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Springtime of Freedom: A Guns of Old John Brown Riot Quest

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Not voting is a vote for the radical republicans!

Everyone can agree that the International Revolutionary Party is good, so vote for us if you dont agree with the other parties!
 
Vote Socialist Workers Party! There's no need to quibble about progressive vs proportional when we just take everything over a reasonable income!
 
[] [Socialist Party] The Means of Production
-[] Conduct an extensive campaign to boost the construction of steel mills and improve the quality of their output.
-[] Subsidize the creation of one or more railway cooperatives to create and maintain better railways as directed by the Social Planning Committee.
-[] Subsidize the expansion of currently existing shipyard capacity to increase the size of our Navy.
-[] Institute a progressive income tax across all citizens of the nation.
-[] Subsidize the creation of one or more pharmaceutical cooperatives aimed at mass-production of penicillin and other antibiotics and other such items as only producible in the Freedmen's Republic.
-[] Create a program of assistance wherein the Party purchases food and clothing and distributes it to the needy in as many locations as possible with the aim of increasing our votership and popularity.
-[] Distribute literature on unionization to non-unionized workplaces and set up a fund to support unionization efforts and strikes.
-[] Socialist Workers Party, International Revolutionary Party, Workers' Party

Here is the fixed plan that the Socialists are looking to enact.
 
Sorry about the intensity and form of my reaction. Haven't been getting the best of sleep the past few days.

[X] Socialist Party
 
Godwinson said:
Sorry about the intensity and form of my reaction. Haven't been getting the best of sleep the past few days
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I haven't slept in three days because I'm addicted to writing because if I don't, I will start to go insane out of sheer exhaustion and frustration.

One of us, one of us! :V
 
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The 1878 Election Results
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    • ​

    The election of 1878 saw sweeping majorities for what had become known as the Left Block - presiding over the short victorious war led to incredible fervor in their supporters and demoralized the opposition. In addition, they strongly benefited from proportional representation, sharply weakening one of the primary advantages of the Freedmen's Party.

    The result was inevitable: an alliance of three parties would govern once more. After some private discussion among the leaders of the three parties, they decided to include the International Revolutionary Party, who had wholly shed their past and undergone a metamorphosis into fervent, internationalist radicals.

    The first business of the new government, to the disappointment of some of those same radicals, was not an immediate declaration of war against Pacificia and Canada. Instead, it was something much more sensible:

    An adjustment to tax policies.

    As part of a package of laws pushed by the Freedmen's Party and the Radical Republicans during the early years of the republic, low, universal taxes were introduced as a means of reconciling those who might have been restive out of dislike for other radical changes or simple lack of interest in the interference of a state. This policy had remained in many places due to the unpopularity of raising taxes - no government wanted to be the one to take the political hit. However, this government had the confidence they could afford it, especially if the taxes were targeted properly.

    A set of tax brackets were created, designed to dramatically target those with the greatest financial assets - high-ranking government officials, the few remaining large landowners, businessmen of means, and similiar individuals were affected most seriously. In addition to this sudden hit to their income, they also faced an increase in expenses due to the establishment of a series of new tariffs targeting imported luxury goods.

    Despite a great deal of grumbling from the opposition and dire predictions from their pundits, the average individual saw little impact on their pocketbooks from this policy, and so it was largely ignored.

    What saw far more interest was the government's economic policy, dominated by the Worker's Party and Socialist Party, who split the seats of the Social Planning Committee between them. As part of an agreement with their comrades, several of the larger state-owned industries were devolved to limited degrees, while heavy penalties were levied against privately owned trusts, which were forcibly broken up.

    In addition, a series of significant investments were put into pharmaceuticals. Plants for producing penicillin and sulfa were constructed, along with a variety of other medicines, including anti-inflammaiton drugs, painkillers, and stainless steel surgical equipment. While much of othe production fro these plants was sold overseas at high prices, the majority was distributed across the nation to various hospitals and doctor's offices.

    The profits from this was significant, with the sales from the first overseas production run seeing almost all the government's initial investments recouped. Much of that money was plowed into expansion, but some went to the treasury.

    Further investment went into heavy industry. The new diesel technology, recently demonstrated at the Atlanta Industrial Exposition, offered potentially superior weight-to-power ratios to steam, and a small factory to produce these engines and an associated research facility was constructed.

    There was also a massive expansion to the Freedmen's Republic's steel industry, with significant investment flowing into Huntington and Birmingham, among other cities. New foundries were constructed, production methods were refined, and new mines established. It was almost becoming a problem to use all the steel being produced.

    Fortunately, a solution was rapidly found. The Ourvy was put to work further expanding the railways and waterways of the nation, extending connections in every direction, double-tracking heavily used stretches, and beginning the production of dedicated passenger-only rail in between a few cities.

    Furthermore, to support more modernization of the nation's infrastructure, a series of deals were made with the Worker's Republic to expand and improve their mines for minerals like copper. As part of the negotiations, refinement and manufacturing facilities were to be built in several of the autonomous regions.

    New slipways and dockyards were also constructed, although they largely sat empty as material and manpower was readied for the construction of a powerful fleet. The Worker's Republic promised to loan expertise should the builds start soon.

    The government also continued efforts to support their allies in the DMA. Negotiations to standarize weights and measures between the three nations started, with the Turtle Island Confederation favoring a dual-use system in which trains, shipping crates, and similar items used a single scientific system while nations maintained their own separate, unique systems in a manner similar to bilingualism.

    The military element of the alliance also saw more support, with modernization continuing and being extended to the Joint Command alongside drills in coordination and other training exercises. One key complication that has come up is different means of internal promotion, which could cause some future friction.

    Concerns about internal resistance and a desire for internationalism also saw the expansion of the nation's intelligence departments. Again, concerns were raised about accountability and citizen's rights. Review was promised in the future, but for now agents were put to work hunting down reactionary organizations such as the Free Texas Society and the Defenders of America, while others made contact with the Latin American Alliance of the Oppressed, arranging for deniable shipments of gold and special scholarships to send promising or endangered individuals to the Freedmen's Republic.

    Finally, following a breakdown in negotiations regarding the abolishment of the two-tier system, the lower tier for non-veterans was raised significantly.

    The International Revolutionary Party began to organize its members into "Volunteer Brigades," many of which contained members of the military. They began to patrol around the offices and homes of rival political figures, especially those who left the National Union party for the Radical Republicans, harassing and vandalizing their targets and even escalating to physical assault. They also backed striking workers or the proud owners of new co-ops, providing an unasked for but not entirely unwelcome boost to state power that saw many looking at the organizatoin with friendlier eyes.

    Meanwhile, the Socialist Party aimed to provide similar support through different methods and with a broader reach, creating massive mutual aid networks that extended throughout the country and providing training, funding, and literature for any workers interested in unions.

    The Worker's Party focused most of their efforts on trying to steal the Freedmen Party's base, relying on their personal connections with local bureaucracies and their championing of the ongoing rural grant program. They also spent some time and effort looking into mental health, which caught the interest of many who feared they were suffering from such symptoms.


    The Socialist Worker's Party belatedly followed their comrades in establishing a Propaganda Bureau and also began investigating ways to improve the food situation of the nation. While proposals about importing hippos to act as livestock were bandied about, the more popular approach was to reach out to comrades in the Turtle Island Confederation and look into their methods, along with popularizing gardening.

    The Freedmen's Party continued to work to divest themselves from the failing patronage networks and maintain their support among the rural communities, outreach and propaganda helping them maintain their sway among the countless co-ops in rural areas.

    The Radical Republicans suffered greatly from the harassment of the International Revolutionaries, badly enough that part of the leadership began ordering the mass-printing and distribution of egoist propaganda. Those parts were expelled soon after.

    Foreign Affairs

    A series of strikes in Argentina briefly brought the nation's ports to a halt before the government was forced to make concessions regarding wages and hours.

    French support is slowly being withdrawn from Mexico.

    The King of Belgium has proposed a formal conference to divide up all the "uncivilized nations" and avoid conflict among the "civilized powers."

    France and Austria-Hungary have both publicly rejected such a concept.

    The Russian army has signed a deal with Prussia for the sale of Prussian artillery.

    The Qing Empire has begun a new modernization program, aiming to purchase industrial equipment, especially systems that can be used with minimal training.

    Popular Sentiment

    So new taxes huh? Well, if I don't have to pay them it's not a problem!

    It doesn't feel good having someone with power who isn't personally accountable to me. How am I supposed to organize a recall petition across the entire nation?     (Medium)

    All this industry is well and good, and this medicine too, but there's more to life than things! (Low)

    Shipyards are fine, but what about ships? (Medium)

    I hope these new mines don't do anything nasty to the water. Or to the miners. Maybe we can use machines to help with that? (Low)

    Each platform may have five legislative planks and two non-legislative planks. In addition, you may also list who you wish to have or not have as a coalition partner.

    Platforms should be voted for in this format:

    [] [Party Name] Plan name
    -[] Plank 1
    -[] Plank 2
    -[] Plank 3
    -[] Plank 4
    -[] Plank 5
    -[] Non-legislative plank 1
    -[] Non-legislative plank 2
    -[] Coalitions

    You may vote for multiple plans, but only for one party.
     
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    The Freedmen's Republic in 1879
  • Informational
    • Government
    Government Type: Parliamentary Republic (National Assembly)
    Governing Document: Freedmen's Charter (civil rights, guaranteed welfare, freedom of conscience)
    Head of State: Samson Stein
    Head of Government: Samson Stein
    Legislative Coalition: SWP, WP, SP, IRP
    Election Types: National Proportional Representation universal suffrage

    Foreign Affairs
    Diplomatic Status: Recognized by Britain, France, German Confederation, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Mexico
    War and Peace:, peace treaty with Mexico
    Alliances: Part of Des Moines Alliance with Turtle Island Confederation and Worker's Republic of America, alliance with Haiti
    Trade Agreements: Turtle Island Confederation (Economic Aid), Worker's Republic of America (Economic Aid), Great Britain, France
    Border Disputes: Mexico, Dominion of Pacifica

    War
    Army Type: Volunteer Militia (Freedmen's Army)
    Army Quality: High
    Army Quantity Adequate
    Fort Quality: Critical
    Fort Quantity: Critical

    Navy Type: Coast Guard (Freedmen's Navy)
    Navy Quality: Adequate
    Navy Quantity: Critical
    Seaport Quality: Low
    Seaport Quantity: Low

    Interior
    National Stability: Adequate
    Regional Stability: Texas (Low)
    Law Enforcement Quality: Low
    Law Enforcement Quantity: Low
    Bureaucracy Quality: Low
    Bureuacracy Quantity: Adequate
    Anti-Corruption Quality: Low
    Anti-Corruption Quanitty: Low

    Espionage
    External Espionage Quality: Low
    Internal Espionage Quality: Adequate

    External Espionage Accountability: Low
    Internal Espionage Accountability: Low

    Finance
    Treasury: Adequate
    Debt Ratio: High
    Tax Income: Adequate
    Tariff Income: Adequate
    Fee Income: Low
    Expenses: Critical
    Principal Creditors: Britain (50%), Domestic (32%), France (18%)
    Principal Debtors: The Des Moines Alliance (100%)

    Welfare and Regulations
    Pensions: Low, Adequate (Veterans)
    Healthcare: Low, Adequate (Veterans)
    Healthcare Access: Adequate

    Financial Regulations: Low
    Environmental Regulations: Low
    Worker's Regulations: Low
    Consumer Regulations: Low


    Economy
    Economic Output: Adequate
    Economic Growth: Adequate
    Economic Activity: Agriculture (36%), trade (15%), light industry (29%), heavy industry (20%)
    Commercial Output: Adequate
    Commercial Growth: Adequate
    Trade Partners: Britain, France, German Confederation, etc. [mixed] (18%), Des Moines Alliance [mixed] (82%)
    Living Standards: Adequate
    Technology: Ideal
    Immigration: Adequate (Prussia, Austria-Hungary, Russia)

    Public Works
    Road Quality: Adequate
    Road Presence: Adequate
    Rail Quality: Adequate
    Rail Presence: Adequate
    Utility Quality: Adequate
    Utility Presence: Low
    Port Quality: Low
    Port Presence: Adequate
    Waterway Quality: Adequate
    Waterway Presence: Adequate

    Education
    Literacy Rate: 79%
    Literacy Growth: Low
    Education Quality: Adequate
    Education Presence: Adequate

    Stats: [None/Critical] / [Low/High] / [Adequate/Medium] / [High/Low] / [Ideal/Booming]
    Stats in bold are improving, stats in italics are declining.
     
  • Informational
    • The Revolutionary Reconstructionist Working Group
    presents
    Consider the Following​
    • Figure out some way of improving communication between political representatives and voters to prevent the representatives from losing touch with the concerns of the electorate. ​
    • Fund an expansion of the arts and humanities education, as well as the entertainment industry such as theatres, books, and concerts.​
    • Expand diesel engine manufacturing to marine grade plants capable of propelling ships up to 2100 tons in displacement.​
    • Begin construction of a series of Experimental Destroyers each meant to trial a new technology on the open sea as well as build up institutional knowledge of naval operations. ​
    • Establish environmental protection standards and an agency to enforce them in order to prevent ecological problems from building up without anyone noticing. ​
    • Establish worker health and safety regulations in order to limit injuries and long term health complications due to unsafe workplace practices. ​
    • Establish consumer health and safety regulations in order to prevent injuries from defective goods. ​
    • Establish financial regulations in order to prevent reactionary fanancial tampering and curtain perverse incentives in our financial institutions.
    • Establish independent review agencies to oversee our foreign and domestic intelligence agencies, and invest them with the power to hold said agencies to account.​
    • Investigate the different standards for internal promotion in the DMA's military forces and seek consensus as to what should be done to harmonize them.​
    • Continue expanding the pharmaceuticals and medical goods manufacturing industries, funding them in a self sustaining manner.​
    • Redirect efforts from expanding the quantity of steel generated to improving existing metallurgical processes and quality control.​
    • Build a dedicated factory complex to serve the needs of the national rail, including a copper wire drawing facility, and a electric motor factory.​
    • Construct a research facility and manufacturing plant dedicated to the development and production of steam turbines earmarked to use in coal power plants which will be necessary to power our national rail network as well as supporting further electrification.​
    • Consider doing English language reform, this language is a pain to learn and it would help immigration if it were easier.​
    • Add mental health to medical training in the nation.​
    • Please do not import Hippos.​
    • Reform our immigration policies.​
    • Cooperate with Colleagues in the TIC to establish a network of experimental farms where novel agricultural techniques can be developed and tested.​
    • Establish agricultural schools and travelling seminars to help disseminate novel techniques, especially the proper usage of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.​
    • Construct a interior railway to allow DMA troops from the East Coast to travel west to Pacifica to reinforce the TCI.​
    • Work with the TCI to construct a series of dirigible hangars along the length of the Pacifican border, capable of housing dirigible up to 25m tall and 80m long.​
    • Expand and upgrade our dirigible fleet with a new pattern of dirigible powered by diesel engines, capable of carrying our reconnaissance and bombing duties.​
    • Continue literacy drives.​
     
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    We should actually import Hippos for the meme!

    Never mind whatever ecological concerns would ensue, those are future us's problems.
     
    [X] [Socialist Party] The Fruits of Our Labor
    -[X] Institute a maximum 40 hour work week and 8 hour workday, with provisions to adjust both of those numbers down as mechanization and automation improves. Stipulate that total pay is not allowed to decrease, effectively increasing hourly and salaried pay to compensate for fewer worked hours.
    -[X] Subsidize the mechanization of the nation's mining and farming industries, trading machines for workers wherever possible, to improve both outputs and workplace safety. While doing that, make sure to provide retraining services to the miners and farmers so that they do not have to find themselves out of work as much as possible. If any workers are displaced fully without opportunity for retraining, they are to be placed in the Ouvry at their last pay rate or higher.
    -[X] Begin expanding the Navy with a number of new steel-clad, coal-fired ships, with the hope that soon a marine diesel engine will enable us to replace them with faster and more powerful craft.
    -[X] Continue expanding the pharmaceutical industry as before.
    -[X] Begin a Working Class Culture program, funding artists, musicians, entertainers and all the other myriad forms and expressions of culture across the nation (provided they aren't trying to whitewash slavery or something).
    -[X] Expand the Party's mutual aid efforts to include housing initiatives, housing the homeless and helping tenants form tenant's unions, and encouraging the formation of housing collectives.
    -[X] Create a mechanism for party members to change the party list as a means to effectuate the recall system.
    -[X] SWP, WP, IRP
     
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    Shadows said:
    [X] [Socialist Party] The Fruits of Our Labor
    -[X] Institute a maximum 40 hour work week and 8 hour workday, with provisions to adjust both of those numbers down as mechanization and automation improves.
    -[X] Subsidize the mechanization of the nation's mining and farming industries, trading machines for workers wherever possible, to improve both outputs and workplace safety. While doing that, make sure to provide retraining services to the miners and farmers so that they do not have to find themselves out of work as much as possible.
    -[X] Begin expanding the Navy with a number of new steel-clad, coal-fired ships, with the hope that soon a marine diesel engine will enable us to replace them with faster and more powerful craft.
    -[X] Continue expanding the pharmaceutical industry as before.
    -[X] Begin a Working Class Culture program, funding artists, musicians, entertainers and all the other myriad forms and expressions of culture across the nation (provided they aren't trying to whitewash slavery or something).
    -[X] Expand the Party's mutual aid efforts to include housing initiatives, housing the homeless and helping tenants form tenant's unions, and encouraging the formation of housing collectives.
    -[X] Encourage the creation of propaganda for distribution in the Old World, extolling the virtues of the Freedmen's Republic and the victories the working class have achieved, with the hope of both fomenting rebellion in and driving immigration from the Old World.
    -[X] SWP, WP, IRP
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    I wouldn't go for the coal ironclads. Piston powered coal just won't have the power output necessary to make the lighter destroyers viable, and our economy isn't up to crankig out battleships in big enough numbers to contest the Royal Navy. We can survive for a year or two while marine diesel production gets ironed out.
    Our shipbuilders also don't have a lot of experience, so I expect their first set of builds to take a while. I think the diesels will be done in time.
     
    Shadows said:
    [X] [Socialist Party] The Fruits of Our Labor
    -[X] Institute a maximum 40 hour work week and 8 hour workday, with provisions to adjust both of those numbers down as mechanization and automation improves.
    -[X] Subsidize the mechanization of the nation's mining and farming industries, trading machines for workers wherever possible, to improve both outputs and workplace safety. While doing that, make sure to provide retraining services to the miners and farmers so that they do not have to find themselves out of work as much as possible.
    -[X] Begin expanding the Navy with a number of new steel-clad, coal-fired ships, with the hope that soon a marine diesel engine will enable us to replace them with faster and more powerful craft.
    -[X] Continue expanding the pharmaceutical industry as before.
    -[X] Begin a Working Class Culture program, funding artists, musicians, entertainers and all the other myriad forms and expressions of culture across the nation (provided they aren't trying to whitewash slavery or something).
    -[X] Expand the Party's mutual aid efforts to include housing initiatives, housing the homeless and helping tenants form tenant's unions, and encouraging the formation of housing collectives.
    -[X] Encourage the creation of propaganda for distribution in the Old World, extolling the virtues of the Freedmen's Republic and the victories the working class have achieved, with the hope of both fomenting rebellion in and driving immigration from the Old World.
    -[X] SWP, WP, IRP
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    Click to shrink...
    The first two planks need to specify that the reforms should not impact people's take-home pay (i.e., workers whose hours were slashed from, say, 60 to 40 need to have their wages increased by 1/3, and workers displaced by machineries should be immediately placed in the Ouvry at their old wages or higher, unless they find another job). One of the non-legislative planks needs to be replaced by creating a mechanism for party members to change the party list as a means to effectuate the recall system.
     
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