Kentucky Free State

[rob]

I was rereading the Fall Back! module and got to wondering about the KFS.
What would its internal make up look like? Would it be a oligarchical committee running it (I refer back to the five 'Administrators' in the module)? Might it have a single executive, agreed to by the Administrators, running the executive functions? Aside from the military and the Secret Police, what other governmental organs would there be? Thanks.

[mmartin798]

I have always imagined that right after the war, it could have gone either oligarchy or feudal. Given the state of affairs in KFS, I would say it is an oligarchy, the executive office being more like a board room with the five administrators being more or less equal on paper.

As for other governmental organizations, you would have the normal infrastructure ones, like urban planning, energy and water commission, natural resources department. Probably there is some form of treasury. There is definitely some sort of census bureau to keep track of status and rank in the KFS since that is important and very difficult to change your socioeconomic status. There would also be some sort of judicial branch. These guys were business leaders and contract law is big. There might be some form of social work or welfare, but I would assume that is would be really limited to "Aww, so sorry to hear you fell on bad time. I am sure we can find someone to indenture you to."

[rob]

I'm working up a draft on the internal make up of the KFS. I do agree with 'Board of Directors' concept in which the Rich Five family heads are the Board. Also working up some rough guesstimates on the Armed Forces, etc. As a guess, I would say the over all KFS population would be between 7-10 million people, with the estimates toward the lower end given what I've read in the Fall Back and Bullets and Bluegrass modules. The lower estimate is based on inferred info from the text about the lack of 'innovation' and slave labor as being not economical. I will post a PDF shortly so all can throw their two cents into the document.

[RandyT0001]

Slave societies are very economical and very profitable because the slaves are not paid. This explains the efficiency of Nazi Germany and cotton production in the US in comparison to other countries / regions pre-ACW.

Based upon the size of the military which is typically 1-2% of a population, except for countries like N Korea "under threat of invasion by the US" to justify a higher percentage (and the Jackson Republic under threat of the KFS), the KFS would have a population of about 1-2 million.

More later.

[RandyT0001]

In 2014, Kentucky has about 4,415,000 people.

In 1800, the world population is estimated to be 1 billion people.
In 1930, the world population is estimated to be 2 billion people.
In 1970, the world population is estimated to be 4 billion people.

Between 1800 and 1930, the rate of growth per year is about 0.55% to double the population in 130 years.

A growth rate of 0.5% per year doubles population is about 150 years.

With the advent of proper nutrition, medicine, medical care, etc. the population doubles within 40 years at a growth rate of 1.8% per year between 1930 and 1970.

Using the reasonable rate of 0.55% for the Kentucky Free State to have 8,000,000 people 150 years after the cataclysm, the starting population has to be about 4,000,000 people. Therefore, Kentucky did not suffer any deaths due to the war and asteroid. That does not conform to the entry in B&B.

If we consider that only 5% of the pre-war population survived, a percentage often quoted and assumed, then Kentucky had 220,750 survivors. If the mid-20th C. growth rate of 1.8% were applied for 150 years, the population of the KFS would be about 3,200,000. If the more reasonable growth rate of 0.6% were applied (more reflective of the base tech and slow tech advancement) then the population of the KFS would be about 541,000. The roughly 10,000 man Army of the KFS would be about 1.85% of the population of the KFS. The slaves at 15% number about 81,000 and the families of the Rich 5 make up about 2,705. That is roughly 541 per family. According to B&B, at least 30% of the population is urbanized (IMO high considering US history of the 19th and early 20th C).

In the modern world, North Korea has 4.8% of population in active military service. Israel has 2.1% of its population in active military service. Russia has percentage about 0.8% while the US has a rate of about 0.4%.

For the work on the Jackson Republic background, I assumed that the KFS had a growth rate of 1% per year for 150 years giving them a population of 982,000. This made them more reasonable in terms of urbanization percentage and active service percentage.

For the KFS to have a population higher than one, at best, two million people within the 150 years is going to require a rate of growth that is indicative of a modern society with widespread healthcare and good nutrition. That is not the KFS to me.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by rob

I was rereading the Fall Back! module and got to wondering about the KFS.
What would its internal make up look like? Would it be a oligarchical committee running it (I refer back to the five 'Administrators' in the module)? Might it have a single executive, agreed to by the Administrators, running the executive functions? Aside from the military and the Secret Police, what other governmental organs would there be? Thanks.

I would think that the ruling body would be made of a committee of the five families with a primary and an alternate. The Chief Executive would have the tie breaking vote and limited authority as Commander in Chief of the Forces. The Secret Police would answer to another Member so power isn't consolidated to much in one person.

Each safeguards their own resources and commits them to common cause.

Each is clannish with their own personal security force. This force could have certain limitations like number of armed guards or the weapons they can carry. This is again to limit the power of individual families... 10 per family member or 100 maximum... The largest weapons off personal property being a rifle unless all members agree (such as transport of new equipment).

The loyalty of the Old Two Thousand is nearly absolute. They privileges they enjoy that they are decedents of handpicked employees for the Five feel immense gratitude to the Five. They will make excuses or simply ignore all but the most heinous acts committed by the Five. The Five are smart, efficient feudal lords that know how to cultivate and nurture a loyal following through rewards and indoctrination.

Why do people stay in the KFS with such a repressive regime? Because to leave invites suicide. They fully believe there is no where else that is or could be even remotely better. The KFS provides security and infrastructure not to be found outside of their borders. The Five demand much of the population but in return provide goods, food in excess, medicines, roads, bridges, water wells, and livelihoods.

The KFS is a slave state, true. This is likely to be being phased out. Educated or indoctrinated workers completely loyal to the State are cheaper, more efficient, and provide far more security for the State. This is not to say that slavery would not exist in the form of punishment for criminals used to clear rubble and collect materials from ruined cities or road building.

[rob]

I want to thank ArmySgt and RandyT0001 for their input on this discussion. While I disagree with a few points, that should prohibit further discussion of the KFS.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by rob

A few thoughts on the Kentucky Free State. The three principle sources are the Morrow Project game modules Bullets and Bluegrass (B&B) and Fall Back (FB) and the Morrow Project (MP) rules book. Also included are thoughts from RandyT0001, who thoughts on population numbers are welcomed, and though I respectfully disagree with him on a few things, his input is very welcome.
Population of the KFS: After reading the B&B module, and playing with the numbers of the in the module, I inferred that the overall population of the KFS would be around 7 million people on the high end. RandyT0001 has figured that after the world population crashed down to 5%, which would leave a population of 220,750, and given are a reasonable growth rate of 0.6% (reflective of the base tech and slow tech advancement, source from RandyT0001), this give the KFS approximately 541,000. Given this amount, I respectfully think that is too low a population, but given a slow growth rate at times, and a lower tech growth, a population of around 1.5-1.7 million could be inferred.

I personally set ALL populations low. A village of 100 is big! The survivor population after the war was 5% worldwide. I firmly believe that the infant and child mortality rates after the war were also high. A generation is approximately 25 years. This makes the tail end of the fifth generation coming into their own as the Morrow Project teams awaken.

I would also assume that due to fall out, the biowarfare plagues, and the resurgence of other diseases once kept in check by modern (Tech level B and up) medicines has further drastically reduced fertility.

Coupled with the dangers of encountering strangers, vast distances to travel, and little communications with populations nearby some communities are dying due to not enough genetic variance.

Originally Posted by rob

The literacy rate of the KFS is 15%, mostly in urban areas, slavery makes up 15% of the population, and the Rich Five make up .5% of the population, and the Old Two Thousand making up virtually entire that make up the ‘lesser nobility’ (B&B).

The Old Two Thousand make up a class of rich, professional merchants. They would be inclined to increase their own power base and prestige. Some of the TOTT (The Old Two Thousand) are as wealthy as the Rich Five after 150 years, though I don’t see them as willing to overthrow the status quo. The lives of the TOTT are quite literally saved and prospering because of the Rich Five.

Originally Posted by rob

Internal Make Up: The KFS is over seen by five Administrators, each from the Rich Five families. This group makes all final decisions within the KFS, trading off items and ideas so that no one Family of the Rich Five has a dominate edge. The governmental structures that keep the day to day operations going are the Army, the Air Force, Judiciary, Natural Resources, Post Office, Secret Police and Treasury. Almost little is known on the Departments other than their general duties which are:
Army: principle duty is to protect the KFS from external forces, and to aid with the internal security as needed. Personnel strength, see KFS Military section.
Air Force: principle duty is to protect the KFS from possible air intrusions and to aid the Army in its missions. Personnel strength, see KFS Military section.
Judiciary: the principle duty is to handle the criminal activities inside the KFS, and
to administer the courts and prisons. Personnel numbers are secret.
Natural Resources: the principle duty is to explore the internal and external locations of resources, and to prepare for exploitation of those resources.
A small unknown bureau in the Natural Resources is the Mapping Agency,
with the principle duty of mapping the KFS and surrounding areas.
Personnel numbers are secret.
Post Office: the principle duty is internal communications via written material and
broadcast communications (radio and TV). The broadcast section is the official
mouth piece of the KFS. Personnel numbers are secret.
Secret Police: the principle duty is internal intelligence and security of the KFS.
Personnel numbers are secret.
Treasury: the principle duty is handling the revenue of the KFS. This
Department has four agencies: Internal Taxation, Customs, Mint and
Budget Office. Personnel numbers are secret.

The way I envisioned it, the Branches of the Government as we are used to, are each a segment or responsibility of one of the Five families with the exception of the Military and the Secret Police.

The responsibility of the Military and the Secret Police is a shared one in a committee, so one family is not to powerful. Each is filled with sons and a few daughters of the Five, especially as a patronage for bastards. Experience and common sense tells the Five that in crisis and war the Generals were appointed for a reason. The fact that Command above the company grade officer is typically a family member of the Five has as much to better education and grooming than it has for nepotism. Members from the TOTT do rise Brigade command with competence and patronage. The Five are not stupid effete aristocrats that would waste talent.

Back to basic civil administration, I think that the Five would attack this problem in a way familiar to them. Corporatism. The mail for example, that is not one .gov enterprise. It is two large entities and many small ones charging low fees to deliver anything, anywhere.

This keeps a level of chaos and stagnation in the system to explain why things are very cheap and can be very backwards sometimes. The Free part of the name comes from the Five looking for an age without .gov regulation or intrusion.

Originally Posted by rob

KFS Military: The military is organized into two principle organizations, the Army and Air Force, with a third para-military organization known as the Secret Police (B&B).
1. The KFS Army is primarily a mechanized force comprising of five mechanized infantry regiments (numbered 1 through 5), two armored regiments (numbered 6 & 7, also known as the Praetorians), and two training rifle companies at New Manhattan. The mechanized infantry regiments have an authorized assigned troop strength of 1300 troops, with the armor regiments authorized troop strength of 1600 troops. This gives the offensive strength of 9700 troops, plus a training unit 360 troops in two companies. There is a marine (river based) entity of unknown strength for patrolling the KFS borders. With other support services, the estimated strength of the Army is about 10,500 to 11,000 troops.
2. The KFS Air Force is organized into four components: six 8 aircraft squadrons, Maintenance companies (one per squadron), Security companies (one per squadron, and one at headquarters) and Support Services. The relative strength of the Air Force is approximately is 1300 personnel (48 pilots, maintenance company strength of 80, security company strength of 120, and the balance in support services).
3. Secret Police is the principle intelligence and security force of the KFS.
The Secret Police have their own air, ground and marine assets but will take control of the Army and Air Force assets that are used ruthlessly.
The internal make up the Secret Police is not known but estimates of 2000 personnel are thought to be correct but this number seems low

The Secret Police is a separate entity from the Military and one that steps in to prevent insurrection or rebellion by the Military. I would expect fear and antagonism wherever the two meet. The Secret Police are as well armed and equipped as the military, only lacking the training and coordination of Army units. The air arm of the Secret Police is lacking, mainly in the form of planes for photo reconnaissance and radio direction finding. Used as often to seek intelligence on the military as any other internal or external threat.

[ArmySGT.]

Bottom rung with a vote and freedom of travel are immigrants from outside. Typically these would have had to pass a medical screen because of very real health threats and demonstrate that they have the means to make an income sufficient to live on. Then they would be settled internally far from a border, probably a reclamation project like farm land or a water project.

I would think that the KFS has a real illegal immigrant problem. People sneak into the borders and live out in the woods or far out in some of the very rural KFS claims. Trading skills or bartering things like herbs and furs for KFS products. These people get paid for things like firewood or game meat, sometimes good salvage. Farmers employ them because they can pay them less than the meager salary of a KFS citizen farmhand.

Towns people and Farmers that own land would have a vote and a say in local or county politics with their county representative voting for the county in New Manhattan. Just to keep the number of represetatives small. Though, this could be based upon population too. X number of citizens equals one representative like the lost U.S. republic.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

I would think that the ruling body would be made of a committee of the five families with a primary and an alternate. The Chief Executive would have the tie breaking vote and limited authority as Commander in Chief of the Forces. The Secret Police would answer to another Member so power isn't consolidated to much in one person.

Each safeguards their own resources and commits them to common cause.

Each is clannish with their own personal security force. This force could have certain limitations like number of armed guards or the weapons they can carry. This is again to limit the power of individual families... 10 per family member or 100 maximum... The largest weapons off personal property being a rifle unless all members agree (such as transport of new equipment).

The loyalty of the Old Two Thousand is nearly absolute. They privileges they enjoy that they are decedents of handpicked employees for the Five feel immense gratitude to the Five. They will make excuses or simply ignore all but the most heinous acts committed by the Five. The Five are smart, efficient feudal lords that know how to cultivate and nurture a loyal following through rewards and indoctrination.

Why do people stay in the KFS with such a repressive regime? Because to leave invites suicide. They fully believe there is no where else that is or could be even remotely better. The KFS provides security and infrastructure not to be found outside of their borders. The Five demand much of the population but in return provide goods, food in excess, medicines, roads, bridges, water wells, and livelihoods.

The KFS is a slave state, true. This is likely to be being phased out. Educated or indoctrinated workers completely loyal to the State are cheaper, more efficient, and provide far more security for the State. This is not to say that slavery would not exist in the form of punishment for criminals used to clear rubble and collect materials from ruined cities or road building.

Punishment is how the slave system started, so it would return to it's roots.
Also should the Project and any allies come out on top, they can say thier ancestors lied and become robber barons in U.S II.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

Punishment is how the slave system started, so it would return to it's roots.
Also should the Project and any allies come out on top, they can say thier ancestors lied and become robber barons in U.S II.

In the barbarous times of War + 150 years.. I think so. Vigilante justice and revenge are what passes for Law in 99% of the land.

I just don't see this going away without 20 plus years of stability and prosperity inside and outside the KFS.