This is my first AAR attempt. I do not know how long the game will last, because I have set myself stringent politcy constraints, many of which I think democracies face in reality. I may well go bankrupt, in which case the game is over. As of writing this I have survived to 1840.
The aim of this campaign is to make Chile a prosperous, culturally and technologically advanced country while playing as realistically as possible. 'Realism' in this case will impose some specific constraints on my playing and policy choices, and eliminate most exploits. Primarily it amounts to ensuring that literacy never declines, the country remains largely free of crime, and our pops can get 100% everyday needs as long as these are available on the market.
So you will see at once that this is not a military conquest AAR, nor will there be a great colonial empire (or, indeed, I suspect any colonies at all), and 100 million people are not going to come and live in Chile. It would be nice if these things happened, but, given our resources, it is very unlikely. Of course we are not entirely without national ambitions. We are painfully aware of the fact that our big Northern neighbour, the Confederation of Peru-Bolivia, is in illegal possession of three of our national provinces. This is a source of national shame that cannot be tolerated, at least not for more than a few decades...
Basically, playing realistically means playing subject to the following specific constraints:
1. Tax Policy
Pops may not be taxed at more than 20%, nor may any tariffs be levied, unless all national culture pops in that tax group can afford both 100% subsistence goods and 100% everyday goods. If some everyday goods are not available on the world market, taxes may only be raised to the point where all available everyday goods can be bought by all national pop groups. Taxes may never be raised to the point where savings are negative. Stealing the public's savings to fund military adventures or manipulate their political choices is thus ruled out.
Minority culture pops must, except in a state of emergency (see below) be able to afford at least 100% subsistence goods. The economic situation of colonial pops (an academic question anyway in our case) imposes no political constraints. (All pops face the same tax rates but national culture pops are more productive than others and hence have higher incomes, hence these specific rules). This reflects harsh nineteenth century political realities. A government, particularly a Liberal government, may well feel under a moral obligation to ensure 100% everyday goods for minority culture pops as well, or 100% subsistence goods for colonial pops, but there is not political constraint to do this.
The only exception to these rules is the declaration of a State of Economic Distress, or State of Emergency. In this case taxes may be raised to the point where all national culture pops can afford only 100% subsistence goods. Under no circumstances may consumption fall below this level. Failure to provide 100% subsistence goods means that your population is malnourished and you are in effect a failed state, and have lost the game. A state of emergency may not last for more than 12 months except in wartime, when it may last for the duration of the war (colonial wars excluded). It cannot be imposed more than once during a Party's term of office, or every five years if early elections are called.
2. Educational Policy
Education must generally be funded at 50% or above. "School holidays" of up to six months may be taken in (non-colonial) wartime. Otherwise, if the level of literacy falls below 1% from its previous peak, the country is deemed a failed state that is drifting into illiteracy and the game is lost.
3. Crime Funding Policy
In reality no country can survive entirely without a police force or judiciary. Even the Wild West had sheriffs, judges and (occasional) trials. Thus crime fighting must be maintained at at least 25% of total funding at all times. If less than 25% is ever spent, or if crime buildings appear in every province of the country, then the country has descended into lawlessness, banditry and chaos and is a failed state. The game is lost.
4. Social Services
All social services must be funded to at least 50% all the time. There are no exceptions. A government that introduces a social reform and then refuses to fund it has perpetrated a fraud on the electorate that will never be forgiven. Hence we never undertake social reforms unless we are sure we can fund them for ever thereafter. We may of course misjudge our capacities, but then we have to live with very painful consequences, or the game is lost.
5. Unemployment
No pops may be unemployed for more than one year, unless a factory in the state is being built or expanded. RGOs must be expanded if there are unemployed worker or farmer pops that are unlikely to merge. Thus, immigrant clerks or craftsmen must be sent to work in the mines, the fields or into the army after one year, if there are no factory slots for them. Furthermore, no pop may be converted to a clerk or craftsman unless there is a factory space available.
If unemployment subsidies are available at the "acceptable" level, the above rules become void.
6. Industrial Policy
Industrial policy must take national needs as well as profits into account. If there is a shortage of everyday goods, the first factory that is built must produce one of those goods, eg, you cannot build a steel factory if your pops are short of glass. The second factory built can be any factory you choose. If then there are still shortages of everyday goods, the third factory (or factory expansion) must address these shortages. The fourth factory you build can be any you like and so on. Thus at least half your factories should address everyday needs until these are fully met.
Similarly, railway development must proceed sensibly, in the first instance connecting the capital to the major cities and ports. You cannot start off by putting a railway in a gold mining province in the middle of nowhere. All major cities must be connected before expansion can proceed to other provinces. In the case of Chile this means that the first railway must connect the port of Valparaiso with the capital, Santiago de Chile, and then go down to the town of Concepcion. [An aside: for speed and simplicity I avoid using accents on Spanish names. I hope Spanish speakers will forgive me.]
7. Rebels
The only exploit allowed is in defeating rebels. We try to get them while leaving a captured province, so we can defeat them in three days. The reason is that otherwise, in a normal battle, the attrition suffered by a small pop risks wiping it out if it rebels two times, and certainly if three times.
_____________________________
So, this is the basic scenario. If I have left room for any other exploits, I shall try not to use them. I have never played a GC subject to these rules before, and I don't know how feasible it is. Chile attracts me because it is a challenge. It is comparatively poor, given its population. But, being in the New World, it has great immigration potential. If I fail, I guess I shall have to try an easier country.
I shall be narrating events in the person of the Minister of Finance. More specifically, I shall be the Spirit of the Minister of Finance, since no one individual can hold the post for sixty-four years. I am above party politics and so good at my job that I will hold the post regardless of which party is in power. I seek only to serve the nation of Chile. Generally, individuals are not important, except as holders of particular offices or political viewpoints. The focus will be on events, rather than persons.
The aim of this campaign is to make Chile a prosperous, culturally and technologically advanced country while playing as realistically as possible. 'Realism' in this case will impose some specific constraints on my playing and policy choices, and eliminate most exploits. Primarily it amounts to ensuring that literacy never declines, the country remains largely free of crime, and our pops can get 100% everyday needs as long as these are available on the market.
So you will see at once that this is not a military conquest AAR, nor will there be a great colonial empire (or, indeed, I suspect any colonies at all), and 100 million people are not going to come and live in Chile. It would be nice if these things happened, but, given our resources, it is very unlikely. Of course we are not entirely without national ambitions. We are painfully aware of the fact that our big Northern neighbour, the Confederation of Peru-Bolivia, is in illegal possession of three of our national provinces. This is a source of national shame that cannot be tolerated, at least not for more than a few decades...
Basically, playing realistically means playing subject to the following specific constraints:
1. Tax Policy
Pops may not be taxed at more than 20%, nor may any tariffs be levied, unless all national culture pops in that tax group can afford both 100% subsistence goods and 100% everyday goods. If some everyday goods are not available on the world market, taxes may only be raised to the point where all available everyday goods can be bought by all national pop groups. Taxes may never be raised to the point where savings are negative. Stealing the public's savings to fund military adventures or manipulate their political choices is thus ruled out.
Minority culture pops must, except in a state of emergency (see below) be able to afford at least 100% subsistence goods. The economic situation of colonial pops (an academic question anyway in our case) imposes no political constraints. (All pops face the same tax rates but national culture pops are more productive than others and hence have higher incomes, hence these specific rules). This reflects harsh nineteenth century political realities. A government, particularly a Liberal government, may well feel under a moral obligation to ensure 100% everyday goods for minority culture pops as well, or 100% subsistence goods for colonial pops, but there is not political constraint to do this.
The only exception to these rules is the declaration of a State of Economic Distress, or State of Emergency. In this case taxes may be raised to the point where all national culture pops can afford only 100% subsistence goods. Under no circumstances may consumption fall below this level. Failure to provide 100% subsistence goods means that your population is malnourished and you are in effect a failed state, and have lost the game. A state of emergency may not last for more than 12 months except in wartime, when it may last for the duration of the war (colonial wars excluded). It cannot be imposed more than once during a Party's term of office, or every five years if early elections are called.
2. Educational Policy
Education must generally be funded at 50% or above. "School holidays" of up to six months may be taken in (non-colonial) wartime. Otherwise, if the level of literacy falls below 1% from its previous peak, the country is deemed a failed state that is drifting into illiteracy and the game is lost.
3. Crime Funding Policy
In reality no country can survive entirely without a police force or judiciary. Even the Wild West had sheriffs, judges and (occasional) trials. Thus crime fighting must be maintained at at least 25% of total funding at all times. If less than 25% is ever spent, or if crime buildings appear in every province of the country, then the country has descended into lawlessness, banditry and chaos and is a failed state. The game is lost.
4. Social Services
All social services must be funded to at least 50% all the time. There are no exceptions. A government that introduces a social reform and then refuses to fund it has perpetrated a fraud on the electorate that will never be forgiven. Hence we never undertake social reforms unless we are sure we can fund them for ever thereafter. We may of course misjudge our capacities, but then we have to live with very painful consequences, or the game is lost.
5. Unemployment
No pops may be unemployed for more than one year, unless a factory in the state is being built or expanded. RGOs must be expanded if there are unemployed worker or farmer pops that are unlikely to merge. Thus, immigrant clerks or craftsmen must be sent to work in the mines, the fields or into the army after one year, if there are no factory slots for them. Furthermore, no pop may be converted to a clerk or craftsman unless there is a factory space available.
If unemployment subsidies are available at the "acceptable" level, the above rules become void.
6. Industrial Policy
Industrial policy must take national needs as well as profits into account. If there is a shortage of everyday goods, the first factory that is built must produce one of those goods, eg, you cannot build a steel factory if your pops are short of glass. The second factory built can be any factory you choose. If then there are still shortages of everyday goods, the third factory (or factory expansion) must address these shortages. The fourth factory you build can be any you like and so on. Thus at least half your factories should address everyday needs until these are fully met.
Similarly, railway development must proceed sensibly, in the first instance connecting the capital to the major cities and ports. You cannot start off by putting a railway in a gold mining province in the middle of nowhere. All major cities must be connected before expansion can proceed to other provinces. In the case of Chile this means that the first railway must connect the port of Valparaiso with the capital, Santiago de Chile, and then go down to the town of Concepcion. [An aside: for speed and simplicity I avoid using accents on Spanish names. I hope Spanish speakers will forgive me.]
7. Rebels
The only exploit allowed is in defeating rebels. We try to get them while leaving a captured province, so we can defeat them in three days. The reason is that otherwise, in a normal battle, the attrition suffered by a small pop risks wiping it out if it rebels two times, and certainly if three times.
_____________________________
So, this is the basic scenario. If I have left room for any other exploits, I shall try not to use them. I have never played a GC subject to these rules before, and I don't know how feasible it is. Chile attracts me because it is a challenge. It is comparatively poor, given its population. But, being in the New World, it has great immigration potential. If I fail, I guess I shall have to try an easier country.
I shall be narrating events in the person of the Minister of Finance. More specifically, I shall be the Spirit of the Minister of Finance, since no one individual can hold the post for sixty-four years. I am above party politics and so good at my job that I will hold the post regardless of which party is in power. I seek only to serve the nation of Chile. Generally, individuals are not important, except as holders of particular offices or political viewpoints. The focus will be on events, rather than persons.
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