Shadow of the Andes - An Interactive Chilean AAR

[atomicsoda]

I oppose an increase in the tariff. It hurts the competitiveness of our industries who need imported goods such as coal to make their products and increases the cost of living for our citizens.

Pedro Rivera

[WelshDude]

I oppose an increase in the tariff. It hurts the competitiveness of our industries who need imported goods such as coal to make their products and increases the cost of living for our citizens.

Pedro Rivera

I agree with the Presidente. If foreign businesses are seliing goods more cheaply than Chilean businesses, then we need to make Chilean goods cheaper, not foreign goods more expensive.

[thekinguter]

I glad former Minister Bevan agrees with the issue of low tariffs. As most can see, the issue of tariffs is very unpopular.

[ThunderHawk3]

Rivera 1891-1892: Forget Not the Liberals

Many would say following the tense Presidential Election of 1891 and Rivera's razor-thin victory over the incumbent showed the spirit of the era. Chile was a place of thinly veiled tensions, and perhaps the treacherous drop in voter turnout despite the massive increase in the voter base (following the Women's Suffrage Act of 1888) was prophetic in its own way as an increasingly large number of people felt disenfranchised by the Chilean democracy. Nowhere was this more true than among the liberal caucus, who looked from the still youthful extremist Renin to the aging, incumbent Gogołów, to the older still and conservative Rivera. The liberals looked from the communists to the socialists to the conservatives and found no one who they would be willing to support, and so on that fateful wet, spring morning in late 1890 when Rivera became the President, the Liberals were content to stay at home. That did not mean they were content to stay there forever, or even that they would remain content.

1891 was the era of liberal resurgence in Chile. The head of liberalism had been cut off during the desperate struggle of the Chilean Civil War that had so nearly toppled the Republic, but it moved on. With the memory of the battles of 1886 fast being supplanted by the failed communist rebellion of 1891, liberals again felt secure in the streets of Chile. Liberal political rallies were held in Antofagasta following the hated occupying general Juarez's defeat and flight, and in Santiago the day following Rivera's inauguration. Rivera, though professing to build a government of many ideas, had little in the way of liberal policies to offer Chile. He was a conservative, even a reactionary to some - and though he had been farthest from the crimson left of any of the Presidential candidates, he was not a liberal.

Under Rivera, Chile demobilized close on a quarter of its standing military forces, reducing the standing Army of Chile to just over 340,000 from its peak of nearly a half-million under Gogołów. However, Rivera was firmly in favor of a military expansion, not a reduction. At Rivera's command, Ferrari's defense ministry began the construction of a series of naval bases across Chile and a massive expansion of the Chilean fleet. By late 1892, Chile's navy had expanded to 36 ships, with the old frigate scheduled to be decommissioned and replaced with a new ironclad - the last ship in Rivera's planned expansion - by 1893. Unfortunately for Rivera, this new naval expansion did not bring greater influence overseas. in October, 1891, anarchist rebels overthrew the government of Haiti and declared the treaties of common market with Chile null and void. As Andonists paraded their support for the rebellion in the streets of Santiago, Gogołów's Ministry of State scrambled to re-extend the hand of Chilean friendship to Haiti.

In finance, the younger De Santa Rosa managed to keep the Chilean budget balanced without any change in tax policy - however, a change in tax policy might soon be imposed upon the treasury. Several bills began to make their way through the new Congreso in 1891 calling for a decrease in taxes on all strata and an increase in tariffs. Others called for an end to the land redistribution act, a regulation of militias in Chile, on industrial subsidies, and more. It was one of the busiest legislative Congresos in Chilean history. Rivera's administration (by virtually no policy of its own) also oversaw one of the greatest industrial booms in the history of the country, the manufacturing capacity of Chile jumped by a third again in the first two years of Rivera's office. This boom was heavily fueled by a massive influx of immigrants. Nearly a million people (a quarter as many adult males) immigrated to Chile in 1891, with as many as 4,000 arriving a day. No one thought that hidden among those many immigrants, the wanted leaders of the Andonist coup of 1886 might be making their return to Chile.

And so, when 27,000 members of the Andonist and Germanist Citizen Guard took to the street in late October, 1892, Chile finally remembered the Liberals.

-------------------------

Land Seizure Compensation Act

1. This Act is enacted for the purpose of giving fair compensation to those whose land was seized pursuant to the Land Redistribution Act.

2. Any person or entity whose land was seized shall be entitled to the fair market value of their land at the time of seizure. The Interior Ministry will determine these values.

3. The funds to compensate will be raised from those who received the seized land. A portion of their earnings from the received land will be collected and used to compensate those whose land was seized. These collections will continue until such debt is paid in full. The Interior Ministry will determine the amount to be collected.

4. Those who received the seized land also have the option of leaving the land and having it restored to the previous owner if they do not wish to participate in the repayment program.

Reclaim our Youth Bill.

These are the basic provisions of this bill (you must pardon me, as I am neither a lawyer nor a wordsmith by trade)

1) The RDF will be completely dismantled as a paramilitary group
2) All former members of the RDF must swear their allegiance to the government
3) All members of the Communist Party of Chile must make a pledge of pacifism in the face of opposition to their sordid ideologies
4) All weaponry belonging to the RDF must be handed over to the military
4a) Former members of the RDF would be allowed to keep one pistol per household
4b) Those Chileans who rely on their firearms in their line of work may keep a bolt action rifle in place of a pistol
4c) After 5 years the Congresso would assess the militancy of the former RDF and decide whether or not to give back the unrestricted right to bear arms
5) All paramilitary groups will be made illegal
5a) The Congresso can vote by a majority decision whether or not to allow a militia to be created and maintained
5b) Any militia sanctioned by the Chilean Catholic Church would only need a majority decision of 1/3rd of the Congreso

The Equality Act

-The aboriginal peoples of Chile shall be entitled to all the rights of man included in the constitution of Chile including but not limited to
- The right to practice their religion
- The right to vote
- The right to bear arms and to serve in the military

- The aboriginal peoples of Chile shall be permited use of their langauge in the practicing of their religion

-The gouvernment of Chile shall diplomaticly encourage other nations to recognize their aboriginal inhabitants as well as other minorities as has been proclaimed in this act

The National Industry Encouragement Act
-lower taxes for every strata by 5% in order to
a.) Increase buying power
b.) Increase factory demand
c.) Solidify support for the Government

-an import tariff increase of 5% in order to
a.) Ensure that our domestic economy reaps the benefits of lower taxes
b.) Develop our own industry further

Player Actions Needed:
Ministers and Generals either need to declare themselves For the Government or For the Revolution.

We additionally have four bills to vote Yes or No on: the Land Seizure Compensation Act, the Industrial Encouragement Act, the Reclaim Our Youth Bill, and the Equality Act.

Sample Declaration:
I am For the Government/Revolution.

Sample Ballot:
Land Seizure Compensation Act: Yes/No/Abstain
Reclaim Our Youth Bill: Yes/No/Abstain
Equality Act: Yes/No/Abstain
Industrial Encouragement Act: Yes/No/Abstain

As a reminder, I do not count ballots cast prior to the start of an election. PM me if you must vote absentee for some reason.

Voting closes in two days, on the 14th.

[Ivir Baggins]

For the Government

Land Seizure Compensation Act: Yes
Reclaim Our Youth Bill: Yes
Equality Act: Abstain
Industrial Encouragement Act: Abstain

[MastahCheef117]

This... is interesting. I must take a while to meditate and consider all options.

Land Seizure Compensation Act: Yes
Reclaim Our Youth Bill: Yes
Equality Act: Yes
Industrial Encouragement Act: Yes

[Seek75]

Sí to all bills except the Equality Act, on which I vote no.

I am for the government.

[Ivir Baggins]

"Consider the choice between stability and anarchy? It is surely an open-and-shut case, Hidalgo."

Severiano Miramontes

[zagoroth]

I am sure the Liberales of old will find it somewhat frustrating the 27 thousand people waited a few years to join their supposed struggle.

I wouldn't know of course.

Land Seizure Compensation Act: Yes
Reclaim our Youth Bill: Yes

[MastahCheef117]

I am simply considering both sides of the conflict, Senor, as I always do.

[rudders10]

I am simply considering both sides of the conflict, Senor, as I always do.

Do you mean sitting on the fence to see which way the wind blows. Oh I seem to have mixed my metaphors general hidalgo.

General Rios

[zagoroth]

Yes general Hidalgo. Your job is to provide stability to the 3rd Republic. Anarchists have risen up as a destabilizing force. Seems like its a pretty easy choice.

[MastahCheef117]

Yes general Hidalgo. Your job is to provide stability to the 3rd Republic. Anarchists have risen up as a destabilizing force. Seems like its a pretty easy choice.

And so it is. Yet again, I stand For the Republic.

And I am horrified that many of you would actually doubt my loyalty. Why would I wish to overthrow a man and a government I myself had voted for? The lines of allegiance are definitely getting murkier with each passing year.

- Gen. Sebastian Hidalgo

[atomicsoda]

Land Seizure Compensation Act: Yes
Reclaim Our Youth Bill: No
Equality Act: Yes
Industrial Encouragement Act: No Our Industry is growing rapidly. I feel a tariff increase would slow our economic growth.

On the Reclaim our Youth Bill. I have supported the disbanding of militias on a non-discriminatory basis. This Bill seems to allow certain militias while dismantling others. All militias should be dismantled and the Congresso should not have the power to allow certain paramilitary forces to operate. The Chilean military should be the only military force sanctioned by the Chilean state.

I am confident that the Armarillo rebels will be rejected by the Chilean people and military. I ask Minister Ferrari to prepare a plan to defeat these rebels quickly so that our nation can resume its Industrial and Naval expansion. I also ask the Defence Minister to make a recommendation on whether further expansion of the Navy should be ordered.

President Rivera

[viola]

Land Seizure Compensation Act: NO!
Reclaim our Youth Bill: NO!
Equality Act: Yes!
Industrial Encouragement Act: Yes


- Pablo Garcia, Trade Unionist

[thekinguter]

Land Seizure Act: NO. Its unfair to the farmers.

Reclaim Our Youth Bill: NO. It still needs to be tweaked a bit.

Equalty Act: YES. But the natives need financial aid as well.

Industry Encouragment Act: NO. Unnecessary.

FOR THE GOVERNMENT.

I propose the creation of the Christian Democrat Party with Francisco de Santa Rosa as Chairman.

I congratulate our president on a great year. It has been very succesful for the government in general, but in particular the Ministry of Religious Affairs has been very boring. I am overseeing the construction of a cathedral in Antofagasta to guide the misguided flock away from Germanista views

[Maxwell500]

Land Seizure Compensation Act: No
Reclaim our Youth Bill: Yes
Equality Act: Yes
Industrial Encouragement Act: Yes

[atomicsoda]

I congratulate our president on a great year. It has been very succesful for the government in general, but in particular the Ministry of Religious Affairs has been very boring. I am overseeing the construction of a cathedral in Antofagasta to guide the misguided flock away from Germanista views

I request the Archbishop to examine the curriculum of our schools to ensure our youth are receiving a proper religious education rather than being led to secularism and atheism.

On the Haitian revolution, Now that we have a large Navy we will be able to intervene to save our allies such as Haiti when radicals attempt to overthrow their government. To facilitate this, I would like the Congresso to authorize the use of the Chilean Military to intervene when one of our allies is threatened by revolution.

President Rivera

[thekinguter]

I request the Archbishop to examine the curriculum of our schools to ensure our youth are receiving a proper religious education rather than being led to secularism and atheism.

President Rivera

I will comply, Mr President. May I remind you that the mapuche kids are being given a proper chilean christian education by our best jesuit monks? I will make sure Chile will be famous because of its quality education!

The Archbishop, minister of religious affairs

[zagoroth]

I am sure the mapuche kids are overjoyed to get their Christian education.

We should teach allegiance to the 3rd Republic, not to the church, first and foremost. Though I do not mean to offend the honorable Archbishop.