. Workers may elect their own representatives or even stand as their own representative in certain cases, establish workplace policies, and participate in the strategic planning of the local economy so as to enhance productivity and efficiency. As a baseline, the Ardmori economy aims for a form of {{wp|participatory democracy}}, which combines elements of direct and representative democracy wherein all cooperative and syndicate members have an equal voice in the voting process when it comes to shaping economic policies and priorities. Certain major decisions, such as strategies in investment, production targets and quotas, and the allocation of resources, are made through consensus-building and open debate within the syndicate or even cooperative assembly for smaller syndicates. This inclusive form of the decision-making process ensures that each syndicate is co-owned by the workers themselves, and thus the workers are directly responsible for the management of their given syndicate; successful syndicates foster a sense of solidarity amongst their workers, and thus allowing for greater efficiency and innovation. | ||
Resource allocation in Ardmore makes use of the principles of equitable distribution under a socialist lens and the ideals of social justice. Workers' cooperatives collaborate with each other within and without the syndicates as well as with community cooperatives to ensure that resources are efficiently, effectively, and fairly allocated, with consideration being taken into account in terms of the needs of both present and future generations in a given locality. Economic planning is largely decentralized and is guided by the principles of sustainability, self-sufficiency, and environmental stewardship, with a focus on the promotion of utilitarian economic development so as to benefit all of Ardmori society. Social welfare and citiens' well-being is a high priority to the Ardmori government, with basic necessities such as healthcare, education, housing, and food being fundamental and constitutionally-guaranteed rights that are to be provided to all residents at no cost. This also meant the establishment of a social safety net complete with unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, and disability support so as to ensure that each and every citizen has unrestricted access to a livable and decent standard of living, regardless of their economic status. | |||
===Energy=== | |||
Prior to the early 1970s, Ardmore's energy production was entirely coal-driven. The power grid was even worse prior to the 1930s as, due to Ardmore's relative backwater status compared to the rest of Levantia despite being one of its wealthier countries, it was not that well-developed. Only major cities and select nearby settlements as well as settlements populated by Ardmore's high society had a power grid. The haphazard layout of these power grids meant that there were differing standards between settlements, and some grids were under {{wp|direct current}} which often led to mass amounts of confusion as appliances that were designed for {{wp|alternating current}} grids often did not work correctly due to the lower voltage in direct current grids. When the Ardmori Civil War ended with a socialist victory in 1931, the new cooperative republic had set to work unifying and standardizing the power grid, dismantling any and all direct current grids while also dismantling non-compliant alternating current grids. Ardmore's national power grid was to make use of the 120V and 60Hz electrical standard and all outlets were to make use of the Type-A and Type-B connectors. The standardization of the Ardmori power grid was part of the socialization of Ardmore that lasted from 1931 until 1945, with any and all elements of society that were deemed to be a facet of the former monarchy being either removed or adapted as needed. | |||
During the [[Second Great War]], despite Ardmore being strictly neutral and at no risk of getting attacked for the most part, the Ardmori power grid experienced a major coal shortage as much of the coal that would've been imported to Ardmore were largely redirected by their originating countries for the war effort. During this time, {{wp|brownouts}} and {{wp|blackouts}} were a common occurrence, leading to the Ardmori government ordering planned ten-hour-long blackouts after eight at night so as to conserve the coal that they still had. It was also during this time when the government began to embark on initiatives to lessen the dependency on coal. This would culminate in the opening of small, temporary, water-based power plants to help in somewhat alleviating the looming energy crisis. These power plants were eventually dismantled after the end of the Second Great War in 1943 once coal imports returned to normal pre-war levels. | |||
In the years immediately after the Second Great War up until the late 1950s, the Ardmori government began to work on trying to figure out how to ensure energy self-sufficiency and to put an end to the dependency on coal imports which have resulted in the near-energy crisis that was experienced during the Second Great War. The [[atomic bombing of Cavosia]] had introduced to Ardmore the idea of nuclear power. Because of Ardmore's disinterest in getting involved in the affairs of the imperialistic powers, the government had no interest in {{wp|nuclear weapons}} but rather in the peaceful application of nuclear power. This was further spurred by the discovery of uranium ore close to the nations' sole mountain which helped in convincing the Board of Labor towards the idea of nuclear power being used to ensure energy self-sufficiency. In 1958, construction began on the nation's first nuclear power plant, the [[Dunval Nuclear Power Plant]], which was eventually completed in 1972 after multiple delays due to lack of material thanks to Ardmore's isolation. The Dunval power plant was nonetheless a tremendous success, with the vast majority of coal-based power plants getting phased out throughout the 1970s. The final coal power plant in Ardmore was eventually closed in 1997 after the opening of Ardmore's third nuclear power plant. | |||
===International Trade=== | ===International Trade=== | ||
Prior to the Millennium Reforms, Ardmore was largely pursuant and committed towards full economic autarky, with international trade being limited to fellow socialist countries. Since the 1980s and especially with the enactment of the Millennium Reforms, however, Ardmore has opened up international trade beyond just socialist countries so long as trade is done in a manner that satisfies the following principles: mutual benefit, where goods and services are voluntarily exchanged for the common benefit of all parties; solidarity, where all parties involved are united under shared interests and sympathies; and fair exchange, where all parties perceive an equal value or benefit from a trade. However, Ardmore still retains a preference towards establishing cooperative relations with both fellow socialist nations and nations that are committed to the opposition of what they deem to be capitalist imperialism; the Ardmori government places a significant priority on partnerships that promote socio-economic justice on a global scale. All trade agreements are to be negotiated transparently and democratically, with great emphasis being placed on protecting the interests of workers and safeguarding Ardmore's sovereignty and independence. | |||
==Workers' Force== | |||
{{main|Ardmori Workers' Force}} | |||
The royalist armed forces of Ardmore was formally abolished after the end of the Ardmori Civil War in 1931, it being replaced with the [[Ardmori Workers' Force]]. The Workers' Force is not a formal or an organized armed forces as traditional armed forces are deemed by syndicalism to be nothing more than means of reactionary coercion, but rather it is more akin to a {{wp|military reserve force}} in that members may be called up for service as needed but are otherwise able to lead lives not unlike that of regular civilians. Membership in the Workers' Force is mandatory as is the accompanying training program; all Ardmori citizens who are able-bodied must complete the training program when they reach the age of eighteen. The training program lasts for 26 weeks, or approximately six months, and all members are compensated equally for each day of training completed. Those who do not wish to take part in the training program for reasons of conscience are instead required to apply for either the [[Ardmori Civil Force]], which is the nation's {{wp|civilian service}}, or the [[Ardmori Civil Defense]], which is the nation's {{wp|civil protection}} service. The goal behind these programs is to help instill a sense of {{wp|civic nationalism|civic national pride}} and to ensure that all able-bodied citizens are able to defend their country when called into service. The compulsory training program in the Workers' Force, alongside the alternative and yet also compulsory Civil Force and Civil Defense units, are exceptionally popular, with the proposed constitutional provisions that would abolish these programs as part of the Millennium Reforms being soundly defeated. | |||
Ardmore | ==See also== | ||
*[[Anti-Catholic sentiment in Ardmore]] | |||
*[[Ardmori patriotism]] | |||
*[[Ardmori syndicalism]] | |||
*[[Re-gaelicization of Ardmore]] | |||
[[Category: Countries]] | [[Category: Countries]] | ||
[[Category: Levantia]] | [[Category: Levantia]] | ||