Crystal Tokyo Revisited

[dogbertcarroll]

Crystal Tokyo is a monarchy, meaning a giant step back in social development with the idea that 'some people are better than others because of who their parents are' made into law. If brainwashing isn't involved than I seriously doubt it would come about at all.

[Penguin-sa]

Crystal Tokyo is a monarchy, meaning a giant step back in social development with the idea that 'some people are better than others because of who their parents are' made into law. If brainwashing isn't involved than I seriously doubt it would come about at all.

I totally agree that a monarchy is a giant step backwards, but remember most of humanity has perished. This is a greater disaster than the fall the of the Western Roman Empire, which led to feudalism. I have no problems with the remains of humanity regressing to monarchy, especially crowning Moon and the Senshi, who have proven themselves superhuman. I would hope that at some point humanity would resume control of its destiny and Moon would reign rather than rule, rather like the arrangement in modern-day England.

When things go to pieces, the man (or woman in this case) on horse back is welcomed and even needed. Sooner or later though, other power bases arise and the dictator/monarch gives way (England, Italy)or is swept away (France, Russia). I admit the situation is complicated by Usagi's life span. Would she have the strength of character to step aside when humanity recovers? I'd like to think so, but Crystal Tokyo looks like humans have made a comeback and the Senshi are still in charge. Sigh. I blame evil advisors.

[dogbertcarroll]

Considering her daughter is 900 plus years and she's still ruling (not sure of the exact time for CT but I think the spore was born there) when mankind should have surpassed what they were before the freeze by that point (another assumption but look at how much things change in just a decade) I'm going to guess that freeing humanity isn't what they have in mind.

[Uldihaa]

When things go to pieces, the man (or woman in this case) on horse back is welcomed and even needed. Sooner or later though, other power bases arise and the dictator/monarch gives way (England, Italy)or is swept away (France, Russia). I admit the situation is complicated by Usagi's life span. Would she have the strength of character to step aside when humanity recovers? I'd like to think so, but Crystal Tokyo looks like humans have made a comeback and the Senshi are still in charge. Sigh. I blame evil advisors.

Crystal Tokyo is just too vague to really make any solid assumptions as to just what form of government it has, other than an active monarchy. Details like what kind of economy it has and how the other cities (I think there are other cities than CT anyway) are governed just aren't shown, or even hinted at really. Is the economy a socialist one, or capitalist? Is it an agrarian society, or industrial? Those all play a big part in just what kind of system of governing can or will form.

If the world has an agrarian society and a socialist economy, then the fact that Moon is still ruling even after humanity recovers is not that big of a surprise. But even an industrial and capitalist combination could still have an active monarchy, though I would expect it to be something like the way the Star Kingdom of Manticore is ruled in the Honor Harrington novels by David Weber; which is similar to England's system, but with a more directly involved monarch.

There could have been an elected Parliment and we just weren't shown it, due to the Black Moon Family's attacks and siege of CT. Personally I think CT was just the typical utopia created by someone that really doesn't understand the how's and why's of government, thus it was left vague and rather dream-like.

[Penguin-sa]

Certainly there are uncertainies enough to drive a plot-hole truck through. I would like to believe the best about Crystal Tokyo's governance. The vagueness is sure rich ground for fan fic authors, no?.

Yeah I am an Usagi fan. What can you do?

[claymade]

Not to mention that it's doubtful how much of the benefits she can provide her populace if she's not fulfilling her Destined Role--such as those 10x lifespans, etc.

Would you want your civilization-saving hero-queen to step down if that meant you started dying of old age when you were 10 years old?

[dogbertcarroll]

When was that promised and when did the human lifespan shrink that much?

[Penguin-sa]

I think Claymade was making an analogy, like what if George Washington, upon assuming the presidency, increased everyone's lifespan from 10 years to 100 years and then stepped down and everyone was dying at 10 again. Would he be allowed to step down?

[Uldihaa]

I think Claymade was making an analogy, like what if George Washington, upon assuming the presidency, increased everyone's lifespan from 10 years to 100 years and then stepped down and everyone was dying at 10 again. Would he be allowed to step down?

Hmmm, I think the important questions are: Do humans live longer in CT? And: Is that because Usagi/Serenity is Queen, or because of the Silver Crystal is active on a larger, and more constant, scale than it had been used in the past?

Or in other words, just what is giving the longer life-span? And can it be done without having the person or object doing it sit on a throne?

[Tovath]

Crystal Tokyo is just too vague to really make any solid assumptions as to just what form of government it has, other than an active monarchy. Details like what kind of economy it has and how the other cities (I think there are other cities than CT anyway) are governed just aren't shown, or even hinted at really. Is the economy a socialist one, or capitalist? Is it an agrarian society, or industrial? Those all play a big part in just what kind of system of governing can or will form.

Knowing that there is an active monarchy actually tells quite a bit. Since a monarchy is A state or government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch that means it can't be a democracy. It seems reasonable to think that it would be a capitalist society since all of the Senshi were raised in one.

[dogbertcarroll]

I've never heard a thing about the people of CT living any longer than normal with the exception of the senshi.

[Uldihaa]

Knowing that there is an active monarchy actually tells quite a bit. Since a monarchy is A state or government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch that means it can't be a democracy. It seems reasonable to think that it would be a capitalist society since all of the Senshi were raised in one.

It could be a Constitutional Monarchy with an elected Legislative and Judicial branches but an inherited Executive Branch; ala Star Kingdom of Manticore. The fact that there is a Queen that rules doesn't automatically rule out some form of participatory government.

There just isn't enough information in the body of work to make any kind of definitive conclusions. As to the economy, it would depend on just when the Great Freeze occurred. If just after the Senshi graduated school, either high school or college, but before they had worked for a house and possessions, then I'd say a socialist economy would be the most likely; Usagi is often too compassionate for her own good and would probably like the idea of some kind of 'economic equality'. Heck, just knowing how many people actually survived the Great Freeze would have an impact. The higher the number, the more likely it would be capitalist.

[Tovath]

It could be a Constitutional Monarchy with an elected Legislative and Judicial branches but an inherited Executive Branch; ala Star Kingdom of Manticore.

I'm afraid I don't know what that is

There just isn't enough information in the body of work to make any kind of definitive conclusions. As to the economy, it would depend on just when the Great Freeze occurred. If just after the Senshi graduated school, either high school or college, but before they had worked for a house and possessions, then I'd say a socialist economy would be the most likely; Usagi is often too compassionate for her own good and would probably like the idea of some kind of 'economic equality'. Heck, just knowing how many people actually survived the Great Freeze would have an impact. The higher the number, the more likely it would be capitalist.[/quote]

Only if they figure out a way to have a working socialist economy, which I don't believe has been invented yet and none of them have the background needed to create.

[Uldihaa]

Only if they figure out a way to have a working socialist economy, which I don't believe has been invented yet and none of them have the background needed to create.

Well, I was just trying to avoid pointing out that socialism only works on paper so that I, a capitalist, wouldn't offend anyone

As to the Star Kingdom of Manticore, here is a decent write up on it. It's similar to modern-day England, but the King or Queen is much more involved in actively governing the populace; in other words he/she isn't just a figure-head/cultural icon.

[Comartemis]

I'm afraid I don't know what that is

From what I understand, it's basically the setup we have in the United States except you can't impeach the president, which would be a big problem in our current system, but probably not so much with the Good Queen Serenity at the helm.

Only if they figure out a way to have a working socialist economy, which I don't believe has been invented yet and none of them have the background needed to create.

True enough, but if anybody could figure it out (given a few hundred years, which arguably the Senshi have) it would be Ami and a great big pile of books on government, with a little Animal Farm and 1984 thrown in just so she knows what sort of pitfalls to watch out for.