State Nationalizations, Pt. 2
With your denouncement of the most radical methods for forcing the judiciary to comply with the will of the people, the tide of violence slows, although many judges and their families still flee in terror of revolutionary justice, along with other moneyed individuals.
While regrettable, it does allow their replacement with more intelligent, honorable, and worker-friendly individuals.
It also causes some internal political clashes and external drama. Hoover condemns the Socialists for imagined irresponsibility, theft, and ingratitude. Several other politicians are less restrained, outright accusing you of treason and crime. Others, however, tepidly defend you. Olson states that the "new law is an extreme response to extreme circumstances," while John Fournet, a justice on the Louisiana Supreme court and a staunch supporter of Huey Long, defends the constitutionality of the Seizure Laws on the grounds that they "secure the welfare of Americans, and a provide a common defense for those helpless American workers against the big bankers and greedy plutocrats."
How much will truly come of the various polemics is an open question. And you have more important things to worry about. The Fosterites are...displeased with your decision, and while Schenk defends it as a tactical necessity and Thomas lends his skillful oratory to your support, many other CSA delegates are less pleased. James Cannon, William Foster, and John Ballam all lambast you for your so-called surrender.
It's a tense situation, but the party has struggled with unity before. It will hold. It must hold.
And you do have the undeniable success of the seized factories to point towards.
Back Up Butler, Pt. 2
The motion to let Butler pick his own staff passes with relatively little fanfare. Several members don't even seem to consider it a matter for the CSA. After all, there's no reason someone can't work with others on a voluntary basis. Butler immediately begins working to recruit experienced officers, although it is a task that will take time. Still, having official CSA permission makes it much, much easier for him to begin creating a command structure, he assures you.
Standards of Exchange: 1 Influence, 48+25=73
The necessities of exchange when you are in an unstable situation isn't exactly a solved problem, but it is one the SyndIntern has familiarity with. As they work with your economists, union representatives, and managers, a few guidelines are refined. First, an official, CSA-wide system of priorities is established, so that individual shipments can be marked as urgent or not. An attachment to the bureau of planning is created, for the purpose of ranking various railway union chapters and other groups involved with handling transportation...all democratic and transparent of course, at least as much as possible.
The main problem continues to be limited efficiencies of communication across the vast distances in the country. A factory in Chicago needs to be fueled by coal from West Virginia and steel from Pennsylvania, its workers must be fed by grain from Iowa and cattle from Oklahoma and fruit from California, and the guns it makes must be distributed in nearly every state in the union.
But it is not an insurmountable problem. And it is one the workers of America are already making progress on.
Result: Economic efficiency increased.
Socialist Markets: 3 Influence, 54+52+65+25=196
The Pittsburgh Conference continues for the second month in a row, now discussing the nature of the integration of labor vouchers into the larger economy. The credit union representatives have largely left, dissatisfied with their planned marginalization, but some remain, hoping to continue to influence the economic transformation, perhaps by attaching themselves to the planning commissions to assist the more decentralized, local groups.
Others continue to express concern about the nature of the sharp transition between the capitalist and socialist economy and the possibility of certain professions being marginalized by the council structure. Though these voices are a minority, they are a growing one, and it is likely their influence will be felt in the coming days.
A great many more debates are had, with SyndIntern advisors helping to create semi-theoretical solutions to the worst of the anticipated problems, while others are proposed entirely by homegrown American leftists. Anarchists and socialists and syndicalists of every stripe have their say, working together to create a new, incredibly transformative system the likes of which have never been seen before.
The feeling in the city is electric, and paper and propaganda transmit that sensation around the country. It is like a dream come true.
But every dream has to meet reality, and there are two places where reality comes crashing up against this dream.
Neither is fortunately particularly controversial, but both feature intense debates and vicious arguments until a consensus is reached. How do we educate people on the nature of primary and secondary vouchers? And how do we keep things secure?
[] [EDUCATION] Simply add some articles to the newspapers and let that be enough. (-0.1 Resources, ???)
[] [EDUCATION] Create a program using every existing form of media, from posters to radios. It will be expensive, but it will help make sure everyone knows how things are going to change. (-1 Resource, ???)
[] [EDUCATION] Invest in an immense propaganda campaign using every media available and incorporating agitators and organizers from across the country to ensure there is no confusion or fear. (-2 Resources, new Mandate, ???)
[] [SECURE] We have faith in the people. Corrupt individuals will be forced out of power in a democratic manner.
[] [SECURE] Require signatures verifying the giving of a voucher and its destruction upon use.
[] [SECURE] As above, but require those signatures to be both in stored records and on the individual vouchers.
[] [SECURE] As above, but mandate regular inspections of the voucher records to check for malfeasance.
[] [SECURE] As above, but restrict bonuses to ensure they are not being used for corruption.
Union-Integrated Planning: 2 Influence, 73+32+25=130
After three long and painful months of hard work, the Central Planning Commission and their many subdepartments responsible for different sections of the country had determined that they were ready. It had been a difficult process, and there were huge gaps in the planning apparatus, questions that had not been answered, and problems that seemed unsolvable, but people were confident that they would be overcome. The combined, united power of the workers was an unstoppable force, one that would break through any barrier.
People spoke to each other in dazed, heady voices, anticipating all that would change, how the tides of reaction would be swept away, how the capitalist remnants would break and collapse. But many of the more down-to-earth reminded themselves that reaction and capitalism had plenty of strength yet to spare and suggested people should get to work and begin creating and publishing their first plan.
Choose 2 goals to mark as HIGH priority this plan, 1 to mark as LOW priority, and 1 intensity. In addition, you may mark one high priority goal as [SECRET] which will reduce any impacts, positive or negative, and represents you burying that part of the plan in the endless documentation it produces. Note: the higher the intensity, the greater the economic impacts, positive or negative. Remember externalities! And remember that a plan being failed will have consequences.
[] [INTENSITY] None. This first plan won't be focused on growth, but instead on getting a better baseline for how the nation's economy functions. Slightly popular across all segments
[] [INTENSITY] Low. Instead of attempting to develop new factories, we should focus on improving existing efficiency and fixing the most blatant mistakes of capitalism. Popular with the right of the CSA and SPA, popular with the Teamster's Union and bureaucrats.
[] [INTENSITY] Moderate. In addition to improving and revitalizing what already exists, we should focus on re-opening the shuttered factories and making the towns around them boom through new construction and development. Moderately popular across all segments.
[] [INTENSITY] High. We cannot hold back. Every effort we can bring to bear must be used to turn the reddest cities and states of America into powerhouses of industry that will stand as proof of our superiority. Popular across all segments.
[] [HIGH/LOW] Prioritize raw resource extraction and production. Gather coal from the mountains, ore from the ground, lumber from the forests, and process it into forms that can be used. There is abundance in America's natural resources, an abundance that must be used by the people. Moderately popular across all segments of the SPA and CSA.
[] [HIGH/LOW] Prioritize heavy industry and infrastructure. Take steel and coal and turn it into power plants and machine tools and rails and bridges. No longer will the titans of the economy selfishly hoard their products. Now the workers will use infrastructure and industry for their own benefit. Moderately popular with the left of the SPA and CSA, slightly popular with the public.
[] [HIGH/LOW] Prioritize military equipment. The revolution must be defended with all the might a nation's industry can muster. Armored cars, mortars, machine guns, and more will pour forth to be wielded by the workers of America. Popular with the Red Guards and left, very popular with the RAF, moderately unpopular with the public. Likely to provoke a response.
[] [HIGH/LOW] Prioritize working conditions. Without any need for profit, hours can be shortened and safety improved. Democratic factory management will turn even the most difficult labor from drudgery to joy. It is the foremost goal of socialism to so many, let it be achieved. Very popular with all internal factions, very popular with the public.
[] [HIGH/LOW] Prioritize agricultural development. The specter of famine will be forever banished. The Dust Bowl will be destroyed, irrigation will be developed, new fertilizers and tractors will make every farm more efficient. Wherever possible, staple crops will be supplemented with more luxurious ones to truly bring abundance. Popular with the rural-focused segments of the SPA and CSA, popular with the rural public, slightly unpopular with the urban-focused segments of the SPA and CSA.
[] [HIGH/LOW] Prioritize quality of life. People are more than their labor. They must have schools and hospitals and leisure, good housing, and good communities. They must have electricity and water. Work to build those and bring them about for all. Very popular with all factions, very popular with the public.
[] [HIGH/LOW] Prioritize pork. There are more factions in the CSA who can have their attitude adjusted by favorable investments in the industries or areas that elect them, and it will benefit the workers as well. Very popular with all factions, moderately popular with the public, increased likelihood of corruption scandal.
Farmer's Colleges: 1 Influence, 9+40=49
With the state governments growing increasingly involved in the economy through the establishment of worker's co-ops and other, more interventionist methods, it is entirely non-controversial to begin founding new agricultural colleges. The only direct opposition the measure sees are a few protests by remaining Democrats and Republicans who are hoping to deny you political wins, but they quickly subside and let the measure be passed.
With it comes a fair bit of pork as contracts are given to favored supporters, who in turn work to build new college campuses. Professors are found to staff them from a variety of sources, including existing colleges and farms. There are some token protests from the left of the party about democratizing education, but no one particularly cares about doing that for farmers first. It can be left for later.
They aren't quite ready to open up their doors, but they will be soon, and the rest of the work is left to their administrations.
The only condition the administrations must keep in mind is that their doors must be open to as many as possible.
Result: Agricultural colleges begin construction.
Farmer's Factories: 1 Influence, 98+25=123
The factories are harder to establish, requiring recalcitrant opposition figures to be pushed aside so that laws can be passed to permit another step: the founding of factories, instead of just the claiming of them. It will be vital for the economic prosperity of the states under socialism, and it is one that has been swiftly and easily achieved, although some might complain that it lacks fanfare.
It has, however, caused serious external protests, with the simple production of tractors and fertilizer leading to vicious denunciations of "syndicalist tyranny" from many and threats of forcible privatization. Once more, a tide of bourgeoisie and labor aristocrats flees like rats.
But they can't stop the rise of the factories as concrete foundations are poured, supply contracts are signed, and machinery is brought in. The first few factories are tiny, but larger ones are already being built, and production is beginning as men and women labor to create means of production for their rural comrades.
The next step has been made. And further ones are in motion as the Planning Commissions begin to collaborate with state governments to found even more new factories, their production directed by the state in cooperation with democratic committees to strengthen the economy and improve the lot of the workers. While the state governments currently need to operate through their legislatures, many are pushing to transfer that power to the executives in order to avoid the stonewalling of Democrats, Republicans, and other counterrevolutionaries who still retain influence in many state legislatures, especially in the senates.
Result: Development of factories begins.