Let the ruling classes tremble – an Interactive Revolutionary AAR

[Cpt_everos]

Does no one else think the Unions are a problem? They extort the Worker with their fees and control most of the industry. So I don't see why everyone is voting for them, considering how it might hurt the common man.

[Seek75]

No press is better than a fake press, and I will fight for a truly free press! Viva Anarchisme!

But it IS a free press. It is not dominated by the interests of private citizens and their coinpurses, nor by the state and its power to censore papers.

You say you would fight for a free press, yet the press you fight for is merely a bourgeouis one, where the power of the paper is decided only by how much money the owner has and not by its contents.

The Independents are, by far, the best faction: fighting for the people's rights to be represented fairly in government while, at the same time, allowing them more social rights.

[Ricainfier]

But it IS a free press. It is not dominated by the interests of private citizens and their coinpurses, nor by the state and its power to censore papers.

You say you would fight for a free press, yet the press you fight for is merely a bourgeouis one, where the power of the paper is decided only by how much money the owner has and not by its contents.

The Independents are, by far, the best faction: fighting for the people's rights to be represented fairly in government while, at the same time, allowing them more social rights.

If the printing press itself is owned and ran by the government, how is that a free press? The government has control of what finally comes out of the paper. They are overseen by a government commission. What is to stop say a Marxist-Leninist who runs the printing press to say oh lets take out a few of these "seditionist" articles?

[winsingtonIII]

Independents

I thought about the Moderates, but I don't like their stance on Africa, at this point an independent African republic would be quickly overrun by the British and French. Even more disappointing to me was their silence on the issue of press censorship, as if the press is fine as it is. If they want to be the Marxist alternative to Lenin, then why wouldn't they hold a different position on the issue that has alienated the most people from the Marxist-Leninists?

I have to admit, I give Kropotkin kudos for attempting to create a platform that a reasonable voter can support, and he did peak my interest given that now the Anarchists will support the spread of socialism in Africa. Unfortunately, I can't bring myself to support them given their refusal to even shorten the work day (which would hardly increase the size of the state), their flat tax system (which assumes that the poor can support the same burden as the rich), and frankly I don't want to reward the violent extremism of the Young Anarchists.

Given that I will not support Lenin's attempt to become an autocrat, that leaves me with the Independents. I support their plans to spread socialism further in Africa, and their acknowledgment that the working day needs to be shortened. Their proposal for the press is an interesting one. Hopefully it will work correctly and prevent both censorship by the state and censorship by the private sector. I will admit that I not particularly pleased by their emphasis on the Unions, but they are still the best choice I can see.

[KuzuX]

Independents

[Thezfel101]

Marxist - Leninist

If Lenin is constrained by a coalition partner that won't budge on the matter of a free press I'll be happy.

[Tommy4ever]

Spark

In Defense of Marxist-Leninism

Breathing on the Embers
Five years ago, the Marxist-Leninist Faction was young and untested. Now, on the eve of the transition from the present government to another, it can point to its record. Workers in the Republic are freer than ever before in the only sense that matters: the real, material sense. The shortening of the working day has increased the amount of time to which workers can devote to politics, to leisure, and to their families, by twenty percent. We have ensured that those unable to find work, or unable to work, can live with dignity. And both these groups have shrunk, all while the productivity and reach of the Republic’s industry have grown.

And we propose to further increase the real, material freedom of workers by further shortening the working day by further seventeen percent. We propose a better life for both active and down on their luck workers by raising the minimum wage and unemployment subsides. We are the only faction that proposes all three such reforms: without the other two, any one reform would be meaningless, favoring one subset of workers over the whole working class. The whole Marxist-Leninist faction can only abhor and oppose this bourgeois division of workers.

The workers recognize that we fight in their interests: five years ago the Marxist-Leninists were the most popular faction among the working class, and our popularity has only grown since. Workers appreciate the real, material freedom they have, they bask in the glory of socialist society, and they solidarize with both the workers our Republic has been able to liberate in the past five years and those that remain beyond our reach. Indeed, this support by the workers for the Marxist-Leninist faction is only one facet of the political division in the Republic.

Five years ago, the Marxist-Leninist faction came into power not only through support of the workers, but through the support of many intellectuals in the People’s Party. Today, despite both the Majority’s and the Minority’s calls for faction discipline, many of these career politicians and intellectuals have flocked to the banner of the Independent faction. This was to be expected, and indeed the Minority warned the Majority of this possibility. It was to be expected because of the remnants of bourgeois ideology within the People’s Party, and because of the opportunism of the renegade Liebknecht.

In the People’s Party, ideological freedom is cherished above real, material freedom: though the Minority criticized the censoring of the Anarchist press from a strategic standpoint, we recognize that material freedom is more important than the right of elite intellectuals within the People’s Party to pontificate. And let’s be honest. Under the old press system, the fact is that the factions and the Unions were printing by far the vast majority of the papers. The workers’ political education takes place in discussion circles and People’s Party meetings, perhaps informed by the papers, perhaps not. What was destroyed was in fact a part of the Anarchist faction’s ability to make war on the Republic, not ideological diversity within the working class, nor the freedom of that class.

During the governing term of our faction, the Minority put great emphasis on the importance of discipline, on the fortitude to back the only faction that was really fighting for the material liberation of the working class. We see now that many intellectuals in the People’s Party, still infected with bourgeois ideology, do not possess that discipline in any important degree. The renegade Liebknecht has no vestige of that discipline whatsoever. The man has never committed to a program for the emancipation for the working class, but has flitted around from his own private sphere, to the United Front, to this new Independent monstrosity faction, ever seeking one thing: power for himself. His base appeals to the lowest bourgeois instincts within the People’s Party may yet catapult this consummate opportunist into power. The courting of the Union leadership by the Independent faction—which even the Anarchists have rejected as anti-worker—further showcases the perfidy of that faction.

The policies of the Independent faction make manifest the opportunism of its leadership. By pushing for a reduction in the working day without a consummate increase in the minimum wage they decrease, in reality, the purchasing power of the Republic’s workers. It is in fact an attack on the living conditions of the working class disguised as a benevolent social reform. And by not pushing for a rise in subsidies for unemployed or disabled workers they attack the class consciousness that binds these people into the working class, introducing a bourgeois division into the working class. Do not fall for it, comrades! The workers have not.

Vote with the workers. Vote for real liberation. Vote against bourgeois ideology. Vote against opportunism. Vote for the Marxist-Leninists, ballot line 2.

- Comrade Zimmerwald

[Tommy4ever]

Thanks to everyone's favoroute ethereal Marxist - zimmerwald1915. This article was actuall requested by me so thanks!

Here is the latest poll, if I say it fast it might be less painful.

27 votes. So likely about half way.

Independents - 13 (no, it wasn't less painful )

Marxist-Leninists - 6

Anarchists - 4

Militarists - 2

Moderates - 2

General dissatisfaction!

[Seek75]

Independents - 13 (no, it wasn't less painful )

Even the creator of the thread is embracing the bourgeouis nature of the other factions! We must unite against this great injustice!

[Kodos666]

Militarists!

The bourgouise nations of this world tremble before us! let's finally crush the oppressors of the people!

[Aliasing]

Well this is a strange outcome to the election. . .
I wonder if the Independents will know how to run this Great Republic.
Comrades let the infighting begin!

[Necazian]

...

I don't think you should've given them Communard's proposal for the Press, that's what pushed me to vote for them.

[Ryke]

Anarchists!

Enough swinging between the State and the now-corrupt trade unions! We can only do so much voting for one side or another before it becomes obvious that both are harmful, either in their current form or in their very existence, and realise the need to carve a new path!

[keynes2.0]

I'd like to propose an alternative position on the press issue rather then a press merely free of the government, we need a press completely free of monetary concerns. The cost of running a printing press is truly not that great. The state could and should subsidize the publication of all journals. We could agree to a system where the workers of our glorious republic could subscribe to a limited number of publications and the state would provide funding to those publications in accordance to the number of subscribers in order to fund printing operations. All authors for the people's papers will receive a modest living wage in line with what a typical proletarian earns. Part time writers will recieve a proportional stipend to compensate them for their time. Additionally, private backers may publish out of their own funds, but their publications must be prominently labeled as being a publication of a private enterprise, not of the people and be subject to existing restrictions. If a newspaper can not earn any subscribers or a writer refuses to work for a proletarian wage the government should review their publications to make sure that they do not publish counter-revolutionary writings. Anybody who abides by these rules will be free to publish whatever they want.

In this way we can pacify the concerns of both the Marxists and the Anarchists. The press will be completely free from the corruptions of the bourgeois, for money will have no influence on the system. At the same time, nobody will place any restrictions on the rights of the workers to publish and read whatever they want. The workers win and only the capitalists suffer.

[Raph]

I don't think you should've given them Communard's proposal for the Press, that's what pushed me to vote for them.

Same here. Otherwise I would've voted for one of the marxists factions, most likely the ML.

Kenyes2.0> Isn't that pretty much like Communard's proposal that has been adopted by the Independents?

[Communard]

Keynes, that is exactly my system but with a few of the practical concerns ironed out...

Except yours retains a place for private capital and then censors private pubiclations...so if I am reading you right you want to have the workers' press and Lenin's censored press operate alongside each other...

[John Forseti]

I know this isn't exactly on topic but I just saw this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWTFG3J1CP8

Thought I'd share with my Comrades.

[Communard]

I know this isn't exactly on topic but I just saw this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWTFG3J1CP8

Thought I'd share with my Comrades.

Hah, that has been one of my favourites for a few months now. Such an original idea, coupled with truly excellent cinematography.

[Tommy4ever]

I know this isn't exactly on topic but I just saw this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWTFG3J1CP8

Thought I'd share with my Comrades.

That .... That was marvelous.

[thekonkoe]

It looks like the Anarchists' best bet is a coalition with the Independents, as long as there's a fair compromise on issues, that sounds great. Who knows, they might even be coalition leaders if they can close the gap and get a strong people's vote.