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

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SyndIntern Abilities
  • Informational
    • NameFlavor TextCost (Relations)Effect
    Smuggle Foreign CurrencyReserves of precious metals and more stable American-used currencies such as yen and marks can be smuggled in through a variety of methods, either by incredibly favorable deals for open transactions or through concealing the transportation of such valuables for hidden ones.-5+10 Resources
    Syndicalist SpiesThe Third Internationale has many skilled agitators, organizers, and infiltrators in their ranks, all of whom who could be tasked to aid you.-5Gain +20 to the next 4 uses of Union Organizers, Covert Union Organizers, Agitators, and Sending Spies, improved impact of these actions.
    Enforce Party DisciplineThe Syndintern is officially a forum for allowing unions and parties to communicate and collaborate as equals, but the British and French syndicalist parties have immense weight. To quell factionalism and disruption in the ranks, they can be asked to intervene in the affairs of the SPA and CSA.-5Gain +5 Relations with all SPA factions, temporarily reduce the impact of controversial decisions, overuse may have consequences
    Smuggle Small ArmsThe booming, worker-run industries of France and Britain can easily supply their armies. And supplying yours will be little trouble.-5Gain +10 to the next 6 logistics or combat-based Militant actions, improved impact of these actions, improved capabilities of the Red Guards
    Supply Heavy WeaponsThe booming, worker-run industries of France and Britain can easily supply their armies. And supplying yours will be little trouble.-10Gain +20 to the next 4 logistics or combat-based Militant actions, improved impact of these actions, improved capabilities of the Red Guards
    Artillery DonationsThe booming, worker-run industries of France and Britain can easily supply their armies. And supplying yours will be little trouble.-20Gain +30 to the next 2 logistics or combat-based Militant actions, improved impact of these actions, improved capabilities of the Red Guards
    Establish Underground ContactsDiplomatic immunity and practical experience allow Syndintern representatives to make contact with those you cannot in places you cannot reach.-10Gain +30 to the next 4 uses of Covert Union Organizers and Sending Spies, improved impact of these actions.
    Provide Military TrainersThere are many experienced and disciplined soldiers willing and eager to advise and improve the Red Guards.-10Gain +20 to the next 4 training or recruitment based Militant actions, improved impact of these actions, improved capabilities of the Red Guards
    Propaganda SupportThe propaganda engines of the Commune of France and the Union of Britain are mighty and powerful, working day and night to free the minds of workers from the chains of capitalism. They are waiting eagerly to support your struggles with words and images.-10Increase growth of support, gain +15 to all propaganda design or creation actions for 3 months.
    Economic ExpertiseThe syndicalist nations of the world are already familiar with the challenges of reorganizing and rebuilding an economy. Call on that expertise to help convert yours to run on principles of democracy and efficiency.-20Gain +25 to agricultural and industrial union actions for 3 months, increase in effectiveness of these actions, increase in income.
    Economic AidRaw materials and industrial equipment will be vital to the efforts of the SPA. Both of these can be supplied by your contacts in the Syndintern.-15+30 Resources
    Encourage Voluntary AssistanceThe shining beacons of syndicalism reveal what is possible through revolution. And those shining beacons can persuade others to sacrifice in order to follow in their path.-15+2 Temporary Influence
    Place Diplomatic PressureThe Union and the Commune are not the great powers they once were with their empires at their back, but their strength is nevertheless significant, and the threat of the Third Internationale's displeasure is no small thing for such a weakened, divided nation, or for the politicians in it.-25Gain +75 to one Political action. Severe danger if overused.
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  • Informational
    • Scheduled vote count started by notbirdofprey on Sep 15, 2021 at 11:25 PM, finished with 18 posts and 13 votes.
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    • Scheduled vote count started by notbirdofprey on Sep 15, 2021 at 11:25 PM, finished with 18 posts and 13 votes.
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  • Voting
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    June 1934 Results Pt. 2
  • Threadmarks
    • There have been many times when you have needed to speak with Daniel Tobin. Each time, you traveled to him, to the heart of his power in Minneapolis. In some years, that's been the headquarters of the Teamster's Union. In others, it's been a fine restaurant where the waiters knew him by name. This year, it would have been the city hall.

    But you have a point to make, so you don't go to him. You are sitting at your desk, writing busily, signing orders and scratching down notes for a planned speech. Flora ushers him in. You don't look up as you thank her, still busily writing.

    And writing.

    And writing.

    After a few minutes, he coughs.

    And you keep writing.
    Finally, he stands up. "I can see you are busy, I will be back later," he says.

    "Sit down, comrade. I have some questions for you!"

    Your voice fills the room. You aren't loud, you aren't shouting. Your tone is perfectly mild. But all the same, Tobin hears the snap of the whip in your words and sits down so fast the chair slides back across the carpet.

    "There have been some financial irregularities in the records of the Teamster's Union. Which would be acceptable, everyone skims sometimes. And you can't always use union funds to support Red Guards or some of our other initiatives."

    You look up for the first time and slide a single page of the records in question across to him. A single line is circled three times in black ink.

    "But that doesn't mean I am going to tolerate you taking money from the Feds."

    Tobin swallows. "I can explain, it's not what it looks like," he promises.

    "Get on with it."

    He begins speaking quickly but not frantically.

    He starts telling a tale of a rebellious subordinate working to frame him. All the while, you stare at him, eyes cold and face frozen.

    Against your unrelenting determination, his usual smoothness avails him nothing and he soon abandons it. His words become frantic as he stumbles over them, and he keeps calling you by your name as he claims it was an effort at stealing from the Feds.

    "I didn't keep a promise I made to them, Jack, you believe me right? I bilked them out of thousands of dollars and put half of it into the Red Guards, Jack, I swear."

    You don't blink.

    "If you try and break me, I'll break you right back. I know every dirty secret in this organization, what happens when I spill them all?" he rails.

    He begins stomping back and forth. "You think your revolution is going to fix anything? There's always going to be the poor, there's always going to be the people keeping them poor. It's not going to change anything. In another hundred years, there will be another bunch of deluded bastards trying to fix everything with their guns."

    He whirls, glaring. "You might make it a little better but it won't last. There will always be people like me, Jack. You won't win."

    Having spilled his bile he sits back, daring you to respond.

    You give a speech of your own, full of passion and fury. You pace across the room, you shake your fist, you rage and roar and proclaim the inevitability of the triumph of the working class.

    "There may well need to be another revolution! There may need to be a thousand of them! But each and every day the evils of the world grow weaker, and soon the final conflict will be at its end!"

    And as you speak you consider what shall be done with Tobin.

    [] Cities can be dangerous places.
    -[] Schenk should have a "conversation" with him first.
    [] A public people's tribunal, and then execution. The simplest approach, although one that will generate an outcry.
    -[] Schenk should have a "conversation" with him first.
    [] Have him arrested and tried for corruption. He may reveal that dirty laundry he threatened, and there's no guarantee he will be found guilty
    -[] Reveal that he has been working with the Feds as part of the trial.
    -[] Schenk should have a "conversation" with him first.
    [] Do your best to get him thrown out of office. Given how much influence he has, he might well manage to survive it.
    -[] Reveal he has been working with the Feds as part of the political struggle.
    [] Send him back to Minneapolis, with a couple friendly RevDef men.
    -[] Schenk should have a "conversation" with him first.
    [] Write-in
     
  • Threadmarks
    • If I'm reading the wording and insinuations correctly, our choices are having him discretely killed, giving him a kangaroo trial, giving him a legitimate trial, attempting to strip him of office, and what is effectively exile or maybe just letting him go but with a message of "I'm watching you".

    Though does "conversation" in this context mean torture and interrogation or blackmail and threats? Or perhaps both.
     
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    Schenk should have a "conversation" with him first.

    we need to find out how deep the rot goes..

    A public people's tribunal, and then execution. The simplest approach, although one that will generate an outcry.

    Edit: or
    [x] Cities can be dangerous places.
    -[x] Schenk should have a "conversation" with him first.
     
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    [X] Cities can be dangerous places.

    A public trial will give him a chance to turn this into an all-SPA fight. Though to be fair... even his own men wouldn't sympathize with him, in theory:

    "Led by Daniel J. Tobin and several other major union leaders, they are highly involved with their communities, determined to spread the cause of syndicalism by any means neccessary, not afraid to get their hands dirty...and often deeply corrupt, or at least willing to roll around in the mud with those who are. They tend to have many friends among other factions, which gives them somewhat outsize influence."
     
    Torture doesn't extract information, only confessions, and it degrades everyone involved, including the humanity of the one doing it. Abso-fucking-lutely not. Execute him on the spot if you want to, but torture does nothing except justify and normalize brutality and sadism.
     
    [X] Cities can be dangerous places.

    Tobin should hang for this, but the party has consistently demonstrated that it's one major crisis away from fracturing. The intense turmoil that would come from his very justified execution would be more trouble than he's worth. So I'll settle for having him have a tragic accident on his way back to Minneapolis.
     
    [X] Have him arrested and tried for corruption. He may reveal that dirty laundry he threatened, and there's no guarantee he will be found guilty
    -[X] Reveal that he has been working with the Feds as part of the trial.

    It may provoke a crisis, but we need to cut out the rot within the movement. This is about more than just one man—it's about sending a message to everyone who's considering selling out the cause.

    Assassinating him doesn't solve the root of the problem, torturing him is pointlessly cruel, and giving him a show trial will anger those he has influence with and undercut the core point we're trying to make. We need to put Tobin up on the stand and demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt what he's guilty of and why that makes him a traitor to the cause.

    (As for our dirty laundry, I doubt we even have much for him to reveal—but even if we do, it's a small price to pay for ensuring that we're really fighting for what we say we are.)
     
    [X] Have him arrested and tried for corruption. He may reveal that dirty laundry he threatened, and there's no guarantee he will be found guilty
    -[X] Reveal that he has been working with the Feds as part of the trial.
     
    [] Have him arrested and tried for corruption. He may reveal that dirty laundry he threatened, and there's no guarantee he will be found guilty
    -[] Reveal that he has been working with the Feds as part of the trial.

    Edit: Changed vote.
     
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    [X] Have him arrested and tried for corruption. He may reveal that dirty laundry he threatened, and there's no guarantee he will be found guilty
    -[X] Reveal that he has been working with the Feds as part of the trial.
     
    [X] Have him arrested and tried for corruption. He may reveal that dirty laundry he threatened, and there's no guarantee he will be found guilty
    -[X] Reveal that he has been working with the Feds as part of the trial.

    After some thought, for now I'm thinking that internal assassination like this sets a very bad precedent. So, arrest it is.

    Mind, I'm always indecisive when it comes to votes like this.
    DocMatoi said:
    @notbirdofprey if we do the discrete death, can we frame the feds or long?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I'd really rather not. If we're gonna do murder, let's not try anything fancy that might backfire on us.
     
    [X] Cities can be dangerous places.

    We can't risk splitting the party with a public trial. But he cannot be allowed to sell us out any further. He'll be interrogated regardless, as per the QM, so.
     
    I don't think we should engage in political murder of corrupt party members. It sets a bad precedent. A trial may hurt but it also drags him through the mud too and shows that we won't tolerate that.
     
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