ISOT The Community (The Giver) To Lincoln County, Nevada

[Zyobot]

Lois Lowry's 1993 novel, The Giver, portrays a collectivist, futuristic, altogether-foreign society simply known as The Community. Its residents live sanitized, planned-out lives and by stringent (even dictatorial) laws dictated by the Chief Elders. Precision of language, telling one's family unit their dreams at breakfast, and a formal apology for every interruption are just some of the bizarre rules that virtually all citizens must follow — all on penalty of being released into Elsewhere.

However, while we real-life readers might find the Community to be one heck of a strange place, we're still able to comprehend them. The Community residents trying to comprehend us, on the other hand, is a completely different story. So, what would happen if the Community were suddenly sent to Lincoln County, NV on January 1st, 2023?

Thank you in advance,
Zyobot

 

[Agent23]

Whatever advanced tech they might have, the USA/NATO/Normal Humanity's numerical superiority will eventually be the deciding factor.

That or a few tac nukes.

A wierdo cult with advanced tech popping up in the middle of the USA is not something the alphabet soup agencies will take lying down, and given their outlook I doubt the Community will be overly-eager to play nicely with their new neighbors.

This is a place that I fully endorse being carpet-bombed and white phosphorous and depleted uranium-shelled into freedom and democracy.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Technically the Community is kind of a sovereign community IMHO. The US Government would probably enforce a cordon around said community and since it's in Nevada it shouldn't be hard to do. Also the Community doesn't seem to be too large. It's not tiny but the number of births per year is apparently in the lower end of the double digits so a properly established cordon can probably be set up.

As for any intervention, that's for the State Department and US Government Executive to decide, not any sort of law enforcement body (outside of Customs & Border Protection). No need for NATO intervention or tactical nukes IMHO or any other sort of genocide for having disagreeable cultural mores. The Community never seemed to be particularly expansionist or aggressive. The only major issue (beyond the ISOT/teleportation itself of a city from another world) would be how to deal with the occasional refugee since that's apparently a thing.

There'd be more interest in the how the Community appeared as opposed to the Community itself and enacting arbitrary genocide on it wouldn't serve the purpose of investigating the former.

 

[Zyobot]

Technically the Community is kind of a sovereign community IMHO. The US Government would probably enforce a cordon around said community and since it's in Nevada it shouldn't be hard to do. Also the Community doesn't seem to be too large. It's not tiny but the number of births per year is apparently in the lower end of the double digits so a properly established cordon can probably be set up.

As for any intervention, that's for the State Department and US Government Executive to decide, not any sort of law enforcement body (outside of Customs & Border Protection). No need for NATO intervention or tactical nukes IMHO or any other sort of genocide for having disagreeable cultural mores. The Community never seemed to be particularly expansionist or aggressive. The only major issue (beyond the ISOT/teleportation itself of a city from another world) would be how to deal with the occasional refugee since that's apparently a thing.

There'd be more interest in the how the Community appeared as opposed to the Community itself and enacting arbitrary genocide on it wouldn't serve the purpose of investigating the former.

Thanks for posting. Figured the answer would look something like this, including the President being notified and federal forces being sent in.

Mostly, I'm curious about how the Community itself will react? If there’s any time they needed to look to the Receiver of Memory for guidance, it'd be now — though even then, he may not be qualified to introduce them to US culture and law specifically.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Thanks for posting. Figured the answer would look something like this, including the President being notified and federal forces being sent in.

Mostly, I'm curious about how the Community itself will react? If there’s any time they needed to look to the Receiver of Memory for guidance, it'd be now — though even then, he may not be qualified to introduce them to US culture and law specifically.

Yeah in the novel they stated how they had the capability to shoot down an airplane that overflew their territory in the novel but The Giver persuaded them not to because that could cause more conflict down the line. There's really no details that I can remember (it has been a very long time since I read the novel) but The Community does have its own aircraft and from implication... I'm assuming some sort of anti-aircraft or surface to air missile capability. It is a futuristic setting after all.

But I doubt they'd try and be aggressive or proactive even while Federal troops establish a cordon and I think their current Receiver would advise them to not be confrontational. The Community was sustained by farms and fisheries however and at a glance I don't think Lincoln County, Nevada is the best place for the former, and certainly is not for the latter AFAIK. And if The Community can't feed itself then it will have to get the food from abroad which means there would have to be a restructuring of their Utopia since the only ways to get food from abroad is by importing it, either via donation or trade or something. Regardless of how, it'll require the Community to shift the labor duties of their already tightly regimented society.

I would imagine the Community would try and self-isolate themselves from the greater world as much as practical as well regardless of the situation.

 

[Wishing Whale]

It depends on where it is really and how self supportive it is.

Of course it will eventually be found, and they probably couldn't defend themselves.

Ever been there? It's really deserety, I stayed in Pioche sometimes with my great aunt, I guess when my parents wanted to especially make me appreciate home.

I'd feel like I wasn't on Earth anymore.

 

[Wishing Whale]

Whatever advanced tech they might have, the USA/NATO/Normal Humanity's numerical superiority will eventually be the deciding factor.

That or a few tac nukes.

A wierdo cult with advanced tech popping up in the middle of the USA is not something the alphabet soup agencies will take lying down, and given their outlook I doubt the Community will be overly-eager to play nicely with their new neighbors.

This is a place that I fully endorse being carpet-bombed and white phosphorous and depleted uranium-shelled into freedom and democracy.

I doubt anything like that would happen, most likely you'd see a worldwide ban on genetically engineering humans, and then cases on if they actually are.

Sentient people, sure but courts would decide the rest.

And most likely they'd want something of their own little community.

 

[Husky_Khan]

I'd feel like I wasn't on Earth anymore.

During my time as a Courier I travelled around that part of the territory a fair bit. It was a Wild Wasteland for sure. And arid heat made me wish for Nuclear Winter.