The United Free States
The United Free States was a continental federation of territories noted for enduring claims to be the embodiment of “freedom” as a philosophical construct. By the later years of the governing regime, this had narrowed to denote obedience, marketing participation, correct levels of enthusiasm, and adherence to whiteness as a cultural norm.
Governance
A constitutional republic in formal terms, the Republic functioned primarily as a coalition of hereditary dynasties and corporate interests. Elections were procedurally intact, however results were rarely in doubt. Ballot access depended on measures of patriotic reliability, adherence to statutes defining compulsory behavioral standards, and correct modes of speech, dress, and manner.
Media and culture
Independent media coverage was redefined as “harmonized journalism”, a system defined as a practice of advancing unity. Cultural life within the United Free States was dominated by nostalgic and fictional reinterpretations of historical events, and patriotic musicals in which whiteness was portrayed as default and ideal state. Wider ethnic and cultural representation was encouraged through the casting of “loyal companion” characters.
The regime maintained an index of appropriateness as applied to both cultural and, in many cases, physical products. Work reflecting diverse origins was often revised or remade to better highlight effective reflections of liberty.
International role
The United Free States positioned itself as a global defender of freedom, through regular economic and military intervention. Campaigns promoted the cultural mores of the Republic as an exportable ideal. Partnership with nations of color was tolerated when those nations demonstrated a sufficient alignment with the Republic’s style of governance, fashion, economics, and commerce. Dissenting nations would be classified as “threats to freedom”, a designation that often changed depending on quarterly trade balance figures.
Decline
The regime’s decline is often traced to the Bandwidth Crisis, when failure of streaming capability restricted access to entertainment. The subsequent Second Streaming Consolidation saw the nation’s cultural output acquired by a single subscription service, which raised its price to the point where 99.3% of the population was unable to afford access.
Unrest was subsequently quelled through the Freedom Security Act. This introduced “voluntary” surveillance programs, a mandatory anthem-recital program, and universal ID schemes requiring monthly check-ins and non-derogatory language assessment.
By the time of its ultimate dissolution, The United Free States achieved near-perfect citizenship compliance ratings, and a population decline of only 41%.
Legacy
The United Free States was an important historical entity, remembered for:
Invention of cheeseburger (disputed).
Repeated declarations of victory, including several in the absence of any war.
Attempts to integrate definitions of liberty and brand loyalty.
Editor’s note: Authors of this entry were investigated for “insufficient optimism” during the final years of the regime. Readers are reminded that earlier editions describing the United Free States may be more flattering.