2014 Congress of Socialists [OPEN/W.I./Socialist nations]

[Quirina]

OOC Note: For non-Workers International members but left-wing socialist (not communist) nations, we don't allow bird-brained one-liners, and it will be considered spamming. UL and Convist Union members are still not allowed to participate in this thread. For non-members, TG me before posting to get my approval to participate with us.

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IC:
Hall of the Peoples' Assembly
City of Ilyanograd, Viktorika
Quirina, Sondria

It was indeed a chilling atmosphere. The landscape all you might see is the greeny pastures, with few elevations leading to the highest summit in the Crescent Mountains, centering the south-central part of the Aerus continent in Sondria. Rich forests are maintained by an ever-guarded Commissariat on Environmental Resources, as frequent guards are walking around the wild, patrolling the forests deeply and securing no illegal activity might take place. Although the society of Viktorika is a bit of both extremes, where there are close-knit morality-driven folks at the villages only raising crops and children for the country's necessity, while there are the few metropolitans monitored by the government of their actions, with chewing gums, smoking and even throwing a small paper scratch is already equivalent to one-year detention as minimum penalty. It is an authoritarian society, with privileges on private life and liberty as promised by the slogans seen almost everywhere. Economics and politics shared the same bench when it comes to regulation, permission and prohibition. The Peoples' Assembly is where the noise are coming from where Viktorika is shown in the image of being a "pacifist communist". Things have changed a lot since 1917, and indeed, no one can even remember where they headed from.

The metropolis is one of the most well-planned cities in Quirina, one which is Panetium, which undergone so many renames, Villa Quirina, with the oldest city name in the country, and of course, Ilyanograd, named after the great general Alexy Ilyanov, known for his militaristic attitude to socialism and choosing to be the pioneer of Quirina's Great Left Movement which still runs today as the symbol of leftist solidarity in the country. The city, like Moscow, is where all activities run - commerce, politics, social life, night life, and not to mention, absence of crime - thanks to the militaristic police who can evenhandedly repel any small crime around.

Viktorikans have always one thing in common, and they always smile to each other, regardless of the situation. Some of them are gloomy individuals, wearing frowns or blank faces, unless they are in the military or in the government, which always have frowned faces opposite to the common folks expressions. This was not an awkward thing in Viktorika. Some leaders believed that smiling is a weakness, and a show of vulnerability and tolerance, and may end up to an undisciplined social norm, thus, the frown, a forced one. Yet, people in Viktorika have two castes, the people in the city and at the rural areas. The city people are happy go lucky, except the hardworking fellows in corporations and the government. Rural folks laugh more from a goat jumping from grassland to grassland, while city people need drinks and revelry to be laughing hard, but not to the extent of being unruly, or they'll get purged by the police.

Currently, the Viktorikan socialist government was recovering from the electoral fraud that happened a year ago, and officials are patching up the damages did by the PFDA, although even their shadows ceased to exist. Their newer concerns were very domestic, which is the growing international reputation of Panatia in a monarchy-only international affiliation, and Etria's recent membership to a rightwing-classified alliance. Only the International, as the government sees it, as both their vanguard and their reputed front in diplomatic success in Quirina. Aside from diplomacy, the continuing claim of the Viktorikan governance over Southern Slavia, the most irreverent of all governments in Quirinese Slavia, wanting to instill their independence despite the claims of the Viktorikans over them through information spread all over the Internet and educational materials, showing Southern Slavia part of Viktorika, which is the contrary to what S. Slavia stands for. Their Robithian origins are their only basis for self-legitimacy, but the Viktorikans base their claim by format of governance. Aside from that, their relations with Panatia turned sour as their senators went into a heated debate ending up into a fistfight. Their senators were replaced with substitute delegates in their place to continue the ongoing Senatorial Session.

The city remained busy as it is. There were only a few preparations, like replacing the frequent government advisory posters with ones showing the Viktorikan premier and the coat of arms, with lots of red banners furling at the background, and the faces of the leaders of the socialist states and their respective flags and coats of arms shown at the foreground near them, with the emblem of the International, with the slogan "Together in Solidarity, Uniting the Power of the Proletariat through Peace and Prosperity of the Great Left Movement!", with a statue of Alexy Ilyanov and his battle-hardened comrades at the background, seemingly leading the red banners furling beauty. The police and military were both alerted to high status, with bomb squads, sniper-scout teams, and armored personnel carriers roaming around or sometimes stationed at any checkpoint in the country were almost everywhere. No wonder this was only a few percentage of the full Viktorikan arsenal. The Hall of the Peoples' Assembly was chosen as the honored place for the International's Congress. The gigantic emblem of the Viktorikan FSR was adjusted to the left to hang the emblem of the International on the right side. Flags of the nations involved in the Congress were seen at the flagpoles of the Hall, located at the center of the garden, near the entrance. Folders, ballpens and the delegates' guide kit were place to each desk in the Peoples' Assembly, the audio systems tested and working, and the mediamen are everywhere in the capitol to capture this historic moment in Viktorika's history.

The palatial reservations for the delegates' stay-in, the itinerary for the scheduled meetings, the materiel for the delegates' arrival, proceedings and departure, yes, they are all set. Barricades of where the people can reach are placed despite the busy citizens around having much no time to deal with this business. The Viktorikan government make sure everything is flawless, and now, they are all set for this grandiose event.

To: Delegates from Comradeships from the Most Deemed Workers' International
From: The Viktorikan Special Commissariat on Delegation for Workers' International

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Comrades!, This is our great day to show to the world the solidarity and unity of all workers of the world! Today, we shun from the old ways and step forward to the bright and great future awaiting for us. We are no longer blind, as we see ourselves as clear as our vision to the world's future.

We had set everything in place, like we, the Viktorikan delegation, is expecting to be. Thus, we invite you to enter our magnanimously built city, built by the hands of the people and the workers, toiled hard for the generations to come. We wish you to say and feel the same as each brick of flooring you see is a hardship we had endured for the last decades and centuries.

We also send our deep and warmly gratitude for giving us the privilege to initiate the 2014 Congress here in Ilyanograd. Failure shall be no option and never to encounter no more. We saw the fruitfulness of the Congress last year, and this year is assured to be more fruitful and prosperous for the greatness and future of the workers united for the progress we shall build in this world.

[Bulgislavia]

Bulgislavian Government Aircraft
Airspace close to Ilyanograd

Damir Banovic the leader of the Ureyn underground resistance movement which fought against the Asimovist regime in Bulgislavia's civil war last year dozed off in his seat. As the elected chief of the Ureyn Polity he dressed quite shabby, a long brown coat with a red and black armband around his left arm, in white lettering was the date the Ureyn polity was liberated from the Asimovist regime.

"Have you gone over your notes?" sounded the familiar females voice. Damir shook himself out of his faint slumber to see Chairman of Bulgislavia's interim government Igor Rukesku and Bulgislavia's main diplomat for the Workers International Mira Abascu, the two of them were holding the briefing papers and stared at Damir intently

"Are we there yet?" he said sitting up in his seat, he still felt quite dazed

"The plane will be descending into Ilyanograd's main airport very shortly" said Mira, she sounded quite displeased with Damir's lack of attentiveness

"We just have to make sure we have all our bases covered" said Rukesku, he then turned to Damir "Comrade Banovic, out of Bulgislavia's 155 polity chiefs, you have been selected because you represent our nations revolutionary spirit, the Ureyn polity has an established reputation for Bulgislavia's anarcho-collectivist movement, so do your best not to embarrass us"

Mira shook her head "In future perhaps those taking part in these high level and delicate talks should actually be qualified to do so"

Damir smirked "Mira, you seem very tense. Relax and everything will be fine"

Within minutes the plane began its descent to the airport where the Bulgislavian delegates quickly stepped off and were greeted by the local authorities before being escorted to the Hall of the Peoples Assembly

While Damir was quite casual looking, Mira was dressed quite smartly in a black top, skirt and heels with the pin of Bulgislavia's revolutionary emblem fixed to the left side of her chest. Rukesku wore a long black coat, with a thin scarf in Bulgislavian colours around his neck.

[Capisaria]

Capisaria's delegation consisted of the Capisarian Ambassador to Worker's International, Loren Burdeau; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anne Robertson; and the Head of the Council of Unions, Hélène Giroux. The trio was supported by several MPs from the ruling party coalition, the recently renamed Alliance for the Future. Capisarian Socialism had taken on a more futurist-utopian bent in the recent years, most importantly with Party Head Jacques Vugo's groundbreaking speech on Science and Technology.

On the table for the Capisarian delegation was tighter cooperation between members, including supporting proposals for a organization-wide Central Banking system. In addition, Capisarian voters had made it clear in the People's Great Voting for the 2014 Congress of Socialists had made it clear that Capisarians wanted to push pact members to guarantee basic income to all members and to push for other things that would raise material quality of life for all citizens of member nations. A proposed "Worker's Declarations of Humanity" was to be put forth. Potential declarations included:

Right to Freely Associate
No hunger shall exist
The government must be held accountable to the complaints of its citizens
The censorship of left wing ideologies not part of the state or party line is to be prohibited.
All citizens have the right to education in science and technology

Capisaria was also interested in harmonising visa requirements for the Pact, in preparation for a proposal at some point to abolish customs checks between member nations.

---

The delegation arrived early to the Hall, in hopes of discussing with and vetting the other delegations before the Congress was officially in session. Loren Burdeau was a young man, who had quickly worked up the ranks of the Coalition to be appointed by the venerable Vugo himself. The delegation itself felt a sense of pride seeing the country's President (vugo), coat of arms, and flag proudly displayed in what was by Capisarian standards a rather restrictive fashion. The deep blue of "The Socialist Paradigm" stood and flapped in stark contrast to the red banners everywhere. After a brief photo for the Capisarian press, and shaking the hands of people who came over, the group walked up the stone steps into the Hall.

[Bulgislavia]

Ilyanograd Peoples Assembly Hall

While Mira and Banovic discussed the various delegations that would be attending, Rukesku spoke with the security, he was interested in knowing how the event security was being maintained. Suddenly the arrival of the Capisarian delegation caught Mira's eyes. She turned and looked down the stone steps as the Capisarian's approached.

"It is good to see our Capisarian friends again" she said cheerfully, it was over a year ago since she joined with some Capisarian human rights monitors during a visit to the Temnorus (Once an alliance member who's deplorable state of human rights prompted quite a division among delegates at the St Sepansburg Conference viewtopic.php?f=5&t=212487&hilit=abascu&start=25)

Bulgislavian officials had a high regard for Capisarian socialism which had a reputation in Bulgislavia for a strong stance of peace, diplomacy and democracy, this impressed many within Bulgislavia's leftist movement who were more accustomed to more authoritarian strains of leftist ideology. The fight for Democracy and Human Rights in Bulgislavia had been a hard struggle ever since the Stalinist Bulgislavian Workers Party was ousted in a largely quick and peaceful revolution back in 2010.

Rukesku turned around to also greet the Capisarian's, he approached the Capisarian's "I have been briefed on the Workers Declarations of Humanity and I can tell you now that it has strong support from within the Bulgislavian delegation. Bulgislavia has yet to sign up to any international standards on human rights and I can tell you now that it is well overdue" he smiled

[Capisaria]

Ilyanograd Peoples Assembly Hall
Noticing the Bulgislavians talking when they entered the hall, Loren Burdeau felt a sense of pride as it was well known in Capisaria that the model of socialism in the country was admired by the good people of Bulgislavia. Upon hearing the endorsement of Capisaria's pact-wide rights proposal, he emphatically stated

"I'm absolutely delighted to hear we can count on your support. I'm sure there will be opposition from some members who don't seem to value anything but exciting propaganda."

Hélèn spoke up, welcoming them to Viktoria. "Its very good to be amongst friends. Capisaria recently had some run-ins with one of our capitalist trading partners, as their country is falling apart in the wake of a fascist uprising. Capisaria lost hundreds of people in a bombing of one of our planes. Personally, I think we've been spending too much time with non-ideological allies. Our true friends are here. At least, our true friend" she said, indicating Capisarian uneasiness that has been growing in recent months.

"What sort of proposals does Bulgislavia wish to bring to the table?" Loren asked.

[Bulgislavia]

"What sort of proposals does Bulgislavia wish to bring to the table?" Loren asked

Mira nodded in encouragingly at Loren, both of them being the WI ambassador for their countries.

"We have several policies designed to strengthen the global infrastructure of the world revolution and the leftist alternative to the neo-liberal capitalist world system. The first reform is economic and calls for a Monetary Cooperative where all the socialist banks and financial institutions geared towards the socialist world system would have the opportunity to 'opt in' to this banking union to pool resources and ensure prosperous development and economic health towards contributing member states and help the developing world with humanitarian projects. More details on this proposal will be discussed during the session"

Mira looked to Igor Rukesku and Damir briefly before explaining the other proposals "The second proposal is a democratic and political reform that would establish a civilian deliberative, legislative chamber, a multinational parliament that would link and network together politically active citizenry from contributing nations, further bringing the alliance and its members closer together. We imagine a huge chamber, possible even fill a stadium as we want to put forward that one delegate would represent 1 million of their countrymen. For example Bulgislavia's size in this chamber would be around 320 seats, ideally the delegates choosen for these seats would reflect the demographic make up and political views of the state those seat's represent"

Mira then swallowed "And the third proposal aim's to seek more clarity around the military aspect of the Alliance. After Bulgislavia's civil war last year there are an unknown number of Workers International Troop's operating in the country, mostly from the nations of Strolingrad, Yaroslavia and Falsea, but there are also 'Workers International Volunteer's' from other member states. We wish for further discussion and perspective on the Workers International Military and how it functions, more transparency in this area would put at ease some Bulgislavian anxieties that the nation is not under a messy WI occupation but a coordinated and unified WI peacekeeping force. So I guess its not so much a proposal, but more a point of discussion and clarity"

Igor Rukesku then spoke up "We also wish to discuss greater freedom of movement among allied nations.... In any case, if these proposal's happen to fall flat, there are many in Bulgislavia that would wish to be willing to work with our international partners to make them a reality, even on a voluntary opt in process"

[Falsea]

Ilyanograd, Viktorika

"But really, what could I possibly contribute to this gathering of fine gentlemen and women today, Balhorn?"

Dominic Steinbeck allowed himself a mockingly repetitive laugh which seemed to reverberate rapidly inside the automobile he was on, the timber of his voice shifting from one sound to another like a broken record. Being the head of the Falsean People's Party's international liaison department, one could have expected something better, or at least something more fitting, from Steinbeck in general, as supposedly believed of diplomats and especially a diplomat who was basically in charge of handling the vanguard's global connections and the like. His hair was a frizzy mess of gray locks, with only prudence preventing anyone from imagining a nest of lice living there; he wasn't obese, but the way his belly protruded from his torso was definitely noticeable, owing mainly to the fact that the man was a pretty heavy drinker; his black suit and red tie were both disoriented, as if he had a tumble earlier in the plane.

But his etiquette and manners -or lack thereof- wasn't necessarily his fault in any way. Steinbeck had long been a drunken sot and sleazy goose long before he was appointed to such an impressive post within the party bureaucracy, his records before weren't even worthy of praise. He was arrested before for driving drunk and wasn't that prominent academically. His political career was negligible compared to most officials in his generation. In the end of course, Steinbeck was just a weakling, a pawn to the current General Secretary, who had burnished the Ministry of External Affairs as once more the leading organ for foreign affairs; a recent change since the strongman directors of old left to serve in even greater roles.

In the end, Steinbeck had but a simple desk job and nothing more. His first foreign trip in a few years was certainly more a business of amusement than anything else. That couldn't be said of the two other delegates with him, one of which was getting mildly irritated at his peer's constant badgering and rambling about nonsense things.

"Not really sure Dominic, perhaps you ought to speak with the General Secretary as to why? I certainly don't have an answer to that question....and it's actually Balfort." responded the Deputy Minister of External Affairs Paul Balfort, unamused to the point that he was slightly stirring in his seat, moving more to the side as if to trying to escape spit flying off of Steinbeck's mouth. Instead of being annoyed as well however, the head of the international liaison department simply boomed more, lightly jabbing Balfort's shoulder with one of his hands.

The Deputy Minister kept a stiff upper lip, adjusting at the same time their vehicle turned a corner. As a longstanding protege of the former Minister of External Affairs Norbert Molotov himself, Balfort had no doubt that he and he alone had the capability to represent Falsea in the Congress to be held today. Or at least he and the last delegate with them, the most senior diplomat of the trio and Falsea's representative to the Worker's International, Royce Lawrence. Also the predecessor to Dominic Steinbeck as the party's top diplomat.

Lawrence, who occupied the vehicle right in front of theirs, was possessed of a wider view on Falsean policy regarding the Worker's International. An important view, because Balfort really doubted if there was a Falsean policy for the said international organization. Only a year has passed since the Politburo appeared rabidly committed to propping up appearances of proletarian internationalism, yet now all of it seemed to disappear. If there were, he wasn't in the loop, and that was impossible, because he was the deputy minister of the external affairs ministry. Last year's congress saw the General Secretary and the Minister of External Affairs attend, and now, they're sending merely their subordinates? it was an odd thing, though Balfort tried to think none of it.

As far as the organization was concerned, all he knew was that the International resembled a cockfighting arena, similar somewhat to the Falsean People's Party, littered with factions and groupings. There was not much he could say regarding the organization's exploits as well, except perhaps for the Bulgislavian civil war, and even that wasn't a completely international-led response. It would surmise to say this was going to be his first live observation of the organization at work.

Glancing quickly at his watch, Balfort felt their convoy stop and he felt a pang of relief as his sight settled on the Hall of the People's Assembly. Quickly disembarking the vehicle, he walked forward and stood by the side of Lawrence himself, whose head of hair was now completely bald save for some small portion at its very back. His eyes were heavy-laden and constantly scanning the environment as if trying to locate a few familiar faces he had had the luck -or misfortune- of shaking hands with before during the Saint Stepansburg conference. He definitely wasn't fond of a lot of the people in the previous conference, all meandering cockroaches who deserved to be hanged alongside the likes of Leon Trotsky in his eyes.

"Ah, Mr. Balfort...behold, the building where the next phase of the global revolution shall be hammered out. Gaze at its beauty, built by the hands of the proletariat as a symbol of national unity and victory against the bourgeois and revisionist scum, conceived in the light of revolutionary triumph and the dictatorship of the proletariat."

"Yes indeed Mr. Lawrence...and you string up words well enough to deliver the opening address of the Central Committee, might I concur."

"As always. Now let's get inside, and get this over with." As soon the two finished their talk, they made their way to the hall in a brisk manner, followed some distance away by Steinbeck who was still fumbling as he fixed his tie.

[Bulgislavia]

Damir, Mira and Igor continued to mingle with the various delegations who had already arrived at the congress. The three were rearing to get the proceedings under way and listen to the opening speeches.

As the leader of the Interim government Igor Rukesku quickly took a moment to sit down and have a quick look through the run sheet as well as take some time to rehearse some of his speech.

Mira noticed Rukesku flipping through some sheets of paper.

"All set?" she asked, sitting next to Rukesku

"I think so, at least I'd like to think all the practicing in front of the mirror will count for something" replied Rukesku sheepishly

Mira smiled and looked over at Damir Banovic who was busy boring some delegate with the finer details of being the elected chief of an Anarcho-collectivist polity

"I think the Bulgislavian revolution's support for anarchism may put us at odds with our WI partner's that subscribe to the more authoritarian strands of leftist ideology" remarked Mira

"Well the fact that the Bulgislavian state is withering away only show's our advancement along the path to true communism, once we have fully established the Revolutionary People Power Assembly more polities will see political power dissolved further and redistributed among the masses" said Igor still intently looking over the run sheet

"Well what would a socialist state be without its contradictions, while we will be advocating for a socialist banking union we have polities back home who have already taken the bold step of abolishing currency...."

"Which is why in our WI economic proposal there will have to be room for the revolutionary area's that use the resource based economy" said Igor

Mira squinted at this as she tried to think of another WI nation that had yet to abolish currency, although she was sure that there would be some, at the very least special area's that had already taken that step like the few radical polities within Bulgislavia.

"If our comrades in this alliance are too attached to their currencies then we at least need to support new institutions that can assist with a transition to a truly communist economic system, no one here needs to be lectured on the evils of money" said Igor

Mira smiled and nodded "I agree chairman... But what of the domestic situation, there is an overwhelming majority of our polities that are under the control of the Peoples Enterprise Union's...."

Igor shook his head "But there is a significant number of polities where the momentum of revolution and true people power still beat strongly, I especially invited Damir Banovic along to this congress to hammer that point, not only to our WI partners but also to you and those in Bulgislavia that are following this event"

Mira sighed and looked around for any familiar faces as more delegations entered the venue......

[Osea 767]

At first glance, the person there on behalf of the Yaroslavian nation seemed to be looking at her surroundings with complete disinterest. However, if more attention were to be given, it would be possible to see that she was observing all with some considerable interest, with occasional signs of it escaping her mouth. But these were quiet and gave little in terms of clues as to why. Certainly, at this point, Anastasia Saravaisky was not inclined to help anyone with this.

She had a sizeable number of assistants and bodyguards trailing her. Noticeably absent were any people with a role outside of helping her. Saravaisky was happy with this. As the Deputy Chairwoman of the Yaroslavian Council of People's Commissars, she had enough authority to represent her nation here. In fact, as second to the council's head, she relished this as an opportunity to prove herself worthy of her position..

Soon, she resigned herself to the fact that one task still needed to be performed, that of talking with the others here and trying to ascertain their intents. Briefings and notes by her aides would only go so far. However, the only people apparently available were those of the Falsean delegation. That would be fine, if not for the third person following the first two. She'd gone over reports on all the main figures of each delegation. To say that Steinbeck did not impress her would be an understatement. In fact, Anastasia considered his appointment to be something of an insult. But she had important business to attend to. So all she could do is try to make the other two the focus of any conversation and try to give Steinbeck as little chance to interact with her as possible.

Finally making her decision, she moved towards the first two, her aides in tow. She knew that, with her white and black dress in a Gothic style and her long black hair not tied up in any way, she'd make an odd first impression. However, she did try to help a little, giving a slight smile as she introduced herself in slightly accented English. “Greetings gentlemen. I hope you had a decent trip. As the delegate for the Yaroslavian nation, I hope we might be able to chat a little before the main event begins. I do not believe I've had the chance to meet either you before”.

[Capisaria]

The Capisarians, who had not left the the company of the Bulgislavians, heard most of the exchange.

Loren spoke up "Well, we haven't moved towards abolishing currency yet, as we encountered numerous problems in trade with capitalist nations. And lets face it, we have stuff they want and they have stuff we want. The Council of Unions went and decided that we'd mitigate the damages, and I think we've done a good job. Nonetheless, Capisaria will support you if you propose any moves towards the end of currency".

Loren then motioned to the rest of the Capisarian delegation. The delegations would sit near each other, not just because of ideologically shared issues, but also because alphabetically speaking, the two were close. Capisaria had no idea how the Viktorians would organize the assembly, but Capisaria wasn't about to wait to be told by the authoritarian state how to sit and where to sit without having chosen first.

"You better explain how you plan to reach currency free society."

[Quirina]

Hall of the Peoples' Assembly
City of Ilyanograd, Viktorika
Quirina, Sondria

As the whole Assembly hall is being populated by guests of honor, persons of political import, and political figures from the member states. Local government officials were also present, including ministers from governments of constituent republics of Viktorika, which is a multitude of persons of such significance in running a large socialist empire, as the technical term goes. The Hall consists of two floors, the ground for all the delegates and officials, and the upper ground, which resembles as an indoor balcony, for the local officials from all parts of Viktorikan influence. Diplomatic guests and envoys from Sondrian Quirina and few officials from Quirinese states were also present as audiences, and not important guests. Since the assembly time was quite nearing to end, the Viktorikan host delegates, the Special Commissar for the Workers International, had arrived from their flight from Southern Slavia in dealing with small political incursions there. With a gleeful smile, bearing the pin of the Viktorikan emblem with a small scarlet ribbon at their chests of their coats, they approached the delegates from major member-nations of the Pact. It was Alexy Novagrosky who is the main leader of the Special Commissariat.

Seeing the Capisarian delegation, Alexiy approached Burdeau, Robertson, and Giroux as they are chatting with the Bulgislavian delegation, greeting themselves. "Well, it is a very pleasing day to see our comrades abroad. No wonder that this event shall be fruitful. I had also read the Workers' Declaration of Humanity, and it's quite a smart work for people with education. I assume it can be feasible in this Congress." He shook hands with them, as the other Commissars are just staring at Alexy, smiling at the foreign guests.

Turning to the Bulgislavian delegates Mira and Banovic, Alexy smiled at them as well and gave them pleasing remarks on the efforts of their government to pursue the right acts. "I am well honored to see that we are all here to create more upheavals that we shall enjoy in the near future, although we are certain that the Bulgislavian government will be on a right path later on." Thinking that there are still issues that needs fixing in Bulgislavia, Alexy cannot think but to give them a smile to cheer them up in case he might miss a point.

Seeing that the newly-arrived Falsean delegates chatting nearby, Alexy, eager unlike the Commissars who are murmuring in his back and giggling, approached and opened them with a greeting, "If it was not for the Falseans, we will not be calling ourselves a sovereign state." He says, as he shook the hand of Lawrence pretty tight, and hugged him lightly, "Well, it's been a long time, my comrades, and I hope we could properly host this year's Congress." He saw Steinbeck, looking at his necktie, complimented it, saying, "Sir comrade, you got a nice tie-up right there." He pats his shoulders and welcomed the Yaroslavian delegates.

A woman donning a formal attire wearing her nation's emblem pin was greeted by a man wearing his emblem with a scarlet ribbon. "Miss Comrade, Anastasia Saravisky, if I'm not mistaken. I am Alexiy Novagorsky, miss Comrade." He shook her hand and greeted her with a smile. "It is my honor, to which I send in your behalf, to the General Secretariat, to host this year's Congress. For long, our nation endured fistfights and debates that are heating up our country's peace, which we long for until now." He invites him to talk with the other guests as the two delegates, with nine persons following them, the Special Commissars, and continued their chat with the Bulgislavian, Falsean, and Capisarian delegates.

Alexy, in such disgust in his mind, whispered to one of his Commissar colleagues, with his face a bit annoyed but still trying not to. The Commissar named "Mikhail" was a bit disturbed on what he heard from Alexy and told the other eight Commissars of what Alexy told him. Realizing it was something threatening, the eight dispersed all over the Hall and greeted other delegates, particularly from N.A.S.C., and other delegates invited by member states to be part of the Congress. The assembly time, and friendly chat time took about an hour before the microphone and speakers started to utter these words: "The Session of the Congress of Socialists will start after five minutes. I repeat, the Session of the Congress of Socialists will start after five minutes. Thank you." At this moment, the organizers and ushers approached the officials of the Workers International, and the whole host delegates from Viktorika to the Presiding Lobby Area, where head officials gather before a session starts, which is a room full of Classical Eastern European decorations and art. The head officials in the Presiding Lobby waited there and accommodated fully, as ushers await for the signal of their entry. Few moments later, "To all esteemed audience and officials, please proceed properly to your seats. The Session will start in one minute. Thank you." The delegates and guests followed suit, as ushers approached chatting envoys and asked to proceed as mentioned by the MC.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed officials, guests, plenipotentiaries, members of various socialist movements, delegates and diplomatic commissars of the Workers International, The Executive Board", the master of ceremonies, in a deep masculine voice, announced the entry of the main officials of the Pact. This signifies the proper start of the Session. The officials walked to the seats at the stage, with a large long desk with an elegant furniture it is. The crowd stood up and clapped their hands as the head officials entered and stood in their seats whilst clapping as well. After which, the guests and envoys sat down as the MC announces the attendees from various nations by mentioning their country's official names.

"Honored guests, and envoys, let us hear the opening remarks of the General Secretary of the Workers' International, Miss Comrade Anastasia Savarovsky." In this queue, the crowd stood and a loud roar of applause was heard from the audience as they stood up to pay their respect for the General Secretary's presence with them. The MC claps as Anastasia stood up from her seat and prepared to speak her words. The microphones up front the desks a few meters away can receive the voices of the head officials and the host commissariat from the front.

[Falsea]

As the Falsean delegation made their way inside and joined the rest of their comrades who had already arrived, they were able to observe and confirm the magnificence of the Hall of the People's Assembly. The building was massive, and from it's facade alone, it appeared as if not a single coin was spared in its construction. The interior was an equally splendorous area, complemented by the architectural style and the tasteful art selections that marked its walls. It was large, as expected of a conference center, and it seemed, from the inside at least, that it was more spacious than its counterpart back in Belgrade, Falsea; the Great Hall of the People, home of both the National Assembly and the National People's Congress, which had a more horizontally-oriented design when one looked at it from its main entrance.

"A very impressive structure." remarked Balfort as they entered, their pace slowing down considerably as they took the time to explore. Though for what it's worth, their tour would only cover the vestibule which connected the entrance to the main assembly hall, which was their destination. Not that they really intended to take a walk throughout the entire place, they merely needed to get a feel of the atmosphere of the place. They needed a few minutes before they would spend the next hours of their day sitting and, hopefully for Balfort, simply listening in silence to the people who would speak at the stage.

In all his honesty, the Deputy Minister of External Affairs had no idea what would unfold at this event, and he had informed Lawrence of this predicament at the time they went past the doors to the building. Much to his surprise though, Lawrence himself simply gave a few words of agreement, leaving him even more clueless as to the direction of the congress. He was unaware though if Lawrence, Falsea's eyes and ears and mouth in the Worker's International since its joined, was simply withholding any crucial piece of information to him or was equally in the dark of today's agenda. The way the man discreetly glanced at people conversing with one another in a shifty fashion certainly didn't help to placate his suspicion.

In the end, Balfort allowed himself to yield to uncertainty, deciding that the best course of action for him was to be vigilant and not attract any attention. If anything was demanded of his delegation, it would be apt to allow Lawrence to take the mantle and lead anything. Not that he was incompetent for the job of course. Simple circumstances dictated a need for practicality, and bursting with rhetorical speeches -a specialty of many policymakers both old and young within the Falsean People's Party and the Falsean government at large- without a crystal clear view of the situations and matters being discussed would only bring embarrassment to himself, his delegation, and his represented state. He had no need for that. He had no need to be dismissed from the Ministry of External Affairs by his superior, let alone the Premier himself; a man not known for his patience and politeness.

"Very impressive, yes" came the laconic reply from Lawrence after what seemed like several minutes, his interest only briefly returning and then fading away again. At this point, the entire Falsean delegation was huddled at one corner, having walked around for some time. A team of not less than ten young aides were passing a few notes to Balfort, who read them unenthusiastically before returning them. Lawrence stood dully near Balfort, somewhat leaning on a pillar. Steinbeck, who had taken a much longer time going through the place and appearing to have just departed from the lavatory, joined the rest of his comrades, clutching what seemed to be a flask of rum he conjured from his suit jacket.

"Hey, I don't know if any of you noticed this, but like, do you know how to spell the General Secretary's name?"

Steinbeck lumbered in-between Balfort and Lawrence, his face exploding with an amusement resembling one displayed by a young girl being tickled in the ribs. Whereas the latter chose to ignore the man, the former was unable to prevent himself as the strong smell of Steinbeck's favorite alcoholic beverages invaded his nostrils.

"Jesus Christ Dominic, is that rum?" snapped Balfort, eyebrows raised in criticism, instinctively taking a step back away from the, as he guessed, intoxicated fool. "It would be best if you put off the drinking for the after-congress banquet, it would very...inconvenient if you were to step on stage, or anywhere else for that matter, wasted."

But his concerns were dismissed as Steinbeck proceeded with what he perceived was another humorous thought the bowels of his mind conceived. With gestures using his finger, he began to write in the empty air in front of his face the first name of the Falsean paramount leader, General Secretary of the Falsean People's Party, President of Falsea, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Louise Rourke, with matching words.

"It's spelled as l-o-u-i-s-e! It's Louise!" he shrieked rather joyfully. "Louise! who names the chief with a girl's name? who thinks it was a good idea to give the chief a name like that, it's really silly, wouldn't you agree?" he concluded, not waiting for any response as he drove himself to another round of laughter.

"Mr. Steinbeck"

Both Balfort and Steinbeck turned to the voice which spoke, which was none other than Lawrence. He wore a simple smile which had a condescending undertone as he continued. "Mr. Vensin here is in need of the facilities of a restroom, to be specific, a toilet. Perhaps you ought to show him where he could relieve himself?" he said, at the same time lightly placing his right hand on the arm of the nearest underling.

"Well sure Roy, but it's pretty nearb-"

"I must insist. The poor lad urgently needs it." Lawrence repeated again, a touch firmer, making both the dumbfounded Steinbeck and the aide take their cues and leave. Not a few moments after their departire, Balfort was struck by the reason behind Lawrence's sudden intervention. The General Secretary of the Worker's International had approached them to make some discussion before the congress. Lawrence had the foresight to shoo away Steinbeck and his ill manners before a catastrophe could come and ruin them.

With that possibility gone, Lawrence held on to his own smile as he responded to Anastasia, whom he knew in paper but had not personally conversed with until now. "Royce Lawrence, representative of the People's Republic of Falsea to the Worker's International. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Madame Anastasia Saravaisky."

He gave a light handshake, which was emulated by Balfort as he gave his own introduction. "Deputy Minister of External Affairs of Falsea, Paul J. Balfort." he said, taking a discreet look at Saravaisky's outfit.

"I must say" began Lawrence again. "our International has reached extensive heights since it was established, a success that is representative of the inevitable victory of the proletariat against its tyrannical overlords. The global revolution continues vividly, madame, and hopefully it does under a more reinvigorated effort by ourselves. But as we look back at these successes and at the same time evaluate further steps towards advancement, another crucial thing to bear in mind is the commitment of each party to the organization's goals, and not solely on lofty and patchwork ideals that run counter to victory....certainly, some of these convoluted forces have not hesitated to make their voices heard, forces from both within and outside our ranks."

The exchange between the Falsean and Yaroslavian delegations lasted for a short while until the Viktorikans finally made their presence felt, at their head being their representative and this year's host for the congress, Alexy Novagrosky. Balfort and Lawrence watched their arrival from where they stood, not having noticed Steinbeck join them once more. Oddly he seemed to have shut up as he, too, glanced at the newest arrivals.

Lawrence, who by now had been confirmed as the de facto head of the delegation, reciprocated Alexy's gestures, responding "Indeed it has Mr. Novagrosky. I'am confident that the steps Viktorika has taken in the past in order to consolidate its revolutionary roots makes it more than qualified for hosting this momentous occasion."

It didn't take long after that for everyone to be ushered inside a waiting room, as part of formal procedure, then finally the main assembly hall. The Falsean delegation took their allotted seats and awaited the first part of the conference. The 2014 Congress of Socialists was now in session, and its outcome would be crucial for future policy.

[Osea 767]

OOC: I wish I could attribute the delay of this to effort made. This is not the case. RL activities this week have rather distracted me. The post itself actually did not take much time. Anyway, it's your turn now, Quir. We await the first proper part of the congress with pleasure.


IC:
Anastasia smiled politely at Lawrence and offered her own hand to meet those offered by the two. His move to get rid of Steinbeck was greatly appreciated, as was his own effort to introduce himself. Of course, she had read the available documentation on the two of them. It only increased her irritation that the organisation that Steinbeck was the one chosen for his role. But she internalised her irritation, as was expected for one of her position. Instead. She projected a serene calm as she responded.

“Well, we exist in a good time in regards to pushing for the advancement of our cause. Though there may be some threats out there, they are not like the old organisations for crushing socialism. They are ultimately inferior foes. Certainly though, you are right. Vigorous efforts to ensure effective organisation and a clear plan and to deal with those who oppose such efforts out of misguided beliefs must be made. The last item should certainly not be neglected. Those who do not serve their role properly have no value, would you agree? It would be quite terrible if our cause were to be derailed for such people”.

She knew they would not have long left, but she hoped she would get the chance to hear his response before they were called into the

…...................

As requested, Anastasia moved to make her speech. The group that accompanied her seemed to make it a point of honour to stand up faster and give their applause better than everyone else. It was a petty thing, but she had plenty of authority outside that of alliance leader. She was not the head of state, but she was next in terms of rank. So those gathered in the group were inclined to show effort in even such a little thing. However, they still remained ready, if they were to be called upon, and were a part of her audience that could be counted on for a positive response to her speech.

Everyone else would require more, but that was fine

“Greetings to you all.

“We are here today for a single reason and that reason is a great and noble cause. That is the promotion of a system that serves to create a better world for all and for future generations that we shall bestow it upon. This, you all know. It is why you all surely deserve praise for your idealism. However, that is not enough. There are many proposals that I know you will put forward. These require our collective efforts in order to ensure they indeed blossom. Sacrifices are to be expected. It would be immoral not to be ready to make them when so much and the hopes of so many rest on our shoulders.

“It can be said that we have less of a threat posed to us and thus, some might reason, we have less reason to make sacrifices, that perhaps we should reduce our labours. I doubt I have to explain to you how false this is”. At this, she paused and seemed to scan her audience for sign of anyone who might be feeling otherwise. Some of her group seemed to be doing the same. After this, she gave a slight smile and continued. “The weight of our cause will in fact only become heavier if we dawdle. There are still forces that might wish to stop us from realising our vision and will act to sabotage us. Here, we can thwart such efforts. Through careful planning and vigorous effort, we can create a path to the future we seek. We have the tools and, as some of you have already shown with the proposals I know you have brought, we also posses the creativity and enthusiasm needed to achieve much. Whether others will agree with me after this summit depends entirely on your efforts alone. I'm counting on you all to do your best”.

She then turned to glance at the MC, a rather emotionless expression on her face. “Now, I entrust the direction of this event back into the hands of our capable and most worthy hosts. I am sure this event will be rewarding for all, provided that all follow their example in the efforts they have made for this gathering”.

[Quirina]

OOC: Having the longest delay makes me a bit ashamed to hassle you guys. Anyways, since the Congress is now open to all (but there are requirements, so mind reading the OP first), I'm hoping activity will kick in.

After Anastasia had gave her fullest words, the MC escorted the General Secretary back to her desk at the stage and returned to the podium. After which, he introduced Alexiy Novagorsky, citing his credentials he earned throughout his careers, and one of which is his voluntary gesture to have the VIktorikan nation host this year's Congress. As the applause roared from the crowd, Alexiy walked in the podium and shook hands with the MC as sign of gratitude, with a marked smile in their face. At that moment, after a minute's applause, the Commissar spoke his words:

"Until this day, Viktorika holds a lamp of liberty but sees no path to take. We are lost, in the middle of nowhere we have not explored. Our hands are shivering in the cold night of darkness, nor we do not know if it is day or night. The breeze of the cold air gives no warmt but freezes our soles and palms. We are lost in this blizzard. The lamp still shines from this storm still, hoping to see the end of this tragedy. I certainly hope this freezing hell will stop, or shall we endure it to last a lifetime and deal with it eternally. Thus, this lamp of liberty that we treat as a gift from mankind's efforts to the struggle for the true freedom, the lamp now flickers its brightness. Our hands are freezing, and the light is flickering, seeing both the black nowhere and ourselves strongly standing. This light, if lost, will be our end. And now, it is gone."

After such opening speech, a white board was levering down at the back part of the stage to project the proposals of the Special Commisarriat. There, the points are emphasized on the main bulleted ones, with accompanying explanations of each:

• creation of a Rapid Action Force to answer to the modern threats against World Socialism and defending the International's interests when all diplomatic options are no more available
• enhancement on nuclear technology and utilization, which shall be the answer to the ever growing pollution caused by cheap gases, opting to the nuclear technology is far cheaper and environment-friendly if safety precautions and requirements are met
• recognition but no-merger policy with the United Left's member-alliances, but not the United Left itself shall benefit in such ties. It is clear that the former UL under the leadership of Kolebrath Dakia was devastating to the part of UL and as it is currently rebuilding
• voluntary diplomatic connection initiated by the Special Commissariat (Viktorika) with the United Left to continue the Pan-Left Summit, which is now predicted to move in a new path.

After the proposals were explained each, Alexiy thanked the General Secretary for her attendance, along with the remarks of gratitude to other delegates and audiences that attended the Congress.

[Capisaria]

Loren shifted in his seat. Politics. Nothing but politics and power. No proposals to help the individual. Only the energy proposal caught his eye. Authorized to be the main speaker for their group, he talked it over with his delegation.

"Capisaria would like to indulge the Congress for a moment. We've been successful for over a decade now in a near-zero emissions policy. Our country is powered entirely from renewable energy, water, and two nuclear power plants. Combustion vehicles may not be registered in Capisaria for everyday use. We have even experimented with solar roads, we are by far the most environmentally friendly nation present. And I am sorry for I just realized I sounded fairly pretentious. SImply put, I think Capisaria should be given the task of promoting environmentally concious decisions within Worker's International, and perhaps with other Socialist nations"

[Quirina]

The organizers of the Congress were a bit surprised at this motion held by the Capisarian delegation, nonetheless, it is considered parliamentary. The Viktorikan commissariat hold no qualm about the said point of the Capisarian and opened their microphone to speak about their concern for the matter. Alexiy led the team to answer the Capisarian's point and stand by the proposal. Sitting and leaning a bit forward in his microphone, he turns it on and speak,

"Let it be clear that the nuclear technology enhancement is not mandatory and therefore, the technology we, the International, are pretty much looking forward to the development of cheap and reliable state-owned energy, and such point we stand for signifies that we see nuclear technology an advantage we can brag, and for the longest time, we have the lowest emission in the Quirinese republic so far, and no recorded nuclear accidents, thanks to the cooperative efforts of both the researchers and engineers around the world that had put their lives on the line for the sake of the safety of conduct in bringing cheap electricity to all Viktorikan peoples.

As I had explained earlier, and let me be clear again, that the current capabilities of Viktorikan nuclear technology can be shared to all member-nations of the International, and if possible, to have it established to nations without having to worry about fallouts and accidents, since we have the best safety measures in Quirina that follows proper procedures and requirements for a safe nuclear powerplant."

The MC opens his microphone, asking the audience for any more concerns aside from the Capisarian who opened the debate.

[Falsea]

Royce Lawrence glanced at the general direction of the Capisarian delegation, though to no one in particular. Locating Loren, His black pupils dilated with slight insult as he narrowed his eyesight at their leader who just finished speaking. To him, they were all full of hot air and seemed always eager to stand up and show off, especially with regards to the delegations of the more hardliner states in the international. They were full of arrogant hubris, determined to emphasize the superiority of their "democratic revolution" and demote the rest as nothing but primitive forms of socialism, unprepared to be of efficient use to the modern age.

But they were wrong. Marxism-Leninism continued to be the driving force of both consciousness and progress in, for example, Falsea. Sure there were a few areas where improvements could be made, but they were not inherent to the ideology, certainly not. The main revolutionary trend was still the most preferable, and the agenda of the others to either discreetly or indiscreetly promote otherwise, as he was convinced of, was something Lawrence disliked. He never was and never will be a man of plural beliefs, though thankfully he wasn't as vocal about it as before.

To his side, Balfort observed and watched the proceedings with an uninhibited level of average interest, though internally several questions were running through his mind, mostly owing to the generalized bullet list of proposals by the Viktorikan delegation. The feasibility of the rapid reaction force, and perhaps more broadly a complete military arm of the Worker's International, was one of those things. A rapid reaction force might be a pragmatic policy to follow, especially for members and other affiliated states that were in danger of falling to dangerous external and internal forces. Sovereignty, funding of this force, and its locations were other thoughts that crossed his mind. Despite that though, it might not be so difficult to convince the central leadership to accept the proposal within Falsean borders.

The proposal for conducting relations with the United Left, little known in most Falsean political circles save for the central leadership and the elite of the diplomatic bureaucracy, might be more difficult to pass though. The Viktorikans, as far as Balfort saw, were not too accepting of the United Left, and more importantly, the abomination known as "Convism", so their credentials in representing the international in pan-left discussions with other global organizations would definitely not be a questionable thing in the eyes of the central leadership. What casts doubt in the proposal is the definition of "voluntary diplomatic connection". The People's Republic of Falsea has had a few encounters with some members of the United Left, particularly one prominent founding member which assisted Falsea during the Second Adwestian War, but that wasn't to say Falsea was fond of them. Neutral, would be more fitting, though their association with other ideological trends earned them a degree of suspicion and mistrust.

In contrast to Lawrence's vanguardist view of the situation though, the central leadership's doubt on the UL and its members was rather a matter of caution, at least on the part of the new General Secretary who was approximately two years into his term. Balfort's generalization of the central leadership's sentiments wouldn't be completely accurate still. Add further the fact that Lawrence's words would have a heavy effect on these sentiments.

"With all due respect." began Lawrence, leaning on his microphone to speak. "With more than five decades of experience with nuclear technology in both civilian and military fields, in addition to extensive and progressive research and application of environmental technology in various multiple important sectors, I daresay Falsea has a claim towards the title of most environment friendly nation within our alliance."

He leaned back for a second, anticipating reactions, and gave a conservative smile as he continued. "But that is irrelevant. We really didn't come here to toot our whistles one by one. I'am, in no way, inclined to support the notion that Capisaria should lead any and all alliance-wide efforts at environmental decisions, similarly as I'am not inclined to support Viktorikia or Falsea in such a matter. Certainly, the belief that any one nation is capable of pursuing this affair on their lonesome is unimaginable, so a cooperative effort between all of us at the improvement of environmental standards and energy would be more apt, no?"

[Bulgislavia]

The Bulgislavian delegation sat back and listened to the robust discussion occuring among the delegates before it was their turn to give the Bulgislavian position towards the proposals of the Viktorikan delegation

Igor Rukesku received a last minute whisper from Mira Abascu before he stood up to explain the Bulgislavian position.

creation of a Rapid Action Force to answer to the modern threats against World Socialism and defending the International's interests when all diplomatic options are no more available

"With regards to the Rapid Reaction Force, this proposal is one that the Bulgislavian delegation is in favor of. Many WI states contributed a portion of their armed forces to the struggle against the fascist Asimovist regime during last years civil war. As well as a number of volunteer fighters from other WI partners.
There still remains a large number of foreign forces stationed within Bulgislavia. It is with this in mind I would like to express my eternal gratitude to our WI partner's who contributed in this important struggle against fascism in Bulgislavia. Instead of referring to the armies separately we have been referring to them as the 'Workers International Forces'.
There are at present four military bases that have been placed under the control of the Workers International forces. It would be good to have greater clarity on the status of these bases and the foreign armies that remain in Bulgislavia to help both with security and reconstruction.
If needed we do not mind a re-organization of these allied forces into a prototype Rapid Action Force for the Workers International that can remain in Bulgislavia to continue their operations and utilize the bases for at least a five year period that can be extended if needed"

Igor sat down before Mira whispered to him once more, where he then stood back up "My colleague also wishes to remind me that Rapid Action Force should also be available to assist member states with natural disasters and emergencies such as search and rescue and disaster recovery within member states they are able to be deployed too..... Oh and as a matter of sovereignty this RAF should be strictly controlled and transparent so as not to be used as a political tool to subvert legitimate political developments within an allied nation"

enhancement on nuclear technology and utilization, which shall be the answer to the ever growing pollution caused by cheap gases, opting to the nuclear technology is far cheaper and environment-friendly if safety precautions and requirements are met

Igor then began to address the next point "We admit that Bulgislavia has a long way to developing a carbon neutral, clean energy society but we have great ambitions, however none of our plans allow for nuclear power due to the passage of the Nuclear Free Act of 2012 which declared Bulgislavia completely nuclear free. Part of our justification for this was the Muresc nuclear plant disaster back in 2009 (viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1115&hilit=bulgislavia)"

"We are however fully committed to further collaboration in the energy sector with greater transfer of technology, research and development, not just confined to nuclear but better more efficient wind and solar technology. And we would also like to take this opportunity to we would will collaborate with any alley that seek to phase out the fossil fuel system"

recognition but no-merger policy with the United Left's member-alliances, but not the United Left itself shall benefit in such ties. It is clear that the former UL under the leadership of Kolebrath Dakia was devastating to the part of UL and as it is currently rebuilding, voluntary diplomatic connection initiated by the Special Commissariat (Viktorika) with the United Left to continue the Pan-Left Summit, which is now predicted to move in a new path.

"As for the issue of the United Left, we currently have very little contact with that organization and it's members. The Bulgislavian delegation has no opposition to the idea of diplomatic contact with the UL and its members if it means greater strength to the alternative world socialist movement and a weakening of the neo-liberal capitalist systems and fascist organizations already in existence around the world"

[Capisaria]

Loren heard the qualms of the other delegations. Capisaria was by no means trying to sound pretentious, but it happened. Shaking his head at the Falsean delegation, subtly. Capisaria had...difficult relations with Falsea in the past. The two had fought a proxy war right around the same time both of them had joined the Worker's International, and despite having normal diplomatic relations, Capisarian's opinion of Falsea was low. Viewed as a relic of the bygone era of Leninist authoritarianism, public polling by the WA Mission to Capisaria found that 60% of the country viewed Falsea as too authoritarian, and the french Union of Committees for Socialist Supremacy had released several papers detailing left wing nations it felt were not models to be followed or promoted, and listed Convists, as well as Falsea and several smaller states as "well intended but not forward thinking". This was all part of the shift in the Capisarian "socialist paradigm" towards more futuristic ideals of science and technology.

"I meant no disrespect to our comrades here in Viktoria and over in Falsea. I meant more along the lines of Capisaria sharing how it achieved its near-zero emissions state. Ideas on how to shift away from the archaic modes of transportation and power without losing any level of convenience or quality of life for the nation. For instance, we cannot ask individuals to buy electric when our military is driving diesel powered vehicles. Of course, some things will require more research, I mean, we can't expect to power tanks and naval vessels with electric, but its proven that nuclear fission can power a ship, so imagine what fusion reactors will do when we fine tune them. Capisaria's nuclear power is 2 fission, and an experimental fusion reactor. Our goal is by 2025 to close down our final fission reactors, in response to the 21st Century Energy Act of 2010 that requires the implementation of stable nuclear fusion and the expansion of renewable energy."

Capisaria had spent far more energy and resources researching the magic of nuclear fusion. It was farther ahead in the technology than most nations, who had yet to apply the power to everyday use. The Department of Energy was already planning to phase out the two fission reactors within the next 15 years for one more fusion plant.

Anne Robertson took the opportunity to address the question of unified military forces, or a supplemental military force for the alliance. "Capisaria is one of the many countries party to the Bulgislavian Security Regime, as it is known in Capisaria, having helped protect their fledgling revolution for a good time now. We would be hesitant to wish to expand this, as the force could be used to further neo-imperialist interests against nations where class consciousness is too low and we would not be welcomed by the workers. Given a proper charter, we would be in favour of this "Rapid Action Force".

Additionally, Capisaria, being a member of both organizations, is strongly in favour of a recognition policy of the United Left. At the same time, however, we would like to see an official condemnation or statement at least, on the franken-communist ideology that is Convism."

[Bulgislavia]

Igor Rukesku listened to Loren as he explained his point, something about the Capisarian's tone and expressions made him think of the ideological differences between their two states [Capisaria & Falsea]. The Alliance sure was diverse and diplomatic tensions between members was bound to happen from time to time, over what could be anyone's guess.... A clash of values perhaps.

Although he did personally disagree with the course of action societies took when they began to close down into repression and dictatorship. However he had to keep reminding himself that by many standards Bulgislavia could be perceived to be a repressive state

'Hmmm I suppose that is an improvement to the ranking of 'failed state' I saw so often in the headlines last year' he glibly thought to himself

His predisposition to be optimistic instantly sought the positives 'We will never be a state that will resort to mass killings in a sick and twisted system of concentration camps that perpetuate the control of a ruling dictator class, how could people justify and tolerate that system.....' that thought then sparked an ill feeling within himself as he remembered that the Ralkovian's were still bombing and occupying the small nation of Stavropol to the north of Bulgislavia, depopulating it to make it a new outpost for Ralkovian colonization.

'A sick system indeed...'

Igor then got out of his thoughts and returned his attention back to the congress to hear the Capisarian's closing comments

....Additionally, Capisaria, being a member of both organizations, is strongly in favour of a recognition policy of the United Left. At the same time, however, we would like to see an official condemnation or statement at least, on the franken-communist ideology that is Convism."

[Bulgislavia]

....Additionally, Capisaria, being a member of both organizations, is strongly in favour of a recognition policy of the United Left. At the same time, however, we would like to see an official condemnation or statement at least, on the franken-communist ideology that is Convism."

"As for the Bulgislavian position on this matter, we are in favor of recognition of the United Left and if anything a larger, broader coalition of cooperating leftist movements, no matter how diverse and different can only be good for the establishment of the alternative revolutionary world system, one that is free and independent of the dominant predatory capitalist and corporate systems which have dominated and exploited the world to such disturbing lengths...." Igor cleared his throat as he began to continue

"As for the matter regarding the so called leftist ideology known as Convism, the Interim government has no official position. We are committed to the principles of democracy with the freedom of thought and expression. We will abstain from voting in this matter. However we fully back the exploration, investigation and study of various ideologies of all kinds so as to better understand social dynamics, political trends and cultural change. We wish for the WI to maintain an open mind to ideologies as the human family is diverse, but we also maintain the need to keep a constant vigilance against fascist and totalitarian systems which only perpetuate injustice against the people and stifle human potential"

Igor then finished with a slight nod before taking his seat

[Capisaria]

Hearing Igor speak was refreshing from the past several months which had been dominated by bureaucratic party lines and orthodox thought. Anne RObertson leaned forward to the microphone in front of her, like the ones in front of all the delegates that allowed their voices to boom throughout the hall.

"I'd like to further elaborate on the Capisarian stance towards Convism. Only knowing what our comrades in Viktoria have told us, we would like to know more about it. However, it was uncomfortably Convist focused in United Left, until The United Motherlands stepped down from their role and allowed representatives from several nations to fill their spot in the Council of Commisars. We feel that the threat, if there was one, has passed from United Left.

I propose that we make no formal declaration on Convism, but that we announce our cooperative stance with United Left and all other socialist groups, with the caveat that we may reverse this stance on a case by case basis. Capisaria is a full member of the United Left and Workers International and would not want to be forced to decide, as it views its loyalty to the cause of revolution and liberation, not to the whims of the organisations and their partisan bickering."

Loren relaxed a bit. His comrades could do a great job. He wasn't sure about Convism himself, but he certainly preferred it to the abomination of Stalinism and the so called "opening up" of communist states to "special economic zones". But that was because Capisaria had an unusual implementation of socialist thought, and it worked. Yes, money still existed, but there was no homelessness or starvation in Capisaria. Those weren't just propaganda lines either, the WA had found several times that Capisarian poverty levels were so minuscule that it didn't warrant being mentioned (it was like, 1000 homeless. All of which had homes by now).

[Falsea]

"As was seen from the Asimovist regime that previously gripped the Bulgislavian people by the neck.." Royce Lawrence began, going with the flow of the discussion as it moved away from environmental concerns. "..the revolution is always in perpetual danger, not only from foreign influences and ideologies attempting to break in and hijack socialist thought, but also from the dangers of internal chaos and disunity, factionalism, insurrectionists. It can be said that within every vanguard, every group, there will always be one or two or even more individuals who do not think for the greater good of all, but rather for their own good. It is these from these banal traitors that the greatest danger from within stems, because they are saboteurs, termites whittling away the foundations before the structure has even been finished."

The Falsean delegate took a short pause, taking a fleeting scan of the emotions he could decipher from the faces of the others in the room. He continued not long after, expression and tone growing a bit more brazen than he what he had began with.

"Additionally, and to cite the Bulgislavian conflict once more, the method and manner by which the forces of our so-called 'multinational force' carried out the defense of our comrades' motherland was rather disjointed. Inefficient. Not to say the entire effort was a waste, no of course not. What I wish to point out is the fact that each nation acted through its individual mandate, instead of a more coherent plan that might have lead to less casualties and a quicker victory over the enemy.

Conclusively, it is in my opinion that a rapid reaction force would be a good investment for the future of not only ourselves, but also perhaps other socialist forces throughout the world and beyond. Indeed, I would like to echo the statement of the honorable Mr. Rukesku with regards to foreign allied armies in heir soil, and additional undertakings, such as humanitarian causes, that they may pursue. I believe that to start from there would be a good step towards this direction."

Eventually taking another turn in the discussion, the gathered delegates began to ponder the topic of the United Left and Convism. At this juncture, the Deputy Minister of External Affairs decided to activate his mic and speak next, seizing the opportunity from a Lawrence who was halfway through a glass of water served earlier.

"The United Left has certainly reached great lengths, attracting a broad and diverse assortment of nations committed to the revolutionary cause. If I may say, a founding nation of this organization is a close friend of the People's Republic of Falsea. This nation, by the name of Bojikami, was a key ally during our cataclysmic conflict with the Kingdom of Adwest a few years back, and we are eternally grateful for their assistance. Through this and further collaboration as time passed, Falsea can safely vouch for the unrelenting spirit of Bojikami and likewise, the nations which they have gathered. We would support such a recognition policy of them."

Leaning back on his chair, Balfort thought he had done a good, and by good he meant not provocative, assessment of Falsea's stance on the matter. At least, from what he could make out of the notes he had read penned personally by the General Secretary himself. Although he bemoaned that he couldn't spit something that was more specific, he thought at least that it was better than what Lawrence could possibly remark. Something he wished to avoid as much as possible.

Unfortunately for him, the balding man wasn't going to allow an opportunity to condemn the reactionary menace of Convism to escape that easily. His voice rang out once more as he spoke into his mic.

"Yes, what my colleague stated is all true. The United Left and its members have noble intentions, more or less in line with ourselves, but the fact remains; the infestation of Convism within their halls, if this still rings true today, is something that we cannot ignore. Convism is a festering wound of capitalism being covered up by the traitorous forces which I have mentioned earlier. They are not, in any way or form, in line with ourselves. The United Left are our friends, but it is key that we view its membership as composed of two groups; the non-Convists and Convists. By doing this, we do not aim to dictate their organization, but rather, we aim be guarded against situations that can troublesome. We aim to be aware and on the guard. Needless to say, I and my country condemn Convism, but we are not interested in butting heads with them. Such a policy would be simply..out of the moment."

He took a few moments, then focused attention once more on the Capisarian delegation. "Madame, we all know your country is a member of the United Left, and indeed, we can all commend your nation's dedication to the revolutionary cause, however I would like to question something. I'am unsure as how you can objectively claim the UL is now cleansed of Convism from the stepping down of power of but one nation. Surely Convism is not a one-night fad in one nation, but rather something that has grown quite...large, if demonstrated from their own Convist League that was formed before, if information serves me correct. It is important for us to note the stance of the entire organization, and not merely its leadership, if we were to form any basis on cooperation with them. If there should be any at all, excluding recognition."

[Capisaria]

Taking a moment to clarify, the ambassador to both organisations, Loren Bordeau interjected "The United Left is by no means cleansed of Convism. The ideology is viewed as social liberalism with a cool, funky name. Simply put, United Left propaganda and its HQ were littered with Convist Alliance and pro convist posters. That is gone. The organization had a clear favoritism for the ideology. All we mean to say is that the public support for Convism has died down in the alliance, and that is all we mean. It should be easier to push the organization back into a more encompassing and United left wing stance now that it no longer blatantly flaunts support for a weak interpretation of leftism."