Nations: Mania: Diplomacy

As President of Mania, the question I am most often asked at international conferences is 'who the hell are you, and how did you get in here?'.

Despite this kind of constant diplomatic flirtation, Mania has maintained its policy of refusing to extend recognition to any of the United Nations 191 members, as they all claim sovereignty over people based not on their consent, but on their geography (an argument developed more fully in the essay Imagine...).

Officially, their governments feign nonchalance or even ignorance of Mania's symbolic diplomatic sanctions, but the pressure is surely telling.

Micronations or anti-nations

'UNDEMOCRATIC STATES SHALL NOT PASS'However, though the UN states may be cattle-pens for humanity, their abolition may not mean the abolition of nationality. It is in the nature of human beings that they will find a thousand ways of combining voluntarily, and such collaboration and cooperation enriches life. One such form of cooperation is through what have become known as micronations, which take on the forms of the old states, such as flags and constitutions, but many of which have voluntary citizenship.

The name micronation is misleading, however, as it suggests that their relative smallness is their key characteristic. In reality, though, these projects would be more accurately called anti-nations, because in making claims of independence, and in recruiting only those who wish to be citizens, they challenge the authority and legitimacy of the established states.

Indeed, it is interesting to note how many were born out of disputes between people and government. Ladonia, for instance, is a tiny piece of coastal land seceded from Sweden by artist Lars Vilks, at the end of a long legal dispute with local government officials who wished to demolish two large sculptures named Nimis and Arx he created there.

Even more clearly antithetical to the state is the personal micronation, of which Mania is only one of many. Though they vary in emphasis, their creators all claim for the individual the 'sovereignty' which has been claimed by the state: and symbolise their claim by seceeding to a state of their own.

Pocket capitalism

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
The book that launched
at least one actual ship
But as a socialist who defends the right of people to form voluntary states, what should be my attitude to those micronational projects which describe themselves as 'right-libertarian' or even 'anarcho-capitalist'?

That there should be so many of these is a weird tribute to goddess of the right, and self-proclaimed philosopher of selfishness, Ayn Rand. Her epic myth of laissez-faire fundamentalism, Atlas Shrugged, is about a micronation. In the book, US industrialists and innovators spookily disappear from mainstream society and slip away to Galt's Gulch, hidden in the Rocky moutains. Here, free of the parasitic socialist politicians, and (it seems) the parasitic population, they enjoy lives of absolute selfishness - the word is hers and not mine. They take with them no workers and no capital, because they are the truly productive people and therefore need noone else. Ever since Galt's Gulch, right-libertarians have dreamed of a place in which they could escape the 'socialistic' regulation and taxation of the US and really trade free.

This is not a philosophy held by any real member of the capitalist class, as they understand only too clearly that they need workers and markets to turn a profit. It is rather the dream of the aspirant petit bourgeois, like the shop-keeper or small businessman, who survives economically through (sometimes ferocious) self-exploitation and feels threatened both by the social demands of the working class, and the overpowering monopoly power of big business and their friends in government. If only they could shake off the parasites below them and the unfair bullies above them, then they, the true entrepeneurs and hardest workers, could enjoy the prosperity they deserve, somewhere off on their own.

Painting of Rand's Galt's Gulch from a right-libertarian website
The statue of the golden dollar is as described in the book
I feel very unkind, but I must admit I find it hard not to laugh, as the daftness of this notion is only exceeded by that of some of the plans they have laid to achieve it. These have been so endearingly potty, and so wildly unsuccessful, that I have developed a certain fondness for the quixotic men and women behind them.

To take just one example, consider 40 year old US businessman Werner Stiefel. Werner was one in a long line of right-libertarians to be inspired by Ayn Rand with the idea of founding his own laissez-faire paradise. Unfortunately, Rand had been able to merely make up Gult's Gulch: a valley which - due to an extraordinary and not quite adequately explained visual mechanism - couldn't be seen outside, and was so hidden from the US government. (She was also able to make up its ability to function as a society, but sadly Werner never got that far.)

www.freedomship.com: Freedom Ship International's
latest vision of the floating right-libertarian state.
They're serious. They should have talked to Werner.
Werner wasn't daunted. He decided that he'd build a really big boat, float it offshore, and declare independence. Incredibly, in 1971, the Atlantis II was actually launched into the Hudson River at high tide. When the tide went out, though, the huge craft was left lying on its side in the mud. An upturned kerosene lamp then started a fire. At the next tide, the now extinguished boat refloated, but nearly rolled over because its concerete deck-house made it top-heavy. Most of the new nation's supplies had to be replaced with rocks, just to try and keep the boat the right way up. Crossing New York harbour it nearly went down under the weight of ice it accumulated. Off South Carolina it broke a propeller shaft. However, it is a tribute to the Werner's sheer unstoppable lunacy that the ship finally reached the Bahamas where it was to be moored. It was sunk by a storm.

Ok, so their society won't work and even their boats won't float. But if they're daft, I think people must have a right to be daft. If they wish to voluntarily form communities based on the idea that they will all exploit each other rather than a working class, stealing nothing from our existing society or the workers who built it, and displacing noone from the land they need to feed themselves, then we must let them go, and even be ready to fish them out of the water - the first time anyway.

That is why you may one day find similar laissez-faire micronations in the list recognised by Mania below. If they really think they can run pocket-capitalism without exploitation, bless them, then let them try! They'll get wet, but I believe the world would be a greyer place without them.

Diplomatic recognition by Mania

Symbol of the
Manic Embassies
So essentially, Mania recognises the sovereignty of all nations with voluntary citizenship. (This is not quite the same as saying all micronations, as some make claims of sovereignty over populated areas without proof of universal consent, and are essentially just traditional states in waiting.)

Of these, either I as an individual, or Mania as a state, has had at least some form of diplomatic contact with those listed below. If you wish to establish diplomatic relations with Mania, and be included in this list, simply email mania@mannyneira.com.

The Remony of Ladonia

Personal citizen since: 20th December '05
Mutual recognition since: 26th January '05
Homepage: www.ladonia.net

Ladonia is a square kilometre of land seceded from Sweden by artist Lars Vilks in protest at local authority attempts to destroy two works of art he created there, Nimis and Arx. Noone lives in Ladonia: 'all her citizens are nomads'

The Global State of Waveland

Personal citizen since: 12th January '06
Homepage: www.waveland.org

The 30m in diameter island of Rockall in the North Sea, occupied by environmental campaigners Greenpeace and declared to be the independent global state of Waveland. Use to publicise their work in general.

The Kingdom of Lovely

Personal citizen since: 22nd January '06
Homepage: www.citizensrequired.com

Founded by writer Danny Wallace in his flat in Bow, London, the development of Lovely was the basis of the 2005 BBC TV series How to start your own country. By the end of 2005 it had over 50,000 registered citizens.

The Aerican Empire

Personal citizen since: 23rd January '06
Mutual recognition since: 7th February '06
Homepage: www.aericanempire.com

The light-hearted and friendly Aerican Empire prides itself on its smiley-faced flag, weird national holidays (did you celebrate 'Topin Wagglegammon' this year?) and interplanetary land-claims.

The Transnational Republic

Personal citizen since: 27th January '06
Homepage: www.transnationalrepublic.org

An explicitly political micronation founded by a group of campaigners aiming to popularise and organise support around an anti-globalisation manifesto.

Nova Roma

Personal citizen since: 6th February '06
Homepage: www.novaroma.org

A group aiming to restore 'Roman religion, culture and virtues' - though this time without the patriarchy and without the slavery. An extraordinarily rich and fascinating historical project.

The Empire of Leblandia

Mutual recognition since: 25th February '06
Homepage: leblandia.republika.pl/leblandia_eng.htm

The Empire of Leblandia seceded from the Polish state on the 26th March '06 and now boasts over 1,100 voluntary citizens. (Please note that the web address dates from the earlier Republic).

The Cordial Kingdom of Kelterspruf

Mutual recognition since: 5th April '06
Homepage: www.kelterspruf.com/english.html

As its national designation "cordial" suggests, Kelterspruf is among the friendliest and most informal of constitutional monarchies, under the rule of his extremely relaxed majesty King Johnathon III.

The Principality of Sealand

Advancement to Sealand aristocracy: 6th April '06
Homepage: www.sealandgov.org

Probably the world's most famous micronation, Sealand was an abandoned WWII anti-aircraft platform 10km off the Suffolk coast until occupied and declared independent by Paddy Roy Bates in 1967. Sealand awarded peerages for donations of £19.99 via eBay during 2006, when I became Baron Manny Neira of Sealand.

The Fifth World

Mutual recognition since: 8th April '06
Homepage: 5world.net

The Fifth World is possibly one of the most baroque and weirdly imaginative micronational projects in the world, the scope of which even extends to its own internet and top level domains (really!)

The Empire of Atlantium

Personal citizen since: 16th April '06
Homepage: www.atlantium.org

His Imperial Highness George Cruikshank administers this Global Sovereign State from his flat in Sydney. With its wonderfully austere state symbols and "decimal calendar" Atlantium is well worth a visit.

Estado Soberano de Hezpenya

Mutual recognition since: 23rd July '06
Homepage: www.hezpenya.ne1.net/

The Sovereign State of Hezpenya is a Spanish-speaking micronation, to be found (virtually speaking) on an Altantic island close to the Iberian peninsula.

Confederate Rianates of Lemuria

Mutual recognition since: 31st July '06
Homepage: www.lemuria-nation.net

The coolly elegant Lemuria brings together three Emporers ruling three Rianates, and crowns its richly inventive culture with it's own language and rather beautiful alphabet.

Micronational Honours

Title documents of Baron of SealandIn 2006, the government of the Principality of Sealand (www.sealandgov.org) shamed Tony Blair's underhand practice of awarding peerages for secret donations of millions to New Labour by openly and honestly selling peerages for the far more reasonable price of £19.99 via eBay. I must record my gratitude to Gerry Byrne, who knowing of my passionate interest in micronations in general and in Sealand's history in particular, gave me the great gift of having me made Baron Manny Neira of Sealand in April of that year.

Honorary PhD from Ladonia UniversityGood friend and ally of Mania, Lars Vilks, State Secretary of Ladonia (www.ladonia.net), was equally kind to offer an honorary doctorate from the University of Ladonia, which I was delighted to accept. A record of the award appeared in the Ladonian paper the New Herald on 9 April 2006 congratulates Doctor Manny Neira Phd (hc): and you can read it here.