Rainy mondays always seem like a plot to make me sleep through my alarm. Today sadly it worked. So even with the slight delay, it is time to get the morning writing prompt started. Pens at the ready? Then let the timers count the fifteen minutes down.
Well that was interesting. I kind of like the government buildings on a lake in the middle of nowhere. I also think my attempt to catch up on local news caught up with my writing.
Monday, January 25th: Hoffman came to embrace the local approach to politics.
Hoffman came to embrace the local approach to politics. It was surprisingly efficient for everyday life, although at times he wondered at the long term cumulative effect. When he, like the others looked over their local candidates, it was clear there were no real prizes. All were land owners, or the sons of land owners. All believed in their own superiority. All felt they had the right, no the god given responsibility to lead due to their privileged birth.
The locals looked them over and decided on the one they would most like to see living far away. They debated whose meddling in their daily affairs was the most troublesome. They argued over who was the most problematic to live shoulder to shoulder with. That was the person they elected to go represent them in the national body, which was located as far from their town as one could actually get and still be within the same kingdom.
Having done the same since the revolution, it kept local affairs running smoothly as those most likely to make waves weren’t there to do so. The fact that the local land owners were all descended from the deposed aristocracy and that the duly elected president was in fact the descendent of their last king was of little relevance. The seat of government was an isolated locale, the government buildings actually located on a small island in the center of a lake in the center of the kingdom.
There those who were descended from those who had been in charge for generations, pretended that they still were. While they still believed in their natural place at the top, by some sense of self-preservation they managed not to pass any laws that would trouble those that they were technically there to represent. Instead they lost themselves in revelry and accomplished very little save from keeping themselves from being underfoot.
The real governing of the towns was done by the local judges. They saw to any conflicts and resolved them locally. There was a panel that met both regionally and kingdom wide, but only when necessity demanded as they had other tasks taking up the bulk of their time. While they met once a year to stay connected, their usually only joined together when a matter couldn’t be resolved locally. If something divided a community too much to be seen clearly by those living there and the local judge might not be viewed as unbiased, an alternate judge with no involvement would be called in. While the official representatives were considered nothing more than troublesome pests, a great deal of respect was held for the judges.
Ten til Midnight 