The Election of 1890
Following a decade without an election the VSVR went into the highly anticipated 1890 with two seemingly dominant figures – Lenin and Luxemburg. Lenin’s actions during the past 6 years had split the Party and people down the middle with many praising Lenin for his successes and others deriding him as a tyrant.
The election would be carried out in the same way as the previous election – ½ of the Constituent Assembly was to be elected by the Party and the other ½ by the People. In order to be named Chairman one prospective Chairman needed the support of 50 or more seats.
The Marxist-Leninists
Prospective Chairman: Lenin
Lenin had combated many of the Republic’s issues over the past 6 years however many more had arisen. Few were directly due to his actions, with the economic issues that were decades in the making being particularly hard to tackle. He promised to eliminate the national debt, end unemployment and support industry into whole new sectors.
Position within Party: Far Left
Economic Policy:
Marxist economic policies.
High taxes and the use of tariffs to provide much needed income.
We must be flexible with our social spending – it is equivalent to ½ of our industrial subsidies spending and is therefore a massive drain on public finances. However it cannot fall below 75%.
Prioritise unemployment and the deficit above all else.
Reform Policy:
Three social reforms.
The unemployment problem may be temporary but it must be tackled. These people have no work through no fault of their own and it is our responsibility to provide them with a decent subsidy.
Safety standards are still disappointingly low. Raise them and crack down on industrial injuries!
A ten hour day is a long time for a man or woman to work. We propose an 8 hour day with an average working time from 9AM until 5PM.
Religious Policy:
The current anti-religious program should continue without delay. Religion must be purged from the Republic.
Foreign Policy:
We have smashed the French, humbled the Habsburgs and routed the Russians. There is not a power on this Continent that can stand in our way. Let us invade the Russian Empire, liberate the Poles and Finns! If Britain goes to war then let us use this opportunity to reclaim the Island of Heligoland!
The days of dealing with the bourgeoisie to protect ourselves are over. We are now stronger than them.
The international working class shall free the human race!
Potential Coalition Partners: Militarists, Moderates and Luxemburgists (unlikely)
Luxemburgists
Prospective Chairman: Rosa Luxemburg
The Luxemburgists emerged at the end of the 1880s as a powerful grass roots movement eager to reform the old revolutionary system. Calling for freedom and council communism the movement, in many ways, resembled the Anarchist faction more than any Marxist faction yet still supported the writings of Marx and Engels above those of Kropotkin and Proudhon.
Position within Party: Moderate Right
Economic Policy:
The centralised Marxist economic system has done as well for some time. However the unemployment crisis makes it clear for all to see the limitations of this centralised system. The bureaucrats in Cologne who managed the funds for industrial expansion in Saxony, Silesia, Niederbayern and East Prussia had no knowledge of how things were developing on the ground. It is little surprise that when something dramatic happened they were woefully unprepared and unemployment sprung forth.
We propose a new system of Council Communism. Each individual factory, farm and mine shall elect a single representative. These representatives shall meet together in Workers’ Councils (or Soviets) in local areas. For example there would be a Soviet in Berlin, in Leipzig, in Magdeburg and in Danzig. Each Soviet will have attached to it an economic Commissar. The Commissar shall act as a go between, betwixt the Soviet and Cologne and shall organise Soviet funding. Then the Soviet shall use these funds in order to expand industry. With this decentralised economic system the state will still be able to pump funds into areas it wishes to but the local Soviets shall be able to spot problems that the central government cannot.
The Luxemburgists also support the drive to fight the deficit and shall use flexible social spending (which may drop as low as 60%), tariffs and high taxes in order to severe this dependency on bourgeois capital.
Reform Policy:
One social reform.
Introduce a larger unemployment subsidy to assist the needy workers left out of work due to central government’s incompetence.
We should smash down all restrictions on freedom of speech.
Legalise the Anarchists and Trade Unionists! Free Kropotkin and Necazian! Liberty for all!
Whilst Trade Unions are to be legal they should be discouraged – the local Soviets should remain the primary representatives of the common worker, farmer and labourer.
We need a new democratic system. We should develop a two tier system. The Chairman should be elected by Party vote alone. The Constituent Assembly should be elected by the people alone. The Assembly should act as merely an advisory body – its largest faction should have a representative in the Central Committee (which shall replace the Politburo as the centre of government) who shall communicate the Assembly’s view to the Committee. This way the Party and People can both elect their own representatives and shall both have bodies that represent them directly.
Religious Policy:
Lenin’s valiant anti-religious policy is to be continued and double-pace.
Foreign Policy:
Many may not wish to admit it, but we rely upon the bourgeoisie nations, most notably Britain, to provide the cash flow we need to keep our state alive. Britain is being pushed to the brink of war. We cannot afford to provoke London any further. We should avoid any conflict that is not forced upon us by an attack on the Comintern for the time being.
The primary tool for expansion should be the foreign proletariat – encourage revolutions in St Petersburg, Paris, London, Washington, Mexico City, Vienna and Guatemala!
Potential Coalition Partners: Moderates, Democrats and Marxist-Leninists (unlikely)
Democrats
Prospective Chairman: Eduard Bernstein
The Democrats call for peace, democracy and freedom above all else. Bernstein himself has developed a theory of ‘Peaceful Coexistence’ with the capitalist superpowers. The bloodshed of the past decade has traumatised a generation and the Democrats do not wish for the next to suffer the same fate.
Position within Party: Centre Right
Economic Policy:
Marxist economic policies.
We must avoid raising tariffs beyond 4%. There is a danger that the Marxist factions shall create a Comintern autarky. This shall harm our proletariat by raising the prices of imported goods and any goods that require imports in their construction. It shall also provoke the capitalists into further straining trade relations and maybe into going to war. All in all it is damaging and unnecessary.
We should use taxes and the manipulation of social spending in order to tackle the deficit. However a budget deficit is not the end of the world – most nations on earth maintain a deficit and do not assault their economies in order to eliminate it.
Economic growth and unemployment remain our primary objectives to deal with in the economy.
Reform Policy:
The removal of all restrictions on freedom of speech, Anarchists and Trade Unionists.
All political prisoners, including Kropotkin and Necazian, are to be freed immediately.
We must enfranchise the last disenfranchised group – the farmers. A democracy of the few is no democracy at all.
We must create a new democratic system.
The Constituent Assembly is to become the Parliament of our democracy. It should still be elected by half the people and half the Party. However every 10 seats in the Assembly should translate into one position in the Central Committee – this shall make the Central Committee much more representative of the People.
Religious Policy:
Freedom of religion for all! If we oppress people for their religious views we are no better than Torquemada and the Inquisition.
Foreign Policy:
Who are the 4 largest consumers of VSVR goods outside of the Comintern? France, Britain, Russia and Austria-Hungary. We have fought all of these powers over the past 2 decades and each time we go to war they become more willing to destroy our export industries with protectionist barriers like tariffs and even embargoes. Our continued hawkish expansionism is destroying the quality of life we have built for our own people.
No more senseless bloodshed! No more counterproductive aggression! No more politics of hate!
Peaceful Coexistence. We must encourage socialism through democracy across the world.
Potential Coalition Partners: Luxemburgists
Moderates
Prospective Chairman: Karl Kautsky
The Moderates continue to support the views of Orthodox Marxism. With Engels dead they are the last great promulgators of this view.
Position within Party: Centre Left
Economic Policy:
The Moderates support the same Marxist economic policies which have served the Republic so well for decades. They shall cut the deficit with taxes and tariffs before even considering social spending (which may fall as low as 80%).
Reform Policy:
One social reform.
Unemployment subsidies to tackle the current problem.
Freedom of speech and for the suppressed groups. Necazian and Kropotkin must be free!
Religious Policy:
Lenin’s policy is both just and valiant. It shall be continued under a Moderate Chairman.
Foreign Policy:
We need no longer fear the capitalist world. Let us strike at Russia and see how they respond. If they form a League against us then we shall defeat it and return to peace so we may rebuild for the future. If they do not then we shall liberate the entire world!
Potential Coalition Partners: Marxist-Leninists and Luxemburgists
Militarists
Prospective Chairman: Alfred Schlieffen
The Militarists have twice experienced government since their foundation in the early 1870s and have won a string of wars since then: the Eastern War (against Russia and Britain), the French War and the recent war over Lombardy with the Habsburgs. All these conflicts have been stunning victories. Schlieffen has not put a single step wrong.
Position within Party: Left
Economic Policy:
The Militarists support the same Marxist economic policies as the Leninists.
Reform Policy:
Two social reforms.
Unemployment subsidies to assist the out of work men and women who have suffered in Bavaria, Silesia, Saxony and Prussia. Safety regulations to end the suffering for workers and farmers across the Republic.
Religious Policy:
If anything Lenin’s anti-religious policy need to be stepped up. The Republic cannot be free until religion is eliminated for good.
Foreign Policy:
War with Russia! War with Britain! War with the Habsburgs, the Portuguese and the French!
War with every oppressive autocrat and manipulative bourgeoisie state on earth until the entire world is red.
It is our time Comrades! No one can stop us now!
Potential Coalition Partners: Marxist-Leninists
All readers may vote for either:
Marxist-Leninists
Luxemburgists
Democrats
Moderates
Militarists
I will not accept your vote if you vote for an individual you want to be chairman eg Kautsky 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.
Remember that in this election we have a new system. 50 seats in the Constituent Assembly are appointed via Workers’ Vote and 50 via your Party Vote. In order to appoint a Chairman a faction needs 50 seats. As one faction is unlikely to achieve this we shall likely have coalitions. If no coalition can reach 50 seats then the largest coalition appoints a Chairman, as happened in the last election with the minority Anarchist-Independent Coalition.
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).
Good luck Comrades!
Voting shall close at 1:30PM on Wednesday. Get voting!