Patria rejects carbon tax as Congress adjourns

The First Session of the Fifty First Congress (1·LI 2018-19) adjourned for the [northern hemisphere] summer recess after protracted burn-the-midnight-oil debate on whether Patria should adopt a carbon tax. In the end, the tax was rejected thanks to heavy lobbying by the SRM and its conservative allies. Nonetheless, Patria remains committed to a made-in-Patria version of the Green New Deal.

As traditional, before the Speaker of the House whacked the gavel on the dais and the Sergeant-at-Arms blew the vuvuzela to declare the session closed, the Annual Message to Congress was delivered, as follows:

Sarvamangalya mangalye shive sarvartha sadhike, sharanye tryambake Gauri, Narayani namostute. With the Divine Mother’s blessings and at the lotus feet of both Amma Sri Karunamayi and Amma Amritanandamayi, the Fifty-first Congress has come to the end of its first year in office.

In keeping with Patria’s traditions and congressional protocol, the last act of the First Session took place just moments ago – the ratification of Patria’s fiscal 2020 budget. As a partial sop to the SRM and economic conservatives, and in order to keep the price of fuel affordable, particularly for anyone who prefers to drive rather than use public transit, this budget does not include a carbon tax. Such a tax, that would have added at least 12 Patrienish Rupees to the price of a litre of petrol but likely would do little – beyond a symbolic or virtue-signalling value – to protect the environment and would only force those in Patria who can least afford it – seniors, low-wage earners, families struggling to make ends meet, and small mom-and-pop businesses – to pay for the over-consumption of the US and other First World macro-powers, was voted down in this House albeit by a slim margin. Nonetheless, in order to encourage use of public transit, the budget includes increased funding for Castoropolis Transit and local transit authorities to purchase new vehicles, expand service and upgrade transit infrastructure.

  

Rather than impose another tax on those who can least afford it, this Congress believes that a better way to address climate change and help clean up the pollution caused by our addiction to fossil fuels is “make the polluters pay”. The costs of environmental remediation must be paid by the Big Oil plutocrats and the CEOs of amoral transnational corporations who have a far greater responsibility for runaway pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than single mothers or small businesses.

Carbon tax or no, Patria supports a peaceful, healthy planet and a made-in-Patria version of the Green New Deal that will move the economy away from dependence on fossil fuels and non-renewable energy. Since 2016, Patria has supported MAPS. In memory of Darcy Belanger – one of the leading movers of the Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary treaty, who lost his life in the Ethiopian Airlines B-737 Max crash in March of this year – Patria will redouble its commitment to MAPS. This treaty will keep military activity and commercial exploitation out of the Arctic Ocean waters and it is Patria’s hope that through Parvati and her team of dedicated devotees of Amma, more real-world macro-national governments will sign on to MAPS.

  

Along with Canada, Patria will pursue a ban on single-use plastic products such as straws, cutlery and shopping bags. These products are rarely recycled or re-used and while they may be easier and cheaper in the short term, they have long-term consequences for the environment. They already have been banned in a number of Patria’s cities and precincts. In 2020, this Congress will enact a Patria-wide ban. Be prepared now: if you drink from a straw, get a metal one. Bring your own cloth bag to the supermarket. Serve your family picnic or barbecue with real forks, not plastic ones. Friends of Patria, keeping needless plastic waste out of landfills and oceans is not rocket science.

  

As the Fifty-first Congress moves into its second year, Patria remains both democratic socialist and politically incorrect. Yes, this is possible. Patria is committed to democratic socialist ideals such as a living wage, single-payer health care for all and low-cost post-secondary education or apprenticeship training. At the same time, Patria says NO to the Thought Police, Cultural Marxists, self-righteous high-horse Social Justice Warriors and others who seem to proliferate on the so-called “woke” left doing everything humanly possible to destroy Patria’s constitutionally protected rights of free speech, open debate, freedom of association and lawful assembly for the purpose of peaceful protest. In Patria, in the 51^st Congress, the dissident and populist left can find a home. It is a home that Bernie Sanders would recognize but one that may not be friendly to easily-offended overly-sensitive snowflakes. It is a home where there are no so-called safe spaces and trigger warnings on college campuses. It is a home where physical assault by gutless cowards is a crime but not hurt feelings caused by lawful citizens exercising their constitutional right of free speech. And it is a home where the violent masked thugs of Antifa are not welcome, no matter how much they claim to be on “our side” or to be “progressives”.

  

In the First Session, Patria had a simple four-word answer to all the tired old horses that left the barn years ago and all the failed policies of ages past that keep getting trotted out and can’t seem to die: “we have moved on”. To the social conservatives who have not stopped trying to re-criminalize abortion, keep women in their place at home, bring back “1950s family values” and re-make Patria into a micro version of Red-State America: “we have moved on”. To dishwater-dull middle-ground centrist neo-liberals who cling to the status quo or at best “incremental” change: “we have moved on”. And to all those tired canards and lame proposals, many of which are leftovers from the last century, that will keep being dragged out over the next three years of this Congress or in the 2022 election campaign particularly by National Unionists, such as raising the drinking age to 25 or imposing dress codes and curfews on kids: “we have moved on”.

  

As heard earlier today on AM 1152 PMBC, Patria congratulates the winner of Smack Off XXV: five-time Smack Off winner Brad in Corona. While the Jungle Party is only a small player in the 51^st Congress, Jim Rome’s credo rings loud and strong throughout Patria: Have a take, don’t suck!

  

Finally, Patria congratulates the Toronto Raptors. Earlier this month the Raptors became the first team based outside the United States to win the NBA championship, in six hard-fought games against the heavily-favored defending champion Golden State Warriors.

And so the time has come; let us make a pledge to meet in September. As is traditional, this session is adjourned with a brief prayer, and a moment of silent reflection for those who have lost their lives during the course of this session as a result of war, terrorist acts, hate crimes or other senseless violence from Pittsburgh to Poway, Christchurch to Colombo:

  

Lokah samasthah sukhino bhavantu. Asato ma sad gamaya. Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya. Mrityor ma amritam gamaya. Hari Om.  Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

Under the power vested in me by the Constitution of Patria, I declare closed the First Session of the 51^st Congress, and call this Congress to re-assemble here on Monday, 16 September 2019, to open the Second Session of the 51^st Congress.

(the House adjourned at 11:55 PM local time)

On this last day of the congressional session, Patria Post released two new stamp issues, depicting both Ammas.

Darcy Day in Patria

Darcy Belanger (1972-2019), literally gave his life for MAPS.

By Act of the 51st Congress, today has been proclaimed Darcy Day in Patria. It is a day to remember Darcy Belanger, the "quarterback" of the Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS) team, who was one of the 18 Canadians who lost their lives on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019. He was en route to the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. There, he was slated to meet with government officials, media and a growing pan-African volunteer contingent in support of MAPS.

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, who later moved to Denver, CO, Darcy was one of the first to join the cause for MAPS, recognizing the importance of the Arctic Ocean to our collective future. He co-founded Parvati.org and has been on the front lines for MAPS ever since.

Today in Patria, Darcy will be remembered not only for his heroic dedication to the cause of MAPS, which Patria ratified in 2016 - one of the first (albeit non-recognized) governments to do so - but also for his courage and selfless service. Indeed, today is a day in which all citizens of Patria should perform some act of seva or selfless service in memory of Darcy.



View Darcy's final video message.

Darcy was the quarterback, but now it is up to all of us to get the MAPS ball into the end zone. If you have not yet signed the MAPS petition, click here now! (or touch, or swipe; "click" is a leftover of the 1990s and early 2000s when virtually all internet access was done with PCs.)

Bicentennial #patria200 an underwhelming dud

In 2018 Patria celebrated 200 years of being the best country we never had!

As 2018 comes to a close, Patria's bicentennial celebrations - known by the hashtag #patria200 - have been condemned as an underwhelming dud that failed to generate much enthusiasm within Patria and in the greater micro-world. This was due in part to the celebrations of Patria's founding in 1818 being mostly locally focused, rather than a huge Patria-wide party or Micro-world's Fair. There are more than enough fingers to point for Patria's bicentennial failing to live up to the hype. A general feeling of "you get what you pay for" as Patria's 50th Congress (2014-2018) appropriated only token funding for the celebrations, while precinct and local governments attempted to take up the slack. The Ministry of Transportation came under fire for failing to celebrate the centennial of the Castoropolis Metro (Patria's first subway/metro/tube, opened in 1918) as well as for failing to offer a distinctive bicentennial license plate, though motorists in Patria can choose from three graphic plates, as well as a non-graphic base. The Patria Mint made little effort to place special issue bicentennial coins into circulation; one and two Patrienish Rupee pocket change featuring only the "1818-2018" double date. Patria Post produced a number of commemorative stamps, but most of them seemed like regular issues that added only the #patria200 hashtag.

Of course, no one expected a celebration on the scale of the United States bicentennial in 1976 or Canada's centennial in 1967. The celebrations were about as low-key and underwhelming as #Canada150 - the celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary as a Dominion of the Commonwealth (Canadians rarely use the term "independence") in 2017.

Nonetheless, there were a few highlights and happy times in Patria in 2018:

• The election of 2018 saw Bernie Sanders-style democratic socialism win a plurality of seats in the Fifty-First Congress. The election campaign proved to be a hard fight against the forces of right-wing populism and fear-mongering about an evil communist bogeyman, but in the end voters in Patria chose left-wing populism, the Social Democrats, combined with the Amrita Party and the other spiritual parties. On Inauguration Day, June 30, a stirring (if not extra long) Inaugural Address was delivered and to show that even socialists can look rich for one night, a traditional Inaugural Ball was held.
• After more than a century of failed efforts, Patria officially recognized the tenrec as its national animal symbol.
• The Patrienish Rupee held its value as arguably the most stable micro-national currency.
• Only a few weeks ago, Cook Islands became the second real-world macro-national country, after Samoa, to sign the MAPS (Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary) treaty. Since its ratification of the treaty in 2016, Patria has lobbied hard for the establishment of MAPS as an effective step to cool our planet and keep our oceans alive.

As we leave 2018, you will find below the last of Patria Post's series of bicentennial stamps, along with Patria's traditional Christmas stamp issue.

Patria rises for climate and MAPS

Usual leftist rabble out in force along with moral high-ground vegans at Patria's Rise for Climate rally.

Rise for Climate rallies were held today throughout the macro-world and in Patria as well. Thousands of people are rising up to tell their local leaders and Patria's newly-inaugurated 51st Congress they want a swift and fair transition to world no longer dependent on or addicted to fossil fuels. No more stalling, no more delays: it’s time for a fast and fair transition to 100% renewable energy for all. Real climate leadership rises from below. It means power in the hands of people not corporations. It means economic opportunity for workers and justice and dignity for front-line communities that are the hardest hit by the impacts of the fossil fuel industry and a warming world.

In Patria's capital Castoropolis, the Rise for Climate rally took place amid the downtown 1930s Art Deco monuments to free-enterprise capitalism (actually monuments to recovery from the Depression through make-work projects). The keynote speech of Patria's Rise for Climate rally included a plea to macro-world governments to ratify the MAPS (Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary) treaty, which was ratified by Patria in 2016, but so far by only one recognized country. Parvati, the award-winning musician, yogini, activist, author and founder of Parvati.org says of MAPS: “We no longer live in an era with the luxury to consider one isolated region separate from the whole. What happens in the Arctic affects us all. We must safeguard the Arctic Ocean and its rich biodiversity, before it is too late. Protecting the fragile Arctic ecosystem keeps our entire planet cool, and our weather patterns and global crop growth in balance. This must be an urgent priority for everyone on Earth.”

To state the obvious, climate change affects everyone who shares this planet, including Patria-First SRMers, National Unionists, US Republicans and other right wing super-patriots. But it is virtually needless to mention that the crowds at these rallies swung overwhelmingly left. Way to the left of Patria's Social Democrats, Canada's NDP or the US Democratic Party. You could even spot Trotskyites and Socialist Workers waving red hammer-and-sickle flags, apparently unaware that the Soviet Union voted itself out of existence in 1991.

Third Session wraps for summer recess, Campaign 2018 is underway!

The Third Session of Patria's 50th Congress (3·L 2016-17) adjourned today for the summer recess. The traditional Annual Message summarizing the activities and achievements of Patria over the course of the academic/congressional year (as well as a de facto launch of the 51st Congress election campaign and Patria's bicentennial celebration in 2018) was delivered by the Speaker Pro Tem. The Fourth Session (4·L 2017-18) will convene on September 18. Transcript of the Annual Message to Congress follows.

Bhagavan Kripalu manelo sharane. Aavi ubho chun huñ to tava charane. Divine Compassionate One, my refuge, I have come to stand forever at your feet. As the Third Session of the Fiftieth Congress began, so it ends: with salutations and prostrations at the Divine Mother’s lotus feet. With Her blessings, the Fiftieth Congressus Patriaë has served three quarters of its term of office.

As per tradition, the final act of Congress prior to the summer recess is the ratification of Patria’s fiscal 2018 budget. Once again to the dismay of Republicans in the US and National Unionists here in Patria, this budget contains appropriate funding for health care, infrastructure improvements such as power grids and sanitation systems, which in some parts of Castoropolis within walking distance of the Capitol still date from the 1890s, public transit as the Castoropolis Metro celebrates its centenary as the capital’s subway system, education from grade school to university and specialized technical training, restoration of temples, shrines and other heritage public buildings, as well as the various social programs that conservatives of all stripes dread, but that nonetheless help make Patria a better place to be than the United States under Donald Trump.

As we know, Patria takes no position on macronational affairs such as Justin Trudeau’s broken promise of electoral reform that would have put an end to first-past-the-post in Canada and the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Nonetheless, let it be stated once again that Patria had never officially endorsed either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton and would not have preferred that Ms. Clinton – an evil, amoral one-percent plutocrat if ever there was one – had been elected to succeed Barack Obama. Mr. Trump’s election and the embarrassment, bluster, lies and deception that have ensued since his inauguration on January 20 are issues for the American people to deal with. Patria is merely a bystander, unrecognized by Rex Tillerson’s US State Department anyway. 

On the first day of this session last September, Patria ratified the Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary or MAPS treaty, intended to designate all ocean waters north of the Arctic Circle as a marine protected area free from natural resource exploitation, commercialization and military activity. MAPS is perhaps the best chance to protect one of the planet's most fragile ecosystems. It is Patria's goal that real-world macro-national governments such as Canada, the United Kingdom and even the United States will ratify MAPS in the near future. 

On February 13, Patria celebrated World Radio Day: a day that not only recognizes the value of radio in our daily life but serves as a call to preserve century-old terrestrial hertzian-wave broadcasting as an indispensible means of communication, particularly in times of war, revolution or natural disaster. In such times, it will be your battery or solar-powered radio – not your smartphone or tablet – that will serve as your essential source of news and information, beyond the reach of censors and impervious to power outages or collapse of the cyber-infrastructure. While lamenting the demise of international shortwave broadcasters, such as Radio Australia, which went dark at the end of January, Patria is committed to keeping AM or medium wave on the air as a vital piece of the broadcasting spectrum, providing full service and relevant made-in-Patria news, sports, entertainment and public affairs programming for all Patria. 

In the one year remaining in the 50^th Congress term of office, nationalism, populism, rejection of the elites and the plutocracy, as well as Patria First economic protectionism are far from taboo topics, particularly when advocated by the dissident left or alt-left. The streets and public squares, the halls of Congress, as well as the print and broadcast media in Patria will continue to serve as forums for non-violent dissident voices and unpopular or politically incorrect opinions. While remaining firmly committed to liberal social democracy, or democratic socialism such as propounded by Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn, Patria will not cave in to the politically correct thought police and cultural Marxists that proliferate among the mainstream or orthodox left. Patria was founded two centuries ago on the principles of constitutionally protected free speech, free thought, open debate, mature inquiry and peaceful protest. Cowardly attacks and assaults against anyone, motivated by a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, political views or any other factors, will be vigorously prosecuted and dealt with to the full extent of the law. But the fear that anyone can be harmed by thoughts, arguments, historical monuments or even song lyrics is laughable. The Inner Realm is not a safe space to hide from so-called micro-aggressions and it is not a place for overly sensitive, easily-offended, thin-skinned snowflakes, particularly on college campuses. 

On the other side of this summer recess: the campaign for the Fifty-first Congress – election day is April 21, 2018 – and Patria’s bicentennial celebrations. How Patria’s bicentennial – using the hashtag #Patria200 – will be celebrated over the course of 2018 remains to be seen and will likely evolve spontaneously with little or no official government planning or funding of so-called bicentennial projects. There will certainly be no micronational World’s Fair on the scale of Expo 67 and no visits from iconic macronational heads of state such as Haile “Lion of Judah” Selassie and Charles “Vive le Québec libre” de Gaulle, who were eager to be seen with Canada’s then-Prime Minister Lester Pearson half a century ago. No flotillas of tall ships as on the Fourth of July 1976. But know this: Patria will not be rocking a catchy kiddie-focused song to celebrate the bicentennial such as Canada sang for its centennial in 1967. Rather than “Ca-na-da” or “Ontari-ari-ari-o” [Ontario’s centennial song, “A Place to Stand”], Patria will celebrate two hundred years as a united federation by making a joyful noise unto the Lord, coming before His presence – and of course, Her presence – with bhajans, kirtan and the chanting of mantras. From Om Namah Shivaya to Hari Bol and Jai Ambe, and of course Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Patria will sing the praises of the Devis and Devas, as well as the Kripalu lineage, whose blessings have allowed this Inner Realm to grow and thrive since 1818. 

As per unwritten tradition, the closing of the Third Session marks the unofficial start of the election campaign for the new Congress. As the race for the Fifty First Congress gathers steam during the Fourth Session, Twitter will once again be the primary means of campaigning by all of Patria’s parties. In the months leading up to Election Day next April, you can follow the campaign @Patriavotes2018. 

For those souls who have passed out of physical body during this session, such as those murdered by evil Islamic State cowards in London and Manchester, England, let us say lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. Let us make a pledge to meet in September and seal it with Amma’s kisses. Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Hari Om.

Under the power vested in me by the Constitution of Patria, I declare closed the Third Session of the Fiftieth Congress, and call this Congress to re-assemble here on Monday, 18 September 2017, to open the Fourth Session of the Fiftieth Congress.

#unitebylight for one of Patria's bicentennial projects

One of Patria's bicentennial projects for 2018 is the establishment of the Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS). The MAPS treaty, which Patria ratified on the first day of the Third Session of the 50th Congress, is perhaps the best chance to protect one of the planet's most fragile ecosystems. It is Patria's goal that real-world macro-national governments will ratify the MAPS treaty in the near future (and perhaps even President Obama will do so before the Donald knocks on the Oval Office door shortly after 12 noon Eastern time on Jan. 20, 2017) so that MAPS will become a reality by the end of 2018.

Honorary citizen of Patria Parvati Devi has dedicated all her time and all her musical, written and yoga products to MAPS. To that end, Parvati has launched the "Unite by Light" campaign in order to get millions of petition signatures and raise the funds we need to build global public demand for MAPS. It is fun and easy! All you do is:

• Sign the MAPS petition at http://parvati.org (and optionally donate, no obligation)
• Create a short video of yourself lighting a peace candle, while nominating three people who will do the same and spread the word (suggested script at parvati.org)
• Share your video on social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) using the hashtags #unitebylight #signMAPS

Parvati says "it takes a village to raise a child. Right now MAPS is growing and needs loving care from each one of us so that we can protect the planet now and for future generations".

Patria signs on to MAPS as Congress returns from summer recess

The surest sign that summer is over in Patria: Congress resumes sitting, following the traditional northern hemisphere summer recess (apologies to micro-nationalists in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and other southern hemisphere countries). The Third Session of the 50th Congress (3·L 2016-17) was declared open by the Sergeant-at-Arms and Speaker Pro Tem of the House, blowing the vuvuzela and rapping the gavel respectively. One of the first items on the Third Session's order paper was Patria's ratification of the macro-national Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS) treaty.

The Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary, which has been championed by Patria's "Positive Possibilities Lady" Parvati Devi, establishes all ocean waters north of the Arctic Circle as a marine protected area free from natural resource exploitation, commercialization and military activity. MAPS boldly addresses many key and pivotal climate crisis issues with one single, no cost, immediately realizable solution.

MAPS not only:

• Protects the fragile Arctic ecosystem, which is key to keeping our planet cool and helping prevent natural disasters such as forest fires, floods and droughts
• Shelters our oceans and ocean life, which absorb a quarter of the world’s carbon and are essential for the future of humanity
• Safeguards the polar ice caps, which put the brakes on global warming through the albedo effect, by stopping through traffic of cargo ships and naval vessels.

MAPS also:

• Declares our global commitment to sustainable energies and our cessation of the use of fossil fuels by saying “no” to the unburnable oil resources in the Arctic
• Unites world leaders in agreement that the needs of the collective are equal to the needs of the individual, no longer putting short-term gain ahead of long-term consequence.

Patria calls on all member-states of the United Nations (i.e. real-world macro-nations) to ratify the MAPS treaty immediately. Although Patria is an unrecognized micro-nation, it shares the same planet with Canada, the US and almost 200 other UN members. Patria has signed on to MAPS. You should too! Sign the petition here!