To Struggle and Strive: The Combined Syndicates of America in 1932. A Kaiserreich Quest

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

While I enjoy the name, I am not seeing anything helping the farmers?

Redhead222 said:

While I enjoy the name, I am not seeing anything helping the farmers?

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The point is to get the base set up for that next turn. Empower the congress and get Credit Unions set up for loans to support the farmers by the time the Dust Bowl starts in earnest. Next turn we can focus on specific farmer related aid.

The most important thing this instant is to end the General Strike in a victory so we can refocus our efforts.

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

Feels a tiny bit mercenary like too me but oke.

[x] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl
sounds good to me

I wonder if we should invest some influence in reaching out to Farmer-Labor? Or maybe wait for the Dustbowl to start so we could use it as the basis to form an alliance?

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

Alex the Average said:

I wonder if we should invest some influence in reaching out to Farmer-Labor? Or maybe wait for the Dustbowl to start so we could use it as the basis to form an alliance?

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We definitely want to ally with Farmer-Labor, and that's gonna be one of the things we focus on for next turn. This turn, we're trying to clear up the Strike so we have the freed up influence dice to do stuff like that while doing other programs to prepare for the Dust Bowl.

notbirdofprey said:

And Thomas is going to see the demands of the strike are met. And if he can weaken your opponents politically at the same time, he will.

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Alright so, a bit of a thing if I understand Word of GM correctly. It seems that this means that at least one of Norman Thomas's own 3 Influence will be dedicated towards Demand the Strike Demands.

Even 2 Dice + at minimum 1 Die from Norman (especially if he also contributes his automatic +10 bonus to the roll) would still have a good chance of getting the highest DC, and would free up another Influence to do something else. In which case, what do we want to dedicate it to?

Various state legislatures, alarmed by the storms, are beginning efforts to improve the food supply, despite severe infighting on what the best way to do so is. Suggestions range from taking control of prices to establishing government-run collective farms to subsidizing sustainable farming and mechanization. The actual process of getting these relief bills passed is proving difficult as well.

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1) Condemn Reactionary Judges: The reactionary judges are a big part of what's making it hard to pass these various relief bills. Condemning them this turn at the height of enthusiasm for our cause would likely be a fairly big help in getting relief bills for the Dust Bowl passed.

2) Credit to the Unions: Putting 2 Influence instead of just one on Credit to the Unions would help us get the higher DCs. I believe the plan was to add an Influence to it later, but having it in from the start might be helpful.

3) Veteran Cadres: Veteran Cadres would give a boost and decrease in difficulty to those instilling discipline and other training actions that we really want to take sooner or later. We could get it out of the way now, and it may end up having some synergy with meeting Butler.

4) Pro-Worker Legislation: The iron is still hot here, and the government is still reeling and divided. Pushing this legislation through alongside the Strike Demands could be good synergy and further show how much of a victory the Chicago General Strike has been.

5) Cultural/Intellectual Actions: There's a lot of cultural and intellectual actions we want to get sooner or later, though most of our focus has been occupied by the Strike and looming Dust Bowl. Questions and Answers would be a good one to get out of the way early for example.

There's also Allying with Farmer-Labor, but I'd want to have 2 Influence on that so we have a good chance of getting the highest DC and thus allying with the entirety of Farmer-Labor, rather than just a section of it. I'm personally leaning on either Condemning Judges or Pro-Worker Legislation. Condemning Judges to help with future relief efforts during the Dust Bowl, and Pro-Worker Legislation to strike while the iron's hot and make the Chicago General Strike even more of a triumph.

Condemning reactionary judges could be a good set up for next term / assist Norman and other state legislatiors getting relief laws passed

Well, as there has been no other plans made:

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl v2: Reactionary Condemnation
-[X] Condemn Reactionary Judges: 1 Influence
-[X] Falling Off the Truck: 1 Influence
-[X] Credit to the Unions: 1 Influence
-[X] Demand the Strike Demands: 2 Influence
-[X] A General Problem: 1 Influence
-[X] Increase Power of the Legislative Congress: 1 Influence
-[X] Spend Time With Your Family
-[X] Meet with Thomas

[ ] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl v2: Legislation
-[ ] Falling Off the Truck: 1 Influence
-[ ] Credit to the Unions: 1 Influence
-[ ] Pro-Worker Legislation: 1 Influence
-[ ] Demand the Strike Demands: 2 Influence
-[ ] A General Problem: 1 Influence
-[ ] Increase Power of the Legislative Congress: 1 Influence
-[ ] Spend Time With Your Family
-[ ] Meet with Thomas

[ ] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl v2: Socialist Thought
-[ ] Falling Off the Truck: 1 Influence
-[ ] Credit to the Unions: 1 Influence
-[ ] Demand the Strike Demands: 2 Influence
-[ ] A General Problem: 1 Influence
-[ ] Increase Power of the Legislative Congress: 1 Influence
-[ ] Questions and Answers: 1 Influence
-[ ] Spend Time With Your Family
-[ ] Meet with Thomas

So, here are three slightly different plans that take an Influence off of Strike Demands and into either Condemning Reactionary Judges, Pro-Worker Legislation, and Questions and Answers respectively. For reference, here's the description for those three options:

Condemn Reactionary Judges: The situation in many streets resembles a powder keg. There are gathering crowds, ready to strike. They are growing hungrier. They are growing angrier. Even your soup kitchens can stave that off for so long...and judges are preventing relief. Speaking on this matter will ensure the people's ire is properly directed and may inspire some changes of heart. Cost: Risk of backlash. Time: 1 month. DC: 5/15/30/45/60. Results: Legal challenges for relief laws cleared away.

Pro-Worker Legislation: It would ordinarily be unlikely to pass, at least on a federal level, but demanding it will make a statement in and of itself. And you will not just push this legislation on a federal level. These laws will focus on the things workers have fought for. Better wages, workplace safety, price caps for company stores...with the stroke of a pen, they can be spread across the country, and it will be the SPA that will take the lion's share of the credit. And with the current partial capitulation, it should be relatively easy to pass. Several bills that are at least adequate are already in Congress, although all are intended to die in Committee. Cost: Loss of Relations with the Left. Time: 1 month. DC: 10/15/50. Results: You pass worker-protection laws on the state and possibly federal level and can gain varying amounts of support.

Questions and Answers: There are always a few common refrains against socialism, like that it is un-American, it is undemocratic and will involve socialists stealing your shoes. Answer and rebut these fallacies to help your agitators and organizers counter the narratives of the reactionaries and the establishment. Cost: None. Time: 1 month. DC: 5. Result: Begin countering common attacks against socialism.

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For Reactionary Judges, we're currently operating in an environment where much of the population is angry at the Feds and the Reactionary Judges are probably caught in the crossfire for similar "interfering with relief for the common man" shenanigans, or can easily be tarred with the same brush. Pro-Worker Legislation is still hung out while the government is busy flailing around, so there's a chance to strike there while the iron is hot. Questions and Answers is for helping absorb a lot of the new recruits who don't really know much about Socialism and preventing common attacks from draining our newly increased support base after the initial enthusiasm dies down.

But I'm not quite sure which we want more. I kinda lean on condemning Reactionary Judges a bit? To make sure they can't interfere with our relief efforts any further.

@Doctor Elsewhere You wrote up the initial plan. Do you have any opinion on this?

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl v2: Reactionary Condemnation
-[X] Condemn Reactionary Judges: 1 Influence
-[X] Falling Off the Truck: 1 Influence
-[X] Credit to the Unions: 1 Influence
-[X] Demand the Strike Demands: 2 Influence
-[X] A General Problem: 1 Influence
-[X] Increase Power of the Legislative Congress: 1 Influence
-[X] Spend Time With Your Family
-[X] Meet with Thomas

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl v2: Reactionary Condemnation

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl v2: Reactionary Condemnation

Oh goddamnit, it turns out that I was mistaken on how Subordinate Influence works. We still need to make sure we push through the highest DC on our own rolls, rather than being helped by Norman's.

With that in mind, I'm pushing my vote back towards...

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

Sorry for the colossal misunderstanding.

For the absolute maximum effect, yes.

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

Yeah, i want the best outcome possible for the Strike

[X] Plan: Finish the Strike, Prepare for Dust Bowl

Falling Off the Truck: 63 vs DC 15/30/45/60
Credit to the Unions: 68 vs DC 0/30/60/90
Demand the Strike Demands: 218(Nat 100) vs DC 25/60/120

Massive overkill on Demand the Strike Demands, but better overkill than under for that.