Well then.
@Crake, here are some bullet points for short columns that fulfill the role of political pamphlets. They can act as a sort of Foreword, but should ideally each be a short column somewhere. Spread them out amidst the political cartoons?
And honestly, reread your whole plan. There is no way in hell that this all fits in a single newspaper. IMO it makes a lot more sense to keep them as independent pamphlets and posters - in which case each of my ideas should be its own short little pamphlet.
-[X] First one : Values. This one could be an introduction to a newspaper-style pamphlet, or it could be a standalone pamphlet. In a short first-person text, Viserys earnestly says what he believes in and why those things are everyone's fundamental rights. Go easy on the monsters and saving the world, and insist on everyday issues. We aren't some mad reformer : we still stand by good traditional common-sense values, but we think that the Usurper's regime is no longer following those values. "We stand for safety, prosperity, freedom and justice" For each such value we claim to stand by, use one of our folk hero moments as an example (saving that beekeeper village from an angry Lord's senseless "justice", etc) or our general policies in Essos (freeing the slaves, providing emergency relief and making sure the fields and bountiful). Overall : the past was a Golden Age, and we want it back! In the Age of Heroes all this magic was a boon and not a curse. In the Age of Heroes honor mattered, people were free, and legendary Lords brought justice. The world is changing, and the impossible becomes possible. Beneath the Dragon's wings, those legends shall once again be true!
Obviously, we are going towards the future. But here we aren't speaking to slaves whose past was horrible : we are speaking to free men raised on tales of past heroes, and promising them that the future will be like that again. Of course we won't be returning to the actual social order or living conditions of the past, but those dirty bits are usually left out of stories anyway ! We're making people root for a glorified past that never really existed, but that we are really trying to
recreate.
-[X] Prosperity. It is the right of all people not to starve, and it is a Lord's duty to prepare the realm against famine. But sometimes, despite the best efforts of past Lords, famines happen anyway. Wars, long Winters... Well, no more! As magic is returning to the world, the land can bloom once again. Similarly, healing magic in our cities promises and end to plagues. Strange magics and disasters spring from misrule and war (mention Tywin's Golden Shields accidentally rotting wooden houses in Lannisport), but our blessings will bring peace with the Fey just as easily as they brought crops to the Stepstones and healing to the sick. Our ancestors lived in peace with the Children of the Forest, and today the Children have returned and live in peace in Sorcerer's Deep! Angels walk the earth once again, even ruling the city of Mantarys in our name in the East! Wonders live all around us!
This one is straightforward.
-[X] Land and trade. We believe in good, honest work. In making your life better with your own two hands. And so in our Empire, there are schools to help teach children a new trade. There are fertile lands where age-old wars have ended, who now need to be brought beneath the plough. Even orphans and freed slaves with nothing to their name are fed and/or taught skills that will help them live as proud and free adults.
This one is also straightforward.
-[X] Safety. Lords live from the taxes you pay and the food you grow. In exchange they promise skilled leadership, and they do all they can to provide safety to all. They keep Knights and armsmen, they build mighty castles, and they suppress crime and banditry. But as the world changes, are they still able to fulfill those ancient duties? In the Age of Heroes, mighty knights with magic swords and wise spellcasters defended the people. But where are those mighty spell-weavers now? Where are those brave heroes? They are lost, confused, and weakened. Beneath the dragon's wings you will find peace with the Fey and nature spirits, and protection from darker things. When Riverlend Lords could do nothing to keep the peace between the Fey and the people, it was us who came and helped the brave Septon to avoid violence and arrange a satisfactory resolution to misunderstandings and disputes. Tywin's Golden Shield fumble with powers they do not understand, spreading magical plagues and making the dead rise against them. Our Scholarium promises order and law, safety and expertise. No more shall wandering mages wrong you : now spellcasters will be properly trained, and have to answer to laws that apply to them. And we care about the people : when Cersei laughed at the tales of monsters raiding the coastline, it was us who flew in and drove back the monsters. When brave men joined us to defend their families and free the slaves, we armed them like Knights and armoured them in full plate. And when the slavers of Lys attacked us, we did not conscript your sons : instead our army of brave volunteers fought and won against a foe many times their number, for they were well-trained, well-armed, well-led and well-paid.
Duh. This one is obvious, but it had to be said. I'm starting by focusing on the old status quo, then bringing up local problems, and then mentioning war. That's intentional.
-[X] Freedom. We stand against slavery in all its forms. Every soul is created free, and has a right to live free. Of course to live together in harmony we all agree to respect certain basic rules, and a leader is needed for times of crises, to provide justice, and to defend the weak. But your freedom remains yours! We stand against serfdom like we stood against bondsmen, and we guarantee that everyone's voice has a right to be heard. In our Empire, the smallfolk can elect "Voices" to represent their interests. These Voices advise those who lead, but they also wield power of their own to defend the weak and ensure local prosperity. [Mention the kind of things our local councils have been doing with their local budgets]. You will be free and your voice will be heard - all this without losing the safety and justice that comes with strong leadership and the rule of law !
Here we goo! Down the path of stuff that will really annoy Westerosi Lords!
We'll have to be careful not to terrify all Lords into opposing us, honestly.
-[X] Justice. Here, we start be setting out the fundamental aspects of the feudal social contract, in all their ideal glory. The poor pay taxes and the rich defend the poor and make sure those taxes are used for the good of all, to prevent famine and ensure safety and justice. Then we segue into tales of how that doesn't really work IRL : while some Lords are great, others fail to keep up their side of the bargain or act as thieves and thugs extracting too much and giving back too little in return. Then we bring up Montesquieu's theories about the separation of powers, and promise that our Empire already has it. Here if things go wrong, the law will be clear and stable, and there will be people to turn to! If a Lord is insane, or if a local priest start causing shit, there will be a balance of powers to fall back on! "Your valiant protectors and leaders" (Lords) will remain, but the worst excesses that a single madman can have will no longer occur. A Lord's duty is to their people
Note that we are NOT promising an end to feudalism. What we are promising is a counterpower to avoid the worst excesses of some madmen.
We could even hint that this counterpower could be a place for a Lord's second son, or for skilled and clever smallfolk.
We're walking a tightrope here, trying not to spook the Lords too much while selling dreams to the people. This will without a doubt be the most "radical" and risky of our pamphlets.
