The Customs of Anthe - A SciFi Government Sim

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Not Alex: Oct 9, 2012; Cut loose before the god eaters show up.

Florimel Ortega-Hēi

PB-32, or the Revised Agricultural Modernization and Rural Support Act - YEA
PB-33, or the College Land Grant Act - YEA
PB-34, or the Domestic Labor Act - YEA
PB-35, or the The Modernization of Education on Anthe Act of 3640 - YEA
PB-36, or the Act to Found a University - YEA
PB-37, or the Anthen Banking Act - YEA
PB-38, or the Eight-Hour Act - YEA
PB-39, or the Law for the Creation of the Department of Public Works - ABSTAIN
PB-40, or the Victim's Rights Act - ABSTAIN
PB-41, or the Rights of the Accused Act - YEA
PB-42, or the Land Committee Act - YEA
PB-43, or the Fair Sales Tax Act - YEA

Amendments under consideration
A-2, or the Amendment to the Decennial Educator's Summit Act - YEA
A-3, or the Reasonable Foreign Exchange Regulation Act - YEA

Constitutional Amendments under consideration
CA-2, or the First Expansion of Royal Powers Amendment - NAY
CA-3, or the National Unity Amendment - NAY

# ? Oct 4, 2020 16:12

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# ? May 5, 2024 07:06

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

His Excellency Colonel Alejandro de los Fueros (retired), Count of Borones

PB-32, or the Revised Agricultural Modernization and Rural Support Act - NAY
PB-33, or the College Land Grant Act - YEA
PB-34, or the Domestic Labor Act - YEA
PB-35, or the The Modernization of Education on Anthe Act of 3640 - YEA
PB-36, or the Act to Found a University - NAY
PB-37, or the Anthen Banking Act - YEA
PB-38, or the Eight-Hour Act - YEA
PB-39, or the Law for the Creation of the Department of Public Works - YEA
PB-40, or the Victim's Rights Act - YEA
PB-41, or the Rights of the Accused Act - NAY
PB-42, or the Land Committee Act - YEA
PB-43, or the Fair Sales Tax Act - NAY

A-2, or the Amendment to the Decennial Educator's Summit Act - YEA
A-3, or the Reasonable Foreign Exchange Regulation Act - NAY

CA-2, or the First Expansion of Royal Powers Amendment - YEA
CA-3, or the National Unity Amendment - YEA

# ? Oct 4, 2020 19:46

Pacho: Jun 9, 2010

Emiliano Arguedas, Royal Alliance

I'm voting party line

# ? Oct 5, 2020 00:13

potion seller: Aug 31, 2020

Marisol Zahra Abd-Allah
Royal Alliance

PB-32, or the Revised Agricultural Modernization and Rural Support Act- NAY
PB-33, or the College Land Grant Act - YEA
PB-34, or the Domestic Labor Act - YEA
PB-35, or the The Modernization of Education on Anthe Act of 3640 - YEA
PB-36, or the Act to Found a University - YEA
PB-37, or the Anthen Banking Act - YEA
PB-38, or the Eight-Hour Act - YEA
PB-39, or the Law for the Creation of the Department of Public Works - YEA
PB-40, or the Victim's Rights Act - YEA
PB-41, or the Rights of the Accused Act - YEA
PB-42, or the Land Committee Act - YEA
PB-43, or the Fair Sales Tax Act - NAY

A-2, or the Amendment to the Decennial Educator's Summit Act - YEA
A-3, or the Reasonable Foreign Exchange Regulation Act - NAY

CA-2, or the First Expansion of Royal Powers Amendment - YEA
CA-3, or the National Unity Amendment - NAY

# ? Oct 5, 2020 01:53

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Yixing Leung is voting party line.

PB-32, or the Revised Agricultural Modernization and Rural Support Act - NAY
PB-33, or the College Land Grant Act - YEA
PB-34, or the Domestic Labor Act - YEA
PB-35, or the The Modernization of Education on Anthe Act of 3640 - YEA
PB-36, or the Act to Found a University - NAY
PB-37, or the Anthen Banking Act - YEA
PB-38, or the Eight-Hour Act - YEA
PB-39, or the Law for the Creation of the Department of Public Works - YEA
PB-40, or the Victim's Rights Act - YEA
PB-41, or the Rights of the Accused Act - NAY
PB-42, or the Land Committee Act - YEA
PB-43, or the Fair Sales Tax Act - NAY

A-2, or the Amendment to the Decennial Educator's Summit Act - YEA
A-3, or the Reasonable Foreign Exchange Regulation Act - NAY

CA-2, or the First Expansion of Royal Powers Amendment - YEA
CA-3, or the National Unity Amendment - YEA

Baron Gabriel Francisco de la Cerda y Canovas is voting party line.

PB-32, or the Revised Agricultural Modernization and Rural Support Act- NAY
PB-33, or the College Land Grant Act - YEA
PB-34, or the Domestic Labor Act - YEA
PB-35, or the The Modernization of Education on Anthe Act of 3640 - YEA
PB-36, or the Act to Found a University - YEA
PB-37, or the Anthen Banking Act - YEA
PB-38, or the Eight-Hour Act - YEA
PB-39, or the Law for the Creation of the Department of Public Works - YEA
PB-40, or the Victim's Rights Act - YEA
PB-41, or the Rights of the Accused Act - YEA
PB-42, or the Land Committee Act - YEA
PB-43, or the Fair Sales Tax Act - NAY

A-2, or the Amendment to the Decennial Educator's Summit Act - YEA
A-3, or the Reasonable Foreign Exchange Regulation Act - NAY

CA-2, or the First Expansion of Royal Powers Amendment - YEA
CA-3, or the National Unity Amendment - NAY

Conde Cyrano de Masconfianza is voting party line.

PB-32, or the Revised Agricultural Modernization and Rural Support Act - YEA
PB-33, or the College Land Grant Act - YEA
PB-34, or the Domestic Labor Act - YEA
PB-35, or the The Modernization of Education on Anthe Act of 3640 - YEA
PB-36, or the Act to Found a University - YEA
PB-37, or the Anthen Banking Act - YEA
PB-38, or the Eight-Hour Act - YEA
PB-39, or the Law for the Creation of the Department of Public Works - YEA
PB-40, or the Victim's Rights Act - NAY
PB-41, or the Rights of the Accused Act - YEA
PB-42, or the Land Committee Act - YEA
PB-43, or the Fair Sales Tax Act - YEA

A-2, or the Amendment to the Decennial Educator's Summit Act - YEA
A-3, or the Reasonable Foreign Exchange Regulation Act - YEA

CA-2, or the First Expansion of Royal Powers Amendment - NAY
CA-3, or the National Unity Amendment - NAY

# ? Oct 5, 2020 03:05

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

The voting session has ended. Drafting session will begin when all votes have been tabulated and a new budget summary has been posted. :siren:

# ? Oct 5, 2020 06:13

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

October - December 3640 Legislative Summary :siren:

The following bills and amendments have been passed into law. The Queen has declined to use her power of veto this session.

PB-33, or the College Land Grant Act
PB-34, or the Domestic Labor Act
PB-35, or the The Modernization of Education on Anthe Act of 3640
PB-36, or the Act to Found a University
PB-37, or the Anthen Banking Act
PB-38, or the Eight-Hour Act
PB-39, or the Law for the Creation of the Department of Public Works
PB-40, or the Victim's Rights Act
PB-41, or the Rights of the Accused Act
PB-42, or the Land Committee Act

A-2, or the Amendment to the Decennial Educator's Summit Act

CA-2, or the First Expansion of Royal Powers Amendment

# ? Oct 5, 2020 09:29

Canasta_Nasty: Aug 23, 2005

Seddik Bouchareb
سدك بوشارب
FCP

During this coming legislative session, the FCP would like to formally invite the Queen to speak with the legislature about her proposal for a new flag. We encourage her explain her reasoning and should she wish the new flag adopted, encourage her to petition the legislature to adopt it.

# ? Oct 5, 2020 20:40

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Carla Juvarra

From the Times of Anthe

quote:

In press conference, Steel Pact's Juvarra reveals architect of recent legislative success

In an odd, brief, and informal press conference, Steel Pact party leader Lt-Col. (Ret.) Carla Juvarra revealed to a group of friendly journalists -- and also the Times of Anthe --- who exactly has been responsible for the party's string of unexpected success in the House of Deputies.

Q: Did you write those bills yourself, Colonel?

Juvarra: No. Legislation is for the naive, modern, and soul-poisoned. Those bills were written by my cousin Karina, a seventeen-year old student. Authoring legislation is a phase I hope she grows out of by the time she graduates from the Naval Academy, but in the meantime we had a good time passing her little projects into law.

Q: Wait, really?

Juvarra: Isn't this what our enemies fear most? Unaccountable power? Karina is certainly unaccountable -- I consulted with no one else in the party before putting forward her bills, she has no formal qualifications, and I don't really suspect our voters - gently caress them - will care. Maybe they'll like it, actually. But it is an example of the basic righteousness of our movement. Power is, and can only be, moderated by virtue, moral clarity, and devotion to our national spirit. Karina is all those things - she's really a wonderful girl. Did rationality produce and pass those bills? Compromise? No....the weak were overawed by the self-evident strength and fortitude of a patriotic spirit, even if they mistook mine for hers.

Q: But...isn't that an example of the legislative process working?

Juvarra: Do you really think that a law can bind the strong from doing as they please? Do you think that the threat of a fine will stop industrialists from destroying our connections to nature? Do you imagine that a statute or a little community fair will persuade the intellectual class from viewing the ordinary Anthen as a group of mules to be led from task to task, or to be whipped when out of line? Do you think that a little law can bring back what a victim has had torn from them, or prevent the judiciary and police from acting as they please? We've seen the end result of a 'nation of laws,' of rationality, of legislation. We committed national suicide and had to be reborn through sacred violence in defense of our homeland. Anthe must make the choice again: commit to the defense of the family, the Monarch, and the homeland, or perish. Take up the personal struggle for the nation's soul yourself, or see your future sold away to slavers by professional opinion-makers, who are really a tiny minority of professional agitators in turn representing a tiny minority of powerful, evil social interests. The House is the natural home of hypersensitive narcissists, fawning sychophants, mentally ill fame-seekers, careerists, mediocre sexual maniacs, and sadistic perverts. Change emerges from force, not from an illusionary consensus. Force can be in the service of the homeland or its enemies.

Q: Ok. Do you have anything to say to people who are considering the Steel Pact now because of its success in securing rights for victims of violent crime?

Juvarra: Those people have my sympathy, but they must not under any circumstance embrace the label of victim. You have no rights, only power and faith. You will never achieve satisfaction or closure through the perverse ceremony of the law. If you have been the victim of a violent crime, take a sword and stab the offender to death with it, or else shoot them in the head.

# ? Oct 5, 2020 21:32

potion seller: Aug 31, 2020

Marisol Zahra Abd-Allah
Royal Alliance
Personal Secretary to Her Majesty Josephine Isabel II

The Queen would like me to pass a message on to the House of Deputies.

'Her Majesty would be honored to accept the House's invitation to observe the ceremonial ratification of her new flag for the nation, which has been so resoundingly embraced by the people. She has one condition - that the House make accomodations for Her Majesty to be accompanied by three hundred young orphans, from several orphanages in the capital which the Royal Household has been sponsoring, so that they can be personally inspired by the intimate proceedings of our democratic institutions.'

# ? Oct 6, 2020 04:20

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

From the Times of Anthe:

quote:

Queen grants Royal Commissioners access to military facilities

Following a surprise request by members of the Royal Commission investigating political violence, the Queen has used her authority as Commander-in-Chief to grant the commissioners access to several restricted military facilities across the moon. Celestina Juvarra, who has come to function as an official spokesperson for the Royal Commission, told reporters that "the Commission requires access to these facilities, which include training centers and auxiliary offices, in order to investigate the testimony of several witnesses who have appeared before the Commission. This testimony includes details which are specific enough to warrant our physical presence as observers. We thank the Queen for resolving this request in an extremely brisk manner, and we thank her, as always, for her ongoing support."

Queen approves nationalization of Campes & Daughters Bank

Her Majesty Josephine Isabel II has authorized the government takeover of the Campes & Daughters Bank, clearing the way for the government's new central banking policy.

War Office announces formal end of all combat operations on Corrientes, return of IX Corps to Anthe

The families of soldiers currently serving offworld will be heartened to learn that the Secretary of War has announced an end to the Army's occupation duties on Corrientes, as well as the return of the IX Corps, currently stationed on the same moon. Secretary of War Lt. Gen (Ret.) Dona Maria de Barr�ngui characterized the decision as the logical conclusion to a successful military campaign which saw Concordat forces return power to the democratically elected former government after a coup launched by anti-Concordat elements three years ago. The Secretary detailed plans to commit a force of 500 Anthen military personnel serving as technical advisors and trainers to Corrientes on a permanent basis, as part of an ongoing Concordat military mission to secure the jungle moon.

She also thanked the families of those soldiers who served overseas: "Yours is a sacrifice and loyalty as profound as our soldiers'. Without your memory, and without the ironclad will that blooms from knowing that we fight in your defense, and to return to you, we could not achieve victory. I am happy to congratulate the brave soldiers of Anthe, who have once more shown their peerless skill in arms and a peerless commitment to the continued stability and safety across the sector."

Following its return to Anthe on Navy troop transports, IX Corps is scheduled to return to its garrison at Campo de Juvarra, outside Flor del Cielo. IX Corps' commander, Lieutenant-General Mariano Juvarra, Prince of Santa Catarina, is also expected to be honored for his leadership of the Corps during the campaign.

# ? Oct 6, 2020 05:02

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

From the Times of Anthe:

quote:

Mysterious balloons seen in sky over Piedra del Sol -- aeronauts claim connection to Office of Interior

Citizens of the capital are beginning to ask: just what is going on with the yellow-and-red checkered balloons which have been appearing over Piedra del Sol nearly every day for the past few weeks? The balloons were first spotted in the last days before the new year, and have now become a not-uncommon sight in the skies. The balloons seem to float at random, sometimes over the city center and at other times over nearby towns and suburbs. Several balloons have been observed to make emergency landings following inclement weather or birdstrike - in one case, a balloon was seen to crash in an empty field after its burner went out. Times of Anthe reporters made it to the scene of the downed craft, but the aeronaut appeared to be unharmed, and the reporters were waved off. The pilot identified himself only as Nino Betancourt, an employee of the Office of the Interior. "Please refer all questions to official government channels, thank you, please keep your distance, we are merely conducting initial field research" said the pilot before a truck arrived on the scene and other assistants rapidly spirited him and the remains of the balloon away. Who are these mysterious balloon men?

# ? Oct 6, 2020 05:54

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

From the investigative magazine �Ahora!:

quote:

Is the Government secretly funding ideologically friendly media? Shocking leaks hint at program co-opting free expression

�Ahora! has received documents from a source alleging that the government has continued a longstanding DCI project subverting the Anthen media by providing clandestine funding to friendly journalists, artists, and academics. As proof, the source has provided �Ahora! with a copy of an executive summary provided to the current Security Secretary detailing such a program -- and our reporters have confirmed that it matches the format and style of other DCI and Security Office documents. Why is the Government continuing to subvert free expression in society? What connections does the current Secretary have to this 'Project Lumbrera?' What positions does the Government consider 'ideologically-friendly?' Who has received payment as a result of this program? �Ahora! promises that it will continue to investigate these questions on behalf of the Anthen public, no matter any threats or obstacles that might be directed towards our journalists.

Madame Secretary of Security,

Please find attached your requested summary of the nature, structure, and current activities of the Department of Civil Intelligence*. I have also attached my resignation, effective immediately; I am afraid my failing health and advanced age have made it impossible for me to continue to carry out my duties as Director. In the unlikely event that I may prove useful in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me in my capacity as a private citizen.

R.M. Lugones**
Director of Civil Intelligence

P.S. Most of the current Heads of Project would make a capable Director, and in this field of work I have learned that institutional continuity and the retention of proven talent is the difference between a capable and incapable intelligence service. Of all the Heads of Project, I believe that O.B. Irazusta of Project Almas is the most suited for work as Director. Head of Project R.N. Corona should not be considered for the position.

*As mandated by constitutional law, a copy of this request and its contents has been forwarded to Her Majesty Josephine Isabel II and the office of the First Secretary.
** As mandated by constitutional law, this name and the names of all DCI personnel are pseudonymic, and all requests for release of birth names of DCI personnel must be approved by Her Majesty, in order to combat and prevent infiltration by hostile foreign or criminal elements.

The nature of the Department of Civil Intelligence is to provide the current Secretary of Security, First Secretary, and Monarch with accurate and actionable intelligence regarding the intentions, capabilities, and nature of domestic and international entities which are of strategic interest or danger to the Anthen state.

To this end, the Department is organized into self-contained Projects, which are created and retired on the basis of individualized purpose. In order to limit penetration by hostile entities, Project personnel are generally unaware of the nature and extent of the other Projects. There are certainly cases where organizations or individuals carried out Department work while unaware of their own connection to DCI. As personnel prove themselves to be reliable, discreet, talented, and circumspect, they become necessarily more familiar with the nature of the other Projects, though it is only the personal staff of the Director -- made up of the longest-serving Department personnel, whose loyalty is beyond any question -- which has a grasp of the full extent of the Department at any given time. Though each Project may make use of as many people as necessary in order to fulfil its mission, the number of fully vetted officers and facility personnel (including attached military personnel in the case of joint DCI-Military operations) is tracked by my staff.

[The rest of the document is redacted, except for:]

Project Lumbrera -203 Officers & Facility Personnel, Head of Project U. S. Puente

This Project is dedicated to clandestinely initiating, promoting, or supporting ideologically friendly cultural sources, ranging from full magazines and newspapers to friendly individual reporters, writers, academics, and artists. Support can range from contacting friendly media sources to funding cultural events and organizations to supporting individual figures struggling to pay bills.

# ? Oct 6, 2020 06:41

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Drafting Session begins now and ends Sunday October 11th, 9PM PST

Expected Income and Expenses for the Government (January-March 3641)

Income Breakdown: Entries are listed in a �income source � income amount � algorithmically estimated loss from tax evasion and other relevant forms of crime� format, meaning that, in a crime free and perfectly efficient world, you would have both of them combined.

Sources that are one-time only (aren�t replenished on a monthly basis) are marked with square brackets.

All values listed stand for millions of Anthen dollars.

*Land tax, bottom value category - 60 - 70

*Land tax, lower middle value category - 164 - 54

*Land tax, upper middle value category - 416 - 47

*Land tax, top value category - 1170 - 98

*Sales tax - 40 - 35

*Personal Vehicles Tax - 11 - 1

*Restricted Substances Tax - 29 - 14

*Corporate Tax - 247 - 7

*Trade Tariffs - 381 - 6

*Foreign Aid - 54 - 1

*Anthen Bourse Taxes - 61 - 5

Overall Income: 2,633

Expenses Breakdown: The government has some non-adjustable expenses, represented by a flat number. Once these are funded, the Offices can split the remainder through percentages determined by the government. For example, if the government has an income of 50 dollars with Office A at a 35% budget and Office B at 65%, it would first pay 5 dollars for its non-adjustable expenses, and then give 15.75 to Office A and 29.25 to Office B.

First Secretary�s Office - 4

Royal Household - 16

Royal Commission on the Nature and Victims of Past Violence - 10

House of Deputies - 29

Court System - 42

Board of Agriculture - 52

Office of Education - 120

Board of Health - 74

Bureau of Ecology - 68

Ecology Commission - 11

Debt Payments - 629 (out of a total debt of 46,105)

Emergency Fund contribution - 14 (for a total of 776 in the Emergency Fund)

Other expenses - 6

Refugee expenses - 9

Remainder: 1,549

Office of War - 36% - 557.64

Office of State - 5% - 77.45

Office of Finance - 13% - 201.37

Office of Security - 12% - 185.88

Office of Justice - 12% - 185.88

Office of Interior - 13% - 201.37

Office of Labor - 9% - 139.41

Overall Expenses: 2,633

quote:

Estimated Unemployment: 10-11%

Balance of Trade: +292

Tax Rates

Land Tax (land is surveyed and assigned to four categories based on its determined worth):

Bottom - 5%
Lower Middle - 6%
Upper Middle - 14%
Top - 35%

Sales Tax:

General - 11%

Service (food, health, and cultural services) - 2%

Personal Vehicle Tax - 2%

Restricted Substances (Narcotics, Alcohol, Pornography) Tax - 50%

Corporate Tax - 37%

Tariffs:
General - 32%
Agricultural - 65%
Industrial - 51%
Pharmaceutical - 13%

# ? Oct 6, 2020 07:18

YF-23: Feb 17, 2011; My god, it's full of cat!

Lucio Valens
FCP

Royal Secretary Marisol, while the response from her majesty seems to ignore the main thrust of Seddik�s invitation, I refuse to believe the Queen would insult us by refusing to speak to the deputies. That being the case, I wish that you relay to her that there are deputies worried that her actions circumvented constitutional limitations on the powers of the crown and that they expect their concerns to be addressed by the Queen when she visits.

For my part, I do not believe her request for attendance by the children will be a problem; in fact, I would like to propose to Belen, Seddik, and Countess Carolina that we amend House protocol to make allowance for organised school trips and visitations by childcare institutions to the public gallery on a regular basis.

# ? Oct 6, 2020 08:41

Canasta_Nasty: Aug 23, 2005

Seddik Bouchareb
سدك بوشارب
FCP

First Opposition Question

Is the document regarding DCI activities leaked to �Ahora! authentic?

# ? Oct 6, 2020 18:25

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Belen Ahmad, First Secretary, Royal Alliance

PB-44, or the Fair Tenantry and Land Distribution Act - YEA
PB-45, or the Security and Intelligence Oversight Committee Act - YEA
PB-46, or the Decree on Land Act - NAY
PB-47, or the Establishment of Local Police Forces Act - NAY
PB-48, or the Higher Education Expansion Act - YEA
PB-49, or the Ape Island Protection Act - YEA
PB-50, or the Loyalty Day Act - YEA

A-4, Amendment to the Victim's Rights Act - NAY

August Meier, Autonomy Movement

PB-44, or the Fair Tenantry and Land Distribution Act - YEA
PB-45, or the Security and Intelligence Oversight Committee Act - YEA
PB-46, or the Decree on Land Act - NAY
PB-47, or the Establishment of Local Police Forces Act - YEA
PB-48, or the Higher Education Expansion Act - YEA
PB-49, or the Ape Island Protection Act - YEA
PB-50, or the Loyalty Day Act - NAY

A-4, Amendment to the Victim's Rights Act - YEA

Carla Juvarra, Steel Pact

PB-44, or the Fair Tenantry and Land Distribution Act - YEA
PB-45, or the Security and Intelligence Oversight Committee Act - NAY
PB-46, or the Decree on Land Act - NAY
PB-47, or the Establishment of Local Police Forces Act - NAY
PB-48, or the Higher Education Expansion Act - YEA
PB-49, or the Ape Island Protection Act - YEA
PB-50, or the Loyalty Day Act - YEA

A-4, Amendment to the Victim's Rights Act - NAY

San Saturnino and Ali Hakkar are voting party line (same as leader).

tatankatonk fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Oct 30, 2020

# ? Oct 6, 2020 21:55

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

From the Times of Anthe:

quote:

Secretary of War Barregui gives remarks at Veterans' Dinner

In a short speech given at the annual Overseas Veterans' Association charity ball, Secretary of War Lt. Gen (Ret.) Dona Maria de Barr�ngui spoke about her views on the military's relationship to politics: "The fundamental role of the armed forces is to protect the physical safety of the nation, and ensure the safe functioning of the constitutional order. The military cannot be an alternative to the political system, nor can it function as a carrier of political ideas which go against the constitutional order. The military can not and must not ever be conceived of, or conceive of itself, as an independent power that can be appealed to reverse political decisions. Any attempts to intervene in the political system can only be thought of as treason. Certainly, there exists an exception to the rule, as the example of Isidor de Luna proves: if the political leadership has led the nation to the point where the physical existence of the Anthen state is endangered, as it was in the time of the Intervention. To this I would add one other exception: if the political leadership is acting in obvious and undeniable contravention of constitutional order, and seeking to transform itself into a tyrannical dictatorship. These exceptions prove the importance of the rule, though, and I defy anyone to honestly argue that any of the existing mainstream parties represent such an interest. No, we find ourselves happily in peacetime, through the eternal vigilance and sacrifice of our soldiers, and we should feel more than pleased to allow our constitutional order to function in a way that makes our involvement in politics unthinkable and unnecessary, as that has always been the higher aim that motivates us to fight and die in the name of our nation and its people."

Elsewhere, it was reported that Secretary Lt. Gen Dona Barr�ngui had hinted at a modest reduction in force for the Army. "With the end of the last Corrientes campaign, we can project that our armed forces may explore the possibility of retiring perhaps 15,000 regular soldiers, with a similar number of reservists being dismissed," the Secretary was overhead to say.

Secretary of War Barregui announces new retirement policy for highest officer ranks

The Office of War has announced a new, generous retirement policy for its highest-ranking officers. The new policy would offer early retirement at full pay for those general officers who wish to leave the active service, pending approval of their early retirement application by the Secretary.

# ? Oct 6, 2020 22:44

Canasta_Nasty: Aug 23, 2005

potion seller posted:

Marisol Zahra Abd-Allah
Royal Alliance
Personal Secretary to Her Majesty Josephine Isabel II

The Queen would like me to pass a message on to the House of Deputies.

'Her Majesty would be honored to accept the House's invitation to observe the ceremonial ratification of her new flag for the nation, which has been so resoundingly embraced by the people. She has one condition - that the House make accomodations for Her Majesty to be accompanied by three hundred young orphans, from several orphanages in the capital which the Royal Household has been sponsoring, so that they can be personally inspired by the intimate proceedings of our democratic institutions.'

Seddik Bouchareb
سدك بوشارب
FCP

The FCP would be delighted by the presence of our little sovereigns and hope they would enjoy watching their humble servants at work. If the Queen wishes to bring them while the Legislature discusses and votes on the adoption of the flag, they would be most welcome. What better demonstration that all of Anthe is united in the rule of law.

# ? Oct 7, 2020 03:42

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

From the Times of Anthe:

quote:

Violence breaks out near Hawsha; five dead and property set ablaze following dispute over rents, beating; Peasants demand return of Queen

in the lands outside the town of Hawsha, the peace of the New Year was shattered late last night by chants and shouts, buildings catching fire and windows being broken, and the terrified cries of men and women being burnt alive. The violence seemed to break out as a spontaneous expression of public rage over a landowner beating a laborer nearly to death, but honest observers will admit that tensions in the rural lands were great to begin with, and that little excuse is needed nowadays to turn resentments into raging conflagrations.

Townspeople told the Times of Anthe that, last week, a landlord named J. de Macias set upon one of his laborers, B. Mesa, after accusing Mesa of drunkenness and petty theft. The assault led to the arrest of de Macias and the hospitalization of Mesa, who lingered in a coma from which the local doctor said he was unlikely to wake from. As the Government's law forming Land Committees has yet to take full effect (its candidates for Hawsha's hinterlands were still campaigning, and most immediately altered their platforms to include severe punishments for de Macias), the gendarmes took de Macias into town and detained him in the local station. But as word spread, more and more local smallholders and laborers gathered in town, drinking and talking. No one seems to remember a word being given, but by midnight an angry crowd had gathered outside the station demanding de Macias had been given to them. The station's gendarmes resisted, but the crowd surged towards the station's door, until a rioter was shot in the leg by a young officer and the crowd retreated. Instead of the show of force dispersing the angry laborers, they marched out of town, upsetting and firing a grain cart along the way and breaking store windows as they went. The gendarmes realized too late that their victory was a temporary one, as the crowd simply marched to the de Macias house, and determined to destroy it.

Eyewitnesses, some of whom claimed to have participated in the deeds, recounted a chaotic scene where equipment was smashed and torn apart with bare hands, cellars and stores were broken into, and barns and workshops set on fire. As the crowd advanced towards the estate's main house, Mrs. De Macias and her brother-in-law appeared, holding guns. Mrs. De Macias was reported to appeal to the crowd to leave her household alone, as her two children were also inside, and the crowd was reported to have been nearly swayed until a young woman stepped forward to remind them that 'she was just as bad as her evil husband,' having denied many of her tenants credit for medicine when illness struck, or relief when a crop failed, and having treated her laborers and poor neighbors with a supreme contempt. At that the crowd surged towards the house, and a man was killed by Mrs. De Macias's gun, but then the De Maciases were forced back into their house, and the doors and windows were barred from the outside and the house burned down. No one was seen to emerge.

The crowd was reported to break into the estate's still and wine cellar. An eyewitness reported that "the cisterns were all on fire, and the casks too. But without regard for the flames, they were still ladling the stuff out and drinking and getting drunk, men, women, and children, old men and women too, practically everybody. They were drinking even as the flames spread to their clothes, and I saw one woman catch fire and have to roll around on the floor. I think she survived because I heard they had arrested a woman with burns all over her body. I remember others carrying away buckets of liquor, even while some of the liquid inside was on fire. And above everything, the smell of human fat burning. An awful scene. Still, they deserved it and more."

The crowd had mostly dispersed by the time gendarmes arrived on the scene, but those who still lingered were immediately arrested on charges of riot and murder.

Our writers report that despite the horrific attacks, local sentiment still seethes with discontent. A laborer, who possessed some more learning than his fellows, explained the locals' attitude towards the violence: "I don't know. You cannot know what it's like out here. You'll pour out tears for those awful people, and yet all our losses and indignities will go unmourned. I got some schooling from the priests and the rural schools, but now that feels like a mistake, because I know how things could change and how they won't. I lost my brother and two cousins in accidents while they worked, and there was no newspaper story for them. You think we don't know who is responsible for all our troubles? What a joke...I can't stand the sight of gendarmes anymore...all their empty air about the law. I would start believing in the law if they threw all the gendarmes and their Secretary and all the Justice lawyers and their Secretary in prison and let us run things. I heard the Queen came out here, and my friends who saw her said she looked all nice and everything but it's not like they'll let her have any power to do anything."

Another laborer, overhearing this diatribe, wandered over to agree: "I am a faithful person but I only believe in the Queen helping us. The Queen should give us land. I heard that the old Queens gave all the people land and made it so that nobody could sell it or buy it all up and I think that sounds better than what we have now. I saw the Queen come and saw her cure some people of their illnesses [Editor's note: The Queen did not, in fact, visit Hawsha during her recent tour of the countryside.]. She should give us our own land, too. I don't know anybody else up there [in the Capitol]."

From the Hawsha Faithful Companion:

quote:

Interview with the Gendarme who shot Chucho Artime in the leg: Hero or Villain?

The gendarme is twenty-one years old. He is thin and not very tall, with a genial air and a crop of curly black hair. He blinks excessively throughout our interview.

HFC: Can you describe what happened?

G: Mr. Artime was part of an unlawful assembly bent on the unlawful vigilante execution of a man who will be rightfully sent to trial. My fellow officers told the others to step back and they did not do so. Then I saw Mr. Artime was the - he looked like he was in command, so to speak. I aimed my weapon at him and repeated the command. None of them stepped back so I declared I would shoot if they did not step back. They still did not step back so I shot at Mr. Artime and hit him in the leg. That seemed to really shut their motors off. Then when he was on the ground he started hollering and yelling, but the air had gone out of all their sails. Then myself and the other officers regained control of the situation. Unfortunately we did not receive word of the events at the De Macias place until it was too late, but we made what arrests we could afterwards.

HFC: Were you right to shoot Mr. Artime?

G: Right has got nothing to do with it. What I mean is that right and wrong are - what I - I am a gendarme. An officer of the law. My job is to uphold the law, whether I think it is right or wrong. That is basic civilization. That is the only thing stopping us from blackest anarchy. You can ask all the greatest people in the House of Deputies. Ask Secretary of Justice Acero Amalden, and he will tell you what I have told you, and that I did nothing wrong. Now there is a great man. No offense to my bosses. But, now, there is a great man, a servant of Justice, he has got the right attitude. I am the law, and you must obey. That is the proper attitude. No bend in that man, and there shouldn't be any bend in us, either. That is the great comfort of the gendarmerie - you do not have to trouble yourself with philosophy and other mental tricks which people pursue to evil ends. I am myself in the same camp as Acero Amalden and other great men of the law - for an officer there is no time for right or wrong, there is only the law. Obey our command or face our wrath! Unfortunately Mr. Artime did not heed my command and faced the consequences of his decision. Thus always to criminals and vigilantes!

HFC: He is likely to lose the leg. Eyewitnesses say he was acting to calm others.

G: My job is to uphold the law. I am not about to apologize for upholding the law.

HFC: He has two children who depend on him, and will surely not be able to work as a laborer after this injury.

G: He should have thought of them before he did not step back. To anyone else reading this, that is what happens when you do not obey the law. Let that be a warning to the rest of - to all criminals and vigilantes.

From the Times of Anthe:

quote:

ALCA leadership reported to be considering sporadic, staggered work stoppages on rails and in ports in support of Land Reform

tatankatonk fucked around with this message at 09:59 on Oct 7, 2020

# ? Oct 7, 2020 08:17

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

January 5th, 3641

I was, once, a rather ordinary little girl.

The southern facade of the Summer House had always filled her with a vague sense of disbelief, and as her entourage hurried forwards her beneath its endless sandstone columns and glittering windows carved from colored seaglass Josephine de Beira felt the queer feeling come over her once more. Who am I, again? A Queen...? The only calm and untroubled one in the little group, stuffed between the Navy assault troopers in their polished black armor which made them look like beetles, thought Josephine, was Gregorio, her cousin, of course her cousin, they had the same eyes, remarked upon by innumerable interviewers and flattering profile writers, and the same high forehead, which you would only see on her on the rare occasion that she pinned her hair up, but Gregorio had the curse of the men of their family, the baldness that thinned his hair now but would obliterate it in a decade, his widow's peak marching upwards unstoppably until he either learned to temper his vanity or someone bought him a toupee, and as she thought of her younger cousin as a middle-aged man she felt her unease replaced in rapid succession by an affection for him, her family, loyal to her and no one else and nothing else, she had made him a personal aide and a Don for it, and then guilt, for involving him in this at all, for placing him between the beetle-men, for placing him in what her uncle would have politely, evasively called a 'tangled situation', the suffocating atmosphere that made her flinch when Gregorio stopped walking and bent over, prompting her to wonder if this was the moment she would hear a shot before Gregorio stood straight again, looking at his upturned shoe and grinning sheepishly, 'sorry, just pigeon poo poo', no gunshot, just Azucena, Dona Marisol's assistant, muttering 'fool' under her breath (Dona Marisol was unavailable for this audience, as she was required in the presence of the First Secretary, to whom she would relay Her Majesty's words after this meeting concluded), no sounds but the steel striking the ceramic steps as their beetle-guards resumed their pace up the steps towards the palace.

This is no time to be afraid, I must remember my duties and principles, this is no time to chase rainbows, she thought. In Anthe it was impossible to tell if things were going well but she felt as if they were not, to her shame. I am not an uncompromising nationalist, not at all, but I sincerely love my country, the land of my birth, my home. Anthe, my burden. What has happened to you? What has possessed you? The latter question she felt when she saw others saluting her, bowing to her, holding their tongues in her presence, demanding things of her. Who do you imagine I am? What did they see, besides the tall, handsome woman with her large amber eyes and brown hair, in her dark green naval uniform, with her medals weighing down her right side, do you know that, do you think about that when you see me, that I sweat through my clothes, that my side is sore from the metals' weight when I take them off, that I have a bedroom I like to sprawl in, like anyone else? Do you try not to think about it when you salute me? Do you try to put me, the real woman in front of you, out of your mind, before you summon your Queen? Could you stand knowing that the one you ask to direct your affairs is like you? Who had appointed her? A tired man, an exhausted, dying monster, who she did not know, does that surprise you, I never met him, not once, who she would shortly be asked to give her judgment on, to endorse the destruction of his memory by those she had appointed in turn, the river of power flowing from her predecessor through her and into them. Her guard brought her through the entrance of the palace, through a private corridor that bypassed the crowds and museums, stopping before a small set of wooden doors leading to the parlor and the Royal Commissioners (the doors were, like everything else in the Summer House, carved with a breathtaking skill out of native wood and polished to gleam like a stone, like they had been petrified and then painted). She wondered if he had, like she did, felt his real self growing smaller and more remote every time he acted as he was expected and required to act, as the summoned authority, and as her guards and aides waited outside besides her, listening for the herald to announce her name, she felt herself pulling together, feeling taller, her uniform hardening into an impenetrable armor around her, feeling herself mounting the internal dais of her station, and she thought with some satisfaction that they were wrong if they thought they were the ones who could summon me, I am the only one who can call myself into being now that the one who created me is gone, for she was no longer an ordinary little girl, she was, she remembered, at the exact moment the herald announced her as the same, Josephine Isabel de Beira y Metis, Queen of Anthe.

# ? Oct 7, 2020 08:42

YF-23: Feb 17, 2011; My god, it's full of cat!

Lucio Valens
FCP

In the last legislative session Carla Juvarra submitted one of her cousin�s bill proposals which passed the house. The FCP raised concerns about section 2e., which enables victims to submit a written statement in court in lieu of a testimony, meaning they can avoid cross-examination, but the bill passed unchanged.

Colleagues, we understand the desire to be compassionate to victims of crime and to not put them under undue stress. To include the process of justice in that is, however, misguided. This section attempts to be kind, but in so doing obstructs justice. In order for a court of law to determine the truth and make a correct judgement, all evidence must be presented and examined critically, and that includes testimony. And there is no more important witness than the victim. The court�s ability to receive and crossexamine victim testimony is therefore sacrosanct. I thus propose the following amendment.

quote:

A-4 Amendment to the Victim�s Rights Act

Paragraph 2, section e. of PB-40 the Victim�s Rights Act is stricken.

# ? Oct 7, 2020 18:49

Canasta_Nasty: Aug 23, 2005

Almuntasir the Maravillan novelist
Excerpts from the novel البؤساء about the doomed effort of Maravillans to rise up against the National Salvation Council during the suppression of 3588, published serially in the Workers' Friend

quote:

...Savage. Let us explain this word. When these bristling men, who in the early days of the revolutionary chaos, tattered, howling, wild, with uplifted bludgeon, pike on high, hurled themselves upon ancient Maravilla in an uproar, what did they want? They wanted an end to oppression, an end to tyranny, and end to the sword, work for men, instruction for the child, social sweetness for the woman, liberty, equality, fraternity, bread for all, the idea for all, the Edenizing of the world. Progress; and that holy, sweet, and good thing, progress, they claimed in terrible wise, driven to extremities as they were, half naked, club in fist, a roar in their mouths. They were savages, yes; but the savages of civilization.

Facing these men, who were ferocious, we admit, and terrifying, but ferocious and terrifying for good ends, there are other men, smiling, embroidered, gilded, beribboned, starred, in silk stockings, in white plumes, in yellow gloves, in varnished shoes, who, with their elbows on a velvet table, beside a marble chimney piece, insist gently on demeanor and the preservation of the past, of the Middle Ages, of divine right, of fanatacism, of innocence, of slavery, of the death penalty, of war, glorifying in low tones and with politeness, the sword, the stake, and the scaffold. For our part, if we were forced to make a choice between the barbarians of civilization and the civilized men of barbarism, we should choose the barbarians....

# ? Oct 8, 2020 01:28

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Belen Ahmad, First Secretary

The incident at Hawsha is deeply tragic. No abstract theory of society or economics can justify or explain away the sort of desperate situation where five people, including two children, are dead and the basic bonds of humanity have been dissolved in a bloody stew of class hatred and unresolved resentment. From the first, the Royal Alliance has spoken when no one else would about the urgency of the land question. The tragedy at Hawsha, as the testimony of everyone involved proves, has shown that that urgency has not diminished, and that it grows every moment the House fails to act.

The Royal Alliance, in the name of the Queen, the nation, and the working people, is committed to ending permanently the crisis of land inequality. No Anthen except the Queen is entitled to rule over another, either politically or economically. We are going to mobilize the people in order to achieve a lasting justice and peace, so that in agriculture, the most basic and important sector of our civilization, Anthens regard each other with a spirit of independence, freedom, and brotherhood. We will work with any party willing to work for the same. Our plan to achieve this peace over the land question is as follows, to be achieved in successive steps:

1) Additional funding for the Land Committees, and an Act freezing rents and reducing them to a maximum of 40% of total crop values for tenants, while granting tenants protections in the form of all existing tenant contracts (following their examination by Land Committees as a filter for fraud or exploitation) being extended five years for security from eviction. State land which is suitable for agriculture and not protected for ecological reasons will be made available to purchase to landless households, who will be able to pay off their purchase through a 15-year montage payable in kind or cash;

2) A Parish Farmers Association system, where each farmer in a parish will automatically belong to a locally-elected Farmers Association that functions as a service cooperative, providing seeds, tools, credit, equipment rentals, crop insurance, processing services, and training and tutoring through coordination with local Board of Agriculture research stations -- with the Farmers Association also being able to purchase crops for 80% of market value, or trade crops for fertilizer;

3) A ceiling being established on the amount of land any individual, household, or charitable-religious organization can own (with the exception of those organizations only holding land under the terms of the College Land Grant Act), with the excess being sold to the state for full money value, with any debts owed to the seller by tenants transferred to the state. Tenants or laborers operating on the land may then purchase the land from the state by means of a 15-year mortgage that they may pay in kind or cash, and have their other outstanding debts reduced or forgiven (failure to make a mortgage payment will merely add that same amount of time to the mortgage). Whatever state land that is suitable for agriculture will continue to be auctioned off on the same 15-year terms. Village land is to remain protected.

Our ultimate aim is to provide land to those who want it and to those who work it, because for Royalists there is only one class of Anthen: working people and their families. Politics for us and the Queen is not an end but a means to achieve a new society, where people are more or less equal in means and power. It is our mission to lead the working people with more than a program, but with a vision that gives Anthens even more than higher wages and better beds, to give them the feeling that we are, for the first time, masters in our own nation and over our destiny. We must restore to all Anthens that pride and joy of being in control. That begins with the land under our feet. We desire national unity, not strife. Our movement needs heroes, not martyrs. We urge the other parties to follow our example and pass this platform to unite the nation and honor the only legitimate interests in society: the nation and the working people.

tatankatonk fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Oct 8, 2020

# ? Oct 8, 2020 02:41

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

From the Times of Anthe

quote:

Carla Juvarra: "We depart for the countryside, to protect the honest rural people and convert souls to the gospel of loving Anthe and virtue."

The boorish leader of the Steel Pact made a short public statement following the First Secretary's proposal towards land reform, which has shown to be a topic of extreme interest among ordinary Anthens. Surrounded by henchmen, made up mostly of stringy-looking desperadoes and young high school dropouts, Juvarra addressed a Flor del Cielo crowd while wearing her military uniform and riding a white horse.

"The people, having been attacked by the corrupt instruments of those disgusting elements of the state which owe their loyalty to foreigners, cry out for every honest Anthen to help and protect them. We depart for the countryside, to protect the honest rural people and convert souls to the gospel of loving their nation. We march with the humble laborer, and all those who are ready to shake the nation awake, and show them the danger that threatens them. Before we begin our march, we confirm once more that this is not done in the service of politics or a party. We do not participate in politics, not for one day of our lives. We have our religion, and are servants to our faith. We are purified in its fire and find ourselves possessed by it. We serve it and the Anthen people until our dying breath. Now, we go forward to prevent more Hawsas, and to instruct the people in the virtues of honest living. We invite all honorable and patriotic veterans, mothers, and students to join us in our work."

As the little column marched off on a dirt road, they sang the notorious "Steel Anthem", which taxes the listener:

Arise, Anthen, from sleep's dim prison
Where the barbarians seek to keep you
Now, once and for all,
Arise to determine your destiny!

Priests, lend your chants,
Soldiers, lend your lives,
Mothers, lend your children,
To the long struggle for freedom.

Our mottos are loyalty and duty,
Our blades red with blood,
Better to die upon a sacred field of struggle
Than to ever be slaves in the lands of our home.

Anthens, now or never,
Anthens, once and for all!

# ? Oct 8, 2020 04:30

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

National Polls for January 15th, 3641

Positive keywords most frequently mentioned: Unemployment, wages, overtime, National Social Insurance, Land Reform, Queen, 'Give us land'.

# ? Oct 8, 2020 05:00

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

August Meier, Autonomy Movement

The Land Committees are a modest but genuine step towards the Autonomy Movement's vision of local democracy and free cultural expression. I am thankful that the First Secretary consulted my party to add the Act's sixth article, which allows people to celebrate according to their own local custom, and removes the power to censor from appointed and unaccountable magistrates. I believe that the First Secretary's other proposals regarding the land situation are measured and thoughtful. Most importantly, they honor the desire of the ordinary rural Anthen, which is clear to anyone who bothers to listen: they want land of their own, or to own the land they only now rent, or to continue in their current tenant arrangements but knowing that the day is coming soon that they will own later what they improve and work now. It would be absurd for my party to insist on democracy as the cure to social problems and ignore people when they actually speak as loudly as they are beginning to. The Autonomy Movement supports the First Secretary's land platform.

I am willing to extend my belief in the First Secretary's sincere commitment to democracy that far. Beyond that, however, I think that the latest violence has shown that the Security Office requires more oversight than it currently possesses. The First Secretary and Security Secretary are surely extraordinarily busy with the weight of their duties. I propose that they are assisted by a Committee on Security and Intelligence, which shall receive the same executive summaries as they do as issues arise, in order to prevent us all from being blindsided as in the recent past.

quote:

PB-45, or the Security and Intelligence Oversight Committee

1. The House of Deputies establish a Security Oversight Committee, to be a standing committee with the usual membership and appointment procedures, so that one member is appointed by the Queen, one appointed by the First Secretary, and one by the leader of the Opposition;

2. The Secretary of Security will be committed to making an introductory report upon the establishment of the Committee, and thereafter share any executive summaries or reports they receive with the membership of the Committee.

# ? Oct 8, 2020 07:07

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

EMERGENCY MIDNIGHT EDITION OF THE TIMES OF ANTHE :siren:

quote:

CAPITAL STUNNED AS SECRETARY OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION PARTY LEADER THE COUNTESS SAN SATURNINO ON BRINK OF DEATH AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ; CRAZED GUNMAN APPREHENDED BY GENDARMES, NO POLITICAL MOTIVE APPARENT

Carolina de Oliveira y Vidre, Countess of San Saturnino and Secretary of Finance as well as National Construction Party leader, 50 years old, is in critical condition tonight after a gunman shot her several times before being apprehended. The ghastly scene occurred as the Countess left the La Santa restaurant in the Merchant's Bend District sometime after 11 PM. The Countess was shot three times; doctors say only the third was serious, but she remains in serious condition, and reports indicate initial surgery was successful but that she is not yet out of mortal danger. A member of the Countess's security detail was also shot, and died on the scene.

Gendarmes apprehended the gunman almost instantaneously, and the Times of Anthe has confirmed his identity as Ion Grau, 51, a member of the Board of Directors of the former Campes & Daughters Bank, which the government recently assumed control of. Investigators have stated that they believe the shooting to be the result of a personal and basically non-political dispute between himself and the Countess, and they do not know Grau to be connected to any organizations, parties, or faiths with the exception of a series of apolitical fraternal bankers' organizations.

As the Countess was a major figure in the current coalition government, and widely seen as a circumspect but basically reliable ally of First Secretary Belen Ahmad, the effects of the Countess's wounding and possible death are yet to be seen but are expected to be significant.

The Countess was apparently able to write a brief note to aides before she collapsed into a state beyond communication. The Times of Anthe has secured a copy of its contents:

Do not touch my arrangements at O. of Fin. Deputy Secretary will serve until I recover. Cannot function as p. leader while recovering, I resign. Apologies to B. Ahmad and Her Majesty for inconvenience.

As a result of the Countess's apparent resignation, the leadership of the National Construction Party will probably be contested by an internal election.

During her recovery, the Countess's personal affairs are being managed by her younger sister, Dona Myriam de Oliveira y Vidre, 47, a Justice of the High Constitutional Court. The First Secretary has not been available for comment but apparently rushed to the hospital the Countess was being treated at.

# ? Oct 8, 2020 07:56

Takanago: Jun 2, 2007; You'll see...

Manuel Cobos
Free Constitutionalist Party

First of all, I must express my shock and dismay at the recent news.

And secondly, I must thank my friend Mr. Meier for submitting his Security and Intelligence Oversight bill. I was in fact in the process of drafting such a bill myself, but it looks like the good man from the AM has beaten me to the punch. I would like to throw my own full endorsement behind the bill and become its champion just as much as Mr. Meier himself. As we have seen from the recent revelations, it is about time we take steps to introduce some level of reasonable oversight over the Office of Security.

# ? Oct 8, 2020 13:35

Takanago: Jun 2, 2007; You'll see...

A certain underground publication, thought to have ended with the de Luna era, prints one more issue...

quote:

The New Republican
The #1 Resistance Newspaper Makes Its Return!

DON'T BLAME ME, BLAME THE ORPHANS! - QUEEN INVENTS RIDICULOUS SOB STORY, USES CHILDREN AS POLITICAL HUMAN SHIELD

As it turns out, if you criticize our new flag, you are literally crushing the dreams of hundreds of sad orphans. Or so says our Queen, Isabel the Second, who recently delivered the incredibly sad sob story to the House of Deputies when she went to explain why she ignored the constitution. As reported by one anonymous House staffer, "it was a loving farce. Like one of those conservative chain letters you'd get where the queen owns some liberal professor and then everybody stands up and claps. Except this time people actually stood up and clapped."

And looking at the speech myself, I have to agree. It was some of the most wild bullshit I have ever seen. It was so wild that I decided I had to bring this newspaper back and start writing again, even though we shut it down when old man De Loona died. Because, well, who the gently caress else is going to talk about it?

The Queen's speech started fine and dandy, as one would expect any flowery, political speech to. Some stuff about the "sweet fruits of democracy's garden," whatever that means, and about responsibility and all that bullshit. The stuff you would expect a Queen to say. And then she says something important, something you WOULD expect to be the main headline.... (if not for the bullshit that immediately follows)

"I must plead guilty"

The House spent weeks arguing about this whole flag bullshit, and then she just goes out and says it outright. She's guilty. She even admits it. It should be as simple as that. But then the real bullshit began. She starts saying that despite actually violating the constitution, and admitting that she violated the constitution, she didn't really violate the constitution. Why?

Because of the poor, sad orphans.

You see, according to her story, she just happened to be visiting some orphans when she made up the flag. (Because that's what a Queen does, apparently. Raise the spirits of poor orphans, and travel the country, and cure diseases with the magic of your crown...) And she just so happened to be with these orphans when she heard the news about the recent terrorist attacks. (Editor's note: Los Lobos can go gently caress themselves) And when she heard the news, the Queen became oh, so sad that one of the incredibly patriotic orphan children around her stood up and said, "Hey Queen, why don't we take this opportunity to design a new symbol and regalia for the nation!" (And then, presumably, all the children stood up and clapped. And that child's name was Isidor de Luna. Or something.)

And so, the Queen explained, if you don't like this new flag I made, you must hate these orphans. Who she took the liberty of inviting to this ceremony without telling anybody why. Oh, and by the way: don't ask any questions about why the Queen didn't go through proper constitutional channels. That also would make the poor children cry.

To be honest, I have to throw some respect the Queen's way. This poo poo she pulled was some real, grade-a politicking. A coup d'elementary school. It's certainly a wily move to invite a whole bunch of innocent orphan children to the House, and then in some third-act-twist reveal that actually they were your political tool all along. But, respect aside, we have to recognize this for what it is:

These are the Queen's true colors. For many months now, we've been wondering what kind of person the Queen actually is, and now we know. She is a wily snake, and she will not hesitate to use whatever she wants as a political tool, or shield.

And speaking of the Queen's true colors, read on for a surprise...

-Felix Yzaguirre Jr.

EXCLUSIVE: SECRET NUDE PHOTOS OF QUEEN LEAKED?

[The latter half of the pamphlet includes several pictures that it purports to be authentic nude photos of the Queen. Are they real, or are they fake? Only you can decide.]

# ? Oct 8, 2020 22:01

paragon1: Nov 22, 2010; FULL COMMUNISM NOW

Acero Amalden
Royalist Alliance

Acero Amalden is stops briefly to answer questions from a Times Reporter outside the House on his way to other business

TR: Secretary Amalden, what's your opinion on the violence in Hawsha?

AA: A preventable tragedy!

TR: So you think the gendarmes could've done more?

AA: I doubt it.

TR: Then you think it was preventable.

AA: Yes, but not by the gendarmes. Tensions just like those that exploded in Hawsha have been festering and bubbling beneath the skin of Anthe's society for decades, centuries even. It didn't have to happen.

TR: What are your opinions on the gendarme who shot Senor Artime?

AA: None. I haven't ever met the man.

TR: What do you think of his actions?

AA: I think it sounds like he made the best of an impossible situation, using the tools he'd been provided.

TR: And his published words? The ones praising you?

AA: Puzzling, considering my personal history and record. Perhaps he is worried? I would encourage the young man to closely examine what lines he's willing to cross in fulfilling his duties, lest he find himself doing things he never thought he'd do.

TR: Anything to say to Chucho Artime himself, who lost his leg?

AA: I wish you'd had more confidence in our legal system, and that you'd believed a gendarme when they said they would shoot. And to the rest of Anthe: I know your pain. Keep to the law, change is coming.

paragon1 fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Oct 9, 2020

# ? Oct 9, 2020 03:04

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Drafting session extended to 10/13 9 PM PST :siren:

# ? Oct 9, 2020 03:04

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Belen Ahmad, First Secretary

The First Secretary speaks briefly at a press conference...

We have all been greatly worried by the senseless, tragic violence that put the Countess San Saturnino in the hospital and at death's edge. The Countess, no matter our political differences, has become a good friend and a valuable, steady source of counsel for this government. Her absence represents an enormous loss for myself and for Anthen leadership. I am happy to say, however, that her doctors now believe the Countess to be beyond the worst of her injuries. While a period of rest and recuperation awaits her, she will survive. In the meantime, her appointed deputy will continue to serve at the Office of Finance.

# ? Oct 9, 2020 03:53

Clayren: Jun 4, 2008; grandma plz don't folow me on twiter its embarassing, if u want to know what animes im watching jsut read the family newsletter like normal

Deputy Exequiel de Heliotropo, member of the Education Committee and Judicial Appointment Committee

"I am proud to say that in these early years of our new democracy the government has worked hard to make Anthe a REAL democracy, one in which the people have a real say. Not in which stuffed-shirt corporate stooge will pollute the airwaves of their radios, but in how they live their lives and where the value they produce goes. The Labor Office Act was a greatly needed step towards a freer future and one need only looks at the formation of the ALCA to see its worth. But for a great many Anthens these victories for the waged worker do nothing but further highlight their own suffering. The recent tragedy in Hawsha should remind us of the tenant farmers and their plight. The time is now for bold action on their behalf."

PB-44, or �The Fair Tenantry and Land Distribution Act�

I. To alleviate the suffering of tenant farmers the maximum allowable yearly rent which will be chargeable by landlords shall be set at forty percent of the total market value of agricultural products produced on the rented land.

II. All rents below forty percent at the time of this bill�s passage shall be frozen at their current level for five years starting at the time of this bill's passage.

III. All tenant contracts existing at the time of this bill�s passage shall be extended for five years, to protect tenants from eviction.

IV. Additional funds shall be granted to the Office of Labor to investigate cases of fraud or exploitation by either landlords or tenants. Landlords or tenants found to have violated any portion of this act shall receive an official note of warning and six months to comply. If a followup investigation finds continued non-compliance fines may be levied.

V. State land which is suitable for agriculture and not protected for ecological reasons will be made available to lease to landless households for no rent.
A.Landless households leasing state land shall be restricted to a reasonable maximum set by the Office of Labor
B.Those leasing state land will, after leasing an area of land for ten years, qualify to purchase said land
C. Those purchasing land in the above outlined way shall be given access to a 15-year mortgage payable in kind or cash
D.In cases where purchasers intend to sell their land within the first 15 years after the purchase date the government shall have the right to buy it back for its initial purchase price
E. Government lands, having returned to the government in the manner outlined in article V, section D shall be made available to any commune with land adjoining the property in question at a fair market price, so long as said commune has either no outstanding mortgage with the government or a mortgage with the government that is at least 70% repaid
F. Communes seeking to purchase lands in the manner outlined in article V, section E shall have access to 10-year mortgages payable in cash or kind
G.10% of government lands placed up for lease in a given year must prioritize buyers who have become Anthen citizens in the past 5 years
H.5% of government lands placed up for lease in a given year must prioritize buyers who are veterans of the Anthen military services

VI. Leasees shall be encouraged to form voluntary communes of at least 30 land-holders by means of favorable repayment conditions and certain tax exemptions.
A. Members of government recognized communes shall be able to purchase leased land after only 3 years of leasing, rather than the 10 required of individual leasees
B. Government recognized communes shall have an additional 5 years over the original 15 to repay mortgages on government land
C.Government recognized communes shall be exempt from land taxes for a period of 10 years following their formation
D. Government recognized communes shall be exempt from sales taxes on machinery used in the planting, watering, pest control, harvesting and processing of farm products for a period of 20 years following their formation
E. Government recognized communes are considered to be �formed� once they have been recognized by the government and cannot be re-formed by the addition or loss of landholding members for the purposes of extending initial benefits
F. No land may be removed from a government recognized commune until any government mortgage on all land in said commune has been repaid in full
G. In cases where an individual wishes to voluntarily leave a commune they may do so, but the remaining members of said commune reserve the right to purchase their land at the current going price for agricultural land
H. In cases where an individual voluntarily leaves a commune with some amount of their initial land, any readily moveable assets, such as harvesting and processing machines and equipment, shall be kept by the commune.
I. Improvements such as sheds, barns, houses, stables which are not readily moveable shall remain with the land they have been built on.

VII. Additional funds shall be granted to the Office of Labor to investigate cases of fraud involving government recognized communes. The power to fine communes found in violation of this act shall be given to the Office of Labor.

Clayren fucked around with this message at 04:15 on Oct 9, 2020

# ? Oct 9, 2020 04:09

Canasta_Nasty: Aug 23, 2005

Seddik Bouchareb
سدك بوشارب
FCP

The situation confronting Anthe is dire. We all saw violence erupting in Hawsha over the historic injustices of share cropping. We have to say openly and plainly that tenant farming is a form of unfree labor. The government is proposing a form of easing the burdens of sharecropping. The time for palliatives and half measures has ended when the economic crisis drives escalating cycles of violence. The peasant responds to landlord violence with lynch mobs precisely because they have been excluded throughout the dictatorship from equal access to the law. The rotten compromise which created the current constitution did nothing to bring them into active political life. Only the FCP and now the AM with their new bill PB-46 have sought to create democratic oversight of the state apparatus.

But equality before the law is only effective if the victim is able to exercise their legal rights. The landlord and the tenant exist in their grey economy that denies the peasant access to the money necessary to actually participate as an equal in Anthen society. Without money to travel, to hire an attorney, to take time off to appear in court, legal rights have no force in practice. We must end sharecropping in full as a form of unfree labor. The governing coalition has proposed this or that survey and half-measure, but the answer is in democracy. The newly created parishes have land committees, let them assess and distribute the land in full.

There are many large landlords within the FCP. This has led to many hard discussions in caucus. When I was elected to leader of the FCP I made clear that all the old forms of landlordism must end. Some hoped, perhaps naively that the government could achieve some compromise that preserved private ownership of the land with modernization to solve the land question. But there is no way forward without a real improvement to the life of the peasant. Neither can Anthen industry develop while held back by the tethers of share cropping. And the government would not negotiate. The Labor of Anthens must be free and the land must be integrated into the cash economy. Peasants must become proprietors free to compete or collaborate by the sweat of their own brow. The FCP may well lose the support of some land lords from this, but many others have told us that for the sake of democracy they will cease to command their tenants and instead collaborate with their equals.

What stands between the peasant and the land are the Churches' estates, the nobles' privileges, the bureaucrats' commands. The FCP demands that land henceforth be democratically controlled for the sake of freedom and economic development.

PB-46 FCP Decree on Land posted:

(1) Landed proprietorship is abolished forthwith without any compensation.
(2) The landed estates, as also all crown, monastery, and church lands, with all their livestock, implements, buildings and everything pertaining thereto, shall be placed at the disposal of the parish land committees and municipal governments.
(3) All damage to confiscated property, which henceforth belongs to the whole people, is proclaimed a grave crime to be punished by the parish land committees. They shall take all necessary measures to assure the observance of the strictest order during the confiscation of the landed estates, to determine the size of estates, and the particular estates subject to confiscation, to draw up exact inventories of all property confiscated and to protect in the strictest democratic way all agricultural enterprises transferred to the people, with all buildings, implements, livestock, stocks of produce, etc.
(4) The following peasant Mandate, compiled by the editors of the newspaper The Workers' Friend from 242 local peasant mandates and published in No. 88 of that paper shall serve everywhere to guide the implementation of the great land reforms.

"Peasant Mandate on the Land, from [i posted:

Workers' Friend No. 88[/i]"]
The land question in its full scope can be settled only by a democratic constitution drafted and approved by the whole of Anthe.

The most equitable settlement of the land question is to be as follows:

(1) Private ownership of land shall be abolished forever; land shall not be sold, purchased, leased, mortgaged, or otherwise alienated.
All land, whether state, crown, monastery, church, entailed, private, public, peasant, etc., shall be confiscated without compensation and become the property of the whole people, and pass into the use of all those who cultivate it.
Persons who suffer by this democratization of the land shall be deemed to be entitled to public support only for the period necessary for adaptation to the new conditions of life.

(2) All the small streams, lakes, woods, etc., shall be administered by the local self-government bodies.

(3) Lands on which high-level scientific farming is practiced�orchards, tree-farms, seed plots, nurseries, hothouses, etc.�shall not be divided up, but shall be converted into model farms, to be turned over for exclusive use to the land committees, municipalities, or state depending on the size and importance of such lands.
Household land in towns and villages, with orchards and vegetable gardens, shall be reserved for the use of their present owners, the size of the holdings, and the size of tax levied for the use thereof, to be determined by law.

(4) Stud farms, government and private pedigree stock and poultry farms, etc., shall be confiscated and become the property of the whole people, and pass into the exclusive use of the land committee or a municipality, depending on the size and importance of such farms.

(5) All livestock and farm implements of the confiscated estates shall pass into the exclusive use of the land committees or a municipality, depending on their size and importance, and no compensation shall be paid for this.
The farm implements of peasants with little land shall not be subject to confiscation.

(6) The right to use the land shall be accorded to all citizens of the Anthen state (without distinction of sex, language, religion, or ethnicity) desiring to cultivate it by their own labor, with the help of their families, or in partnership, but only as long as they are able to cultivate it.
In the event of the temporary physical disability of any member of a parish or village for a period of up to two years, the land committee shall be obliged to assist him for this period by collectively cultivating his land until he is again able to work.

Peasants who, owing to old age or ill-health, are permanently disabled and unable to cultivate the land personally, shall lose their right to the use of it but, in return, shall receive a pension from the state.

(7) Land tenure shall be on an equality basis�i.e., the land shall be distributed among the working people in conformity with a labor standard or a subsistence standard, depending on local conditions.
There shall be absolutely no restriction on the forms of land tenure�household, farm, communal, or co-operative, as shall be decided in each individual village and land committee.

(8) All land, when alienated, shall become part of the national land fund. Its distribution among the peasants shall be in the charge of the parish and municipal self-government bodies, in which there are no distinctions of social rank.

The land fund shall be subject to periodic redistribution, depending on the growth of population and the increase in the productivity and the scientific level of farming.
When the boundaries of allotments are altered, the original nucleus of the allotment shall be left intact.

The land of the members who leave the parish or municipality shall revert to the land fund; preferential right to such land shall be given to the nearest relatives of the members who have left, or to persons designated by the latter.

The cost of fertilizers and improvements put into the land, to the extent that they have not been fully used up at the time the allotment is returned to the land fund, shall be compensated.

Should the available land fund in a particular district prove inadequate for the needs of the local population, the surplus population shall be offered land elsewhere.

The state shall take upon itself the organization of resettlement and shall bear the cost thereof, as well as the cost of supplying implements, etc.
Resettlement shall be effected in the following order: landless peasants desiring to resettle, then by lot or by agreement.

(5) The land of ordinary peasants shall not be confiscated.

Canasta_Nasty fucked around with this message at 09:37 on Oct 9, 2020

# ? Oct 9, 2020 09:25

YF-23: Feb 17, 2011; My god, it's full of cat!

Lucio Valens
FCP

Colleagues, let me first wish a speedy recovery to Carolina and all the best to the NCP in their selection of a new leader.

Colleagues, the tragedy at Hawsha exposes sides of Anthen society that we have no reason to be proud of. Much talk has been made about land reform as a result, and we have multiple proposals on that front. The FCP understands that radical reform is needed and we are prepared to radically overturn the relations of power that turn our countryside into a theatre for petty and bloody drama.

An aspect of the latest play has yet remained unexamined by the house, however, and that is the behaviour of the gendarmes. The gendarme that was responsible for breaking up the mob at the station at the cost of a man�s leg said in an interview, and I quote:

�I am myself in the same camp as Acero Amalden and other great men of the law - for an officer there is no time for right or wrong, there is only the law. Obey our command or face our wrath!�

This highly authoritarian interpretation of the role of the gendarmerie did not come from a veteran of the De Luna years. It came from a 21-year old man. That is not someone who was acclimated during the height of the dictatorship. This is someone who joined in the moderate, waning years of De Luna�s regime, and who has spent most of his time in service after De Luna�s death. The gendarmerie is clearly still steeped in an authoritarian culture of state violence. More evidence of this is that, as Hawsha shows, there is no clear protocol for dealing with threatening situations like this - if you feel threatened, you are permitted to shoot at the crowd.

Colleagues, it is time to dissolve the gendarmerie.

quote:

PB-47 The Establishment of Local Police Forces Act

With regards to local law enforcement:

Each parish and municipality will form local Police Departments and will, within a year from the passage of this bill or its establishment, whichever comes later, elect a local Sheriff to head them by popular vote. These departments will be responsible for law enforcement within their jurisdiction.

Thereafter the election for the Sheriff�s office will take place at the same time as local elections. A Sheriff may be recalled by a supermajority vote of their land committee or municipal council. A Sheriff leaving their post prior to the end of their term will be replaced by a special election with the replacement acting out the rest of the term.

Each Police Department will inherit the local gendarmerie�s resources. Sheriffs shall have the right to dismiss personnel inherited in this manner without cause for 5 years following that process.

With regards to the Department of the Gendarmerie:

The Department of the Gendarmerie will be renamed into the Department of Law Enforcement and maintain its resources not absorbed by local Police Departments.

The Department of Law Enforcement will establish standard operating procedures for police response to potential situations and threats and will establish communications channels and protocols between different Police Departments.

The Department of Law Enforcement will maintain a number of experts and officers who may be sent out to assist and coordinate action by Police Departments when requested, or when an investigation involves multiple Police Departments.

The Department of Law Enforcement will be responsible for the maintenance of centralised resources for use by multiple Police Departments, such as forensic labs training programmes.

# ? Oct 9, 2020 15:53

Erwin the German: May 30, 2011; :3

Santo Auspitz, the Bishop of Maravilla
National Construction Party

The land question remains a contentious issue, clearly, but I shall focus my legislation this time towards the continued betterment of our children and adolescents looking to better their lots in life in higher education. These all working together in tandem, I hope that real improvements will be evident. This legislation focuses upon the establishment of yet more universities throughout Anthe, particularly in areas that are in need of easier access to higher education facilities. In particular, I am proud of the last clause, which I believe shall serve as a framework for schools and facilities that shall open the doors of Anthe even wider than before. It should of course be noted that the Naturalization School is strictly opt-in to those who are interested in further immersing themselves in their new home by learning about our values, culture, language and ways. I pray that it will see much success.

I thank Deputy de Heliotropo for his assistance in parts of the language of this bill, and shall present it without further delay.

PB-48, or �The Higher Learning Expansion Act� posted:

As it is recognized that many areas of Anthe are lacking easily reached higher learning education facilities, and that many new residents of Anthe have need of work opportunities, the House of Deputies shall authorize the following actions:

1. Up to ten, but no less than six, new universities shall begin to be established across Anthe during the third quarterly period of 3641.
A. The Department of Anthen Universities shall conduct a study during the second quarterly period to identify appropriate areas that are lacking easy access to universities. Their findings will be forwarded to appropriate government departments to secure funding in case infrastructural expansions are needed in said areas to afford ease of access.

2. The Churches of Eternal Sovereign Mercy shall be invited to run up to 2/3rds of these new universities, rounded to the nearest whole number, in keeping with their expertise and traditional role as providers of education on Anthe.
A. The Bureau of Churches Schools shall liaison with appropriate Churches authorities to affect this cooperation.
B. Churches-ran universities shall be mandated to follow all dictates passed down by the Office of Education, but will otherwise be free to be specialized as they see fit.
C. In addition to high-class theological studies being offered, new universities will be highly encouraged to refer to the fields outlined by the College Land Grants Act as a suggestion for other colleges offered.
D. New Anthen residents, particularly those who have emigrated to Anthe during the recent influx of refugees, shall be invited to teach at newly established Churches universities if they are qualified.

3. One of these new universities which is not granted to the Churches will be established as The Josephine Isabel II Royal Labor College, henceforth referred to as the RLC, an institution which shall provide a robust and appropriate education to the laborers of Anthe.
A. The RLC shall be run by a board of trustees whose membership will be made of four trustees appointed by the Office of Labor, three trustees appointed from the Allied Labor Congress of Anthe and a non-voting observer appointed by the offices of the Sovereign Monarch of Anthe.
B. The Allied Labor Congress of Anthe, henceforth referred to as the ALCA, shall be invited to provide up to, but no more than, 40% of all future funding for the RLC.
C. If the ALCA provides a minimum of funding, the amount of which shall be decided by the board of trustees, it shall reserve the right to 40% of the student slots at the RLC. Into these slots it may place members whose education as negotiators, managers, accountants, researchers, geologists, agri-scientists, organizers and other professionals would be of benefit to the laboring classes and the nation as a whole.
D. The RLC shall be mandated to follow all dictates passed down by the Office of Education, but otherwise shall be run as the board of trustees sees fit.

4. New universities, created by this bill and associated with the Churches, shall be funded by the Anthen public through already-existing taxes, student tuition, and, if applicable, generous donations from the Churches and other Anthen universities.
A. During the second and third quarterly periods of 3641, the Department of Anthen Universities and Bureau of Churches Schools shall maintain a donation period to help finance the new universities, and to try to lessen the necessary funds taken from already-existing taxation.

5. All remaining unclaimed universities created by this act shall be established as Royal Educational Colleges. Royal Educational Colleges shall specialise in educating future lower-education teachers to a standard of excellence.

6. The House of Deputies mandates that a new school be established in Flor del Cielo, the Naturalization School of Flor del Cielo.
A. This school will be co-ran by the Office of Education and the Churches.
B. This school�s purpose will be to aid in the naturalization process of residents wishing to become citizens of Anthe - it will offer courses directly relating to Anthen traditions, history, and will feature a robust language center.
C. The school shall be required to accommodate at least ten-thousand students, six thousand of which shall be reserved for established residents of Anthe who are not yet citizens. The remainder may come from any background, such as foreigners, traders, and other off-worlders wishing to learn more about Anthe.
D. Enrollees identified as recent (3640-41) refugees (background checks will apply) may apply free of charge.
E. If successful, the Flor del Cielo school shall serve as a framework for additional such naturalization schools being established in other cities, likely starting with Maravilla, owing to its extensive, multi-cultural population.

Finally, I will be offering impromptu-services with my staff after House hours to those who would like to join us in praying for those affected by the recent tragedies in Hawsha, for our former party leader's galling injuries and speedy recovery, and for all of those on Anthe who currently languish under unfair and stifling living conditions. Thank you.

Erwin the German fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Oct 9, 2020

# ? Oct 9, 2020 17:29

Takanago: Jun 2, 2007; You'll see...

Manuel Cobos
Free Constitutionalist Party

In light of recent events, I feel the need to call for immediate Party Elections within the FCP. And furthermore, I announce my intention to run for Party Leader.

I have tremendous respect for my party, and tremendous respect for the work Seddik has put in so far, but I think the time has come where we as a party need to stop, discuss, and re-think our policy priorities.

One of the most important reasons I joined the FCP is my belief in the freedom and rights of all people: wealthy, middle-class, and poor. We all have rights. We don't have these rights because some document gave them to us; we have them because we are human beings. Because we're people. We all, no matter who we are, deserve to be treated with a basic level of respect and dignity. This is the fundamental idea that society is based upon. Or should be based upon. Because left and right, there are people who try to take those rights away. There are people who throw you in jail with no due process, or shoot you, or take things from you, or force you to do something you don't want to. They say, "We make the rules, and you're just going to have to put up with it."

Well, you don't. Not if you don't want to. You have the right to stand up and say, "NO! I don't want to!"

If you look around, you'll find all kinds of cases where the government does things because they say so. The Security forces and Gendarmes act with impunity. People all across the House are conspiring to take away people's income and property, with no recourse. Even as we speak, there's a bill to create yet another government-controlled monopoly in the House. Want to have the right to sell produce? Too bad! The government controls it now. Just like they control the trains and mines. Soon they'll control your land, too.

The FCP is important because we are the only ones who will stand up for the right of the individual. The FCP is important because we are the only ones who will fight for the freedom and prosperity of all Anthens. The FCP is important because we are the only ones who will fight against the excesses and overreach of big government.

This is what the Free Constitutionalist Party stands for.

# ? Oct 9, 2020 18:15

Takanago: Jun 2, 2007; You'll see...

Manuel Cobos
Free Constitutionalist Party

Some of you might be wondering, "What would Mr. Cobos do differently with the FCP? What makes him different?" Well, let me present the first piece of my new platform: I call it, The Free Land Plan! It's simple:

ONE: We take all the good parts of what USED to be the Tri-Partisan Land Reform Plan and keep 'em. I still believe in Tri-Partisanship, and if I'm elected I'm going to do everything in my power to try to make it work again. So we take the part about rent relief, and we keep it. But,

TWO: We throw out whatever the hell their land redistribution plan turned out to be. It's a mess. It's overly complicated. Fifteen-year mortgages? Ten separate clauses about government sponsored communes? No thanks. We don't need it.

THREE: We replace that part of the plan with something much simpler. With something much better. We just take all that government land that's sitting around, doing nothing, and we GIVE IT AWAY! For free! To you and your household. No paying off mortgages, no complicated commune schemes. Free land for you and your household. It's that simple.

Why? Because everybody deserves to have their own property. It's what people want. When people own their own land, they don't just have a source of income, they have their own source of freedom. A place where they're the boss, and nobody can tell them what to do. That's what people want, not some new scheme that still demands that they share their hard-earned income with their neighbors.

We can make this happen! It doesn't even cost the government anything! The land's just sitting there! We can give it away!

Say it with me! I want my land, and I want it to be free! Free as in freedom, and free as in free!

Free Land! Free Households! Free Constitution!

# ? Oct 10, 2020 02:48

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# ? May 5, 2024 07:06

Canasta_Nasty: Aug 23, 2005

Seddik Bouchareb
سدك بوشارب
FCP

I appreciate the opportunity to debate in more detail the direction of the FCP and formally state my contention for re-election.

The crucial issue before us is land reform. Cobos and I are in strong agreement that the FCP stands for freedom and democracy, we both defend the freedom of Anthens to carry out their lives and dispose of their property without undue influence from the government. While the coalition government has issued decree after decree asserting the monopoly of the apparatus over the desires of the people, the FCP has fought for the fullest expansion of local democracy, sometimes with the RA and AM, sometimes on our own.

I argue that the nationalization of the land is necessary for the free functioning of the economy, that expands freedom and property rights rather than diminishing them, and that mobilizing the peasantry behind the FCP is the only path forward for all of our central goals: a new Republican constitution, secularizing the state, securing the rule of law over the state apparatus.

Private ownership of land always constitutes a monopoly that condemns those it dominates to backwardness and serves as a sharp brake on the economy. Irrespective of whether it is under vestigial feudal forms like sharecropping or bought and sold with money rents, land is not like other private property but exists as the noble house monopolies that Sr. Cobos proudly took the lead in destroying. If a factory has better equipment than its competitors it will make profits over and above the market average, but that advantage cannot last. But that advantage cannot last, their competitors can build and buy their own equipment raising productivity, ending the comparative advantage. When you compare two plots of land, the same does not hold. Some land is rich and fertile, some stony and poor. It is the yield of poor land that determines the price of food on the market and the extra yields owners of rich land get, translates into more profits for no extra work. We aren't the everlasting machines, we can't create new fertile land, we can't make land closer to markets, we can't make land equally profitable to equal work. Those who own the good land will always collect a rent from their tenants or from society by mere ownership.

The most degraded aspect of this is the servitude of share croppers. The landlord does not even have to lift a finger to get rich, while the peasant sometimes earns a subsistence through backbreaking work. With all payments to and from their landlord in kind, they have no freedom to sell the fruits of their labor, no freedom to move, no practical freedom to exercise their democratic and legal rights.

The RA has repeatedly sought to resolve the degradation of the peasant by handing out the land of the rich to the peasants. Sr. Cobos takes a more modest approach of handing out the state land. Neither approach is capable of erasing the monopoly conditions created by the private ownership of fertile land. My proposal ends these monopoly conditions by turning the land over to the entire people. Like the ocean, like the rivers, the land is our common patrimony. If someone claimed a monopoly on the ocean and charge everyone for travel on it, we would consider them insane. Instead anyone who can build or buy a ship is free to sail it, that must be our attitude to the land and through ending land monopolies, open up the broadest layers of Anthe to the freedom of commerce. we did not indemnify the noble houses when we broke their monopolies, we need not indemnify the landlords.

Beyond the question of principle which I believe is decisive, there is the issue of practice. Our Party is based on some central goals that we cannot achieve without bringing into conscious political action the deepest layers of the peasantry. How can we gain a democratic constitution without demonstrating to the peasantry that the current constitution cannot improve their lives? How can we establish a republic without demonstrating that the RA may promise wages and land but will never promise freedom? What use are our calls for a secular state if we only oppose the Churches as teachers and doctors but leave them untouched as landlords? How can we clear out the remnants of the De Luna regime without uniting all the oppressed?

So much of our program which seems impossible in the face of the RA-NCP's intransigence becomes straightforward when the peasants are won to our party. Creating a democracy that leaves the monopoly of land intact, the peasant degraded, is not just hypocritical but impossible.

Canasta_Nasty fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Oct 10, 2020

# ? Oct 10, 2020 03:50

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > The Customs of Anthe - A SciFi Government Sim

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