Spotlight on:

“Leave Us Alone.”

The Allied States of Reed Audio is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Foreman with an iron fist, and notable for its unlimited-speed roads. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 4.956 billion are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded individuals juggles the competing demands of the Environment, Law & Order, and Commerce. Income tax is unheard of. A powerhouse of a private sector is dominated by the Soda Sales industry.

Thieves are flogged in public for their crimes, Reed Audio's navy has been named the scourge of the seven thousand seas, the government has cut its subsidies for all special interest groups, and anti-government web sites are springing up. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is pervasive. Reed Audio's national animal is the whale, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the silver.

Reed Audio is ranked 29th in the region and 910th in the world for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry.