A maxburst to advise
The O's come by surprise
And though we kill them where they stand,
We know it's death's dark land
For a soldier of the Legion.'
Throughout ConFree's over 300 years of history, interstellar conflict with the System has been a continuing theme. The War of ConFree Independence was followed by the Yellow War, the Popex and the Race Wars, in which ConFree successfully resisted System efforts to populate the Crista Cluster and the Outvac with their surplus population while eradicating the Outworlder race. ConFree has made it clear to the System that any infringements of ConFree sovereignty will result in an immediate response. The System represents the very antithesis of ConFree: slavery vs freedom, totalitarianism vs constitutional rule, empire and expansion vs free association, the dead hand of the past vs the promise of the future. The System makes their children pay for their sins, while we are willing to die to ensure our children's' future security. We believe history is with us, and that the petrified fossil of the System slave state is in its death throes.
The O's are a very real threat and the current hiatus in aggression will surely not last. Our ancestors died by the billions in combating these dangerous alien warriors of immense psychic powers. For 300 years the Legion has served as humanity's trip wire against the encroachment of these alien hordes. During the Plague War, Fleetcom outfought the Omni starships, and forced them into retreat, at a fearsome toll in human lives. When the O's move again ConFree, Fleetcom and the Legion will be there, whether or not the population of the Inners is still taught history.
ConFree and the Legion fight tyranny and slavery, without compromise. We regard the System's so-called Voluntary Servitude and taxation slavery as equally as repugnant and odious as involuntary slavery. Any incursions into ConFree vac by slavers are countered immediately by Fleetcom, and result in the immediate execution of the slavers and the freeing of the slaves.
The people of ConFree want only to live in peace, but they will never compromise their independence and will always respond vigorously to any threats to their sovereignty. We hope you enjoy your visit to ConFree.
UNCLASSIFIED
United System Alliance — Ministry of Truth
Date: 1444/01/45
To: All Ports of Entry — Inners, Gulf, Gassies / System, USICOM, All Milzones
Subject: United System Alliance — A Brief Summary for Visitors
Following is for distribution to ALL repeat ALL non-citizen visitors arriving at System Ports of Entry.
The United System Alliance: A Brief Summary for Visitors
Welcome to the United System Alliance. We hope it had a pleasant journey and we extend fraternal greetings from our State and People. Because of extensive hateprop disseminated by the CrimCon, we find it necessary to assist all visitors in understanding the truth about our thriving galactic society, a showcase for true democracy and equality.
The United System Alliance — a Democratic Empire
The United System Alliance (the System) is a universal, social democratic empire based on Goodlib humanitarian, egalitarian ideals and embracing over half of the inhabited galaxy. All of the Inners and almost all Gulf and Gassies worlds fall under the System's Rule of Law. Only the Outers worlds of the Criminal Conspiracy (CrimCon) still reject democratic ideals. The System represents galactic equality for all, and is the last best hope of everyone who embraces true equality and rejects false doctrines of individuality and greed.
Citizenship — A Mass Democracy
In System social democracy, citizenship is open to all, voting is universal and compulsory, and there are no class distinctions. We proudly contrast our egalitarian ideals to those of the CrimCon, where citizenship is the prerogative of a privileged class, and noncitizens do not even have the right to vote on matters affecting their future. Under the System, everyone votes, without age or other limitations. On Voting Day, the incarcerated, those with mental issues, schoolchildren and alien visitors all participate in choosing our government. The result is a progressive society in which there is a surprising degree of unanimity. Although anyone is free to contest the System, official candidates routinely poll above 98 percent of the vote.
Voluntary Servitude — A Public Duty
Voluntary Servitude (VS) is the foundation of the System and is based on the cooperative, egalitarian spirit that System citizens have always possessed. VS is a decision of the highest Goodlib morality in which the individual voluntarily embraces the interests of the State and the People above selfish personal needs. Through VS, the State is able to accomplish public projects that could never be considered in a society based on individual greed. Those citizens who volunteer for VS are honored by the State for their decision to dedicate their life to serving the State and the People.
Directed Service — Reform and Rehabilitation
As in every society, a handful of malcontents and alien subversives make efforts to wreck and sabotage our smoothly-running democracy. Unlike the CrimCon, we deal humanely with such incorrigibles through Directed Service (DS). After a period of patient psymed reform and rehabilitation (RR), DS units serve the people voluntarily alongside their VS colleagues, helping to strengthen the society they had formerly opposed.
Rule of Law — Equality for All
Under System rule, we are all equal, and any disagreements that arise are settled by the Rule of Law. Whether it is a citizen seeking compensation from another citizen who appears to possess more, or a citizen accused of wealth or elitist thoughtcrime, the Rule of Law will determine the result fairly and redistribute any inequality. Law is our most highly respected profession, the Rule of Law is sacrosanct, and State Lawyers settle all disputes.
Coping with Violence
The System views violence as the inevitable product of the remnants of inequality still present in our society. We do not punish those social victims who resort to violence through frustration, but concentrate our efforts on the targets of the violence. We have found these units are invariably guilty of thoughtcrime, and we detain them for observation and psymed reform when appropriate. As a reminder to visitors, it is highly illegal to resist violence, and when approached by a citizen seeking redistribution, it is mandatory to comply.
Voluntary Contributions — Funding True Equality
No society can function without an efficient Government, and no Government can function without adequate funds to compensate the Administration and constantly redistribute society's wealth to maintain true equality. This is especially true in a universal democratic empire such as the System. Our citizens understand the need for
