Jack of Harts

The Northern Mariana Islands are American, which means they must abide by the Constitution, but they have the most business-friendly laws of any American jurisdiction, and they constantly push the edges of Constitutional protections of individual rights. Make no mistake. They are not Socialist Hell Holes where individual rights fade under the banner of supporting the great “collective good,” but the businesses that write their laws are much more concerned with their own profits than anything else. Including, in many cases, the employees that live on their islands. They are always stretching to see what extra profit they can generate, or which laws or Constitutional protections can be…rationalized with appropriate corporate verbiage. Which is why every single civil rights organization, both public and private, in America keeps a tight eye on every single Mariana Island. Most islands may not offer extended civil rights on their territory, but God help any corporation that outright violates Constitutional civil rights of any kind.

The Northern Mariana Islands are famous for being the home of New Hong Kong and its various business interests. Their central government is largely funded by minimal taxes from New Hong Kong and the other business enclaves spread throughout the island chain, but to call any government of Mariana central is a bit of a misnomer. It is a Commonwealth of islands that prosper under the protection of the United States garrison on Guam and have little need to project any power of their own. So each island is effectively a law onto its own. And the law on most islands belongs to the majority shareholder that effectively owns the island. It is a feather in any corporation’s hat to own a Mariana Island, lock stock and barrel, partially because it make the mailing address rather short on their business cards. Company Name, Mariana Islands, Earth. Also, it is rather nice to own the law in your own backyard.

New Hong Kong is a crowning jewel of Micronesia and all of Pacifica. Their business is business, much like Hong Kong of old, and all major international corporations maintain at least an office in their skyscrapers to better negotiate business deals or potential funding. Many lease permanent space in the massive harbors built all around Tinian and other nearby islands for transshipping cargo from all over the world, and their proximity to Australia’s Jayapura Elevator that they helped fund gives them easy access to the interplanetary and interstellar trade routes as well. They practice a laissez-faire free market with minimal government intrusion, and have long made it a practice to lend or gift money and other resources to any business venture they think has a good chance of succeeding. They are even extremely lenient when ventures fail. They never forgive the debts, mind you, but they do not break kneecaps until they get repaid. That would be uncivilized. But there is no declaring bankruptcy on a debt to a New Hong Kong businessman, and a failure today may make themselves a fortune tomorrow. New Hong Kong is willing to wait for such fortunes to rise, which has greatly helped their own fortunes as lifespans have increased over the centuries.