ADVENT: Organizations

The Congress of Nations

"ADVENT is a democracy on paper. In practice…well, it depends how much you actually trust them."

- Anonymous Internet Comment

Battlemaster,

While most of us are familiar with much of the ADVENT military and administration, there is one aspect that has, up to this point, been overlooked. The Congress of Nations is the primary legislative organization for ADVENT, and while it is not obvious, they can have a significant impact on ADVENT itself; which could ultimately affect our own operations against them.

To my surprise, it is rather difficult to get hard information on what exactly the legislation is that they pass. Unlike many previous democratic bodies, the majority of their sessions are not open to the public, and they have heavy screening and require blood samples each time one enters their Capital Building, which is ironically the former United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland.

Conventional infiltration is also impractical due to the extreme amount of security surrounding the building, which includes but is certainly not limited to Peacekeeper Divisions, ADVENT Military guards, an unknown number of MDUs, ADVENT Intelligence agents, and I suspect the entire city is covered by snipers. In addition to that, we do have proof that some of the 'aides' seen wandering the building are ADVENT Intelligence in disguise, and in all honesty, we do not know just how many government workers are legitimate, or disguised agents.

This level of security extends to the Congressmen and women as well. Every single one has a full detail of the ADVENT Protection Service soldiers, as well as at least one ADVENT Intelligence handler, with an unknown number either tracking them or in their everyday entourage. Their places of residence are outfitted with the best security systems in place, and a minimum of four Peacekeepers as guards.

Needless to say, that means that the ADVENT Congress is considered important.

The structure of the Congress appears to be inspired by the former United States Congress, albeit with some notable changes. The first of which is that each ADVENT member nation has exactly one representative, and only one. There are no offsetting bodies either; the Congress is the only legislative organization in ADVENT, and all introduced legislation passes or dies. That which passes is sent to the Chancellor for signing into law.

From what we have been able to gather, there are no special privileges or exceptions for any country. Every single one has equal weight and voice, no matter their size or population. It also seems to be adaptable to expansion, and there are procedures in place for the addition of new ADVENT member nations.

What is uniquely odd about this institution is that it is not easy to classify exactly what form of government this falls under. Each member of the Congress is elected (Although the first iteration is appointed for obvious reasons – this is planned to be addressed in special elections over the next two years), yet every single candidate that runs for any position in government decided by voting has to be approved by the ADVENT Election Oversight, which means that ADVENT is specifically approving each and every candidate who is in a position of influence.

I am not sure how democratic this can be classified as, even if ADVENT is not interfering beyond simple approval. Then there is the overall secrecy within the Congress itself. The legislation has mostly been of minimal importance to us, but each one was announced not only when it passed the Congress, but when it was signed into law by Chancellor Vyandar. I will remind you that the Congress were the ones to authorize the Annexation of Canada, and this was presumably done weeks ago.

Gaining access to the Congress would give us a valuable look into what ADVENT is actually planning, and will allow us to begin counter-operations or sabotage against them. However, outside of Quisilia or using a Special Operator, I do not see a feasible way of infiltrating the Congress at this time. Nevertheless, it should be a clear priority.

- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

"I've been doing similar jobs for a long time; I ran tours for the White House, Pentagon, and Capitol Building. It's something I'm extremely passionate about; sharing and educating people on the history and function of these institutions is something I love doing. So when ADVENT asked if I'd be willing to do the same for the ADVENT Congressional Capitol, I said yes."

"The Congress of Nations isn't anything like the United States Congress, aside from having the same word in their name, and the fact that they were both legislative bodies. The United States Congress had a lot of security, but there was a lot you could show people without compromising national security. That isn't really the case with ADVENT."

"They didn't tell me, but I know there was talk about if they should even allow this, and I suppose they ultimately decided it couldn't hurt…with some restrictions. For one thing, getting through the door is a challenge that is off-putting to some people. ADVENT is paranoid about alien infiltrators, and requires that every single person give a blood sample before entering, and they cannot have any kind of electronic devices, or carry bags within the building without authorization."

"And no, there are no exceptions, not even for medical reasons. Unless you literally need it to survive, you aren't getting through with anything except the clothes on your back. If you don't like it, ADVENT will escort you off the premises, and if you begin protesting, then they take you away for what I can only assume is a 'debriefing.' It happened once to a family that absolutely refused to have their blood taken, and they were promptly taken away by the Peacekeepers there. Continuing on with the normal tour after that was…not easy."

"For the actual tour itself? I would not be surprised if quite a few people found it…unsettling. There are soldiers and ADVENT Intelligence everywhere, and every single tour is quite literally under armed military guard, with two smiling Intelligence agents tailing you in the background, also visibly armed. I've learned to sort of tune them out, but I have to talk for a bit before the uneasiness fades away entirely."

"When the tour actually gets into it, I personally feel better. The history of the Geneva Office is fascinating to me, and is the one thing that's actually normal about the Congress now. But that ends when someone inevitably asks if we're going to the chambers themselves and I have to explain that we're not, and then begin explaining how the Congress works, and it's usually at this point I can tell if people are paying attention or not."

"Why? Because to a lot of people…the Congress is suspicious. It's extremely secretive, and while I do have to spin that in a more positive light…well, considering the armed soldiers every ten feet, the entrance requirements, and the extremely linear tour, where we don't even exit the hallways, there is something profoundly wrong about what the Congress is. It doesn't feel like a group of democratically elected officials, but another secretive wing of ADVENT that controls what happens in your life."

"People are educated when they come here, but I'm not convinced that is a necessarily positive thing. I'm sure the Congress has their reasons, but it wouldn't kill them to be a little more transparent."

- Michael Ginsberg, Tour Guide for the ADVENT Congress of Nations, to Journalist Jessica Wong

New York Times Op-Ed: The Question of the Congress of Nations

While investigating the intricacies in the secretive Congress of Nations, there are several questions that emerge, and new revelations come to light. Why the secrecy? Why the paranoia? Why the lack of transparency? At some point many of the questions boil down to a question of influence. ADVENT wants the Congress to do its job without being tainted by outside influences, and this is their means of accomplishing that.

I've tried repeatedly to get interviews with Congressmen, and each time ADVENT has granted my request, provided I was, of course, willing to undergo extensive background checks and have my financial records investigated by ADVENT Intelligence. The price seemed too steep, and I ultimately declined because giving up my privacy to ADVENT seemed like too high a price for a simple interview.

Which then raised a point that not many have noticed: The Congress has almost no media presence whatsoever. When news media talks about ADVENT, they are generally referring to the Executive Branch, which is headed by the Chancellor, and naturally gets the most attention. Yet they rarely, if ever, discuss the Congress of Nations, arguably the most influential branch of the government. Why?

After my own encounters with Congress, I wanted to know just how others who'd interviewed them had achieved that, and if they had been subjected to the same requirements I was. And I have yet to find an actual TV interview with a Congressman present; the rare times the Congress is discussed, they bring an aide or attaché of a Congressman whose insight almost always is 'I can neither confirm nor deny'.

The Congress appears to only interact with the media through pre-planned press conferences where the Speaker of Congress announces the legislation passed and signed into law by the Chancellor, and a high-level idea of where the Congress will focus next. No additional details are given, and he takes no questions afterwards. Every single time he is accompanied by two in-uniform ADVENT Intelligence agents and an entourage of ADVENT Protection Service personnel.

It is well-documented at this point that the Congress Building has a level of security that not even the Pentagon had, and simple Congressmen are protected better than the President of the United States ever was. If that isn't an indication of just how valuable the Congress is to ADVENT, then I don't know what is.

The very existence of this controlled and secretive body has drastically affected how nations are influenced in ADVENT. I once inquired why a country like Israel had the exact same legislative power as a country like the United States, and if it was fair that it be the case, and the answer I received was fascinating.

"That depends on what you define as 'fair'. At some point Humanity must move past the antiquated systems of the past and realize that we are all Human, regardless of where we are born. The Congress of Nations is just that. What is the point of such a body if it will simply be dominated by the major powers as it was in the United Nations? We did not want this to be the Congress of the United States, Russia and Germany, but one of nations, each having an equal voice and authority they did not possess before."

"ADVENT is one body now, and discriminating against a country simply because it is small is not acceptable, as they should have equal say in how ADVENT is governed on the national level. Is it fair that Delaware had the same level of influence as Texas in the United States Senate? It is the same here, and if it means that a vote from Armenia is of equal weight to one from the United States, then so be it."

That illustrates quite clearly how ADVENT perceives regional population differences in the Congress. It is an interesting stance to take, and did appear to be in direct response to the former United Nations being dominated by the three superpowers of the United States, Russia, and China, not to mention the seven nations on the Security Council having complete veto power.

If there is one thing the Congress cannot be completely criticized for, it is that the corruption that plagued old governments appears to have been completely eradicated. Bribery and embezzlement results in immediate arrest and prosecution; lobbyists have been neutered and rendered powerless; it is illegal to donate to election campaigns; and there are established standards for even qualifying for any government office.

Yet this has been replaced by a different form of corruption. Every single candidate is approved by ADVENT itself. The voting population is not getting a choice between different candidates, but between candidates who have only minimal differences at best. While this does have the effect of weeding out religious extremists, science-deniers, and criminals, at the same time it means that anyone truly wishing to enact change in ADVENT will likely never be allowed.

You cannot change ADVENT through legislation; they control the Congress, now and forever.

"You're brave to even be talking with me right now. Most people stop after they see the requirements. I know of your work, and if ADVENT is letting you speak to me, then I'm personally impressed. You've not exactly put out stuff that paints them in a good light."

"But yes, you wanted to talk about me. Understand that I can't give you specifics about what we're working on, but I can give you insight into how the process works here. The truth is, no matter how much some people will refuse to believe it, Congress isn't nearly as nefarious as is rumored. The level of secrecy is both a security precaution, and to keep our integrity intact. I was part of the United States Senate for nearly a decade, and I suppose going from that to this would be jarring for many who are used to democratic bodies."

"What is important to realize is that Congress is still very much democratic, but if I may say so, much more effective. We're not being told what to do by ADVENT, although some will not believe it. But I don't think people realize just how difficult it really is to even be chosen for this position."

"How difficult? Well, Mrs. Wong, if you are a Congressman in the Congress of Nations, you have no privacy anymore. Every single device you own has ADVENT Intelligence monitoring programs installed on it, your bank account is controlled by ADVENT, and who you are allowed to even talk to has to be approved by Election Oversight. Before even accepting the job, you are thoroughly investigated. Your friends, family, anyone who knows you on a friendly level is interrogated and if you have anything more than a parking ticket, you're being rejected."

"Funnily enough, there were several former US Congressmen who also tried to get my job, and they were promptly arrested after ADVENT found they had accepted bribes from telecom companies. I'm of the mind that the person who wrote the guidelines for Congress was from the United States, because many of the new rules seem to directly address issues in the previous system…in an admittedly harsh way."

"The reason we don't have privacy isn't because ADVENT is looking for blackmail material on us, but to make sure we aren't being illegally influenced. As you personally know, everyone who has to even meet with me has to pass thorough investigations. All of us have to wear listening devices, and if we are offered any sort of incentive to vote a certain way…well, we have to report the offending individual and have proof to put them away. Lobbying isn't really a thing anymore, and at best these people are reduced to giving out potential ideas."

"Since ADVENT has control of election funds, people can't offer donations as a subtle form of bribe. It's rather liberating. No more fundraisers, no more empty promises, no more lies. ADVENT has systematically weeded out people who are only in it for the power or greed, and even if not…well, people like that don't last here. They slip up, and ADVENT is just waiting for a reason to remove you."

"Is Congress incorruptible? I don't believe anything is, but it is almost impossible to influence a Congressmen now. We have freedom to vote how we want, and we all work closely with our respective Head of State; in my case, President Treduant. It's a steep personal price to pay, but the result is a Congress with integrity, which is something I don't think can be said for many government institutions."

"That should give you some insight into how rigorous the standards are to enter, but I know you're also curious as to how the Congress functions. Well, it isn't quite a simple as drafting legislation, introducing it, and voting on it, as it was in the United States. Back then, if a bill affected a certain part, we didn't actually have to consult with people who were in it. The smart ones did, but it wasn't mandated."

"That isn't the case here. From the conception of the bill, we are working with whatever Agency is most affected by it. So, for example, if there was a bill on healthcare, the bill would be drafted with the help of the Department of Health and Medical Resources. If they determine that the legislation would be detrimental to them, they have the authority to throw it out. However, they have to provide documented reasons for why that is the case, and have it reviewed by Internal Affairs and Oversight."

"So, assuming that your first draft is good, you then move on to a committee where additional issues are raised on it, but that is largely a formality as most assume the larger issues are dealt with in the drafting stage. Unless you've done a really bad job, it will pass. Then it will actually go to the chamber floor for debate, which is split into two parts."

"The first part is the interrogation on the validity and usefulness of the bill itself. The author and Agency representative are interrogated on specifics, and the Congress has the authority to call in additional experts for second opinions. Provided nothing is rejected that isn't easily fixable, the debate itself will happen and at the end, there will be a vote."

"If it passes, then it goes to the Chancellor, who will either sign it or veto it. Although in the case of a veto, there has to be an evidence-based reason behind it, otherwise the Judicial Branch can overrule the veto without the need for a majority Congress vote. Vetoing based on ideology isn't something that is allowed anymore."

"How are the people? Very pleasant to work with, actually. It's refreshing to have competent colleagues for once, and there is a measure of satisfaction I can take from working with a functioning branch of government again. There aren't any extremists anymore or partisan loyalists. Everyone is focused on making ADVENT the most powerful force one the planet, and based on our work so far, I think we are well on our way to achieving that."

- Congressman William Rivian to Journalist Jessica Wong in a sanctioned interview