Let the ruling classes tremble – an Interactive Revolutionary AAR

[Enewald]

Clergy should be called Intellectuals like it is in some mod...

[Zzzzz...]

Nice overview. You can also RP that Clergy are some kind of political commisars.

[Necazian]

Nice overview. You can also RP that Clergy are some kind of political commisars.

With State Press high literacy POPs become less conscious, so that could be good if combined with that.

[Tommy4ever]

The Election of 1850



The Marxists

Prospective Chairman: Karl Marx

Position within People’s Party: Far Left

Budget Policy:

Taxes on the rich should be kept at 100% at all times. Taxes on the poorest should remain as low as possible whilst taxes on people with middle incomes should remain at least 10% higher than the taxes on the poorest.

Tariffs can be used but only when they are necessary to either correct budget imbalances or protect struggling native industry.

Military spending should be raised slightly to encourage a small trickle of new recruits.

Educational spending should remain flexible and be aimed solely at achieving the 2% target or intellectuals in the population. Administrative spending should look to maximise efficiency at all times.

Industrial Policy:

The state shall centralise its control over all industry. Any expansions shall be funded by the state and industry shall be supported by government subsidies. The state also promises to update the rail system whenever it is possible to ensure the upmost international competitiveness of VSVR manufacturing.

Reform Policy:

The Marxists promise to introduce at least 3 social reforms during their 5 year mandate. These reforms will be focussed on healthcare and pensions to take care of our most needy.

Social Policy:

All assets owned by the ruling classes are to be seized by the state. The ruling classes are to be given two choices: join the proletariat or face the gallows. Collective farms will be created using the land of the aristocrats in order to boost agricultural production. The Petite Bourgeoisie will receive no support from the state but neither will the state interfere in their affairs.

All church assets are to be seized by the state. Religion is to be made illegal. Atheism shall become the state religion and is to be actively encouraged at all times.

Foreign Policy:

The VSVR is still weak so our foreign policy must be opportunistic. If any of the German states that border us lose the support for either Prussia or Austria (or France) then they are to be annexed forthwith.



The German Socialists

Prospective Chairman: Wilhelm Weitling

Position in the People’s Party: Centre (includes both heavy right wing and heavy left wing elements)

Budget Policy:

A progressive tax system is to be set up. The rich strata should pay 10% more tax than the middle strata and the poorest shall pay 10% less than the middle strata at all times.

A 3% tariff is to be set on all imported goods. This can rise at any times but cannot be lowered. Tariffs should be used extensively for budget corrections.

Military funding should be increased by at least 5% to encourage great recruitment.

Education and administration funding should remain flexible in order to meet targets.

Industrial Policy:

Factories are to be subsidised when necessary i.e. when they are failing to make a profit. If need be new factories are to be constructed to provide jobs for the rising proletarian populace. Trade Unions will be allowed to make expansions to their own factories if they so wish and they will also be allowed to build entirely new factories.

Reform Policy:

One social reform is to be introduced during the 5 year mandate. This reform shall be in healthcare in order to boost our birth rate.

Social Policy:

All assets of the richest strata are to be seized. The ruling classes shall be given three choices: join the proletariat, leave the VSVR or face the gallows.

Collective farms are to be encouraged.

Petite Bourgeoisie are to be left to be largely left to their own devices.

The official state religion is to be Atheism and Atheism is to be officially and practically encouraged throughout society. However religion shall remain legal. All church property is to be seized by the state.

Socialism is to be encouraged as a replacement for religion.

Foreign Policy:

Our foreign policy must be opportunistic but highly aggressive. If any state that borders us loses the support of a great power then it is to be attacked ASAP.



The Collectivist Anarchists

Prospective Chairman: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Position within People’s Party: Far Right

Budget Policy:

A flat tax rate is to be kept at all times. This tax should be set at a level that is as unobtrusive as possible. Tax should only be used to meet expenditure. It should remain as low as possible.

Tariffs should be avoided. However they may be used if it is deemed necessary for budgetary reasons.

Military spending should remain at its current level. The Military should be reduced by 9,000 men (3,000 from each Corps).

Educational spending should remain flexible. Administrative spending should be reduced to the bare bones (only to be raised if our administrative efficiency starts to fall below 100%).

Industrial Policy:

The state should stay out of industry as much as possible and leave it to the Unions, or syndicates. The Unions will be responsible for expansions in industry unless unemployment exceeds 2000 adult males in any given region in which case the state will provide funds for industrial expansion. Subsidies should be used sparingly and only if an industry is on the verge of collapse (and only if this industry provides jobs that cannot be filled elsewhere).

Reform Policy:

One political reform is to be introduced during the 5 year mandate. This reform shall be to liberalize our policies in regards to Unions.

Social Policy:

All assets of the ruling classes are to be seized by the state and redistributed amongst the people. These ruling classes are then free to do as they wished – now having been reduced to the same economic position as the common man.

Land should be distributed amongst the people. They are free to do as they wish with it.

Atheism shall be the state religion but people are free to practice whatever they wish to (although all church property of value is to be seized and redistributed). Atheism shall, of course, be taught in schools but this is just like the teaching of any other fact to children.

Foreign Policy:

No War! Foreign revolution is to be encouraged but the men of the VSVR will not die for more land.



The Trade Unionists

Prospective Chairman: Johann Eccarius

Position within People’s Party: Right of Centre

Budget Policy:

All middle and rich strata are to pay at least 30% more tax than the poor strata at all times.

There should be a permanent 4% tariff on all imported goods – this can be raised at any time but not lowered.

Educational and administrative spending is to remain flexible.

Military spending should not change.

Industrial Policy:

All power to the Unions! The Unions will take almost total control of the economy. Subsidies are to be given to all factories at all times. If any unemployment appears in the economy the state is obliged to expand factories but should return control of them to the Unions.

Reform Policy:

No political or social reforms are to be introduced.

However the Trade Unionists wish to adapt the current system of voting for the Chairman to give greater power to the Unions in the selection of the Chairman.

Social Policy:

All assets of the ruling classes are to be seized and given to the Unions for collectivisation. The ruling classes may either leave or face the gallows – they are not wanted here!

All production should be collectivised and put under the control of the Unions – this will allow for greater output and a greater say for the common man in the economy!

The state religion is to be Atheism but Christianity and Judaism shall still be legal – no other religion shall be legal. Church lands will be seized but not Church buildings.

Future immigration of foreign socialists is to be discouraged – there are already thousands of foreigners in the Rhineland and we want this to be a Republic for the Germans!

Foreign Policy:

There should be no war that does not further the program of German unification. Only fight short wars that will cause minimal casualties and lead to our unification with more German peoples.

All readers may vote for either:

Marxists

Anarchists/ Collectivist Anarchists

German Socialists/ Socialists

Trade Unionists/ Unionists

I will not accept your vote if you vote for an individual you want to be chairman eg Proudhon and will only accept your vote if you name the faction of your choice.

Please place your vote in a separate post from your comment OR place it in bold alongside your comment.

I encouraged you to align yourself with a faction and campaign and argue for its success. However spamming will not be tolerate (I will warn you if I think you are spamming).

Anyway, good luck Comrades! This really is the make or break moment for this AAR.

Voting shall close at 3 PM UK time on Wednesday. Get voting!

[RedRoverMan]

Anarchists/ Collectivist Anarchists

[Tanzhang (譚張)]

German Socialists

[Lt. Calamari]

Marxists

[Mico94]

Marxists

Death to imperialism, freedom to people!

[Rockingluke]

Definitely Marxists

[J. Passepartout]

Comrades! You know the hard struggle we have gone through to reach this point! We must consolidate our gains.

VOTE COLLECTIVE ANARCHISTS

Fraternally yours...

[Seek75]

While I would like to vote for the Unionists, if only for the fact that they seem to be the only faction that supports German unification, I am afraid that my vote will have to go to the Socialists.
Who knows? Perhaps a National Socialist movement advocating the unification of Germany will arise in the not-too-distant future...

[naggy]

I vote for Anarchists/Collectivist Anarchists.

Brothers! Destroying the capitalist class will feel wonderful! The public spectacle of hanging will let the Volk know that their tribulations were worth it! There will be joy, and dancing in the streets!

But...the time-honored saying of "You break it, you buy it" should be kept in mind! It is a step we can never undo, a step we can never take back. Instead, we should seize their assets and force them to begin anew! Let the Volk allow honest capitalism! Let the Volk allow an experiment where individuals might own a business, but not by grinding their bootheels over their workers! And, should they step out of line, then... *draws finger across the throat*.

[J. Passepartout]

My dear Comrades seek75 and naggy, remember to make your vote clear and prominent when you do vote, to ensure it is counted. Fraternally yours...

[Tssha]

German Socialists

Surely we can accept that the faith cannot be stamped out in a day. Let the schools raise the next generation to realize that we do not need god to justify the existance of the ruling classes. Goodness and kindness are innate human values and cannot be generated by religion. In the end, the greater the religion the greater the corruption and overindulgence. Even Luther could not stamp out corruption.

I too wish to see religion stamped out, but it will take time. In the end, I cannot change the human heart, nor can I make it illegal to pursue it honestly. Let them be cleansed of religion not through laws, but by words and a demonstration that morality does not spring from faith!

(note: this post may or may not reflect any real life attitudes by any real life forumers real or imagined and is valid for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental and unintentional.)

[Enewald]

Collectivist Anarchists!
No more war!

[Nascaram]

German Socialists!

[Zzzzz...]

My vote: MARXISTS

Tax the fat cats! Health care reform for the people! Healthy citizens means a healthy VSVR!

[Necazian]

Anarchists/ Collectivist Anarchists


Let the proletariat do as they wish without the limits of tax and government. Minimal government is the true way to freedom!

[JonXXII]

Marxists

[Judas Maccabeus]

I vote for the German Socialists.

Truly they are the best balance between meeting the eventual goal of destroying the old order that oppressed the working classes, and recognising the realism that this cannot be done immediately. We have time, and if our new, free land is torn apart from the inside by attempting to do too much too quickly, how are we to free those in other lands? Germany must be united and socialist if it is to become great, and if the workers here and in other lands are to truly be brought out from under the thumb of the bourgeoisie - and for that to occur we must be bold but patient!