Principles

Introduction

Our principles of government are really quite simple, we envisage an honor based society, minimal regulation and red tape, and transparent legal and administrative system.

Quality of life

The overriding objective of New Atlantis is to improve the quality of life for everyone, and this will be our overriding objective as a country. All of our energies will be first spent on making the quality of life really special for the people who live within the kingdom, and then towards helping other peoples improve their quality of life. We have no political or religious system we want to promote, and value honor, and honesty above all else.

State employees

Very few people will be employed by the state, most administration will be contracted out and these contracts audited by independent groups, trusts or businesses. A good example of this is property rental, maintenance and upgrading. This will be handled by estate agents in exactly the same way as it would be with individual landowners or investors. Agents will let property, collect rents, arrange repairs, and pay over the balance, less their agreed fee. They will be audited, tenants will also be aware of who the auditors are and able to raise concerns.

Giving another example, special care provision will be provided by having an independent support trust member meet with families and discuss their needs and agree an annual budget, and parents or carers will then be able to arrange their needs directly with suppliers, which could be respite care, special facilities, mobility aids, sitting etc, and suppliers will be able to get reimbursement through the support trust. If the situation changes parents or carers will be able to ask for a review. Full information of what is available, from who and prices will be published on the internet. This will result in far more being available to the family in need, but a considerable saving over systems that employ armies of social works and managers and have no money left for real services.

Legal system

Our legal system will be common sense, clear and minimalistic. The total laws that can exist at any time are limited to what can be written in clear English and fit into an A4 ring binder. The concept is simple people will understand the laws that they are ruled by, and be able to look them up at any time.

The intention is to allow each community or island as much freedom as possible, where each has its own council. In this way islands will take on personalities or become tailored to different preferred lifestyles, some most likely based on other cultures. From a central government perspective within the kingdom the view will be that as afar as we are able to allow, islands/communities can do what they like providing they do not harm anyone.

The legal system will not allow people to use the floating kingdom to carry out crimes elsewhere or to produce and export anything to any country where it is illegal there.

We envisage no prisons, anyone who does not want to live by the standards we set will be invited to leave and live elsewhere. As we have no police force, each citizen will be expected to play their part and on mass go to the assistance of any citizen in difficulty. Without state thugs it will be important that everyone recognizes that they cannot stir up conflict of any type. No guns or similar weapons will be held by any citizen or visitor.

Disputes will be settled by a multi stage approach we have already developed while working with communities.

Security personnel will principally be looking after and monitoring visitors to the kingdom, and tagged individuals who have not been able to so far fit into our community. Those who wear tags will be able to be tracked and their position at any time located from the computer. Islands ability to shut off sections or whole islands makes it far more secure than on land.

Some regulations such as currency monitoring of volumes changed by visitors will be necessary to remove the temptation for external criminals to view this state as a soft option.

Planning and business regulation

Basically non existent, we will be looking for people to act reasonably, and to zone activities so as to allow developers to choose the type of zone they develop. We therefore encourage islands for evening entertainment, nightclubs etc, well away from islands designed for family residencies, perhaps nearer to resort areas.

Ideas for new islands will be looked at and need to gain the agreement of the state before being allocated a position. Basic requirements will have to be met in terms of sprinkler systems or equivalent covering all spaces, and the pass through and provision of service links.

One of the concepts explored by New Atlantis has been residential communities and we have a number of ideas we will share with developers that may help.

State religion

None, people are free to follow whatever faith they like, and the state is not a party to any one. State education will explain all, but promote none. The state will not stop people organizing religion based schools providing they have approved syllabuses and reach required standards, which must show equality to all and not promote conflict, but will not fund these schools.

Zero TAX

We are looking at a near zero tax economy, with some services paid by the state from other revenues, but minimal state employees, no paid politicians, and many roles carried out by others as part of their normal activities.

A flat corporate registration fee, and no tax on profits, will make it an ideal place to base international businesses, as well as an ideal international meeting place half way between Europe and the USA.

Help where it is needed

We have a number of methods we have highlighted of providing help where it is needed, not as long term support or subsidy, but to help in individual circumstances and to meet real needs.

To good to be true

We start with a natural advantage, a clear slate, from here we move forward with philosophies that have been being developed based on observations on other societies. In many ways we have gone back to basics, to older honor based government, based on honorable people and a head of state. By removing all the freeloaders out of the middle and making each person responsible for their own actions, no bribes, backhanders, retained or supported politicians, no legal profession to stir up and create conflict that festers and cost more than the cost of the dispute.

Of course this society is not for everyone, not for those who want to buy influence, to sail close to the wind and have lawyers to bail them out, or those who pretend that black is white. For honorable people it will be a safe, happy place, occupied by people who share ideals and freedom with them.