The Replicant, the Mole & the Impostor, Part 23

Part 2—the conclusion—of a duology where a reality event held in a refugee camp on a Greek island unfolds in an utterly unexpected manner. There will be 50 parts. Chapter 8: March.

Cover art by Manaf Atar (Vaptized)

—In the Moodscape—

Welcome, citizens from around the world, to this official announcement. We, the people of ENE are proudly announcing the Evolving Nisí Ethicality—to be referred to as ENE in the rest of this declaration. The Evolving Nisí Ethicality is a new society that will be run through its independent moodscape in its autonomous AR-space. Right now, its aim is to provide a legal body of self-governance for the refugees in the Nisí refugee camp.

As such, ENE intends to become its own nation: a sovereign state open to others through the ENE Citizen Test. Initially, as our resources are limited, applications will be restricted to refugees in the Nisí refugee camp. As AR-gear becomes more widely available, and as we extend our AR-space, we will open to applications from other refugee camps on the Greek islands. In due time, we hope to open to refugees worldwide. Ultimately, we hope to open up to everybody in the world.

The goal of ENE is to set up the government of the future, a government built not just on ethics, but on humanity’s ongoing development of better ethics. As such, ENE’s rules, rights, and obligations are subject to constant improvements as newer and better insights develop. While ENE acknowledges that previous declarations like the Magna Carta charter, the Deductie van Vrancken, and the American Constitution were made with the best intentions, their rigid principles did not survive ongoing social, cultural, and intellectual developments. Through an updatable manifesto intrinsically linked to ENE’s moodscape, we hope to keep ENE valid and contemporary in the future.

The Magna Carta of 1215

ENE’s principles—which, by definition, are not written in stone—are embodied in its manifesto. Listed hereunder is the primordial version of the ENE manifesto:

1.     The manifesto’s only objective is to continually maximize humanⁱ⁾ happiness;

2.     The manifesto’s determination of maximum human happiness is continuously subject to change every time a better definition is found;

3.     The ultimate source of information is the ENE’s moodscape;

Addendums:

A.   Right now, the ENE is limited to people living in a refugee camp on the Greek island of Nisí. Once the ENE is firmly established, it will consider allowing citizens worldwide;

B.    As such, ENE citizenship supersedes nationalities and birthrights. Every human—or otherwise intelligent being—with access to AR is allowed to perform the Citizen Test, without restrictions;

C.    Like the manifesto, its committee and ethical algorithm, the Citizen Test is also regularly updated—each update will fall under the same scrutiny;

D.   Citizen’s Rights:

1. The right to propose amendments to the ENE manifesto;

2. The right to use EthiCoins—the denomination of the ENE’s cryptocurrency;

3. The right to a basic income—sufficient for life’s basic needs (which are also determined via ENE’s moodscape)—in EthiCoins;

4. The right to an officially recognized partnership—or marriage, if so desired—with a loved one irrespective of race, sexual preference, or actual sexuality;

5. The right of a recognized partnership (or marriage) to adopt and raise children;

6. The right to free education—first primarily through the moodscape app, later hopefully through more direct lectures as well;

7. The right to free healthcare, irrespective of pre-existing conditions;

8. The right to use ENE’s AR-infrastructure for (but not limited to):

• Producing goods and/or services for an income (subject to taxes, see: Appendix E);

• Communication;

• Virtual and/or augmented sessions including (but not limited to):

                      i.     Games;

                       ii.     Meetings;

                        iii.     Production work;

                        iv.     Performances (music, theatre, art exhibitions and the like);

                        v.     Testing simulations;

9. The right of free speech without insulting, discriminating, or otherwise abusing fellow citizens and their guests;

E.    Citizen’s Obligations:

1. The obligation to partake in our Ethicality by proposing amendments, developing apps, updates, or other projects, or otherwise contributing—or in all honesty attempting to contribute—to an increase of human happiness within the ENE;

2. The obligation to assist a citizen in need when asked (at least once a year);

3. The obligation to volunteer time—10% per year, on average—and effort—also 10% per annum—into improving the lives of others through voluntary labor, working for accredited charities, assistance during or after (natural) disasters, and other approved activities (to be determined on a regular basis);

4. The obligation to use ENE’s moodscape on a regular basis, with a minimum participation of fifty hours per month;

5. The obligation to pay one’s fair share of taxes, determined—in the moodscape app—by the true needs of the ENE, updated on a regular basis;

6. The obligation to lead a sustainable lifestyle, one that does not put undue strain on the planet’s resources by:

A.   Recycling as much as possible;

B.    Using renewable energy only;

C.    Giving priority to local food;

D.   Maintaining at least carbon-zero usage of their neo-homesteads (if applicable);

E.    Travelling only when necessary + CO2 compensation when travelling;

G.   To propose, at least once a year, a Citizen Obligation that moves forward ENE’s goals without putting undue strain on its citizens;

F.    Various Rules:

1. A.    In the ENE, there will be an irrefutable and complete separation of state and religion;

2. B.    Citizens are allowed to follow any religion in private with the condition that this religion does not (intend to) undermine the ENE and its principles;

G.   These addendums are—like the manifesto and the definitions below—subject to change after evolving insights;

H.   The ultimate goal of the ENE is to make itself obsolete; that is, uplift humanity to such a state of happiness and ethical harmony—the ultimate summum bonum—that a framework like ENE is no longer necessary.

Het Plakkaet van Verlatinghe van 1581

Definitions:

·      Citizen’s Test = the online AR-test

·      ENE = Evolving Nisí Ethicality, a government existing mainly in AR-space;

·      Ethicality = the holding of power by people according to both their merit and their ethical convictions, as checked—at least yearly—by the Citizen Test;

·      EQ Test = Ethical Quotient Test, a test devised to measure a person’s ethical standards (part of the Citizen’s Test);

·      Human Happiness = the highest possible quality of life for all the ENE’s citizens as determined by the ENE’s moodscape;

·      Moodscape = the abstracted, projected, and continuously evolving resultant of all the expressions, behavior, actions, interactions, and measured feelings of ENE’s citizens as measured through its AR-app;

·      Summum Bonum = the ultimate goal for which ENE’s values and priorities are established (which, by its very nature, is a moving target);

Proposed amendments (as of today):

i)      Once Artificial Intelligence reaches—or surpasses—human levels, they should be allowed to perform the Citizen Test;

ii)    Citizenship should be open to alien lifeforms—if these are encountered—as well;

iii)  Citizenship should be open to uplifted entities—flora or fauna—as well;

iv)   Forms of intelligence overlooked by this manifesto should be considered as well;

We invite you to study our manifesto. Right now, we are finalizing our very first ENE Citizen Test. The link to apply for the ENE Citizen Test is here. The actual application is closed as of this announcement, but will open on April 1—in remembrance of April 1, 2001 when The Netherlands became the first country to legalize same sex weddings (and definitely not an April Fool’s joke)—to refugees of the Nisí camp only. We will announce when the Citizen Test becomes available to other people.

Non-citizens can contact ENE at this link. We look forward to your comments and—in April—to your applications.

Towards a more ethical future,

—ENE;

Some Americans might recognise “The Declaration of Independence” from 1776

Author’s note: I’m not sure if my original typesetting-cum-design carries over in the substack substrate. If it fails, I will be making the novel available on various channels soon—including my own Future Upbeat Books channel. The best way to support me is to buy my books.

Also, the pictures accompanying this part are either earlier declarations for more ethical treatments—the Magna Carta of 1215—or declarations of independence—Plakkaet van Verlathinghe of 1581, when my home country declared independence from Spain and founded (even if it didn’t last) the first republic in Western Europe¹, and the Declaration of Independence of 1776, which almost everybody is aware of.

In any case, events are moving into overdrive, and if you don’t believe me, wait until you read the April and May chapters. Many thanks for reading, and spread the word if you can!

1. I think the Greek were the very first with a republic;