NationStates Jolt Archive

In overview, Igovian Communism is a non-Marxist left-wing movement that emphasises Soviet power over Party control, and champions economic democracy over central planning. If your nation is interested, but you don't yet know much about Igovianism, feel free to send a delegation to observe and meet with existing Igovian nations and organisations.

The Calcutta Communist Contract Organisation defines:

The Contract Organisation's three membership classifications as-

1) Full Membership (practice of the tenets of Igovian Communism)
2) Associate Membership (practice of compatible left-wing ideals in Left Communism, Anarchism, et cetera)
3) Transitional Membership (pursuit of the yet-unrealised tenets of Igovian Communism)

The tenets of Igovian Communism as-

1) Establishment of the community as society's base unit
2) Locally, direct democracy
3) Nationally, democratically accountable representation
4) State ownership of capital
5) Worker self-management
6) A fixed value-tax on capital goods
7) Perfect-competition in Igovian free-trade
8) Market-simulation through state control of prices

The obligations and rights of Full Membership as-

1) Standardisation of capital within the Full Membership
2) Free trade within the Full Membership
3) Mutual defence against foreign aggression and counter-revolution across the Organisation
4) Mutual disaster relief and emergency aid across the Organisation
5) Common currency within the Full Membership
6) Integration of computer networks for purposes of commerce within the Full Membership

A Supreme Soviet Council to the Calcutta Contract Organisation shall be established, having democratically elected and accountable representation from all member states and groups, with a headquarters in Calcutta, Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beddgelert. This body will debate and vote upon disputed and proposed obligations, rights, tenets, and classifications relevant to the Contract Organisation. All members may propose modifications and additions to the Contract and consult upon their implementation, and the induction or expulsion of new and existing members. Secondary headquarters for the Contract Organisation may be established on the territory of member states beyond Soviet India with the approval of their particular citizenry.

Signatories

1) The Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beddgelert (A.K.A. Beth Gellert)
2) The Soviet-Socialist Federation of Zintharia
3) Third Spanish States (Associate Member)
4) Socialist Republic of Theoroshia

Calcutta, Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beddgelert

First brought to a global audience in 1982 by India's May Revolution, when a coalition of leftist rebels including Naxalites, Leninists, Anarchists, and even Hindu Nationalists united behind young Sopworth Igo, son of outspoken political lecturer Graeme Igo, and stormed Madras (now Chennai) during a visit by hated Indian Regent Prince Llewellyn Beddgelert, Igovian Communism is now a multi-national movement very much in the ascendancy.

Now, in Calcutta (also known as Kolkata), an elderly Graeme Igo, who has found fame through his defining and controversial work, On Communism (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=532748) seeks to establish a full alliance of Igovist and like nations and peoples.

Through The League of Communists (Igovian) (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=519109), The Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beddgelert has spread the teachings of Graeme Igo to many nations, and has made friends of Anarchist and Left-Communist administrations... and enemies of some orthodox Marxists. So, today, consuls from nations and movements practicing or interested in Igovian Communism are invited to the capital of The West Bengali Soviet State to sign a contract defining the practical and ideological nature of their new found comradeship.

As foreign transports are guided into Soviet air space, consuls enter a nation of more than ten and a half billion people, with one of the world's fastest-growing economies. In this diverse and vibrant land, visitors may be surprised to land at an airport named for a cricket player, but Calcutta Sourav Ganguly is exactly that. Almost the first thing that new arrivals see is a hand-carved marble statue of India's most successful Test captain, bat in hand as if waiting to dispatch some capitalist bowler for six.

Assigned guides -as diverse as a saree-wearing Indian girl in one case or a two metre tall Celt complete with moustache and mullet in another- consuls are ushered into unmanned electric taxis, which, after voice commands delivered in Hindi, Bengali, Geletian, Tamil, Nepali, Rajbongshi, or English, depending on the linguistic proclivities of the particular guide, proceed almost silently at a stately forty kilometres per hour to West Bengal's State Soviet Hall, near the Maidan. Running along courseways skirted by low walls, the glass-domed taxis spend much of their time several metres above street level, affording overwhelming views of Calcutta, home to more than ninety-eight million people. Not quite Delhi or Mumbai, but an amazing place all the same.

Gone are the infamous slums of the city's storied past, now more than sixty thousand Pantisocratic Phalansteries -democratic communes- house the population in almost palatial splendour. Countless stadia host cricket, bonecrunching Geletian-rules football, field hockey, chariot racing, and public celebrations and parties. Trams, buses, bicycles, electric rickshaws, public share cars, and elephants all jostle for position amidst millions of pedestrians, some stopping for curry and ale or stew and wine as sold by communes that have added roadside cafes to their Phalansteric dwellings. Despite major investment in mass transit and forward-thinking town planning, India's explosive birth rate has run away with dreams of fast travel through cities such as this!

Still, the State Soviet looms before very long, a massive multi-story dome more than twice the size of London's. It appears unreal, shimmering almost mystically in the Indian sun. Only when the consuls depart the taxis and walk a short distance past an honour guard of the Calcutta Horse Rifles can they observe that the whole exterior of the immense dome is covered by an artificial waterfall, the visitors negotiating this barrier by means of short tunnels sunk under the moat-like reflecting pool into which the water cascades.

"Don't worry!" Say the guides, "The water is not wasted. This is merely a diversion on its way to industrial use in the outskirts."

Presently the delegates are assembled in the main hall and given seats at desks marked by national flags and titles, and the man himself takes the floor.

Late middle-aged, white, fairly short, Graeme Igo appears nothing like his Indian peers, but, despite his clean-cut presentation and formal black suit, he is a Geletian Celt like the fierce warriors Adiatorix and Indomartus. Graeme's tribe is the Cornovii, from southern India, a proud people who trace their origins back to Central Europe and call the Clan Igo their most famous children.

Backed by red flags and watched by cameras, Igo addresses the delegates in a pleasant, strong voice made famous by years of oratory.

"Comrades!" He begins, of course! "This day is for history! Bolshevism is dead, and we have buried it! The future of humanity lies at the feet of our Soviet masses! Together, we can kick the whole world forward! This time we shall have it all our way!"

On the steps behind the assembled consuls thousands of Indian onlookers raise their left hands in tight fists and exclaim with Graeme as if in one mighty voice, "All Power to the Soviets!" And a band strikes up India's national anthem as a curtain behind Igo draws back to reveal a Geletian male voice choir bursting into song.

"The People's flag is deepest red
It shrouded oft our martyred dead
And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold
Their hearts' blood died its every fold

Then raise the scarlet standard high
Within its shade we'll live and die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here

Look round, the Frenchman loves its blaze
The sturdy German chants its praise
In Moscow's vaults its hymns are sung
Chicago swells the surging throng

It waved above our infant might
When all ahead seemed dark as night
It witnessed many a deed and vow
We must not change its colour now

It well recalls the triumphs past
It gives the hope of peace at last
The banner bright, the symbol plain
Of human right and human gain

It suits today the weak and base
Whose minds are fixed on pelf and place
To cringe before the rich man's frown
And haul the sacred emblem down

With heads uncovered, swear we all
To bear it onwards 'till we fall
Come dungeons dark and gallows grim
This song shall be our parting hymn

Then raise the scarlet standard high
Within its shade we'll live and die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here!"

Beddgelert was perhaps the greatest revolutionary partner that the Confederacy could cooperate with. For a constant shadow loomed over the world, trying to destroy all the human progress many worked so hard to achieve. It was no wonder that a representative had to be sent, and not only this representative, but through a teleconference through the laptop of this representative, it would be allowed for any interested citizen to watch it and possibly participate from the event directly, for all diplomatic decisions had to pass through the direct approval of the people, in yet another glance to what consists a truly democratic confederation of communes. There was something very adequate in the choice of the representative, for all the previous events were attended by male diplomats due to a combination of random chance and merit, everything was set for the Tuckerian diplomat Emily Wayne Córdoba to be the chosen one. A perfect representation of the Confederacy most vibrant internationalism, she had no definite, single ethnicity, but instead had descendants from several ethnic groups which migrated to the Confederacy decades ago, and she refused to accept any citizenship, not having any place in the world she calls her home besides the world itself...

Dressed in a black jacket and a plain casual red shirt and black jeans, with the only symbol being a bisected black and red star on the left of her jacket, close to her heart, she sought to represent the annihilation of the last vestiges of the previous order... formality was insignificant in the Confederacy and suits were only used on the occasions diplomats had to travel to places where formality was important, and hopefully, the nation she was to travel to would have enough revolutionary vision to accept her lack of the bourgeois and reactionary concept known as etiquette. She refused to take any make-up or cosmetic treatment before travel, claiming it was a "sad reflection of the bourgeois society which values falsity of looks over the true nature of a person", and simply boarded the silent aircraft with her notebook, a large luggage, a few thousands of mutualist credits and some promotional material from Tucker socialist cooperatives and cooperative confederations which formed its peculiar, neo-mutualist free market, not much far in functioning from the socialist free market envisioned by Proudhon. She looked... different. A skin color which was in the line which divided tanned from brown, very close to the typical Indian skin color, and slightly African facial features combined with typically European features like blue eyes and wavy, light brown hair indicated a quite mixed heritage of one who did not belong to any ethnic group.

Before embarking, she took her last minutes to sing again that historic anthem, nobody knew who created it or the actual correct composition for it, but it became a very popular of many revolutionary songs, which, instead of being a mere re-use of Spanish Civil War or Internationale songs, was an entirely original piece. She sang to all around her, the cooperative members of the airlines stopping their work consensually to listen, while during the middle of the hymn many were singing together... it was not a happy, or peaceful anthem, but a combination of past torments, present hopes and future utopias in an aggressive tone, for, like an old Spanish Civil War poster said, war and revolution are inseparable. She wasn't particularly a good singer, but the words had more importance than the voices who echoed them in that moment. A tale from a struggle which lasted from the beginning of the industrial revolution to the dawn of the 21st century, and which shall probably still last for many centuries, their struggle.


Progress, marched into dignity
storms of steam, drowned them.
Gears of steel, grinding souls but
hopes of freedom, they didn't shatter.

Our ancestors resisted and stood,
no longer the oppressor was glad,
his lapdogs from State understood
banner of death came into the way.

Peasants and artisans felt under
chains of the vagabond bourgeois.
Slavery would never be conformed!
Revolutionary cries pale the thunder!

Our Last Revolution, to free mankind!
No more injustice, tyranny and pain!
We march forward! For the coming days!
No sweat or blood will drop in vain.

Our black flag arisen by hammer and gun
shall wave across the world to signal
a revolutionary call to the oppressed!
Our great works shall shame the Capital!

Living in a paradise does not suffice for us
neither great works shall redeem our need,
for we transcend ambition, for eventually,
all States shall crumble by the Revolution!

Tyrannies crumbled by their own rot,
false free markets no longer hiding failures,
Struggles must be done in every land for
a last chance lies in our hands humbled.

Our Last Revolution! To Free Mankind!
No More Injustice! Tyranny and Pain!
We March Forward! For The Coming Days!
No Sweat or Blood, Will Drop in Vain.

It was like if everything that have happened and that shall happen came together, for a moment, Emily Córdoba was not there anymore, but she could feel something else, it was like a fraction of an insignificant amount of time, but like a recently burnt out flame which was reawakened, the song simply raised the spirits of those who sang, maybe for the message of hope it passed, for the world would not be eternally condemned to misery and oppression, and one day their struggle would eventually defeat every face of such inhuman aspects of mankind itself.

Someone shook her off whatever daydream she was having. "You are getting late Emily!", the man said, she simply answered "Sorry, I'm on my way" and walked to the plane a bit disoriented, not paying attention to who did that. It was a quite comfortable airplane, and the cooperates were not using hearing protection equipment, for its engines over its blended wing airframe were optimized for reducing noise emissions to something more humanely tolerable.

It took some hours, and she was not alone during the time, for three other diplomats came with her because it was rare for the Confederacy to send a single representative, but this time Emily would be the spotlight of that delegation, particularly due to her very unique, diversified genetic heritage which is claimed to be a role model of what libertarian eugenics should achieve. There was some quite friendship among them, but one of the clerks around seemed a bit uneasy, he was a tall, blond haired man who seemed to sometimes look a bit funnily at her, but she just ignored his presence and moved on, distracted by her friends. She could swear hearing the words "Filthy ******" being whispered during her trip, but perhaps it was mere imagination than reality. She did not care, thinking on the poor ignorant who might have said that.

The visage of Beddgelert was impressive. She was in awe of the size of that megalopolis, and when she arrived at the airport she tried to hold her laughter of the statue of that cricket player, an innocent rather than malicious laugh she could not contain. She politely greeted her guide, a typical Indian woman, and to her surprise, Emily spoke a few, greeting words in Hindi before going back to her accented English, which had obvious indirect influences from a Spanish culture on its way of being spoken, including a few isolated words like "gracias" replacing the usual "thank you".

The electric, automated taxi was also a quite ingenious sight she and her three diplomat aides and friends contemplated, together with the visage of the massive city surrounding them. It lacked the titanic arcologies which shaped the cityscape of the less populated but quite dense Tucker, or perhaps it had one arcology they had yet to spot in the middle of the cityscape. She was very glad to not see the unfortunate mark of capitalism in the form of slums, it was just like in the Confederacy, where capitalism was only an excuse for a small, irrelevant game of buying and selling shares by a few who fancied themselves anarcho-capitalists and using those shares to receive for their work instead of sharing equally decision-making and wealth, but even in their corporations, nobody would accept to become a wage slave, and there was always the choice of moving to the socialist majority for the less fortunate, which meant there was not enough workers mass to exploit by these "capitalists" who were just tolerated to show how free Third Spanish States was and how futile their effort was in face of a much better economic model which prevented accumulation of wealth or political power, and thus prevented the highly despised corruption which ravaged the false, self-proclaimed democracies under capitalism.

The dome of the State Soviet was the closest thing to an arcology they spotted. They didn't have a good impression from it. "A central building, a central government is not only a potential weakness and space for corruption, but a weakness and soft spot in the sovereignty and stability of a truly socialist and democratic State." was their thought, but they avoided to make preemptive judgments for now, because it seems that unlike the closest thing that resembled a government in the Confederacy, theirs wasn't a virtual government which only existed inside a distributed computer network. As they passed through the waterfall she shrugged a bit and thought to herself "Why didn't they build a space elevator?", for the utilitarian mindset was quite strong in the Confederacy, and such pompous works were considered utter wastes of revolutionary resources there, everything had to have an utility, no just be a mere decoration.

After finding her way in the main room, she asked her friends to turn on their computers to accompany the event while she moved through the halls with her laptop, until finally looking for the only seat which had a black and red, featureless flag and the simple title of "Anarcho-socialism", for she was not there to represent the individual unit of Third Spanish States, but to represent and broadcast the entire Confederation Internationale and its eight hundred millions of inhabitants across Third Spanish States, Algeria, Tunisia and South America, many of which were now connected through the Internet to watch, by the webcam of her laptop that event and send proposals to her, while receiving proposals from her to be voted upon among them. And to represent the ideals of Anarchism themselves as well in that event

She turned discreetly on her portable computer while Graeme Igo was to start his speech, and turned its webcam to focus at him so all those connected through the streaming video could see it. Hopefully the local wireless network would stand the bandwidth she would require for making "the entire Confederacy present in the event", something which was conveniently informed before her arrival by the DiploNet of the Confederacy.

Emily smiled as he said that Bolshevism was dead. the People's Republic of Spain was however, still a small thorn on their side, for they have stagnated where the Confederacy progressed and now had less power and influence than Cuba after the end of the former Soviet Union. Their old enemies they have ignored for so much time, but which one day would fall through the hands of the people they hypocritically claim to stand for, but in truth oppress.

The "All Power to the Soviets" phrase was synthesized and translated in her mind, its meaning shifted to her own situation, becoming instead a simple synonym and addition "All Power to the People! No Power to the State! No Power to the Capital!" was what she thought.

It would be hopefully a fruitful event, and hopefully, they wouldn't blow the bandwidth of that place with their massive network traffic that was happening at the moment as about 450 millions were connecting through her notebook in a huge teleconference supported by a specialized software. Emily knew that a 40 GHz processor among the other features of her bleeding-edge computer weren't superfluous for her activities, and now they would be put to their limits.

Grand Commissar, People's Army of Zintharia (Ret.) Justin Cole sat anxiously in the Tupolev transport plane, waiting to land. It was his first visit to Soviet India, and he was excited beyond all measure. Here was the land where Igovianism had been born and raised, and he was finally able to meet some of his fellow Comrades from the League.

The plane hit the usual bumps as they descended towards the runway and landed. He stood, straightened out his dress uniform, and headed towards the stairs leading out of the plane. Having led the former USSZ during the first half decade of its existence, he had considerably less medals than any other military leader would have, which was odd. Dressed in a green dress jacket, he wore only a red beret with the seal of the Marshal of the USSZ on, the only one in existence now that his nation was the SSFZ. With graying brown hair and a brown beard, along with several scars on his face, he looked good for a man whose life had been almost entirely dominated with guerilla warfare. For a man of 57, he looked good.

He proceeded to exit the plane and find a place to witness Igo's speech. And some would dare say a union of Socialists is impossible he thought as Mr. Igo proceeded with his speech. Raising his fist with the masses, he sings along with pride with his fellow Kamaraden. Truly, he thought, this is the epitome of Soviet power!

The first guests to arrive in India are greeted warmly, and the Indians are clearly in no hurry to get things done. Relax, you're on Beddgelen time, now a typical refrain in the Commonwealth, where concepts such as the working week have faded into obscure history and a twenty-four hour society ambles along at a casual pace. It's usually either too hot to rush, or it's monsoon season and the roads are flooded in any case.

Córdoba should have little cause to feel guilty about her casual disposition. Many citizens on the Soviet's steps are shirtless, Geletian Celts especially likely to be so, and there is lots of chatter between important addresses as a series of minor speakers take their turn to say a few supposedly inspirational words or share a revolutionary anecdote or two.

Several Indian figures are pointed out by guides. Over there that monstrously tall fellow with the long hair and drooping moustache is Adiatorix, a hardliner and Celtic traditionalist who still wears a sword on his left hip and a flask of infamous Geletian wine on his right. He has been a General in the Commonwealth Guard since the Army was disbanded and replaced by that populist militia, elected and repeatedly reapproved by comrades admiring of his storied prowess in battle- he was once attacked by three Thugees during a short-lived revival of the Cult of Kali, and still bears a scar around his neck from their attempt to strangle him, but succeeded in killing all three with sword and hand. And over there is Katerina Ivolgin, last head of the Soviet Navy before its disbanding, now considered to be one of the last old guard hardliners who still wins ballots on a regular basis.

But idleness can not prevail forever, and eventually a comrade Chivo takes the floor.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/Chivoconfetti.jpg
Chivo arrives through showers of petals and confetti, irritated as ever by public adulation he views as contrary to his Anarchist principles

Chivo served on and off during the Second and Third Commonwealths (Feb 1989 to Jan 2007) as Commonwealth Chief Consul, a position that made him a sort of speaker for the nation and which no longer exists under the Fourth Commonwealth. During the May Revolution and the years of Sopworth's authoritarian First Commonwealth, Chivo was de facto leader of The Blackjackets, an Anarcho-Communist faction listed by both the Principality and the 1st Commonwealth as a terrorist organisation but since cleared of any counter-revolutionary activity. His white-trimmed black suit has become an icon of Indian Anarchism and is worn by several thousand citizens, especially university students, to emphasise their opposition to the last vestiges of the Marxist old guard.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/veldhuis.jpg
Graeme Igo retakes his seat to hear Chivo

Chivo begins to go over what has been established or at least touched upon by the League of Communists, starting with the proposed membership categories.

"Are we agreed upon these?" He asks, listing the three as:
1) Full Membership (practice of the tenets of Igovian Communism)
2) Associate Membership (practice of compatible left-wing ideals in Left Communism, Anarchism, et cetera)
3) Transitional Membership (pursuit of the yet-unrealised tenets of Igovian Communism)

As the Contract was yet unwritten and unsigned, there was no formal voting proceedure to follow, and the Indians supposed that the Contract would be put in place by virtue of a general consensus and afterwards revised as required, through more formal channels.

This would be a slow process, it seemed, as the jigsaw of alliance was laid piece by piece.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/hathimove.jpg
Outside, MT-4 Hathi battle tanks join the security cordon as GSIC speaks of specific terrorist threats associated with a recent spat between Raipur and the cruel Burmese junta next door

Chivo explains, to avert concern from hardcore democrats abroad, that the Popular Soviets have had full access to the content of League of Communist discussions and have held countless votes on the content of the various proposals and questions arising from their attempts to convene a contract organisation.

As such, the Indian Soviets are prepared to define:

The Contract Organisation's three membership classifications as-

1) Full Membership (practice of the tenets of Igovian Communism)
2) Associate Membership (practice of compatible left-wing ideals in Left Communism, Anarchism, et cetera)
3) Transitional Membership (pursuit of the yet-unrealised tenets of Igovian Communism)

The tenets of Igovian Communism as-

1) Establishment of the community as society's base unit
2) Locally, direct democracy
3) Nationally, democratically accountable representation
4) State ownership of capital
5) Worker self-management
6) A fixed value-tax on capital goods
7) Perfect-competition in Igovian free-trade
8) Market-simulation through state control of prices

The obligations of Full Membership as a commitment to-

1) Standardisation of capital within the Full Membership
2) Free trade within the Full Membership
3) Mutual defence against foreign aggression and counter-revolution across the Organisation
4) Mutual disaster relief and emergency aid across the Organisation
5) Common currency within the Full Membership

Comrade Chivo, rejoined on the floor by comrade Graeme Igo, who echoes his sentiments, suggests that, once established, the Calcutta Communist Contract Organisation would meet regularly in the various member states to define and implement new obligations as the alliance develops. "One example" says Chivo, "might be, in line with the standardisation of capital and defence co-operation, the adoption of common munitions in military service. Presently, for example, Soviet India's Commonwealth Guard uses a 6.5x50mm round for its infantry rifles, light sniper-rifles, and multi-role machineguns, while other nations may use 7.62x39mm and 7.62x54mm rounds, or others, which may complicate logistics during joint operations. As with commercial capital, it would be wise to compare the weapons and munitions used by all members and find the best performance offered by any before sharing in their mutual adoption. This kind of issue is less ideologically pressing than the others, and has not been included in our opening list, but it seems a sensible inclusion for the future, and is probably not alone in being at least worthy of consideration."

Chivo raises the 8th tenet for particular discussion once again, wondering whether the whole Full Membership should convene a Soviet Council to set and adjust prices across the Full Membership, or whether price differences in each state, with members managing their own particular economy's prices, would be as effective or even more so.

Igo asks delegations to offer opinions on what has been put forward thus far.

The Theoroshia delegate, late due to bad weather over his home nation, had finally managed to take a seat in the conference room. After listening to the proposed resolution, he stood up and declared, "Comrade Igo, your propositions are fair and balanced. Soviet Theoroshia has no objections to your points, although the problems you have brought up are challenging indeed. Standardization of military supplies would have to be done, of course. Additionally, we suggest a Supreme Soviet Council that would set ranges for prices of all items, with each member state following these guidelines in deciding their own prices."

The Theoroshian delegation receives the same friendly treatment as others once it arrives, and, along with water, various teas are offered around by volunteers taken on at the Bengali State Soviet.

Chivo says that if the Theoroshian suggestion is adopted, nations will have to be prepared to accept that trade balances might be manipulated by other nations, which may choose to raise the price of a commodity in order to prompt foreign Soviets to produce it for export rather than domestic consumption. But, he says, perhaps this is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, and the overseeing CCCO Soviet and those in each nation would presumably be able to make adjustments satisfactory to all.

Graeme Igo speaks again to suggest that nations introduce their allies to Igovian Communism and bring to their attention the Contract Organisation in order to maximise Soviet strength and enrich the Socialist market.

(OOC: An interesting issue that Third Spanish States brings inadvertently to light: surely the internet does not exist in the Nationstates mainstream, which is somewhat ironic given that Nationstates exists only on the internet! There's no way that Soviet India, at least, would accept US oversight of servers and what not. Indonet exists largely because I assumed there's no common global network. Perhaps the CCCO ought to consider expanding Indonet or another nation's network to cover all nations... in which case we're still going to have problems when it is realised that, say, the Tamil Nadu State Soviet's homepage has the same IP address as a porn site on the Third Spanish States' system, and we have to decide who gets to keep it!)

Zanski's ideology of Azanism is similar, Economic Capitalism, Moderate Civil Socialism.
The ruling Azanist party the Socialist People's Union would like to ally itself with the Ivogianists and seeks a close relationship with them.

President Pablo Azani has hailed this example of Moderate communism as evidence to the fact that:
"The world citizens are, with reason, scared of Stalinism, Leninism and Trotskyism. At the same time dissolusioned with the lies of Thatcherism, Mccarthyism, Fascism and Eisenhowerism.
So rise the moderates, the semi-communists, the Ivogianists, the Azanists. A worldwide revolution is happening, citizens, and we were among the first to react to it.
We salute the Ivogianists, and recognise the many similarities in our doctrine and politely ask them for diplomatic relations and an alliance against the far ends of the political spectrum."

Cole, clearing his throat before speaking, stands. "We of the SSFZ support this idea of a Supreme Soviet Council. This system is implemented in the SSFZ, and is working rather well; it would be in the best interests of the collected nations in this assembly that we support it."

"Let it also be known that we are in support of the stages of membership previously discussed in the Communist League."

"As to the standardization of munitions, the People's Armed Forces of Zintharia swear by the AKM and its 7.62x 39mm ammo. However, the Spetsnaz Airborne, which is independent of the PAFZ, uses the AKS-74U, which uses the 5.45x 39mm. Our forces have used these and other variants of the AK-47 since the early days of the old USSZ, not because of the Soviet origins, but because of its durability. I myself personally used an original AK-47 when I fought with the ZWP before the Zintarean Revolutions, and I can swear to its toughness. However, I am not against the idea of using other munitions or 'western' weapons; don't think that. It's a matter of convenience, not tradition."

"Now, where can I get some Geletian wine? I've got some Klassenkampf vodka, but it's pretty boring after a while."

The Dynastic Republic, and its Dynastic Emperor, requests its part of the organisation.

OOC: Good work. I must say I am rather impressed by this and I will possibly involve myself later. But before I do would you mind me having my country's socialist party trying to act in unsion with this group?

(OOC: I actually consider the existence of the Internet a fact, however I have the EDDNet too, which relies on its own protocols and packet systems, focused on offering high level encryption capabilities to a mass-transit network and to avoid frauds and hacking, because it is basically the "E-government". They didn't choose the Internet for strategical reasons, because relying on foreign network backbones is a very bad idea for a revolutionary society. Same reason why they have their own GPS too. Also, here is the map of the Confederation Internationale (http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4211/confinterntz7.png), which I decided to have its shortened name as "Confintern" because of the irony of such name)

Emily was silent for some moments, paying attention on what others were speaking and pondering on how to present her seemingly audacious proposal. For it wasn't in the Confintern interests to be a mere associate member of a singular view of libertarian socialism, whoever they did not exactly agreed with the methods of Igovian communism. The surge of network activity was immense, and satellites were continually broadcasting countless of heavily encrypted signals from South America, North Africa and from the Atlantic just west of Portugal and siphoning them to the Igovian networks, from where they took their final way towards the laptop of the Confederation representative. The opinion of the majority was that it would not be a particularly bad idea to push forward a proposal of widening a bit the reach of the Communist Organization to embrace possibly the entire libertarian socialist spectrum of political ideals. For it wasn't something affordable, in a world apparently dominated by fascism and corporate police States of all sorts, to promote a single vision of true socialism and communism, for even the Confederation itself had an amplitude of different socialist organizations, from the neo-mutualist, socialist free market of certain communes to the fully collectivized economies of anarcho-communist and anarcho-primitivist communes. It is a commonly held belief that there was no, single and absolute truth or "best way" to achieve or implement socialism, but that all paths require the decentralization and eventual elimination of the State, which is nothing but a tool of the capital to ensure its continued domination, and which thus cannot be replaced or changed in nature, it's illogical to use poison to fight against another poison in an organism, for even "revolutionary" governments will become rotten by corruption and eventually adhere to reactionary thought, forming a new upper class, like pointed by the disastrous "communist" bloc of the 20th century.

Another worry she shared through her keyboard to the people was that of the pseudo-leftism of the capitalist puppets that compose the typical "Left-wing" of most capitalist pseudo-democracies. Combining economic capitalism with moderate "civil socialism" makes as much sense as the word "anarcho-fascism" in the opinion of most Confederation citizens, for reformism is a dangerously reactionary path always muddled and interrupted in the middle of the process before it can bring any real results. There is no logical way to "reform" a capitalist economy into socialism, for the capitalist will never allow such thing to happen. The only effective way of creating socialism is through a revolution, but not one from top to bottom like most where the masses were simply manipulated for the interests of a class, like for example in the October Revolution where the "Communist" Party was a puppeteer of the masses, it was not a revolution of the people, but a revolution of a minority using the people. And, as written in an old poster of the Spanish Civil War, revolution and war cannot be separated, for the bourgeois will never let his perceived privileges fade without violent reaction, and history has proved such unfortunate fact many times over, just like it proved that reformism was a dangerous path of deception and lies. Many previously "left-wing" political parties of the 20th century, have, through the economic power influence over political, shifted to the right-wing for who controls the capital controls politics, they cannot ever be separated under any circumstances. She was wondering on how to foment Zanski to at least implement a neo-mutualist free market by abolishing capitalist exploitation from surplus-value, rent and interest rates from their economies through the transition from economical basis from the hierarchical and authoritarian corporation to the decentralized and democratic cooperative.

Emily had much in her mind to say, but she had to be brief to captivate the audience around. It helped her to concentrate when she did some motions, and thus she combed her hair and scratched her face, pressing its light brown skin with her nails. After a few dozens of seconds repeating some movements and adjustments over her looks with a mirror, while still listening attentiously to the speeches. Soon she was to start solidly her own. Arising from her seat as the opportunity to speak came, Emily would eloquently propose a set of changes and discuss further her and theirs point of view, she was obviously focused on the figure of Graeme Igo as she explained and brought arguments for a change on the charter.

"As you see comrades, there is a geopolitical situation which can be considered delicate. And for the reasons I explained, likewise for the success of the Confederation as a viable socialist model, the requirements for full membership are unnecessary restrictive, and one of the greatest problems of modern socialism is the fragmentation that has been suffered after different ideological schools of libertarian socialism have taken different paths and refused to consider the possibility that, although all ways go through democracy and fairness, there is not a best way to establish a communist society, and thus, I don't see any reason to limit full membership to those who follow fully the principles of Igovian communism. In fact, many of those principles are shared by the Confederation. The principles 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 of Igovian communism are totally compatible with the anarchist ideals of the Confederation, whereas, depending on how State is defined, and considering that, technically, I could say that in the Confederation the head of State is called Everyone, or depending on the point of view, he could be called Nobody as well", she explained, smiling to the cameras which also focused on her large lips, an African facial feature she had. And continued: "but there is a State, technically, only it is not centralized. So I am almost sure the principle four of Igovian communism is also compatible with our own vision of socialism. Thus, this leaves principles six and eight only. We don't believe in centralizing funds through taxes or centralization of prices and values as an efficient and effective manners of organizing society, maybe because our people aren't exactly of the type foolish enough to spend fortunes in products which in fact are only worth a fraction of their sale cost. And I should remember all that taxes are, one way or another, impositions, and thus coercion against honest, hard-working people, something which is definitively out of place with our specific ideals, maybe because whereas some of you emphasize socialism, we emphasize freedom, but do not ever ignore socialism. I could explain how public services do work without taxation, but that would take too much time, I am afraid. The basic fact I am stating here is that I believe that the requirements for full membership should be less rigid to accept a more wide amount of libertarian socialist visions, for uniting those who believe in different, democratic means to achieve the same revolutionary end is crucial for the progression and advance of socialism across the world. So I see no reason on why the Confederation could not apply as a full member of the League of the Communists, or why other forms of libertarian socialism close to Igovian communist could not equally apply for full membership.", she discussed, while pausing for a few seconds before continuing her entire train of thoughts through words:

"We never had trade restriction in the first place, so free trade would be a fact that shall happen independently of the Confederation being accepted as a full member or not. About the standardization of capital, if it means common prices through centralized standards, I would like to point again that despite the lack of any centralized intervention in the economy, for in fact, I consider a socialist economy as an economy which does not require such type of intervention for not having the failures of the capitalist free market, and any intervention of such nature is something dangerously close to a command economy, something which effectiveness into achieving communism is something which is not necessary to discuss, for history makes such unfortunate fact self-explaining. Hopefully, I have misinterpreted the meaning of this standardization of capital, however, like I said, I don't believe such detail should create a barrier to divide further ideals which should work united. With this, I believe there is still the requirement of a common currency. One thing that must be informed is that Third Spanish States have abolished paper-currency for more compact and safe solutions. Not only that, but Third Spanish States currency is extremely flexible, as a currency capable of converting automatically values from the standard mutualist credits to any registered currency in its highly compact data storage microchip. Yes, it is an electronic currency, but one which stores virtual money inside it rather than being a mere access for a credit cooperative account. It is our equivalent to an international smartcard, but without any service costs like those capitalistic banks use to exploit customers. So as an effective international currency, all we would require to adapt to a common currency of the Communist League would be a software update, which means that if full membership is accepted, we'll be ready to make our 'wildcard' currency capable of converting into an electronic form of such common currency easily. As for the other lands of the Confederation International beyond Third Spanish States, most of them do agree into having a common currency, as all of them also use similar electronic currencies compatible with mutualist credits.". After that, she took a while to catch her breath and asked: "Could you give me a few seconds? I am not a military specialist, so I'm filtering connections with the MilNet to receive some logical information regarding standardization of calibers."

Soon Emily was again speaking. Her laptop filled with countless message warnings of thousands of suggestions cluttering its desktop and being filtered as convenient to the best that its specifically tailored softwares could achieve. Being a representative was a complex role when you had to listen to millions of people. This time she addressed military issues, and it seemed she was reading some messages from her laptop at the same time, uncomfortably using it, even on foot:

"I don't hold technical data or expertise over it, although I could upload it to military personell, but I have the backing of the MilNet, which is basically a network accessible by all enthusiasts, military members and specialists for studying and discussing logistics, strategy, tactics and operations, and from what they have informed me, I defend the implementation of the following standards: According to their expertise, most 5mm rounds lack a certain punch, specially the failed 5.56mm NATO of the Western capitalists, but from this data the 6.5x39mm caliber for assault rifles which we have chosen as part of a program to develop our own military technology, outperforms both the 7.62x39mm and 5.45x39mm calibers, specially compared to the first which is a bit too short in length compared to diameter, and that tends to influence ballistics, and not in the best way possible. I see no reason to dismiss such caliber which we have adopted for a long time. Now, for a full-fledged 7mm caliber, I, with the MilNet, suggest the 7.62x54mm caliber of the Dragunov SVD, which we have implemented successfully in our designated marksman, precision and battle rifles. However, for a fully dedicated sniper rifle, a 7.62x67mm caliber is an excellent choice, which offers enough ballistic properties to, provided a properly engineered bolt-action sniper rifle, an effective, one-shot one-kill range of one kilometer and two hundred meters and a minute of angle accuracy much better than that of a 7.62x54mm rifle. Whereas using that specific seven millimeters caliber for battle rifles ensures that a DMR like the Dragunov SVD, which sometimes is enough to not require a full-fledged sniper rifle, will use the same caliber of battle rifles, and I really wouldn't suggest a 7.62x39mm round for a battle rifle, specially due to this specific reason. Also there is nothing to lose with a maximum effective range of one kilometer that the 7.62x54mm offers.

Regarding handguns, I would like to suggest the 10x20mm caliber, which is an excellent option with superior stopping power compared to a 9mm caliber and better ballistics than those of a bulkier caliber 45 handgun. It does not offer a high recoil for properly designed machine-pistols or submachineguns, thus it could be employed as the standard caliber for them as well, but if for some reason it would be preferable a more traditional caliber, then I would suggest the old and trusty 9x19mm caliber for such role.

On machineguns, the already mentioned 6.5x39mm and 7.62x54mm are what we actually use for our light and general purpose machineguns, respectively, whereas our heavy machinegun, which can be described as our improvement over the idea originally launched by the M312 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM312), which is commonly known as the KPV-2 (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2280), uses basically the same 14.5x114mm caliber of the venerable KPV heavy machinegun it was designed to replace in our forces. I see no reason to not use such caliber, and anything beyond would honestly be better employed beyond the 20 millimeters limit as an autocannon caliber. Oh, and my final suggestions are for autocannon rounds. We have a variant of the KPV-2 which is basically a crew-served, lightweight autocannon with a 30x135mm caliber which supports air-burst ammunitions, basically sorts of grenades, besides conventional rounds, it's known as the MPAC and we use it for light armored vehicles which would be too bulky with a heavier autocannon. Now for larger autocannon rounds for infantry fighting vehicles or coaxial with some of the bigger tanks, we prefer 40mm caliber ammunitions, which offer a decent firepower for the sort of threats that might emerge, because we have tested, and our APCs and infantry fighting vehicles can easily withstand a 25mm autocannon round. And finally, for tanks ammunitions we suggest the 120mm and at most 140mm calibers, while 155 being the standard for artillery shells.

Finally, the Confederation has successfully proved the superiority of 50mm grenades (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2300) in the field compared to the more ubiquitous 40mm ones. Yes, they are slightly heavier, but that small disadvantage is compensated by their increased power which offsets easily their weight and size increases. That is basically where the suggestions would end... because I don't think it's possible to standardize every equipment, although I think it is fair to mention we use commonly P-700 Granit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granit) anti-shipping missiles, because of their long range, and some of our own as well like the MN-950 Marino (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2217), because we always need some serious naval defenses considering our geographical disposition, and aerial defenses as well logically. And at last, we use excellent 135x1250mm rockets for our Man-Portable Air Defense Anti-Tank System (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2090) capable of targeting both armored vehicles, aircrafts, and depending on the type of missile, infantry, and also their bigger brothers, the 135x2200mm rockets that our multimission vehicle, which could be described as a combination of the ADATS with a Tunguska, uses. I hope the MilNet information I spoke was explaining and clear. And that finishes what I would like to say for now."

However, Emily still had to argue on the "pseudo-leftism", but she was keeping her efforts to attempt convincing Zanski authorities to embrace an actually socialist economy through a smooth transition. She just became aware that a fief was purchased, or more exactly, liberated from monarchic rule by a proeminent citizen of Third Spanish States looking to expand the ideals of anarchism, and would pass through a major transition process from a capitalist monarchy to a revolutionary, socialist direct democracy. Perhaps she would have a better argument and more informations to convince Zanski after such transition was complete, but that would take time, and that conference might not last enough for it. Anyway, for now she simply continued to listen and awaited for possible counter-arguments to her latest ones, instead of diverting her attention to the Zanski issue, or on networks questions she planned to discuss later.

(OOC: Bring your socialist party along, Scand, interest is welcome!
Since TSS mentions geography I'll just note for anyone who doesn't know that Soviet Beddgelert covers the RL nations of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Ugh, and I've been cut short on this post because the internet cafe's closing early due to the holiday long-weekend.)

"While I am sure that our peoples would delight in the friendship of Zanski's" says Graeme Igo, "I doubt very much that our formative organisation of Communist nations can accommodate the comradeship of capitalists.

"Reject Marxian autocracy and inefficiency we may, but our principle enemies, as free human beings living in the early twenty-first century, remain private property, the capitalist, and the state agents of such privately controlled capital.

"As my Confederate comrade suggests, I think that we would all be willing to embrace the people of Zanski in striving for socialist change, but it would be premature for us to accept a willingly capitalist nation into the protection of the Communist Contract."

The patter of footfalls interrupted Igo for a moment as two young citizens, male and female and possibly a teenage couple, certainly a little tipsy, hurried down the steps of the Soviet towards the Zintharian, Cole, clutching between them a bladder full of liquid that they were not infrequently spilling, much to the girl's amusement. "It's my uncle's produce" says the young man as he pours a significant quantity of the purplish Geletian wine into a metallic tankard held shakily by his friend, who offers it to Cole before the two back off and eventually scamper back up the steps. This sort of communally-produced beverage is often unregulated, and visitors to Soviet India are warned partake of your own risk, as the alcohol content varies significantly from one producer to the next, and many forms of the wine are infused with other substances to give that extra kick... or hallucinogenic episode.

"Ah..." Graeme continued, "As to dynasties and emperors, well..."

Another Soviet citizen rose, waving a hand and looking to the distinctive Confederate woman. "If capital is owned by any other than the state, what is to prevent the rising of inequality?" She asked, identifying herself as consul-elect to the Baxaduar Regional Soviet, near the Bhutanese border.

"We are not against inclusion of differing ideas and alternate social lifestyles" says another Consul, sent by the State Soviet of the North West Frontier Province, "but your talk of the value of a product recalls the issues that drove us to adopt market-simulation in the first place. The value we assign an item is arrived at based upon the good of the nation as it stands at a given moment. We do not leave it to the inhuman market to concoct a price, nor will we fall back on ridiculous Marxist notions such as Use Value, a clearly pre-capitalist and most primitive, inefficient method. To establish free trade between Igovian economies and one such as yours, it must of course be two-way, and we must know first how you do arrive at the value ascribed to a salable item."

Military standardisation

Comrade General Indomartus is pushed to speak, clarifying his Indian comrades' interest in military standardisation as falling short of all encompassing.

Compatibility of communications and battlefield data-sharing equipment is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the first interest. After that, he says, there is no great movement, in the Indian Soviet Commonwealth at least, to have all Contract Organisation members flying the same planes and launching the same shipboard missiles, so long as they can all co-operate on the digital battlefield.

Perhaps the Commonwealth Guard can be convinced to go further, making sure that even warships from one nation's fleet can be rearmed by those of an ally, but for now the Soviet Commune is more interested in having the ability to deploy multi-national ground forces under unified command without worrying about one soldier's inability to lend his comrade an extra magazine in a firefight, or replace his jammed weapon with a comrade's spare.

Certainly, says Indomartus, when it comes to infantry arms, India is firmly behind the intermediate calibre concept, and is in agreeance with the Confederation on that. Before the recent adoption (still on-going and now paused due to the possibility of a calibre change) of the Rk-100 assault rifle and Rk-101 multi-role machinegun, India was experimenting with 5.56x45mm ammunition in the INSAS family of infantry weapons as part of its move to standardise arms in the former Marxist (mainland) and capitalist (Sir Lanka) parts of the Commonwealth and replace no less than three 7.62 rifle and machinegun cartridges previously in use.

"In the Zhyolatskan Civil War, the badly-outnumbered Soviet Marines whom I had the honour of being elected to lead used their 6.5x50mm assault rifles against a Leninist enemy reliant chiefly upon weapons similar to those used by our Zintharian comrades... and the result was that, out matched in strength perhaps as much as ten fold, we held our ground, often cutting-down ranks of enemy infantry before they could offer a single accurate shot in reply. While we recognise the robustness of the Kalashnikov mechanism, 7.62x39mm ammunition was never designed to compete at the ranges achievable by modern assault rifles, hence the need for Russo-Soviet forces to attach 7.62x54mm SVD-carrying marksmen to AKM-armed infantry units. Obviously, this would put a Bolshevik unit thus armed at a distinct disadvantage against an Indian one, both at long range -where all of our men and only one of their are capable of accurate fire- and at short range, where one of theirs lacks the option of fully automatic fire."

In other words, the Indian Soviets have used Russian-Soviet origin weapons for years, and have grown thoroughly sick of being out-gunned as a result.

The Indians are prepared to admit that their 6.5x50mm round may be a little larger than necessary, but hesitate to believe that a round only 39mm long can deliver the same performance leap over 7.62mm and 5.56 or 5.45mm rounds.

Chivo, perhaps having a flashback to his days as Commonwealth Chief Consul, when he acted much like the speaker of the house in a less evolved representative democracy, stands again with hands raised to stop the discussion, saying, "Clearly this is a complicated issue, but I feel it is one less pressing than our ideological debate. Perhaps it should wait for a second, purely military gathering after the initial Contract has been signed?"

Zanski has Completely scrapped all Private Business (Except for AVMI) and requests to be let into this organistation.

Cole begins to speak again.

"I understand your point Mr. Igo. You have thoroughly persuaded me. The SSFZ will willingly use the 6.5x50mm if the other nations present agree."

Raipur, the de facto Soviet capital, sends to Zanski an invitation to send representation to Calcutta, at this stage giving no assurances of membership, merely opening the gathering to Zanski involvement.

In Calcutta, a rising of chatter from the higher steps, filled by scores of Indian Soviet Consuls, prompts Chivo to call a brief intermission for proper refreshments, and citizens spend a good fifteen minutes milling about, sharing water, tea, ale and wine, and snacks that, like so much in Beddgelert, combine Euro-Celtic and Indian tradition, in this case resulting in incredibly heavy and filling foods bursting with hot spices.

As foreign delegates talk with Indo-Soviet Consuls from the many states of the Commonwealth, men and women from Islamabad to Colombo, Goa to Dhaka, they find a very complicated balance of radically different political positions bonded into some kind of quorum chiefly through a shared respect for Graeme Igo. If India were to elect a single head of state -something unlikely ever to happen- it is clear that Graeme would win by a landslide, whether he liked it or not, and equally clear that probably three quarters of the population would spoil their ballot rather than elect even their favourite comrade to a lasting position of authority.

India's path to Igovianism follows years of struggle in and around the vast sphere of Marxian thought. At the core of the sub-continent's eventual rejection of Marx (whose legacy is still popular in some areas, especially, as it happens, rural Bengal) is not a belief that Marxism can never be democratically implemented -any system can potentially be co-opted if the general population is not alert, educated, enthused, and armed- but that it is economically unsound.

Almost all Indian Igovians believe that there is a very good reason for Marx's failure to complete Capital. They will say that Marx fell into the same traps that he identified in the ideas of Proudhon and others he accused of utopianism and other dead-end derivations. In his attempts to flesh-out an economic alternative to market capitalism, Marx identified the use value of a product as definitive. And in doing so he advocated a return to pre-market relations rather than a step forward, and after having himself so elegantly identified the productive explosion that the market created in the early bourgeois era.

Igovians vehemently maintain that conditions and solutions arise for a reason, and that doubling back will only result in an eventual second meeting with the same undersired conditions that confront revolutionaries in their age. Marx, they say, was right about the power of the market, but few can understand why he then, 'threw out the baby with the bathwater' in destroying all market forces along with the capitalists that exploit them for undue gain. Igovians consider themselves rational and scientific, very much convinced in the need for constant progress but unimpressed by obsessively utilitarian dogmas. Delegates from the Third Spanish States may consider grand Soviet spectacles such as the ornate surrounds of the West Bengali State Soviet a waste, but to Igovians an ideology that considers indulgence and spectacle unrevolutionary is best left to Cabet's long-since failed Icarian experiment. There is no use denying human nature, or like some Marxists hoping to redefine or modify it.

Few Igovians are advocates of Rousseau's vision, but many will firmly assert, in his words, that, "It is precisely because the force of circumstances tends continually to destroy equality that the force of legislation should always tend to its maintenance." By this Igovians mean that they accept the sometimes unpleasant nature of human association and work with it. Presumably Rousseau would have a fit, but nobody seems to care.

"Igovian Market-Simulation is supposed to embrace the power of the market as identified by Marx, but to domesticate it as one would an elephant!" As one excited comrade puts it. "Like the market, an elephant is dangerous. Should we put it down, then, to prevent human injury? Of course not! Having discovered the elephant, we bend it to our intelligent will and employ its great strength for our human betterment!"

One thing that the Confederate Emily will be asked by Indians during the intermission is, broadly, how her people's economy manages grand projects. Few Indians have travelled to the Confederation, and many imagine a very decentralised manner of economic relation that, to them, seems much akin to their own, "Phalansteric Sector", the small enterprises of the communes themselves. This sector in India can not hope to raise huge stadia, develop sophisticated warships, or establish a national power, communications, or transport grid. Without state ownership of capital, India could never have raised a modern, world-leading economy that has cured countless ailments, sent men and women to the moon, and defended the revolution against foreign militaries. How do the Confederates do it? And how do consumers get fair prices? And how are supply-demand balances maintained?

OOC: Would it be possible for my newborn Igovian Party (running in its first election; see my election thread) to send a representative to this meeting?

The Theoroshian delegate took a sip of tea, tainted by the slight taste of vodka that he had brought with him, and smiled. The day was going good so far, and all that Igo had said he had agreed with. Theoroshia's economy had largely benifitted from it's moved to Igovism, and there were no complaints from the Premier or the Supreme Soviet.

He went back to the table to grab a small sandwich. Ah, yes, they were ever so delicious!

Taking a big gulp of the wine, Cole roars his approval of the beverage. "This is great! I need to bring some home with me!"

He realized that there were two things he always liked at meetings like this: the politics and the booze.

(OOC: Just a bump for interest, I only have ten minutes so can't really post anything worth-while today. Hopefully during the week.)

[OOC: I would be delighted to send a delegation to attend and observe, potentially offer some forms of support in an effort to demonstrate to the remaining Communist segments of Russkyan society that their motherland is not turning their back on them, despite the "rampant de-Sovietification" that has been in progress since the fall of the USSR. Igovisim, from the little I have had time to read (in a rush myself, today) seems to be a "politically acceptable" format to entice the hardliners with.

Is this acceptable?]

Emily was hiding her trouble with the questions of the Igovians. They were clearly too reliant on an State, despite being a mostly direct democratic State. It has probably reached the limit, and whatever information she could have to put an end into what was looking like reactionary vestiges, it would be too critical to be mentioned. There was a reason why she was using a long-sleeved shirt over a short-sleeved one and why her arm skin wasn't exposed. Being just an initiate, it was her time to do the best for the Network.

All that came from her to the questionings was silence, her mind was envisioning an idea, and she couldn't bother to answer, for there were other priorities and apparently Emily was getting tired from the arguing around. After a time she was obviously asking for, the answer finally came, in a more ideologically loaded tone than before.

"I believe actions speak louder than words. Do you think a fragmented society would manage to create a territory from scratch? Do you think that we could have build arcologies capable of housing millions of inhabitants and of even surviving a nuclear attack without coordination? Everybody helped to build and continues helping to build Third Spanish States, for it wasn't settle, but built in the middle of the ocean and before we came there was nothing there. Competition is a concept which is basically dead. All cooperatives are united and share information among them... barring a few exceptions of the sort of information that would be too critical and suffer the threat of being stolen or reverse-engineered by corporate interests, like for example, military technology. Business do not compete, but help each other. A cooperative goal is to provide welfare to its members and to the society as a whole, the credits they profit are mere means to such end. Yes, maybe that old "human nature" rhetoric again, but honestly, I believe Rousseau was nothing but a capitalist reactionary, and maybe, it has something to do with the founders, they have endured much, and the need of dignity led them to help each other rather than competing for the scraps of the oppressors, if some claim it's greed is an inevitable aspect of human nature, than I suppose we are not humans but some sort of aliens who came from space disguised as humans", she joked, and stopped at that, continuing her serious speech "The State is the instrument of inequality, for capitalism cannot survive without a State, do not be deceived about any argument against this fact: "anarcho"-captalism is a fraud and oxymoron, with the difference corporations take directly the role of government in such places. The only reason why Igovian communism works is because it is first a direct democracy rather than the fraud of representative "democracy", and because there are cultural leanings which allow its success. Our culture is of self-sufficiency, it is very demanding and intensive and demands much from the individual to pass the role previously done by a privileged few regarding to decide the fate of an individual to the individual themselves, however, we are also united, but not through formal structures. The free market is not an end, but a mean, and should it deviate, many are watching to if necessary conduct the transition to a fully communist society, although honestly I see no difference because there is virtually no competition in this sort of market we have. So what happens? Can you imagine ten competitors joining to make something with no coercion or monopolistic economic aggression involved in capitalism? Kroptkin was right about mutual aid, and that is the primary principle of neo-mutualism. That is how we manage to make "grand" projects. Also, our agriculture is collectivized, and all basic needs are as well to make sure nobody will ever starve, stay sick without assistance or alike, yes, in Third Spanish States most foods, drinks and water are free thanks to a culture which puts cooperation much ahead of any greed. That's why technically some can call our economy "mixed", but not in the traditional way. I hope this have been enlightening, for we don't need market simulations or centralized controls to avoid abuses, because every of us are watching the market, and... those who tried to abuse from its apparent vulnerabilities to capitalist greed were simply boycotted rather than punished by a central socialist State."

With a pause she entered again on the issue of weapons standardization:

"I would like to have an exception regarding military debates this time. I hope that it won't be a problem the fact the MilNet is not going to employ 6.5x50mm caliber in an assault rifle for several reasons. First, 800 meters of range is more than enough for our needs regarding such rifles, and the caliber we use provides that, while having a relatively light weight. Second, developing a reliable enough caseless version of such caliber to be approved by the reliability standards we employ would be costly, and making a polymer cased version of it wouldn't be different, guess I should have mentioned we rarely use conventional brass casings for ammunitions, and our larger caliber guns are cased on steel while our smaller ones are designed to work with both caseless and polymer cased ammunition. I don't know the technical details, but it uses some sort of pre-ejection chamber which only "opens" when cased ammunition is being used. I have no authority to question their decision, nor I have any deep knowledge of ballistics for that. So I really am hoping the fact we are not going to replace our 6.5x39mm caliber for a 6.5x50mm caliber will not be a problem, because the MilNet specialists consider such caliber too much for an assault rifle or light machinegun, and they prefer a 7.62x54mm caliber for battle rifles and general purpose machineguns. About electronics standardization, I am afraid we employ some proper network protocols which... shouldn't fall in wrong hands. I have deep trust of you all here, but should something happen and such protocols fall in wrong hands, our primary network infrastructure, government and military democratic networks, communications and alike would be at risk of being assaulted by cyber-warfare specialists while even a mediocre SIGINT would be able to intercept our military communications. We have voted on contingency plans years ago, but without the EDDNet and MilNet, the situation would be very dangerous to our sovereignty because, for better or worse, we inevitably depend on information technology to progress without delays and inefficiencies. Again, sorry about that but our encryption-centric network protocols are going to stay with us. We have nodes which allow conversion to other network protocols however, but it have been decided to not take a standardized communications suite among different nations and the primary suite of our forces, but we can make avionics, electronics and other upgrades to have it as a secondary communication protocol, thus if the secondary is compromised by the enemy, we'll have an alternative. I'm not sure if you would find it interesting to have two datalink systems, but that's how we see it."

It was going to be a long discussion, she was sure of it, and maybe she wouldn't be able to win. All that was clear is that she would make, nor have any authority to make concessions which would compromise the voluntary association and anarchist principles of the Confederacy to ensure its acceptance as a full member.

When things get back under way in an official sense, comrade Chivo suggests that, in the name of progress, willing Igovian states sign up to a formative Contract Organisation as the next order of business, whereafter other issues may be tackled.

"The Indian Soviet Commonwealth of Beddgelert, the United Socialist States of Theoroshia, and the Soviet-Socialist Federation of Zintharia" says Chivo, "all seem ready to walk the distinct Igovian path to Communism, and should perhaps constitute the first three Full Member States. The Third Spanish States and the related Confederation, Zanski, and other interested parties should not be turned away from the Calcutta Communist Contract Organisation, but we must remember why this event is happening in Calcutta... and that is because we are Igovians, not Marxist-Leninists, Anarcho-Syndicalists, Market-Socialists, or anything else.

"At its core, Indians will not allow Igovianism to be dilluted by accomodation of similar but not precisely like ideals and methods, all of which have been considered, examined, and even tried and tested in India's sixty-one years of independence from European domination, only for Igovian Communism to triumph over all.

"Come dungeons dark or gallows grim, we will defend our revolution to the last heartbeat, but we will not reject the friendship to be found in disperate revolutions.

"I can say that Soviet India is prepared to put its democratic signature on the Calcutta Contract, and equally prepared for the labours ahead."

(OOC: And as ever, yes, Phanar and Russkya can send their representatives to Calcutta, of course.)

He was impressed with their resolve. Arkady Il'ych Sakharov, fifty-two years of age, was genuinely impressed with the Igovian communists. He was impressed with Kolkata. He was considering taking the family here on an all inclusive vacation. He hadn't noticed a rickshaw yet, though he would never dare to let another human harness himself in that manner for his benefit.

Another thing that impressed him was the quality of the food. Perhaps this little thing did the most to reassure the Russkyan of the solidity of the Igovian state. His bowl was clean, couscous and curried chicken scraped away from the ceramic and devoured. After their midday meal, an aide had been dispatched to return the bowls where appropriate. Old soldiers all, the Russkyans had a disconcerting habit of carrying their own spoons tucked into their socks.

Arkady Il'ych remembered the Soviet influence on Russkya. As to why the food reassured him that things were well, he remembered how the fare in his homeland had changed between 1985 and 1992, then again for the better in 1994. A people pressed for time, hurrying off to work in the factories or fields, a people who were uncertain of their future, generally did not take the little time required to cook something filling and delicious. They opted instead for quick and heavy, to last them through the day. He reminded himself of the old adage: It takes a lifetime to learn how simple cooking is.

It was not his place to become involved in political debate between factious visitors and their gracious hosts. He therefore sat conversing quietly with the man at his elbow, a qualified Armourer of some decades' experience, recently retired and even more recently recruited into the diplomatic corps.

After Товарищ Чиво (Comrade Chivo) delivered his piece, and partially to interject before Emily - whom he found mildly annoying with her bleating repetitive aural pornography for the glorious Third Spanish States - Sakharov stood and waited to be recognized.

Upon recognition from the chair, he lifted his left arm and indicated the span of seats that seemingly housed the most international group of delegates.

"I wish to return, briefly, to the subject of mutual defence accords. Weapons standardization is not strictly necessary. I do not know how many of you have been in combat. I do not know how many of you have fought as part of an organized military force. Because of that, and because there are undoubtedly those here who have done neither, I will say some things you may already know. Please be patient.

"Despite eternal socialist fraternity, a soldier will almost always fight for his mates. What draws him to the Colours in the first place becomes irrelevant as he trains and fights alongside his brothers. Unless you have visualized some sort of military force other than the conventional, a soldier must only be able to resupply from his own forces, as they will be the only ones in proximity. Our example soldier is unlikely to seek out his Communist ally to resupply. Ammunition commonality is not as large an issue as some would have you believe. You will not lose a war because you cannot exchange small arms ammunition with the friendly unit across the battalion boundary.

"I draw your attention that often cited example, the Great Patriotic War, from 1939 to 1945. Note that while American and British Commonwealth forces operated alongside one another, the inability of a GI to share .30-06 ammunition with his Tommy counterpart, who used a .303 calibre rifle, did not result in the loss of any battles. Nor did it result in the loss of the war. For our Soviet comrades of those years, a Frontovik often could not exchange ammunition with his partizan comrades he came into contact with.
Again, it did not cause the loss of the war."

He paused briefly to consult again with the Armourer. Brief snatches of this conversation could be heard over the microphone, though it was in machinegun-fast Russkyan instead of the conference's lingua franca.

"General Indomartus is correct in his intentions, in the learned opinion of my colleagues. Your first consideration should be the interoperability of battlenet and communications systems. A second consideration should be standardized artillery calibres. Unlike small arms ammunition, which can be delivered in great quantities easily, bulkier artillery ammunition cannot be and the exchange of such ammunition would provide a tangible logistical advantage.

"This logic also applies to aircraft bombs. Missiles are less of an issue, though artillery rockets would also be covered under artillery shells.

"Comrade Chivo is also correct. There is no need for standardization of military equipment if there is nothing to standardize with. Let us focus on the political issues before the military ones."

Sakharov completes his brief address with a mildly worded statement as to how Russkya's extensive community of weapons designers would be willing to cooperate with the CCCO to develop new ordnance.

The Theoroshian diplomat stood. "As long as the everyone agrees, Soviet Theoroshia sees no problem with the current charter. We will sign it when ready."

Sakharov and his countryfolk, even if they aren't bestowed with such a degree of power as national representatives at the gathering, have been generally well received in the Indian Soviet Commonwealth. Giving the impression of being fairly down to earth and perhaps gritty endears the Russkyans to the typical Geletian Celt, while presenting a reasonable and even position tends to go over well with the non-Celtic bulk of the Indian population.

If the Russkyans -or anyone else for that matter- should express their holidaying desires, in West Bengal they will find a great audience. The West Bengali Soviet State is struggling to preserve its areas of natural beauty, including the famous jungles that give refuge to the last few Bengal tigers still living free, against the strains of massive population growth (there are estimated to be more than half a billion people in West Bengal's fewer than ninety thousand square kilometres, hence the near complete paving-over of Calcutta!) and the demands of an economy that is one of the most explosive in India, itself a national economy ranked by the World Assembly in the top 0.25% fastest-growing on earth.

If locals can make money out of tourism -especially including safaris and trecks- it may be possible to balance prosperity with ecology. Typically, foreign visitors stay in communes and live like Indian citizens, either helping with chores (or even entertainment) to pay for a bed in a communal dorm or in some cases paying cash for a private room on the grounds, so there is scope for a huge industry to be supported.

Meanwhile, Indomartus, without actually getting up to make a proper address, leans in Sakharov's direction to voice general agreement on the armaments issue while adding that, "I think the chief drive behind suggestions of standardisation in small arms calibres and the like is an over-riding Igovian desire to always use what's best, and to share it amongst comrades-in-arms. My comrades are, I think, more concerned with pooling resources and experience to determine the optimum characteristics of a small-arms cartridge or other item and ensuring that all good comrades have access to the best equipment humanly possible when they face the reactionaries."

He was starting to waffle rather -Geletians certainly have the gift of the gab- about Soviet India's vast Commonwealth Guard Militia Auxiliary Corps -reputed in some circles to be the biggest fighting force ever organised in the multiverse, with a strength at this time, officially, at roughly four and one third billion members- which is rather more concerned with improvisation and scavenging, when Graeme Igo retook the floor. Igo invited the Theoroshians to come forward and put their mark on the Contract's draft, if they found it satisfactory.

(OOC: I've edited the first post to include a draft of the Contract.)

OOC: Can we sign yet?

OOC: I'm retconning Phanar's history and starting afresh.

Bernard Salo was the leader of the Igovian Party of Phanar; the newest kid on the left-wing block. Although Trotskyism had always been dominant in Phanar, Salo never lost faith in the belief that Igovianism would replace it. He did respect Trotskyists; like him they hated "revisionist schools of thought" such as Maoism and they both wanted drastic reform in the Kingdom which would include toppling the centuries old Monarchy, which was in the hands of a teenage princess at the moment. Arrving in India, he had to balance his deep interest in Indian society with his dislike of the idea that he may have been late in arriving. Bernard had brought around a young woman, his secretary, with him to keep notes of everything they would hear here in Calcutta. They spent time trying their best to find the location of the Conference; hopeful they would not be late. Finally, after speaking to some commonfolk, they found out where it would be held.

As he entered the building, Bernald adjusted his suit while his secretary adjusted her blouse which revealed some cleavage but not too much to distract delegates from the topic at hand. Entering the meeting room, Bernard looked at the other delegates calmly. "I apologize if I am late; I am Bernard Salo, leader of the Igovian Party of Phanar. I hope there is still time for me to voice my opinions here."

He took his seat and beckoned his secretary to sit next to him; she opened her laptop and prepared to begin taking notes while Bernard was mentally preparing himself for taking part in this conference; hoping to make friends and not enemies.

Grand Commissar Cole begins to laugh, a deep sound that emanates throughout the area. Then, speaking in German with a translator, "Yes! I've been waiting for the moment when I sign this thing! This is a great day for Socialism! Our nations must be resolute in their dedication to this contract, and we must not allow it to become an organization of petty disputes and squabbles, like many other organizations did, such as the GUSN."

He pauses for a second, then begins again, speaking quickly, leaving the translator far behind. "And if any threaten this noble undertaking, the SSFZ shall cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!"

Sakharov's reply was quick after listening attentively to what Indomartus had to say.

"Of course, admirable. At this point though, you must decide whether you need an assault rifle, which is the bastard child of a battle rifle and a submachinegun, or if you need a battle rifle. From your description earlier, it sounds as if you're looking for a battle rifle. Proper training and advancements in small arms technology since the last time battle rifles were fielded en masse by the world's militaries can help there. Depending on the level of complexity you are willing to embrace, there is at least one weapon you may be able to use off the shelf to fit your needs that I am aware of.

"Which is to say, in a less convoluted sentence General, that the PSR may have what you're looking for."

While Sakharov and the Armourer involved themselves with General Indomartus, the remainder of the Russkyan delegation were doing as they had been instructed by their government prior to boarding the flight to Kolkata. They were observing. Taking notes. The political scientist of them was interpreting Igovian Communism in the light of the De-Sovietification of Russkya and making notes in the margins as to how to entice the Soviet hardliners to embrace this instead of their failed view of Marxism-Leninism. A complex problem by any means, he had soon covered half of his notebook in closely written Cyrillic script.

Chivo and Igo stand either side of a podium upon which the draft of the Calcutta Contract is lain, both men having added their signatures to those chosen to represent Soviet India, and applaud along with hundreds of other Indians as Cole and the Zintharians are invited to step forward and sign.

Later, Indomartus will be keen to show Sakharov the Commonwealth Guard's Rk-100 and Rk-101 (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=430838) assault rifle and multi-role machinegun, which Guards are unlikely to give-up for a battlerifle any time in the near future, especially since those based in Sri Lanka have only just dropped their FN-Fal type weapons.

Walking up to the podium, Commissar Cole, along with the leading poet (and politician) of the SSFZ Mogar Trygaeus, pulls out a pen to sign the Contract and does so, along with Trygaeus. "Me and Trygaeus will be the Comrade-Representatives of the SSFZ here in Calcutta until we are reassigned or we die. Finally, I can probably spend some extended time here in Calcutta
!"

Having pulled up the specs of the Rk-100 and Rk-101, Cole scans them and sends a quick email to the SSFZ central server before addressing Indomartus. "General, the SSFZ is extremely interested in the two rifles that you mentioned, and we were wondering if we could possibly purchase enough to update our Army. The other services would keep using their current rifles, but the People's Armed Forces of Zintharia wants to update to something better. Is there any way we can?"

There is great fanfare as the Zintharians become the first nation in the history of post-Marxist Soviet India (that is, the three Commonwealths that have existed since the 15th of February 1989) to enter into a treaty-bound alliance with the Beddgelens, who have been traditionally reluctant to commit themselves to such conventional organisations.

Igo and Chivo keenly shake the hands of Cole and Trygaeus as proceedings are broadcast across Indonet and through Gadar! radio and television services. This is also the first time on record that Geletian Celts have embraced anyone who might be considered somehow classically Greek, if Trygaeus' name is any indication. The last time that Geletians and classical Greeks had any serious interaction, Delphi was sacked, beards were pulled, and all manner of other unhappy events unfolded before the Celts stormed into Asia Minor and made their way gradually to India.

Shortly after the signing, Indomartus, a great tower of a man clad in a cape fastened with a buckle of gold, silver, and gemstones, and hand-woven chequered trousers, gladly engages with Cole on the Indian Rk rifles. A comrade Paatelainen, who came to India from Finland claiming some partial descent from Kronstadt survivors, was reportedly chief designer on the weapons and was influenced by Finland's own (more conventional) AK-derivative rifles, hence the otherwise inexplicable, "Rk" designation on an Indian weapon.

"At the moment, Commissar" says the General, "the Soviet Marines and the over twenty-one million strong Militia Expert Corps use the Rk-100 and Rk-101 as standard-issue weapons, while the Militia Auxiliary Corps still rely on old AKM and transitional INSAS rifles. Thus far, as I understand it, far more than three million rifles have already been produced. With them in such high production, re-directing part of the supply to Zintharia will no doubt be a great help to us. The rifle is set to go into ultra-high production in order to service the vast Auxiliary Corps, so any export funds will be of great use.

"I am well authorised to arrange export of a limited portion of our supply, perhaps to begin training with the new weapons, and since your nation has signed-up to the Calcutta Contract it would be no problem to have machine jibs exported to Zintharia so that you can begin domestic production of replacement parts and ammunition if your people so desire. I think that a limited form of the Value Tax could be used by your government to repay the Indian state for the necessary capital. Once the value of the machine parts is repaid, you would be free to turn-out as many Rk 100 series weapons as you wish."

The Armourer, whose name Sakharov has forgotten - this is the hazard of rapidly assembling diplomatic teams - is on his feet in an instant, applauding the Zintharians. He is a confusing fellow: Cossack to the core, fiercely independent, and yet a devoted Marxist-Leninist who has yet to let go of the Soviet era. Regardless of his political beliefs he is genuinely happy for what he would describe as his fraternal Socialist comrades, caught up in the storm of applause and jubilation that sweeps the chamber.

As Indomartus attends to the Zintharians, Sakharov is accepting a laptop from an aide, one of two, tasked to military affairs. Displayed on the screen is a line diagram of the Rk-100 with a photo of the weapon from its left and right sides immediately underneath it. He reads through the description, waiting for Armourer to resume his seat. When he does, he hands the laptop across and waits for the Armourer to peruse the information made available from a combination of sources.

He shrugs.

"We could offer them more powerful rifles, but any other assault rifle would be a lateral move. They have a quality weapon here. It's not feasible to retool and produce anything we could send them."

"Move on to different weapons?"

The Armourer nods mutely, mouth tightly set in a line, as he reviews the characteristics of the 6.2x47mm cartridge. They are disturbingly similar to a 7x43mm experimented with by the RMSMC in 1994. Sakharov hasn't noted this, instead wondering what it was exactly that General Indomartus meant when he mentioned demonstrating the Rk-series assault weapons.

For his own amusement, the young state news reporter attached to the group is writing a "Sovietesque" article, having decided to draw his article heavily from the record of events ably kept by the two recorders. His more relevant notes have already been taken, which is why he amuses himself now:
Comrades! This Historic date sees the formation of a powerful Communist state to follow the Glorious Soviet Union into the bright Socialist Future! On this date, our skillful Zintharian comrades have joined with our courageous Geletian comrades in the Calcutta Communist Contract Organization, sure to cause the cowardly and bourgeois West to tremble as they anticipate the glorious coming freedom of the proletariat they have brutally oppressed for so long. All power to the Soviets!

For a long moment, her presence was silent and passive, seeing clearly how futile it was to attempt to convince them that libertarian socialism should be united as a goal and not fragmented because of differences of points of views on how to implement it, and yet again, the same fragmentation that plagued the left in the late 20th century was still partly evident. Emily was clearly frustrated, despite how hard she tried to pretend otherwise, she did not agree with the outcome of the meeting, and whereas after many experiences, Igovian Communism has been the best choice for Beth Gellert, in the same way, the Voluntaryist combination of neo-mutualism and anarcho-communism in vogue in Third Spanish States has worked effectively, and indeed, the population of Third Spanish States, or more exactly most of them, although commending and recognizing Igovianism as a truly socialist economic doctrine, did not exactly agree with all its principles. Those who did would eventually establish their own communes based on Igovianism inside Third Spanish States, because there was no enforced economic system over society, and yet capitalism hasn't returned due to the clear vision of how the varying socialist economies in the Confederacy were superior to it.

She noticed the Russkyan delegate arriving, and simply listened to a long-winding speech among them, trying to gather a last try. It seemed that yet again, the problem of the old "there is only one best way to socialism" view was fragmenting the libertarian left, and indeed, some more radical citizens were already proposing that, in a demonstration of a diplomatic bluff, the Confederacy should simply put it straight that they would either be accepted as full members, or get back into their isolationism and intentionally obscure existence to the big picture, which have ensured their sovereignty with much more frequency than any alliance or mutual protection pact.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, such proposals did not manage to pass. Her mind was boiling as she tried to accompany the will of the people, and trying to force smiles during all the time only worsened her mood. There was a sort of... self-righteousness she perceived when the words "triumph over all" were mentioned, perhaps only a false impression, but somehow there was a feeling, a guesswork, that such alliance was nothing but a facade to lobby their Igovianism indiscriminately over all other socialist countries, rather than seeking to promote it over capitalism and soviet totalitarianism, a veiled sort of ideological imperialism was what her mind was preemptively defining over the event, and she looked at her computer, asking again, whether an associate membership should be sought or not.

In truth, the motivation was more strategic than ideological, and indeed, a sense of realpolitik existed among the citizens. They might not agree with the ways of Igovianism and to all its principles, although having a few elements in common, but, the example of trying to avoid fragmentation had to come from them, apparently, and Beth Gellert would not be an ideologically similar partner, but also could be a potential ally in the case of imperialism or fascism getting closer to Third Spanish States territorial seas with no justification but sheer brutality and ruthlessness. All in all, the ideological similarities were secondary to the fact of having a larger power to protect them as an ally, which had, different from many nation-States, a mature government which was not prone to reckless warmongering.

On another subject, she saw the rifle, and simply nodded. There was not much, it did the job and was efficient, but Third Spanish States firearms have moved to employ both caseless and polymer cased ammunitions over more conventional, and somewhat more reliable solutions at the expense of weighing more. There was not much importance into standardizing arms as there was into compatible communications protocols, and lacking expertise, she would mostly not touch in the subject further.

Trying to swallow her pride, Emily finally said, and in no way she could pretend to not be disappointed with the way the event was getting through, as clearly her intention of trying to convince the acceptance of the Confederacy into full membership has failed:

"I believe there is not an universal best way of implementing socialism and eventually communism which works equally for every place in the globe, there are variables which influence the effectiveness of each approach, except for authoritarian ones which will never work. Where Igovianism has been the most adequate choice for your people, our voluntary association, decentralized economics with the harmonic coexistence of communism and mutualism, and perhaps Igovianism as well soon, has worked thus far, and our people don't see why change it with market simulation systems. I hoped that our differences would not serve as barriers into full integration, and indeed, perhaps I would have considered Igovianism, but only the people can decide their economic system, I have no authority for that. Perhaps a few of our communes might implement Igovianism, as each commune is fully independent to define its economic system through democratic means, and we have an unified currency only to integrate them, but I personally doubt that such small examples of Igovianism that will certainly occur in our homeland would be enough for acceptance as full member, as unfortunately, it seems our small ideological differences are speaking louder at the present, but perhaps in the future you might reconsider. Our society cannot force a single socialist model of economy against everyone, it would be coercion, and not acceptable at all. We believe freedom is as important than socialism, we seek a balance between individual and collective freedoms in our ways. Seeing that there is not much else to discuss regarding full membership, perhaps now it's the time to move in the subject of associate membership. Finally, I also apologize if my persistence has been boring or annoying to some people here.", she ended, with a shocking degree of honesty in her last statement, and her pride getting even deeply ignored.

Emily was probably not entirely wrong in suspecting something of a darker side to Igovianism, in as much as many of its most enthusiastic adherents are indeed keen to see their ideology triumph over all others. The likes of Graeme and Chivo are well aware of this, though neither of them can be considered themselves all that aggressive or imposing, committed as they may be. In truth the trend is growing in the vast Commonwealth democracy, with more and more comrades prepared to put a portion of the nation's resources into spreading the word, as it were. This is born, presumably, of a growing confidence such as is associated with the adoption of Igovianism, a genuinely Indian creation, over-seas, in Zintharia and Theoroshia especially, but also through the abandonment of their parents' Marxist-Leninist and Maoist beliefs by the newly adult generation in states such as West Bengal itself.

Soviet India has a very young population, and radicalism is spreading beyond the ability of visionaries such as Igo to moderate.

It is, though, only the barest few citizens who would reject the friendship of the new Spanish and their confederates. Clearly it is the Commonwealth's will that Emily's society be kept from the inner sanctum of the Contract Organisation, but this rejection has nothing of the Russian-lead detesting of Titoism about it. For most Indians, the Confederate rejection of Igovianism is not a matter for hostilities, and Soviet reticence is only for the protection of their ideology in practice- it is thought that, for example, full-scale free-trade between a committed Igovist economy and one that functions on a fundamentally different set of principles would be damaging, simply impractical.

Chivo is able to say that the Indian Soviet Commonwealth wants to call the Third Spanish States and its associated societies allies, and the former Chief Consul tries to deliver some context. He points out that until this very day and the Zintharian accession to the Contract Organisation, Soviet India has not had one single treaty-bound alliance since the February Revolution of 1989 severed ties with the Kremlin. Western Asia supplied the Commonwealth with its first modern warships, Christmas Day had direct access to the latest Indo-Soviet weapons technology, Savique built Soviet aircraft, and tiny Wyclyfe even had the world's first extra-Indian Igovian revolution, and yet none of these states have ever entered into official alliance with Raipur. Even as an Associate Member of the Contract Organisation, the Third Spanish States would be one of the closest allies that India has ever known.

Cole grins at the General. "Ahh, that sounds good to me. As soon as the National Soviet approves, we can begin the export."

It wasn't the best she could have achieved, but geopolitically, the alliance with Beth Gellert as an associate member of the Calcutta Communist Contract Organization would be highly beneficial as an additional safeguard to the sovereignty of the Confederacy. Emily secondary goal of pushing full membership through a combination of rhetoric and factual information has failed, and now there was one last thing to be done. The discussions have happened for enough time among those who cared about this important diplomatic choice. Some argued that this would risk a possible strain in the few relations the Confederacy had with capitalist countries. In fact, a long time ago, in perhaps one of the silliest ideas ever envisioned, as a sort of plan to acquire a good source of mutual protection, segments of the Confederacy started to make the impression that there was a free market in Third Spanish States economy more clear than the fact such economy was socialist. According to some, the mutualist economies which are responsible for more than 80% of the Confederacy are right "in-between" classic economics and socialism in their principles, although being aligned with the latter. A surge of idealism has backed that old silly idea and putted it into its place, the nether. For now, the first real alliance was at stake regarding whether to join it or not. Emily simply used her notebook to call for an immediate halt in the discussions in EDDNet virtual forums for the real voting to began, and it was about time, for the discussion was starting to degrade into a flame war as trolls either being or pretending to be right-winged filled the forums with all sort of fallacious arguments with the intention of annoying rather than of making a point. The electronic vote would happen for about 1 minute only, for it was considered that those who were still not there, after all the announcements of the event inviting people to vote, were considered simply people who didn't care about it. Counting her clock, Emily said, explaining why she have not signed the contract yet:

"Just a minute, and then, by the will of the people, I shall either sign or not sign the Contract on behalf of the Confederation as an associate member. I believe we will have much to progress if we share our socialist experiences as allies, but I am only a messenger to the people, not an authority with power to decide over the fate of the Confederation."

As the minute passed, and a surge of network traffic almost killed her network connection, the results finally came. Roughly 73.27% of the voters in the Confederation was for joining the Calcutta Communist Contract Organization, which was a number which meant such wasn't a much divided decision regarding those who disagreed with it. She looked at Igo, and at Chivo, and replied, with a pleased look which anticipated what she was about to do:

"By the will of the people I shall sign the accord to formalize this agreement, as we have many hopes comrades, for although we have differences, we still have much more in common. May this day be the beginning of a long history of progress and advance through mutual aid."

And thus, a new signature is solidified into the document, putting Third Spanish States out of three decades, which apart from its logical alliance with communities settled by its original inhabitants in other continents, the Confintern, were of complete isolationism in the International scene. Emily discreetly returns to her seat and ponders on how things could, in the future, be changed so differences could be overcome.

OOC: Have I signed it yet?

(OOC: What an odd question! Surely that's up to you. The Zintharians signed, we were just waiting for you to do the same :) )

OOC: Ah, okay. I couldn't remember if I had signed it or not :D. Will make a better post soon.

Mogar Trygaeus is an interesting figure. He is only 24, but has risen to prominence as the leader of the Independents, a small political party. His name, though Greek, is not his original name. At a young age he changed his name to what it is now, adopting Trygaeus from a farmer in Aristophanes' play Peace. He is a poet and has published several poems about the natural environment of the Zintharian mainland.

ooc: hello?

(OOC: Yes, still around. Just not been on NS as much as I might like, lately. Uhm, if any Contract Organisation members feel like calling a meeting in their nation to discuss a particular issue, or wish to call attention to some event or situation in the world, do go ahead! Give the Organisation something to do! :)

And new members are still sought. Where's that Theoroshian gone, anyhoo?)

ooc: ich habe keine Ahnung wo das Theoroshia ist.

(OOC: A bump incase Theoroshia wants to do an official signing, anyone else wants to comment or join, or anyone has a thread idea or active thread that may be of interest to the Organisation.)

OOC: I've signed already I thought. If not, just assume I've signed it please. I have a lot of work and I can't write good RP's at the moment.

Also, will this be a region or strictly an IC thing?

Signing the Theoroshians up to the Contract Organisation, Chivo talks of his high hopes for the future of the revolution.

(OOC: I'm seconds away from being charged extra for staying too long at the internet cafe, but I just wanted to welcome Theoroshia in, at last, and say that at the moment I've no plans to make a region, but if other players want to that's something we can discuss.)

(OOC: Wasn't Third Spanish States approved as an associate member, or wasn't it updated yet? In my last post (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13611374&postcount=39) their representative signed the Contract.)

(OOC: Of course, I should have added that last time. I'll put it down to having been so rushed :) )

(OOC: Well, now that I'm back in the UK and have access to my own computer and all my lengthy Word documents et cetera, perhaps I should try to breathe life back into the Igovian movement? Temble, all ye oppressors!)

OOC: Largely a bump for interest, but if anyone wants to remind me of something I'm probably supposed to have already done in relation to this, now'd be an okay time

Refresher for anyone who skips to the most recent post

The tenets of Igovian Communism-

1) Establishment of the community as society's base unit
2) Locally, direct democracy
3) Nationally, democratically accountable representation
4) State ownership of capital
5) Worker self-management
6) A fixed value-tax on capital goods
7) Perfect-competition in Igovian free-trade
8) Market-simulation through state control of prices

Perhaps a discussion of whether or not profit sharing ought to be specifically enshrined as a ninth tenet may be in order.

Come, disenchanted masses! Embrace Igovian Communism! Build with us a mighty Soviet free-trade bloc! That'll learn 'em!