NationStates Jolt Archive

The Final Soviet, Portmeirion, Raipur, The Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beth Gellert

"Dear comrades, the barricades are coming down, at last. The Revolution is finally secure, in India from Galle to Gilgit and Dakha to Delhi, and now taking root abroad in Zintharia, Zhyolatska, and we can only dare to guess where else!"

Graeme Igo speaks to three thousand Soviet Consuls with all the theatrical tones and gestures fitting of an orator born to Geletians, Celts who still listen to bards before televisions. Representatives from the League of Communists (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=519109) cram the steps of the Soviet, buried deep below the Green Tower in the middle of the Burha Talab lake in majestic Raipur.

The Grandfather of the Igovian Revolution is in the middle of an attack not on reactionary feudalism or conservative capitalism but deviant Marxism and Social Democracy. The Indian Soviets are daring, suddenly, to provoke a split in the left, emploring radicals to follow the Igovian model (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=532748) and abandon both Marxist-Leninist command economics and democratic centralism, and reformist socialised market economics and representative party democracy.

"Both of these models are shambolic! Central-planning can work only to reform an agrarian situation and bring about initial industrialisation, and there after has been proven, unsurprisingly, inefficient. Democratic-centralism through so-called Communist Parties is an obvious farce, backed-up with politicised police forces and supposedly Red armies. Meanwhile attempts to socialise the free market can never contain its unfeeling cruelty, nor steady its unstable course, and every political party assembled only serves to further split the concerned society and weaken its democracy.

"To my comrades beyond our revolution, in capitalist states, in Marxist states, in Social Democracies, I say this! Communism is right before you all! Embrace it! You need only live in commune, and you are a communist! You need only reject any authority you have not chosen, and you are free!"

Igo's address went on for some time, becoming one of his scholarly lectures. He attacked Marxism with all the superior airs put on by Marx himself when slamming Proudhon and others in his youth, before falling into the traps he had himself lain. Waving a copy of Capital, Igo lambasts the Marxian conception of Use Value as reliant upon the pre-capitalist condition of a fixity of needs.

"If one were to follow-through with Marxism, one would find oneself stuck in a pre-capitalist form. The productive forces that Marx himself identified in the age of the free market would have been erased, and a developmental quagmire would once more restrain us all. Kalecki said it of Poland: capitalism was defeated there, but feudalism had returned!"

Likely there would be more to come...

Marxism is the fatherform of communism and it will never be abandoned.

OOC: Do you write this stuff yourself or take it from elsewhere? Regardless of my own thoughts on the subject (democratic socialist), you're a damn good orator.

Recipient: Graeme Igo
Sender: President Thomson
CC: Presidents Records Office

Subject: New Age Communism [VirusScanned]


Firstly, I would like to say that I saw your speech on TV (albeit with some difficulty) and was impressed with your skills in the area. I can see you being a very persuasive and most influential man.

I attempt to understand as best I can different styles of government, Communism included. For this reason, I would like to know exactly what plans you have, and what you are looking to achieve.

I feel that I may have finally found a communist government that I could work with and do business with. I await your reply.

Yours,
President Thomson.

On Behalf Of The Republic Of Aleard.

*Handwritten letter in Cyrillic, Russian language*
Comrade Igo,
It is with a great amount of reverence I write this letter, to us you are a new kropotkin, a visionary leader in socialism. We have found it true recently in our country that the economic factors of makhnovism, autonomism, and all these accursed -isms leads only to rampant poverty and the sadness of the proletariat. Long have we been allies to the nation of Beth Gellert, and long do we hope to remain as such, we have seen your nation and looked upon it with awe, for indeed it is as a shining jewel on the sea floor. We do not desire to emigrate though,too strong is our love of the steppe, so we seek to create a socialist example as strong as yours in Zhyolatska. Your book has spread well in our country, becoming to many a new bible. We ask you to become the father of our revolution, to aid our party as we lead igovian socialism to dominance in Zhyolatska

For the eternal revolution
~Vladmir Buschenko

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z259/pertinax201/blflagsmall.png

Official Communiqué

Kindly shut the fuck up, Mr Igo.

ooc: hey, good to see you around in the non-AMW sphere of things. consider this a glorified tag in case you want this to go anywhere, in which case i'll be more than welcome to add some more /ooc

Brownabad, Indian Islands, UK

From atop a massive high-rise in the city centre of Brownabad, where the wind tunnels whipped flags into a nationalist fervour, Andrew Duncan took careful note of the symbols on display in support of Igo, whose speech was being replayed on massive, public high-definition video screens. Beneath the screens, easily several hundred persons stood, hanging on every syllable spoken by the Geletian and all were watched by Duncan and his own 'comrades' working under the employ of the Home Office.

Ostensibly, the United Kingdom and the Indian Soviet Commonwealth maintained cordial relations; historically, the two nations had been united in an effort to drive a dictator from the same islands that Duncan now kept safe for the Crown. In recent years, however, a certain chill had fallen upon the islands, though not through any directed policy by either party. Instead, the different economic policies between the the UK and the Commonwealth had led to very different cultures that clashed frequently in the cities of Brownabad and Liberation. Less so in the more Oceanian-dominated city of Port Blair, but even there, fractious divides between the ethnic groups were solidifying. All of it was very worrying to the UK.

Much of the fear stemmed from experiences in other UK territories, most notably New Albion where the Indian majority had all but oppressed the Anglo-Indian settlers to the point at which the latter seceded from the Khailfah al Muslimeen. The result, a brief cold war between the Khailfah and the UK resolved only under the shadow of a far larger hot war between the two countries. Regardless of the political solution to the problem in New Albion, the fact remained that demographically, the UK colony remained sectarian in nature with an insurgency only now coming under control.

And with the Indian Islands, as the Andaman and Nicobar chain were officially known in the UK, home to several key military posts and the headquarters of the Indian Ocean Station, Georgetown was keen on keeping a close eye on Mr. Igo. And so Duncan watched from the high-rise. Counting supporters, counting protesters. Attempting to quantify the level of support for each faction. Attempting to keep a lid on a pressure cooker.

Marxism is the fatherform of communism and it will never be abandoned.

"Ah!" Says Graeme, "More would-be comrades in need of a most basic education!

"Marx" he readily explains, "is absolutely not the father of communism. You can not argue this, absolute proof to the contrary is widely available even to the ignorant masses of the capitalist nations. How can Marxism be the fatherform of communism when the likes of Etienne Cabet were writing of communism before Marx and Engels ever met, while Marx was still hardly more than a child?

"You have no choice but to reform your opinions. You are wrong, and I can not really say more than this! Except perhaps that, even if Marxism were the originator of communist thought, it would still be incorrect to pursue it when we know for sure that it leads only to a dead end!"

OOC: Do you write this stuff yourself or take it from elsewhere? Regardless of my own thoughts on the subject (democratic socialist), you're a damn good orator.

(OOC: Ah, yeah, wrote that myself. I'm not sure where else I'd get it from! Well, thanks! You're... not from Preston, are you? Not Lancashire's Preston?)

President Thomson and The Republic Of Aleard receive a timely response from Igo, and a communique from the Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beth Gellert. Thomson is sent a copy of Igo's work On Communism (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=532748), which details the Igovian ideal and the system that is in place in Soviet India today.

Raipur is able to tell the President that the Commonwealth's industries are happy to offer products for export to Aleard should there be a demand for them, but have to explain that in Beth Gellert one barrier-to-entry exists for imports: items must be cleared by the Soviet Commune as produce of socialist labour before they are approved for sale. Worker-management and profit-sharing tend to be the conditions that must be satisfied before produce is legitimate in Beth Gellert, but exceptions can be made where alternate measures are in place.

Igovian socialism enables competition between businesses, focusing instead on co-operation between collegues.

In any event, Raipur will be happy to initiate diplomatic relations, even if economic links are not made, if only to prove that the Commonwealth is not out to destroy anyone for simply being what Geletians would consider less politically evolved.

Vladmir Buschenko meanwhile is encouraged to stay the course, and plenty of Beddgelen aid made available in his nation's transition to the Igovian model. The League of Communists invites Zhyolatska to bring-up any problems facing its revolution, or to identify enemies in the world that may be tackled by the growing Igovian throng.

(OOC: Shite, sorry guys, I'm about to be cut-off! I'm using a computer in a hostel in rural Australia, and my time is about up. I'll try to respond to Azazia and that tomorrow, and hopefully have a new rant or some such from Igo. BL can get to over-throwing its own government now, before Igovians get tired of the current administration's rudeness, cowardice, ineptitude, and its attempts to quash free expression ;) )

OOC: My ancestors were, but I live in the states. We came to America on the Mayflower so I'm about 400 years removed from England.

In respect of the Andamans and Nicobars, Raipur for now maintains a hands-off posture and continues limited trade with the UK without trying to push anything.

Unilaterally, however, hardcore Igovians are not shy about appealing to citizens of the UK, especially in the A&N chain, to establish their own socially-run enterprises and qualify their goods for export to the Soviet Commonwealth as produce of socialist labour, essentially advocating a peaceful revolution be carried-out under the government's nose.

The League of Communists, currently dominated by said hardline Igovian faction, frequently offers start-up capital to UK socialists and almost offers the oportunity to become more part of the Beddgelen economy than their own nation's, by receiving funds and equipment from Raipur and paying the Soviets a fixed value tax on those capital goods, the produce from which could be easily marketed to nine and a third billion Beddgelens keen to support the revolution abroad.

Time will tell what if any measures the UK takes to interdict such practices, and whether or not the affair causes a serious worsening of relations.

(Bump because I have a minute left on my internet access card)

The Daily Zintharian
News For The Worker, By The Worker
Thursday, August 16, 2007

Industrial Reform Advances;Marshalcy Praises Igo Speech And Book
_________________________________________________________________

PAGE 2A

In a speech yesterday, Marshal of the USSZ Major Mikhail Lonieda praised a speech given by Graeme Igo on the tenth, in which he encouraged foreign nations to abandon Marxist-Leninist command economics and democratic centralism. "Both of these models are shambolic! Central-planning can work only to reform an agrarian situation and bring about initial industrialisation, and there after has been proven, unsurprisingly, inefficient. Democratic-centralism through so-called Communist Parties is an obvious farce, backed-up with politicised police forces and supposedly Red armies. Meanwhile attempts to socialise the free market can never contain its unfeeling cruelty, nor steady its unstable course, and every political party assembled only serves to further split the concerned society and weaken its democracy." says Igo, in a lengthy speech in which he denounces command economics and encourages change. "The Revolution is finally secure, in India from Galle to Gilgit and Dakha to Delhi, and now taking root abroad in Zintharia, Zhyolatska, and we can only dare to guess where else!"
Much to the chagrin of traditional Socialist parties in the USSZ, the government issued Governmental Order GO-213 last month, which put in place economic reforms intended to replace older Socialist economic plans with newer Igovian styles. Thus far, it has been hailed as a success by the Head Commandant of Economic Affairs, and polling has indicated that Workers all over the USSZ love it.

_________________________________________________________________

From the Zintharian Worker's Party

To:Graeme Igo

Mr. Igo,

As head of the ZWP, I am in charge of progressing our cause and instituting change in the USSZ that will benefit the Worker. Your recent speech is being hailed by the Marshalcy as a step forward in Socialist Theory. Your book has been adopted by the ZWP as a 'bible' of sorts for the modern Socialists. Where other parties persist in promoting the Communist Manifesto as the epitome of Communism, we have decided to advance forward into the future, while remembering our roots. While we recognize that Marx was one of the first to put down our ideals, he is not the father of Communism, but simply the secretary, if you will.

Recognizing that the ZWP, the USSZ, and the Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beth Gellert are leaders in the further cooperation between the Socialist nations of the globe, the ZWP would like to ask Graeme Igo, the Grandfather of the Igovian Revolution, to be the official speaker for the ZWP. In essence, the ZWP would adopt Igovian political, economic, and social ideologies as our charter and would endorse any statements by Mr. Igo. There would be no need for him to move to the USSZ, or to endorse the USSZ government or the Marshal of the USSZ Mikhail Lonieda.

If Mr. Igo accepts this position, we would be extremely honored, but he is informed that he cand just as well refuse and we won't mind.

Sincerely,

Oleg Romanovsky

Perhaps many modern Igovians are a little uneasy with the settling of great power in few hands, and likewise suspicious of hero worship, but few will argue with Graeme Igo's decision to accept the Zintharian approach as an honour.

Igo is happy to pay a flying visit to the USSZ during a break in his latest lecture tour of the Indian sub-continent and to speak briefly before the ZWP. The Geletian wishes to explain that he is driven to accept the post of Speaker in hopes that it will only enhance his ability to spread the progressive word of direct and economic democracy.

Graeme promises Soviet India's continued support to the Zintharian revolution and the progress of the nation, and though he has no official power to make sure of that, there can be little fear that he will be proven wrong.

Meanwhile, propaganda-laden posters in the few parts of India that remain remote and home to citizens still caught-up in Maoist and Marxist-Leninist dogmas born prior to 1982's May Revolution now portray Igo's image with the new title Comrade Doctor Graeme Igo, Grandfather of the Igovian Revolution, Speaker of the Zintharian Worker's Party.

The ZWP, along with the USSZ, is grateful that Mr. Igo accepts the position, and even more honored that he would like to speak before the ZWP. We are ready and willing to aid him if he encounters any problems in spreading the revolution.

ooc:it's not so much hero worship. it's just that the previous speaker was Grand Commissar Cole and he was given the duty of Head Diplomatic Envoy to the GUSN, so he couldn't fill the position.