Are all micronations the same?

"Strength lies in differences, not in similarities."
-- Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

On the surface of it, all micronations must be the same - we're all just playing at "Model United Nations", like we did in high school, right?  Well, nothing could be further from the truth - micronations run the gamut from electronic simulations in Minecraft to actual physical locations like Sealand, and their objectives can be just as varied.

First, they vary in population.  While few micronations even approach the population of Niue (population 1610 as of 2021), and some are as small as a family unit, Ladonia boasts 27,555 registered citizens as of August 2022.

Second, they encompass many forms of government, from the constitutional monarchy of Slabovia to the technocracy of Theodia and through the spectrum from participatory democracies to dictatorships.  (Not that it's really relevant to the running of the government per se, but micronations also run the gamut from communist through socialist to pure capitalist economies.)

Third, they vary immensely in claimed size, from Slabovia's minimal land claims (only the ground under our feet and the sky above our heads) to Westarctica's claim on 1.6 million square kilometres (over 600,000 square miles) of the Antarctic.  Indeed, some micronations only claim virtual space, as noted above.  Some micronations also have non-terrestrial claims, a matter of some contention in the micronational sphere.  (To those who claim that such territories can't be legitimate, We will point out that the papacy has a bishop to the Moon.  If it's good enough for the pope, it's good enough for you, doubters!)

So, by any normal measure of nations, micronations can fall anywhere on the spectrum.  In short, no, micronations are NOT all the same - they are as varied as anything in nature!  (And that's what makes them so amazing!)

International Relations

 One of the things I like to do to try to maintain diplomatic relations with other micronations is sending out holiday cards at the end of every year.  We have custom cards made up, and at this point we have a list of about 20 micronations we send cards to.  Not everyone sends one back, but this year we got five.

Top left and right sides were from Molossia (one from His Excellency, President Kevin Baugh, and one from Commodore Jonathan Miller and his wife Katie), top middle from John Farr of West Who, bottom left from Queen Caroline of Ladonia, and bottom centre from Zar Antonov of Obscuria.

MicroCon 2022 - A Look Back

 Due to the global situation, the MicroCon that was supposed to happen in 2021 ended up being deferred by a year, to August 2022.  The first weekend of August, almost 100 delegates from about 30 micronations throughout the USA and Canada travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend the fourth iteration of this event.

Slabovia was well-represented at this conference.  In addition to the King and Queen-consort, the Chancellor and his wife and son, and two representatives from our Navey (sic) all attended.

I didn't give a talk at this one (the first time I haven't done so - I thought I'd give others a chance to speak), but nonetheless I had an amazing time and, as usual, renewed old friendships and made new ones, and came away with many ideas for new projects.  And, of course, we gave out a few medals and awards, and got a few in exchange.

We're already planning for MicroCon 2023 (the decision has been made to return to odd-numbered years with this one)!

MicroCon 2023

 All -

Registration for MicroCon 2023 is now open at https://microcon2023.com/ 

Interestingly, there will be TWO conferences this year, one in Chicago at the start of July, and then one in Ypres, Belgium, in August.

Oh, and unrelated to MicroCon, but Obscuria (whose ruler I was happy to meet in 2019 at MicroCon) is hosting a smaller micronational conference called the Micro Euro Summit.  It'll be hold on July 15th in Chyse, Czech Republic - see https://obscurium-gov.wixsite.com/micro-euro-summit for information.

Stay tuned for pictures from MicroCon 2022, which was held in Las Vegas in August!

Micronational Diplomacy

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggy', until you can find a rock."
(Provenance uncertain, attributed to Will Rogers, among others)

We have previously opined on Micronational war.  But, if (as was said by Carl von Clausewitz), "War is the continuation of politics by other means," and micronational war is effectively a non-entity, does this then mean that we don't need to worry about the niceties and social graces, that politics and diplomacy aren't required?

In the strictest sense, it can be argued that this is the case.  After all, a micronation exists by the will of its creator(s), and doesn't require the assent or confirmation of other micronations in order to do so (although some seem to think that this is required for legitimacy, and continually seek to sign "treaties of mutual recognition" with as many other micronations as they can).

However...  there is an argument to be made that micronations are (or at least should be) social endeavours.  And, if that is the case, then it would follow that diplomacy would be an essential component of any micronation that hopes to achieve longevity.

First, within itself, a micronation can be described as the most intentional of communities, in that everyone who is part of your micronation is (hopefully) there because they want to be, unlike macronational citizenship - which is often more an "accident of birth" than any intentional choice.  One definition of diplomacy is, "The art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way."  Clearly, dealing with people sensitively and effectively will make them much more amenable to joining your micronation.

Secondly, We have made no secret on this blog (or elsewhere) of the fact that We are fans of MicroCon.  The reason for this is because of the free exchange of ideas that occurs at this event - We always come away energized with new ideas and possibilities.  However, a central aspect of this event is diplomacy, in the context of "The art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states."  The more effectively you can practice diplomacy (whether at MicroCon or elsewhere), the more your micronation stands to benefit from the free interchange of ideas, information, and (in some cases) even goods and services with other micronations.

Thus, We would suggest that any serious micronationalist would continually strive to further their knowledge and experience in the art and science of diplomacy.

An Imperial Wedding

We got back home late last night from a weekend in Montreal, where it was Our privilege and honor to attend the marriage of Emperor Eric Lis of the Aerican Empire to his lovely bride, Jenny.  We wish them nothing but happiness and health together for many years to come!

Thoughts on "micronational war"

"War is the continuation of politics by other means."
 --Carl von Clauswitz, On War

"War!  What is it good for?  Absolutely nothing!"
-- Bruce Springsteen (among others), "War!"

Among other places on the Internet, We frequent a couple of different micronational-focused groups on Facebook.  Periodically within those groups, someone who is new to micronationalism will join, and promptly "declare war" on one of the more established micronations.  For the most part, these utterances go unheeded at best, if not heartily derided (along with the declarer).  For many, that brief foray into micronationalism (and "gunboat diplomacy") is enough to send them packing, although some few either calm down or otherwise revisit their thinking and become productive members of the micronational community.

We will be blunt.  We find the very concept of "war between micronations" to be absurdist at best, and problematic and harmful to the greater micronational community at worst. 

We more generally liken "micronational war" to a "toddler slap fight" - amusing to watch from a distance, and while the participants may be emotionally distraught by it, there's generally no lasting physical harm.

Well, if there's no lasting physical harm, then what's the problem?  The problem is, it makes micronations and their adherents as a whole look like idiots.  Our micronational community will, as a "fringe group" of society, always be held to the lowest and basest conduct of its members.  As such, any such displays of vulgar ineptitude only serve to cement in the minds of the public the idea that We as a community are a bunch of sad and pathetic role-playing egotists   This harms Us by keeping away people who might otherwise bring fresh ideas to the community.

Therefore, let Us be clear: We have NO patience for "war" between micronations, or for those who would declare it.