Attempting to Fulfil The Plan: ISOT Edition

Turn 9 (12AE Trimester 3): And So Begins The Final Drama Results
345+10+20-50 Quarantine-30 Mobilization-10 Verification-10 Incentives=275 Resources Per Turn, 0 In Storage
79-5=74 Political Support

Mycenae, 12 AE

Over the past few months, smallpox has continued to spread, although the worst part of the epidemic now seems to be over. Vaccination with cowpox does not provide anything like complete immunity, and while you were able to escape infection your daughter, Julia, was at death's door for weeks and is now covered with scars which will likely be with her for the rest of her life. Many others were not so lucky, especially among those who still cannot receive a nutritionally complete diet every day, or were young or old.

Just two months after the liberation of New Arizona began, the enemy has been nearly completely destroyed and preliminary reconstruction work can begin. While significant amounts of its economic output cannot be used for state purposes for at least the next few months, work can begin on basic reconstruction work in at least some capacity. Due to the massive gap between the development of the Peloponnese and the newly liberated territories, the decision has been made to create a new ministry specifically for the reconstruction and development of the area.

Minister of the Liberated Territories:

[]Sara Davis: Currently a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Davis was a construction worker before the Event who very rarely did paperwork. After fleeing the New American Republic, however, she quickly gained skill in managing workers and materials and educating others on more modern techniques, and now spends far more time with a pen in her hands than a hammer. Still, some are suspicious of her due to some of her family being planters in the former NAR, or because she did not graduate high school despite her current abilities. (-5 Political Support to take as Minister)
-Maoist
-Infrastructure focus

[]Lydia Ward: A teacher who earned a Doctorate of Education a few years before the Event, she has been instrumental in creating many of the Republic's textbooks and has ran much of the administrative side of our education programs. She has proven very capable in her role, but has little experience with non-education tasks and is quite valuable in her current role. However, she would be very useful in more rapidly bringing the state of education in the Liberated Territories up to the level of the rest of the Republic.
-Maoist
-Education focus

[]Thomas Yates: Currently one of the overseers of the Kópos coal mine, he was in the second year of a civil engineering degree before the Event cut his studies short. He has been one of the biggest advocates for the immediate construction of a modernized city for the miners, and in the interim has been frantically organizing the construction of makeshift shacks for the miners and their families.
-Maoist
-Heavy Industry focus

[]Natasha Tyler: The current Deputy Minister of Chemical Industry, Tyler is distinguished from the other candidates by actually having a previous ministry position. A background in nursing will be useful in prioritizing programs to reduce deaths from malnutrition-related diseases in the short term and population health improvements in the long term, and her experience in running the administrative side of the chemical industry ministry will be applicable to most other areas.
-Maoist
-Healthcare focus

[]Glaukos son of Augewas: A former servant for the Wanax of Mycenae who was part of the conspiracy that led to the creation of the Republic from almost the beginning, he has become an avid learner and was rapidly appointed to a bureaucratic position in the Ministry of Agriculture. While appointing a Downtimer to such a technical position will attract some criticism, he will have advisors to rely on for topics he does not know about and will offer a perspective less alien to most of our citizens than an American would.
-Maoist
-Agriculture Focus
-Actual downtime farming experience (Proposals for dealing with the famine and gaining support from the peasantry will be more effective, as either the Minister or Deputy Minister)
-No Formal Education (-5 to all Liberated Territories dice if chosen as minister, no malus if chosen as Deputy Minister)
-Energetic and Eager to Learn (Malus decays by 1 per turn)

Deputy Minister of the Liberated Territories:

[]Sara Davis: Currently a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Davis was a construction worker before the Event who very rarely did paperwork. After fleeing the New American Republic, however, she quickly gained skill in managing workers and materials and educating others on more modern techniques, and now spends far more time with a pen in her hands than a hammer. Still, some are suspicious of her due to some of her family being planters in the former NAR, or because she did not graduate high school despite her current abilities.

[]Lydia Ward: A teacher who earned a Doctorate of Education a few years before the Event, she has been instrumental in creating many of the Republic's textbooks and has ran much of the administrative side of our education programs. She has proven very capable in her role, but has little experience with non-education tasks and is quite valuable in her current role. However, she would be very useful in more rapidly bringing the state of education in the Liberated Territories up to the level of the rest of the Republic.

[]Thomas Yates: Currently one of the overseers of the Kópos coal mine, he was in the second year of a civil engineering degree before the Event cut his studies short. He has been one of the biggest advocates for the immediate construction of a modernized city for the miners, and in the interim has been frantically organizing the construction of makeshift shacks for the miners and their families.

[]Natasha Tyler: The current Deputy Minister of Chemical Industry, Tyler is distinguished from the other candidates by actually having a previous ministry position. A background in nursing will be useful in prioritizing programs to reduce deaths from malnutrition-related diseases in the short term and population health improvements in the long term, and her experience in running the administrative side of the chemical industry ministry will be applicable to most other areas.

[]Glaukos son of Augewas: A former servant for the Wanax of Mycenae who was part of the conspiracy that led to the creation of the Republic from almost the beginning, he has become an avid learner and was rapidly appointed to a bureaucratic position in the Ministry of Agriculture. While appointing a Downtimer to such a technical position will attract some criticism, he will have advisors to rely on for topics he does not know about and will offer a perspective less alien to most of our citizens than an American would.

Our rapid successes against the forces of the State of New Arizona has brought considerable attention on our state, if far less positive than we would like. While the Emergency Government of New America is fairly pleased at the destruction of one of their main rival's clients and Crete and Naxos are mostly neutral on the matter, many other states have issued statements condemning our "unprovoked invasion" and "massacres of innocent people". As most other states are occupied with ongoing wars or the fallout of the smallpox epidemic, the threat of an invasion is likely quite small, but we are now taken far more seriously on the international stage.

As major combat operations have mostly ended, campaigns for the suppression of counterrevolutionaries and collaborators as well as for land reform have begun in the Liberated Territories. The intervention of the People's Army is usually unnecessary, as the people of the former State of New Arizona know who their oppressors were and are more than eager to punish those who did not flee. After the enemies of the people have been dealt with, statements informing them of the continued existence of reactionary states abroad that will punish them for daring to fight against their class enemies if given the chance are read at every village, hopefully reducing the chance of any revolts.


The great conflict in Western Anatolia has continued, with several large battles taking place, but none of them have changed the overall strategic situation enough for the victory of any side to seem any closer. The main Vanguardist and New Washingtonian offensives collided just a few kilometers southeast of Tucson, with several battles eventually resulting in a retreat from the coast by the Vanguardists. Still, relatively little land has been gained by New Washington and the main Vanguardist armies are still intact. The American Republic of Turkey joined the war against the Vanguardists immediately after the end of harvest season, and their armies saw several major successes, linking up with the Emergency Commission remnants further south on the coast. However, the absence of most of the army from the country led to the regular Downtimer uprisings spiraling out of control, and much of the countryside is in chaos, causing most of the army to be recalled from the front. The Republic of Troy has had far more substantial successes against their own Vanguardist-inspired rebellion, destroying most of the main rebel armies. However, with the main threat to their government destroyed they may not have much motivation to continue the war effort. In other news, the fight between the NPRA and the USAF Northern Command has continued to be mostly a stalemate, and after a New Tucson-aligned warlord in the Broken Coast massacred the entire population of a mostly American settlement several other villages and towns swore fealty to the Lukka for protection.

Attempts by intensificationist and moderate members of the government to gain more influence in the Liberated Territories have completely failed, with most efforts to sway new cadres to their positions failing and little success achieved in replacing higher-level posts with their allies. Most seem loyal to the various agrarian factions, with some who have become more anti-religion due to the widespread collaboration of religious figures with the State of New Arizona embracing more disciplined Maoist thought.

Infrastructure

Mycenae Water and Sewage (Stage 2): While Mycenae has a utility network of sorts, it is far sparser than those in Tiryns and Dyme. This stage will increase its density to that level, giving substantial benefits. (10 Resources per dice (32+76=108/100)) (Complete)

The planned expansion of Mycenae's network of public toilets, faucets, and showers has been completed, significantly improving quality of life for the population. The planned sedimentation tanks for sewage treatment have also been finished, reducing pollution and disease and providing an additional source of fertilizer. Even a public swimming pool has been built, providing a source of recreation to the citizens of the capital and giving the People's Navy a safe way to ensure that its personnel actually know how to swim.

Port Facilities (Stage 3): Yet more ports can be modified to be useful for ever larger ships, increasing the naval transportation capabilities of the Republic further. Shipyards will be expanded as well, with facilities for large ships being built in Dyme as well as Mycenae. (10 Resources per dice (238/400)) (Nat 1)


A large amount of work on expanding the shipyards and docks of the Republic has been completed, although this was marred by an explosion which killed nearly twenty workers, no doubt the work of a New Arizonian saboteur who was enraged by our repeated victories against his reactionary state. Due to the successes seen in the construction of ships using steel instead of wood, the scope of this project has been expanded to include switching over even more shipyards to use the metal, which has added some costs but promises to repay itself many times over.

Heavy Industry

Portland Cement Experiments: In the old world, more concrete was produced and consumed than any other substance besides water. While we may only be able to make coke as a powder, it is still coke, and the other raw materials required to produce cement are in bountiful supply. (10 Resources per dice (80/50)) (Complete, quality dice 56)

A process to make useful quantities of Portland cement has been worked out. Similarly to the method currently being used to produce pig iron, the powdered coke made from lignite is mixed with limestone, sand, shale, and other components in briquettes before being put in a vertical shaft kiln to calcinate it into cement clinker. Even without sufficient amounts of steel for the widespread adoption of rebar, the mass production of concrete masonry units promises to massively reduce the labor needed for construction compared to conventional brick.

Steel Vessel Shipyards: While we may have essentially zero experience with either shipbuilding or the construction of large metal structures, that simply means we must start learning as soon as possible. Dedicated facilities for assembling fully steel vessels can be constructed, with fixtures such as steam cranes, pneumatic riveters, and even electricity for arc welding being constructed. (20 Resources per dice (230/100)) (Complete, 130 overflow into Stage 3 Ports)

Massive progress on the project of building ships from steel has been accomplished in just a few months. While a single arc welding rig was created, it became clear that our current electrical generation capabilities make large-scale usage of the technology nonviable, with a similar conclusion being reached for pneumatic riveters in most applications. Even without these, however, steel is far quicker and easier to work with than wood, with several prototype ships being made from just a few steel sheets and beams in the past two months. Tests with zinc sacrificial anodes and several anti-corrosion paints seem to be working so far, although substantially more time will be needed to know for sure. Theoretical work on more heavily armored warships has also begun, even if it will probably be at least a year before actual work begins due to the desire to gain more experience first.


Light Industry

Textile Industry (Stage 3): In addition to the construction of more mills for spinning thread and weaving fabric, workshops for the mass production of finished clothing can be built. Production of mauveine, alizarin, sulfur dyes, and various other dyes will also be increased to raise the percieved quality of produced goods, and further experiments on both dyes and textile materials will also be preformed. This is expected to free up even more domestic labor, and possibly even get us closer to becoming a major exporter of textile goods. (10 Resources per dice (81+158=239/200)) (Complete, +5 Political Support, quality dice 57) (+10 Resources per turn, +10 Resources per turn from trade once quarantine lifted) (Stage 4 39/300)

Large investments into textile manufacturing have borne fruit in just a few months. While several of the planned mills are still under construction, when combined with those that have just finished another thousand urban workers will have been employed in textile factories. Mass production of several chemically simple dyes and rayon has finally begun, and while rayon is unlikely to displace more traditional fibers for most uses the ease of manufacture of dyes means that they are already being used on most fabrics being produced. When combined with mass-produced finished clothing and significant numbers of Jacquard looms coming online, this has resulted in an explosion of variety in fashion, with many Downtimers viewing the massive increase in available colors and patterns as a nearly mythical abundance even if many Uptimers find it garish or tacky.

Newspapers: Newspapers represent a useful vector for spreading information and propaganda, as well as the maintenance of mass literacy. Daily papers will begin printing in Mycenae, Tiryns, and Dyme, focusing on things such as sports, local news, educational columns, and the successes of the Revolution. A monthly farmer's almanac will also be published nationwide, although the almost complete lack of literacy and issues with transportation in rural areas means that distribution will be limited, at least for now. (5 Resources per dice (41+3/40)) (Complete, quality dice 91)

Local newspapers have begun production in Mycenae, Tiryns, and Dyme, with plans to begin additional ones in Kópos and Athens within the next few months. A monthly farmer's almanac has also begun distribution, although as literacy is focused almost entirely in the Republic's cities this is not expected to be widely distributed for now. Mycenae is in fact home to several newspapers, which have been allowed to take slightly different positions on some issues in order to better channel any potential dissent. Much of the newspapers are devoted to local news instead of current events, as although this may reduce the amount of propaganda in each issue it is expected to increase readership and therefore expose more people overall.


Expanded Book Production: With the new availability of massive amounts of paper, the mass production of books is now practical. Mass transcription and translation of works currently stored on computers can begin, so that everything from technical works to political theory to fiction can be given to the people en masse. Novel books on topics such as agriculture will also be composed, with perhaps the most notable of these being an encyclopedia based on an extremely heavily modified version of the 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica. (5 Resources per dice (78+27=105/70)) (Complete, quality dice 73) (Cost reduction for some Services projects)

A permanent bureau of several dozen people have now been given the full-time task of copying various works from computers to paper, with close to a thousand works having been copied already. Many have already been put to print, with the most produced works being textbooks for new schools. However, many technical and even fictional works are also being printed en masse, in order to provide the people with more opportunities for recreation and hopefully help install a culture of literacy. The most popular works so far have been epic poems collected from various locations of the Republic and put to paper, although a few translated Uptime novels have also seen some circulation. Progress has also started on the encyclopedia project, although it is projected to be at least a year until the first edition is printed.

Chemical Industry

Glass Production (Stage 2): The production of window glass is by far the largest projected use of the substance. While float glass is far too complicated and capital intensive for the foreseeable future, pouring out molten glass onto cast-iron tables, annealing it, and then polishing will still have far higher productivity than blowing it by hand. The switchover of window glass production will also allow for already trained glassblowers to focus exclusively on more complex objects. (10 Resources per dice (93+98=191/125)) (Complete, Stage 3 66/175)

Mass production of window glass has finally begun, with significant numbers of buildings finally receiving glazed windows. While at the current rate of production many buildings will be lacking them for at least the next decade, every one improves the comfort of several workers by a large amount. Work has already begun on increasing plate glass production yet further, as well as experimental efforts to mechanize the production of glass bottles, cups, jars, and other simple shapes.

Dandelion Rubber Production: While it may not be great in terms of quantity or quality, dandelions are still the only source of rubber we have. This will set aside some land for the cultivation of dandelions, as well as set up small plants for the extraction and processing of rubber, for uses such as boots, gaskets, and insulated wire. (5 Resources per dice (76+14=90/50)) (Complete) (Telegraph Network (Stage 1) Unlocked)

A significant amount of marginal land has been dedicated towards the cultivation of dandelions for rubber production. Although yields are expected to be barely higher than a hundred kilograms per hectare, this will still enable enough rubber to be produced for some critical or low use applications. The remaining stalks, leaves, and flowers can also be used as fodder for cows, making this horribly inefficient endeavor slightly less painful. With the first harvest expected in less than a month, several new opportunities for industrial development have been made apparent.

Pharmaceutical Production (Stage 1): While more advanced drugs may need to wait for more reagents, mass production of aspirin, sulfanilamide, and thiamphenicol can begin now. This will be enough to supply every "nurse" and village cadre sufficient antibiotics for emergencies, significantly reducing preventable deaths in the Republic. (20 Resources per dice (86/70)) (Complete, Pharmaceutical Production (Stage 2) 16/100)

Yet another great leap forward in pharmaceutical production has been accomplished in just a few months. Production of antibiotics is now sufficient to theoretically treat one infection per person per year, and aspirin and paracetamol production are now outright surpluses, with plans being made to export much of what is produced after the quarantine ends. Work has already begun on increasing antibiotic production even further, as well as beginning the mass production of several anti-tuberculosis agents.

Agriculture

Basic Herbicides and Pesticides: While neither lime sulfur or ammonium soaps are the most effective treatments, Citizen Barnett is accepting of them as "natural" and, more importantly, are within your ability to produce at scale. (10 Resources per dice (98+41=139/75))

With a significant number of villages being vaccinated and therefore no longer under quarantine, distribution of herbicides and pesticides and education in their use can finally begin. Even extremely inefficient chemicals are expected to increase next year's yields by a small but significant amount, and reduce the risk of famine due to biological factors.

Services

Smallpox Vaccinations (Stage 3): While most of the urban population has now been vaccinated, previous efforts have barely touched the peasantry. This stage will vaccinate villages nearer to urban centers, and after its completion a majority of the population will have been immunized. (5 Resources per dice (179+361=540/250)) (Complete) (Stage 4 290/325) (Finished)

At the same time as the People's Army was being mobilized to drive a dagger into the heart of the fascist menace to the north, a different offensive against the threat of smallpox began. In October and November, thousands were vaccinated every day, and although this was not enough to stop the spread of smallpox (especially as troops could no longer be used to enforce the quarantine) vaccination still saved tens of thousands of lives. Still, it did not arrive in time for many villages, and while the exact number of deaths is not yet known and likely never will be, at least six thousand citizens are confirmed to have died due to the plague. As almost every living citizen in the Republic now has at least some immunity to smallpox due to vaccination, infection, or both, the various quarantine and vaccination schemes are set to end at the end of the current year, returning the economy to a more normal level of productivity.

Fumigation Efforts: While DDT production is not yet large enough for significant agricultural use, vaporizing just a gram inside a house will kill any insects that come inside for years to come. This will massively decrease the number of insects coming in contact with our citizens, with a reduction in bites from everything from mosquitoes to lice significantly limiting the transmission of many diseases. (10 Resources per dice (85/80)) (Complete)

Several dozen people are now employed full time to deploy DDT in every residence in the Republic. While there have been some complaints about the hazards posed by the agents by a few Uptimers, including your agriculture minister, the reduction in deaths from insect-borne diseases will be several orders of magnitudes larger than those caused by the slight increase in cancer rates. At current rates of deployment, all of the Peloponnese will be treated within a few more months, with the treatment to be repeated every two years to ensure enough DDT remains to reliably kill insects indoors.

Simple Weapon Production (Stage 1): While they are nowhere near as effective as firearms, the availability of steel and heavy machinery means that pikes can be produced cheaply and in massive quantities, to supply to allied groups or trade with independent downtimers. (5 Resources per dice (36+68=102/50)) (Complete, quality dice 72) (Stage 2 52/75)

The planned expansion to the production lines for stamped steel pikes have gone well, with dozens being produced every day. While perhaps ten or fifteen thousand will be kept in reserve in the event of an extreme crisis facing the Republic, with these weapons already being obsolete and large amounts of more modern weapons being produced, future plans call for these to be produced mainly to trade with Downtimers and perhaps given to rebel movements against reactionary states in order to force them to expend yet more irreplaceable ammunition.

Creation of the Red Navy: Even though we do not have any warships and will not get any more for the immediate future, a foundation must be laid for further progress. This will task a few dozen military officers to begin more intensively studying naval strategy and tactics, and create a plan to militarize trading vessels in the event of a war. (81)

The People's Navy now exists as a permanent branch of the armed forces. Colin Wong has been appointed as Chief of Naval Operations, as the only even vaguely politically reliable person in the Republic with any experience in the uptime American navy. Most of the current staff is made up of Downtimer traders, with many of the officers involved in the landings in Aetolia and Euboea and logistical work along the coasts to join them after the current war has concluded. Tasks in the near term are to involve study and wargames related to naval engagements, seaborne logistics, and landing, as well as theoretical work on what will be required for the Navy's first dedicated warships.

Cartridge Trials: While we do not have much zinc, trade is enough for a decent amount of brass and production will increase after the liberation of Attica. Our machining base is capable of mass producing bullets and cartridges, and while the lack of smokeless powder is sorely felt it should still be possible to make revolvers and trapdoor action rifles. Several prototypes of both cartridges and weapons will be manufactured, with the end goal of a cartridge, rifle, and revolver ready for mass production. (20 Resources per dice (94/30)) (Complete, quality dice 104) (Submachine Gun Trials, Bolt-Action Rifle Trials, Pistol Trials unlocked)

A great breakthrough has been achieved in the field of light weaponry, with at least our theoretical capabilities advancing by a century in just a few months. Equipment, training, and process control capabilities have advanced enough to enable the production of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin on a large scale with acceptable risks of thermal runaway, and investments in the chemical industry have also enabled the production of sufficient amounts of diphenylamine as a stabilizer. While we could theoretically use smokeless powder for both small arms and artillery, our meager supplies of nitrogen mean that only some small arms ammunition can be practically converted for now. Production of actual cartridges has also begun, with the goal being a mixture of practicality and a caliber which is incompatible with most still existing Uptime firearms to avoid disaster in the event of some of our ammunition being captured. While some debate is still ongoing, it has mostly settled on a 9x22mm cartridge based off of the uptime 357 Sig standard for submachine guns and pistols, and a 6.8x43 mm cartridge for rifles. Several prototype weapons have already been built and tested, although far more work is necessary before a design suitable for mass production is found.

Weigh in on Voucher System: While we are still committed to completely avoiding the capitalist stage of development on the path towards communism, it has become clear that rationing and barter alone are insufficient for running an economy that is becoming more advanced by the day. By advocating for a system of labor vouchers that will be a part of each citizen's state-provided ration in addition to food, fuel, clothing, and tools, consumer choice will be increased while avoiding the creation of an actual currency. (52)

A motion for the implementation of a voucher system has been passed, although with some opposition from various factions. The plan is for the issuance of vouchers in addition to standard rations to workers at various enterprises starting early next year, with several distribution centers beginning work to accept them as well as bartered goods. While the lack of any sort of identification system has meant that actually ensuring that vouchers cannot be transferred between citizens is impossible, the destruction of vouchers when they are received by the distribution centers should limit accumulation of them by any given individual as well as prevent inflation. Watermarks and several other anti-counterfeiting measures are in place to hopefully prevent issues, and a dedicated investigatory agency has been created to look into any suspected cases of the issue.

Advertise to Refugees: While some may be against the idea of even more Americans coming to live in the Republic, the fact is that we need their skills if we are to progress towards Communism. Advertising the various jobs that Uptimers are needed for in the Republic to those in other states will increase immigration, especially of those persecuted due to their opposition to oppression. (55)

A system of rewards for merchants and fishermen arriving to the Republic with American refugees has been instated, with several mass-produced pamphlet advertising the benefits of life in the Republic being given to anyone at our ports who will take them with instructions to hand them out at settlements with an American presence. Due to the chaos in Anatolia, the flow of refugees has increased massively, with several hundred arriving in just the past month.

Evaluate Deputies: As the risk of a reactionary coup wanes and the coming digestion of New Arizona approaches, it is apparent that you need to choose a deputy sooner than later. This would evaluate potential deputies, with you selecting the most advantageous one to serve under you. (63) (Increases dice allocation) (Possible Political Support loss/gain)

Now that a countercoup is less of an immediate threat, appointing a deputy to increase the capability of the ministry is possible without unacceptable risks of them being used to replace you. Of course, this risk is still ever-present and requires that they be a good communist to both decrease the risk of them acting against the government and ensure that progress can still be made if the worst does happen. Due to the need for prior economic planning experience, viable candidates are all the ministers or deputy ministers of various subministries.

[]Lynette Bush: The current head of the Services ministry, she has been one of your most stalwart allies since the very beginning and is a capable administrator. While her skills will be missed in the Services ministry, there are several other people with pre-Event teaching experience who will be able to run it in her absence. (-15 Political Support)

[]Judy Hines: Currently the deputy Heavy Industry minister, while her only relevant pre-Event skills were blacksmithing she has learnt a lot about both more modern machining methods, administration, and general improvisation of solutions during her time in the Republic. While not as politically reliable as some of the other options, she is still a committed communist and her minor deviations make her more acceptable to the less progressive members of the Central Committee. (-5 Political Support)

[]Christina Grey: Currently the head of the Chemical Industry ministry, she is an important political ally, intelligent, and hardworking, but has little experience with administration and is very valuable in her current position. Still, she is a theoretical option for this post, and is very politically reliable. (-15 Political Support)

[]Saul Dunn: Currently the deputy minister for Infrastructure, he was an architect before the Event and has been involved in at least some capacity with most major construction projects embarked upon by the Republic. Less reliable than some other options, he is still fairly trustworthy and has significant administrative experience and skill. (-10 Political Support)

Evaluate Replacements: It is apparent that some Ministers are too incompetent, reactionary, or both to serve the people well in their current positions. This would evaluate various people for a ministry position, followed by firing the current minister if they are judged to be more competent. (Natasha Tyler) (40)

Due to the abject failure of the capitalist education system, most Americans are completely lacking of any practical chemistry knowledge and those that do know anything are generally given very high-ranking positions in various states. Of the over a thousand refugees who have flocked to the Republic in the past few years, not one is in possession of a chemical engineering degree. Still, there are some that are potential replacements for Tyler.

[]Julia Mroz: One of the doctors who fled from Andros prior to its capture, she decided that a BA in chemistry in addition to a BS in biology would help her stand out on applications to medical school. While it has been over two decades since she last took a chemistry course and she does not have the most passion for the subject, she is the only person in the Republic other than Grey with an actual degree in chemistry. However, assigning her as the deputy minister for chemical industry would mean that she would have little time to preform her services as a doctor.

[]Caleb Rhodes: While he was still a senior in high school by the time of the Event, he always had an interest in chemistry which eventually led to him becoming a supervisor in a gold refining workshop in the former New American Republic. While he swears that he was not personally involved in the exploitation of slave labor, at the very minimum he was indirectly related to it due to the mass use of slaves for gold mining. (-5 Political Support)

[]Sabrina Hall: Involved in clandestine pharmaceutical production both before and after the Event, she certainly has no shortage of ingenuity or experience with the production of several important substances. Still, she lacks the formal education of Grey or Tyler, and has little theoretical knowledge about chemistry not immediately related to her former profession.

[]Keep Natasha Tyler: While she may not be ideal, she has learned a large amount about chemistry and process control during her time in the Republic. She is also far more politically reliable than any newcomers. Keeping her on is still an option, at least until we have an actual chemical engineer to replace her.

Current Economic Issues:
Transportation: Many bottlenecks
Fuel: Slight deficit
Steel: Large surplus, demand rapidly increasing
Copper: Slight deficit
Wood: Sufficient
Construction Materials: Lime and bricks sufficient, sufficient lumber
Food: Sufficient in Peloponnese, some famine in Liberated Territories
Cloth: Sufficient production
Rural labor (varies by season): Essentially unlimited after October, but many mobilized by the Army or incapacitated from illness
Urban labor: Slight deficit
Literate workers: Surplus
American educated workers: Surplus

8 Hour Moratorium