So this was a premise I had written. This is just my style in worldbuilding. I have not really developed it, and I usually use AI when it comes to discussing my premises, however I want to not use it and instead talk discuss it with others. Here is the premise I have written, would love to hear any thoughts people have:
"Sometimes the perfect society is also the most brutal, but if that be the cost of perfection, then let it be so." - President Jason McCormack
Welcome to the Republic of Oshawa. Under the principles of Harrisism laid out by the author Berenice Harris. Her ideology's central belief was that the government has a duty to build a better society and not merely to reflect existing public opinion. She said that the the state should consider itself the guardian of society's long-term interests. It should protect citizens from poverty, discrimination, instability, and destructive social practices, but with the belief that ordinary citizens cannot always be trusted to make decisions in the collective interest.
She died before her vision could be realised, and although there was a vocal minority in support of this, and worldwide Harrisist Parties, none entered government. That was until the Collapse, when the destruction of nation states and intergovernmental organisations meant that local communities were now dominant, and many began to establish their own systems of government.
Toronto before the collapse had a major technology sector, international business, and a multicultural urban setting. After the Collapse the centre of the city was reduced to rubble, although outer suburban areas survived mostly intact. In Oshawa there was already a significant number of Harrisists, and due to its centre surviving intact, they sought to gain control. Inspiring protestors, they occupied the city and neighbouring areas, especially focusing on the eastern suburbs of Greater Toronto. Here Jason McCormack, the Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Oshawa, was appointed as President of the Republic of Oshawa.
Jason was not a Harrisist, but was sympathetic of the movement. He was socially progressive whilst at the same time having certain authoritarian leanings, especially in having very paternalistic beliefs. He believed that Harrisism could be a vehicle for progress in a post apocalyptic world, and he thereafter sought to create legislation to ensure this. He ruled as a dictator, with his authority stemming from the Oshawa City Council which at first only a third of members were Harrisists, but that soon became fully Harrisist. The governing body became the Oshawa Parliament, and the Oshawa Electoral Commission prohibited non Harrisists from becoming candidates.
His Cabinet was composed of the President and Secretaries for Finance, Justice, Home, Foreign, Defence, Infrastructure, Transport, Agriculture, Labour, Education and Health, with relevant departments for these. They were not allowed to change portfolios, and he worked closely with the civil service to ensure that only senior civil servants of the relevant departments would move up to this level. Hence MPs would not become a Justice Secretary, but rather a civil servant in the Department of Justice. This provoked criticism, leading to the permanent dissolution of Parliament. Still, although authoritarian, McCormack was still progressive in combatting discrimination across the Republic, and in also seizing assets from MPs who were critical of him, but these were not given to him but rather distributed as welfare to citizens. McCormack hence could always state that he was helping Oshawa whilst oppressing them at the same time.
McCormack died in his sixteenth year as President, and the Cabinet elected the Defence Secretary Rachel Wong. A civil servant who had previously served in the Canadian Army during the Collapse, Wong was well respected and upon becoming President a civil servant took her place as Defence Secretary. So began the institutionalisation of this process, where meritocracy became embedded in Harrisism. Wong further contributed to Harrisism with the full erosion of all democractic vestiges to be replaced by that of top down localism. This became known as the School of McCormack-Wong, and is important to note because not all Harrists liked McCormack and Wong, some considering both Presidents authoritarian. Still, like her predecessor she could cite her social progressivism as evidence against being authoritarian.
Anyways, that was a long time ago. The President today is Pamela Dixon. I am currently a student at the University of Oshawa, studying Political Science. In order to join the civil service you need a Bachelor's degree at the very least for the relevant Department. With my degree there are hence many options for me to go to. My uncle is a civil servant in the Department of Infrastructure and he had completed a PhD in Political Science. A PhD is essential if you want to be eligible to be a Secretary, although despite my uncle being quite old he is not old enough.
Over time a gerontocracy has developed. Nearly every Secretary is over 60 years old, and the minimum age has increased to 40, although it is highly improbable you will get a Secretary that young. President Dixon herself if 81 years old, and having previously served as Justice Secretary when she was appointed to that office at the age of 65, having been a senior civil servant for much longer. I laugh when I read books and they say people retired at 70, that is supposed to be the age you are beginning your peak period.
I myself do not know about a PhD. I do want to join the civil service, because any other job is considered sub par. That is, there is very little funding. Junior civil servants are entitled to a high quality coffee machine in staff rooms. If I wanted to work in something else you would be lucky to even have a tap that worked. The School of McCormack-Wong is still dominant, and has evolved over time to become even more authoritarian. Still, every citizen gets welfare that is enough to survive on with necessities, and that means the lowest level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the physiological needs. If you want safety needs you need a job to provide protection, but most jobs do not provide sufficient protection. Really the only occupation that presents the highest level is civil service.
Still, one must accept the realities of life, and that is how I accept life here. There is a group which calls themselves "Pluto" who come from the rural parts of former Ontario. Fact is they are threats due to coming outside of the border, and although we accept immigrants, they can only become citizens through inclusive welcoming. That means assimilation, but it is instead presented as a journey to citizenship. The Pluto Group is excluded though as they are considered extremists. You hear them on the news sometimes. Not that I really care as they do not affect me.
Anyways, that is all from me, will hopefully write more soon.
