R+B · Vol. 2 [1] · TRF hits fash/REATO targets · RIA started

[Kazmr]

Would people who are RL leftists but not part of a left region be allowed to attend?

[Consular]

Great to see R+B back!

[Misley]

Would people who are RL leftists but not part of a left region be allowed to attend?

There hasn't been any discussion of explicitly disallowing people from non-invited regions to attend. Regions that don't receive an invite won't have the ability to present a regional venue, that much has been decided. Thanks for the question - I'll raise it with the other members of the steering committee.

Great to see R+B back!

Great to be back!

[Tim Stark]

Great issue, and a great read. I'd definitely be interested in checking our RedExpo as well if admission isn't for members of Leftist regions only.

[Kazmr]

Would people who are RL leftists but not part of a left region be allowed to attend?

There hasn't been any discussion of explicitly disallowing people from non-invited regions to attend. Regions that don't receive an invite won't have the ability to present a regional venue, that much has been decided. Thanks for the question - I'll raise it with the other members of the steering committee.

Look forward to hearing from you then! Naturally wouldn't expect a venue, but as one of the people in the PRL who was (and still is) a leftist IRL, I would love to see what is going on with other NS comrades, maybe even find some ways to get involved.

[Guy]

I was so excited to steal your article headline font, until I realised it was an image.

[Tim-Opolis]

I was so excited to steal your article headline font, until I realised it was an image.

I'm going to follow up on Guy's excitement, and ask what font it is so I can then actually steal it.

[Kazmr]

It was mentioned specifically in the second article

The news service's revival comes with new graphic work. "Videtur," a typeface originally designed for television use in the German Democratic Republic, has replaced Hoefler's "Knockout" for headlines. Videtur is a lighter font with serifs, the angular strokes at the edges of letters, which calls to mind print media. The logo and masthead has also been changed from Knockout to Volker Küster's "Today Sans," a sans-serif typeface highly reminiscent of British signage.

[Misley]

It was mentioned specifically in the second article

The news service's revival comes with new graphic work. "Videtur," a typeface originally designed for television use in the German Democratic Republic, has replaced Hoefler's "Knockout" for headlines. Videtur is a lighter font with serifs, the angular strokes at the edges of letters, which calls to mind print media. The logo and masthead has also been changed from Knockout to Volker Küster's "Today Sans," a sans-serif typeface highly reminiscent of British signage.

And thus the people who don't read are exposed.

These guys are just a couple of big fat phonies!

(the headline font is Videtur; Today Sans is used for the "Red + Black" logo.)

[Guy]

Ouch, Misley. I'm hurt.

I do admit to only reading the first and last articles, though.

[Kazmr]

Guess I deserve it as well

[Zenya]

Congrats to TI on getting featured

[The Red and Black]

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NEWS · NATIONSTATES · THE INTERNATIONALE

Above: The Internationale population graph, January 1–now

The Internationale was the world's featured region for the third time in regional history on Saturday, the first since its refound last June.

The Internationale was previously featured in February 2010 and December 2011. After regional founder La Pasionaria was deleted in November 2013, the region was closed and community moved to the alternate region "The International" until TI proper was refounded on June 30 of last year, on the 143rd anniversary of Eugene Pottier's Paris Commune-inspired anthem L'Internationale.

Any time a region is featured, that region sees a spike in growth, and The Internationale made no exception Saturday, adding twenty-eight members over the course of the day, a new daily growth record. When featured in 2011, for comparison, TI added twenty-three new members to swell to eighty-nine members; after being featured in 2010, the region doubled from eight members to sixteen.

This spike in growth comes at the end of a two week-long period of intense expansion that has been the fastest in the region's six-year history. In the last fourteen days alone, TI has grown by 105 nations to a new regional record population of 344 nations, setting a new monthly population change record. 

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NEWS · NATIONSTATES · LEFTEXPO

LeftExpo is returning for its third conference this year after expositions were organized in 2012 and 2013 but skipped last year. LeftExpo 2015 will be the largest in the festival's history, with regional showcases and presentations by leftist players scheduled as part of the festivities.

The Internationale will play host to the event, which is set to kick off June 29 and end July 3. The date of the exposition pays homage to Eugène Pottier, who wrote "L'Internationale" on June 30, 1871 following the brutal suppression of the Paris Commune, and coincides with the celebration of TI's first refound anniversary.

Above: LeftExpo 2015 festival logo

Around fifteen regions from the NationStates Left will be invited to showcase their region, up from six participating regions in 2013. The list of invitees includes North Korea and the Democratic Socialist Assembly, which alongside TI have been the only regions to participate in all exhibitions to date.

A symposium of essays and presentations from members of these regions will be a highlight of the festival, with topics to be discussed ranging from anti-fascist action in NationStates to music in the Soviet Union. This will mark the first time that lectures have been added to the LeftExpo agenda.

More details will be published as LeftExpo approaches. 

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NEWS · REAL WORLD · USA · EDUCATION · CHARTER SCHOOLS
by Nathalie Hrizi for Liberation News

When school starts in New Orleans next year, all of the schools will be charters. The district's 33,000 students will have to apply for a seat at one of 58 charter schools in the country's first all-charter system.

This is a triumph for the forces of corporate, anti-union reform, for the forces of profit making. It is a blow to public education in the country.

This experiment is being built on the wreckage caused by Hurricane Katrina. This culturally and economically important majority Black city in Louisiana was changed forever—not necessarily by the hurricane itself but by the U.S. government's disinterested, racist attitude toward actually addressing the needs of the population following the destruction. The relief effort was botched. And then business forces saw an opportunity—to gentrify and redefine New Orleans.

This approach extended to public schools in the city. Just after Hurricane Katrina, the state took control of 102 schools and placed them under the control of the Recovery School District (the district that just shuttered the public schools). The district had a plan: privatize the schools. The city has spent and is spending billions on the school building renovations then turning them over to independent charter school operators for FREE.

The remaining 15 were left to the control of the Orleans Parish School Board. What did they do? Fire 7,000 mostly African American employees and replace them with younger inexperienced mostly white, mainly Teach for America, teachers.

The entire operation was a cheap trick enacted to carry out the desires of a broader corporate reform agenda to destroy public education.

For New Orleans, the result has been a segregated, profoundly unequal system overseen by independent charter school operators who answer to no public institution. They answer to shareholders and funders. That's it.

In New Orleans, there are high quality charter schools and there are poor quality charter schools. Who attend the former? Mostly white and wealthier students. Who attends the latter? Mostly Black and all working class, poorer students. How do they maintain this segregated system? The better charter schools are overseen by the Orleans Parish School board and don't participate in the computerized placement lottery.

But the move to an entirely charter district for the first time in the nation has implications beyond those in New Orleans too.

And it's been tried before.

Read the full article at Liberation News.

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For other editions of the Red & Black, see our archive.

[Misley]

Congrats to TI on getting featured

Thanks! The only thing that could've made it better would've been if our lottery number had been pulled on the 30th to coincide with our refound anniversary. I'm not going to complain, though!

There hasn't been any discussion of explicitly disallowing people from non-invited regions to attend. Regions that don't receive an invite won't have the ability to present a regional venue, that much has been decided. Thanks for the question - I'll raise it with the other members of the steering committee.

Look forward to hearing from you then! Naturally wouldn't expect a venue, but as one of the people in the PRL who was (and still is) a leftist IRL, I would love to see what is going on with other NS comrades, maybe even find some ways to get involved.

This was discussed and no one voiced an issue with RL leftists being a part of the exposition.

[The Red and Black]

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NEWS · NATIONSTATES · WORLD ASSEMBLY · SECURITY COUNCIL · CAPS

A Security Council resolution to liberate Congress of Armed Proletarian States (CAPS), the left interregional project started last year by Proletaire, has gone to a floor vote after reaching quorum Saturday afternoon.

The Congress of Armed Proletarian States was established as a pan-left democratic assembly, with regions invited to send delegates to the congress proportional to their regional populations. The assembly's work revolved around developing mutual defense, improved interregional communication, and government cooperation. CAPS met for several months, beginning with a temporary steering committee in June 2014 and lasting through October, when the project was raided while in the process of moving its constitutional convention to an offsite forum.

CAPS was raided by the REAGAN Treaty Organization (REATO), a fanatical anti-leftist alliance led by Libertatem. Libertatem relied heavily on outside support, particularly from The Communist Bloc and the Glorious Nations of Iwaku. TCB has been under fire by the NS Left community since joining Libertatem in the raid and participating in further strikes on left-aligned regions, but has recently stated a desire to reconcile with the NS Left and has come out in support of the liberation proposal.

When asked why she allowed Communist Bloc troops to work with Libertatem, whose constitution established a perpetual "war on communism," TCB President Zenya said, "I was misled on [Libertatem's] regional history and intentions . . . I consider that operation a massive error on my part. . . . I was incredibly stupid to think that the attack would simply be considered a retaliation against North Korea. It was seen as an attack against every ... member region of the organization, and I've taken responsibility for that poor choice."

The liberation proposal had achieved quorum with the required ninety-two delegate approvals leading into Friday night's planned maintenance period, but unlike the General Assembly bill "Repeal 'The Gem Trading Accord'," it did not progress to a floor vote as expected. When NationStates came back online shortly after one o'clock Saturday morning, the General Assembly resolution was on the floor but Liberate CAPS was stuck in purgatory.

Site admin [violet] explained on the forum that when the site was down, the daily update had begun but not finished, and would have to be restarted. In the few minutes between NationStates coming online and the update restart, one of the delegates that had approved the proposal resigned from the World Assembly, causing the proposal to dip back below quorum. A renewed campaign brought additional delegate support leading into Saturday's minor update, when the proposal finally made it to the floor.

At publication, the vote is overwhelmingly in favor of liberation, with 5,420 votes for the proposal and only 569 against. Plans are being drafted for a liberation coalition to retake the region when the vote ends.

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NEWS · NATIONSTATES · THE INTERNATIONALE · WA DELEGATE

With no opposition to his candidacy for Comrade WA Delegate, Proletaire has begun his third mandate as delegate for The Internationale. His return to that seat ends Comrade WA Delegate Auhl's second term, which began in January. Auhl had previously served as Comrade WA Delegate from June to November 2014.

Proletaire's first term as Delegate was back in 2009, shortly after the founding of The Internationale on NationStates. That term lasted for over a year, which stands as a regional record, and ended in October 2010 when his nation ceased to exist. Prior to that, he was the third member—after La Pasionaria and Marxingrad—to join The Internationale, which itself started as an "alliance" on the ill-fated NationStates 2.

Proletaire describes the Delegate's duties in the early days of The Internationale on NationStates 2: "There were no requirements or duties assigned to [the Comrade WA Delegate] through legislation, so whoever had the most WA endorsements was the delegate. I took it upon myself to search the World and find nations with leftist WA categories to send 'recruitment telegrams' to—we just called them 'invitations.' I remember spending hours sifting through pages of nations, checking to see if their WA categories were compatible, and if they were, personally editing the invitation telegram I made."

"I did everything I did because I wanted to see our group grow and become stronger, not because I was chosen or elected to do it," Proletaire says. NationStates 2 included embargo and war features, which TI used to unite leftist nations against a right-wing alliance called "Coalition of Conservative Absolutist States." These wars, and the solidarity that developed around working together to embargo and declare war on enemy alliances drove much of The Internationale's activity. The switch to NS1, prompted shortly after TI got off the ground, caused a lull in activity. "The gameplay was different."

After Proletaire's term ended in 2010, the Delegate seat remained empty for eight months until new elections were held in June 2011. Proletaire was commemorated in a regional resolution adopted by the Comrade Members of The Internationale in 2012, shortly before his return to NationStates.

Proletaire returned to the delegate seat in TI in November 2014, but ceased to exist in January, two weeks shy of the end of his term. Auhl, who had immediately preceded Proletaire as Delegate, was called back to office in an emergency election.

What does Proletaire wish to see achieved during his new term? "I dislike this question because I feel like it obligates me and I'll end up leaving people disappointed," he cautions, "but I would like to see The Internationale develop and ratify its own charter, like La Pasionaria and Marxingrad wanted. I'd like to ramp up regional participation in The Red Fleet. Then, of course, there's the daunting task of making our 'lost' history more accessible."

Our congratulations and best wishes are with Comrade Proletaire for his new term!

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REVIEWS · REAL WORLD · PUERTO RICO · IMPERIALISM
by Renvar

"There will be war to the death against all Puerto Ricans."
—Puerto Rico Chief of Police, E. Francis Riggs

When it won the Spanish-American War in 1898, the US acquired Puerto Rico as a new "possession." The American who led the invasion, Gen. Nelson A. Miles, promised "liberty" to Puerto Ricans. He also promised "prosperity" and "the advantages and blessings of enlightened civilization."

This never occurred. Puerto Rico was stripped of her land and natural resources by US banking syndicates. By 1934, the theft was so extreme that Puerto Ricans organized an island-wide agricultural strike. In response to this strike the Yale-educated Chief of Police, whose father owned the Riggs National Bank, promised that "there will be war to the death against all Puerto Ricans."

It documents the murder of innocent Puerto Ricans; the bombing of Puerto Rican towns; the blackmail of Puerto Rico's governor; the beating, torture and execution of Puerto Rican prisoners; and the hiding of all this information from the American people.
—Nelson A. Denis, author

As a Puerto Rican myself, I decided to buy the book online and read it myself. Since then I had a difficult time putting down the book. Prepare to be shocked at the contents within. The book is filled with stories of corruption, murder, terrorism, torture, human experimentation and much more. The author backs up his claims though declassified FBI documents and written testimonials. Discover for yourself the shocking true history of Puerto Rico that the US government does not want you to know.

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NEWS · REAL WORLD · USA · RACISM · CHARLESTON MASSACRE
by Eugene Puryear for Liberation News

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley issued a statement regarding the brutal massacre of African-Americans in a historic Black church: "We'll never understand what motivates anyone to enter one of our places of worship and take the life of another."

Really Governor? We will never understand why a white person in a fit of rage for no reason killed a Black person?

Let me help you Gov. Haley, we do understand: it's racism!

The reality is this is just another in a sordid history of mass murders, single murders, and assassinations that have stalked Black communities for hundreds of years. It is difficult to see how we can look at this outside the context of this racist terrorism.

In fact, the most important thing about this entire case is that we not treat it as out of the ordinary. There will be the very strong attempt to treat this event as "one-of-a-kind," something that would never normally happen, the work of a "crazy" person who had no "logical" reason to do so.

The reason for this is very clear: The establishment in capitalist America is fearful of revealing the depth of racist oppression that continues to exist. Particularly in South Carolina, a state run by hard-core Tea Party types with a deep strain of racism that involves quite a bit of Confederate boosterism.

The leaders of South Carolina, then, will be loathe to admit their own complicity in not only the terrorism of the past but its glorification in the here and now. Ironically enough, Gov. Nikki Haley, a far-right Republican, faced more than her share of racism in her run for governor several years back. This includes a prominent state legislature who called her an anti-Muslim slur on a popular radio show—and faced no consequences.

We must insist that this was an act of terrorism, part of an ongoing pattern that started in 1619. Racism is deeply ingrained in the history of this country, the success of Anglo-American capitalism owes itself to slavery. The prosperity of America itself rests on the sectoral oppression of Black labor. Racism has intertwined itself with American life in a way that is fundamental to this system. We must demand that this reality be faced up to and dealt with. This is not a time for platitudes about "coming together" or "keeping the peace"—racist violence and white supremacy must be uprooted. A war needs to be waged against anti-Black terrorism.

Read the full article at Liberation News.

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For other editions of the Red & Black, see our archive.

[Funkadelia]

Good on Misley for writing that proposal.

No matter the "ideological warfare" between militant capitalists and communists, innocent leftist regions should not be forced to meet such a fate as Congress of Armed Proletarian States.

[Jean Pierre Trudeau]

Good on Misley for writing that proposal.

No matter the "ideological warfare" between militant capitalists and communists, innocent leftist regions should not be forced to meet such a fate as Congress of Armed Proletarian States.

Agreed. It is time for leftist regions to take a united stand against the evils of corporate capitalism and conservatism.

[Misley]

No matter the "ideological warfare" between militant capitalists and communists, innocent leftist regions should not be forced to meet such a fate as Congress of Armed Proletarian States.

Indeed. The justification that's being put forth for the raid on CAPS - that it was planning raids on Libertatem or its allies - is not true. One delegate (out of around fifty, representing dozens of regions) proposed Libertatem or REATO-affiliated regions as legitimate targets, but that was never voted upon by the rest of the assembly. Even if it had been, the membership of the Democratic Socialist Assembly, which is prevented by its own Charter from engaging as a region in R/D conflict, proves that CAPS was not a military alliance. We all have Antifa for that.

If they thought they won by refounding CAPS, they couldn't be further from the truth.

Agreed. It is time for leftist regions to take a united stand against the evils of corporate capitalism and conservatism.

The Red Fleet and Korean Peoples Army have been throwing around the idea of some sort of formalization of our cooperation - the split Red Fleet ensign/North Korea flag has been used on several operations as a symbol of this close relationship.

With LeftExpo kicking off next week, the unity and cooperation among leftist regions couldn't be much higher than it is right now, and I have to believe that will extend beyond the limits of the festival.

[The Red and Black]

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NEWS · NATIONSTATES · LEFTEXPO

LeftExpo 2015, the third festival celebrating regions in the NationStates Left, will begin Monday with the presentation of regional venues by representatives of each participating region.

This year's event will be the largest in festival history, with sixteen regions invited to participate. It will also be the largest in festival history by population, with the combined population of the invited regions exceeding 1,300 nations.

Each participating region will present a short description of their region, explaining their interregional affiliations, military policy, and what makes their region unique. As the festival progresses, members will present lectures on topics ranging from Soviet music to antifascist action.

While the primary audience for LeftExpo is the NationStates Left community, leftist members of the wider NationStates community are invited to participate in the festivities.

LeftExpo will run until Friday, July 3.

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NEWS · NATIONSTATES · WORLD ASSEMBLY · SECURITY COUNCIL · CAPS · REATO

During the four-day voting period on the resolution to Liberate Congress of Armed Proletarian States, the region was refounded by craven Reagan Treaty Organization (REATO) members who recognized they would not have stood a chance against an international coalition poised to retake the region.

After only one day of voting, international support was strongly on the side of the NationStates Left, with delegates from Lazarus, Osiris, Balder, The East Pacific, Europeia, and The Communist Bloc voting early in favor of the resolution. Apparently seeking to avoid an embarrassing loss by their pathetically inferior military forces, REATO opted for regional destruction, moving their placeholder nations out of the region and refounding it at the minor update around noon US Eastern time on June 21.

When REATO representatives attempted to gloat about their "victory" in the Security Council, they were met with scorn and derision by international delegations.

“The Nazi community barely knows
we exist, and when they do make
note of it, it is to ridicule us.”

Jean Pierre Trudeau, Premier of The North American Union, replied with sarcasm. "Because it was such a monumental victory to pull out two nations and let the region cease to exist so you could refound it. Such a cunning plan you contrived. When all else fails, you resort to smear campaigns. Bravo."

The Communist Bloc President Zenya posted a statement to the TCB regional message board, saying, "I continue to be disappointed in myself for aiding [Libertatem] in its [CAPS] original capture in October 2014. We stand strongly against their action in complete defiance of the international community that is an escalation on their part in their 'War on Communism'. This comes not even a week after their military leader Pevvania requested re-establishment of diplomatic relations between our regions and I am glad that I told them no."

Funkadelia, delegate of Lazarus, said "It's really upsetting to see REATO grief and destroy a region and a community in the face of the entire world at large. Lazarus will still be voting in favor [of the Liberation], despite the lack of actual effects. I really can't express enough how disappointing it is to see REATO act so belligerently."

North Korea founder and Central Committee member The Defender Alliance wrote, "Congress of Armed Proletarian States has been refounded by REATO and nothing will solidify the unified left of NS against them more than this action. Few regions will even take part in REATO anymore after having been raided by the KPA and comrades on the left. REATO is now nothing more than Libertatem puppetry and a smokescreen for a weak military."

This last point holds true. REATO's only active member regions are Libertatem and the International Republican Union, a region controlled by previous Libertatem President Conservative Idealism that lost its long-standing embassy with The Communist Bloc over the refoundation of CAPS. Former members of REATO included Benevolent Capitalism, Zentari, Anti Authoritarian Alliance, and The Hyatt Islands, which were all targeted by leftist militaries in recent months. Benevolent Capitalism and The Hyatt Islands in particular have refounded, but neither region has fully recovered.

Indeed, the military incompetence of REATO is not challenged by its leaders. Conservative Idealism wrote in a post to Libertatem's regional message board,

“Such a cunning plan you contrived.
When all else fails, you resort to smear
campaigns. Bravo.”

"We've prevented the fash"—adopting the Antifa nickname for fascists used widely in the NS Left to refer to fascist and Nazi gameplayers—"from reclaiming vast numbers of their old territories... but only through refounding. Our attempts to kick them out of existing strongholds have been less successful—and less numerous. The Nazi community barely knows we exist, and when they do make note of it, it is to ridicule us."

Unfortunately for REATO, little of value was lost in their refoundation of CAPS.

"The regional message board archive, with its complete record of discussions and votes by delegates to the congress, was saved prior to the region's destruction," explains Misley. "A lot of work has been done with The Internationale's own RMB archive, containing over twelve thousand posts between 2010 and 2014, to prepare that archive for public access. Once work is completed on TI's archive, the same process will be used to make the CAPS archive available for the NS Left."

New plans are being discussed for a successor to CAPS, which itself was the spiritual successor to the Left Interregionals that rallied leftist regions in 2011.

"Liberate Congress of Armed Proletarian States" passed the Security Council by a vote of 10,837 to 1,284.

A resolution to repeal that liberation was submitted by Proletaire, the original founder of CAPS, which achieved quorum quickly and went to a floor vote on Saturday at midnight US Eastern time. At publication time, that resolution is passing with 5,163 votes to 714.

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CULTURE · POETRY
by TI Comrade Member Marxist Aequalitatem

Through battles and hardships we bravely stride,
Firmly wielding hammers in our calloused hands
Terrorized by imperialism worldwide
And yet, our spirit withstands

Across a thousand miles of whirling snow
From the majestic oceans to the vast plains,
Fervent cries of resistance echo
The Red Fleet wages successful campaigns

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FEATURE · RETROSPECTIVE · NATIONSTATES · PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF LAZARUS
by Kazmr

The red banner flies no longer in Lazarus. After a year and a half which witnessed perhaps the greatest activity in the region's history, the People's Republic fell in April 2015. This is a history of the People's Republic of Lazarus (PRL), but not merely a chronological tale. This is an account of Lazarus's place as a leftist region from the perspective of one of its real-life leftists. This is the story of struggles between ideology and theme, socialism and nationalism, sovereignty of the people and authoritarianism. This is a look at how a region burst forth waving red, and slowly receded until the traditional emerald took over once again.

The circumstances surrounding the founding of the People's Republic of Lazarus make for an odd background for a revolution, and in the long-term may have sowed the first seeds of its demise. In early 2013, the year of the revolution, Lazarus was the site of a deadlock between two competing imperialist factions (in the real-world, rather than NationStates sense): the New Pacific Order (NPO, of The Pacific) and NS Imperialists, most notably North East Somerset. Both sides desired to enforce their will on Lazarus, but the conflict kept the region mired in inactivity, with barely a dozen residents with any sort of activity whatsoever. That changed when the delegate and "Emerald King," Feux, organized a secret vote amongst the non-imperialist members of the region to expel the opposition, and followed through with unanimous support. The nature of this purge is debated to this day, regardless of ones opinion on whether or not it was justified, it is undeniable that it played a major role in the PRL, both in the circumstances of that regime's founding and in complex role the NPO would continue to play in Lazarus.

Rather than continue to rule, Feux handed the reins to Harmoneia, one of the oldest and most storied members of Lazarus, but stayed in the region and continued to hold various roles. It was under Harmoneia that the PRL came into being, and thus with her lies the foundation upon which leftism in Lazarus was build. Recognizing the need for a fundamental change, Harmoneia opened up voting for a new theme and "socialism" won in a (for such a small community) landslide.

At this point, there are a couple of important takeaways for anyone seeking to understand what sort of leftist region Lazarus was. To begin with, the revolution itself came from the top; both the actions which cleared the path for a new era and the initiative to reshape the region were spearheaded by delegates with wide-sweeping powers, though there was certainly input on the part of other citizens. The ramifications of this are most visible in the role the delegate would continue to play as a "vanguard" of sorts, perhaps a dictator with the support of the proletariat rather than a true dictatorship of the proletariat. Secondly, the security of the revolution was compromised, though perhaps unknowingly at first, by the continued involvement of the NPO. As they had been the ones who enabled its existence, most in the PRL looked favorably on the NPO despite its tenuous past, and the trust placed in its members proved, in the end, to be misguided.

All of this is not to say that Lazarus was not a genuine leftist region. The guiding philosophy in Lazarus, particularly under its early delegates, was grounded in socialist principles applied in NationStates. One excellent example was a treatise by Harmoneia,

“There was always a debate amongst the
citizens of Lazarus over how much the PRL was
a "theme" versus a true application of socialist
ideals to NationStates”

"The False Independence," underlining Lazarus's decision to reject "independence" and the primary justification behind the defender stance that continues to this day (reprinted here). "The False Independence" established the majority of players, natives, as being the closest equivalent in the game to a proletariat. Meanwhile, a "bourgeoisie" can be found in the forumites who generally rule over and make decisions for the wider region from their offsite forum, often doing so in multiple regions to advance their agenda, and in the imperialists and invaders who routinely oppress natives for their own amusement and political aims. As a revolutionary body, it was thus the PRL's duty to take a leading role in liberating the proletariat from oppression, thus a defender stance. The region jumped wholeheartedly into this new alignment, and at one point was perhaps the strongest active force in the defender sphere. Furthermore, it was the duty of the PRL to reject Independence, the ideology of much of the NationStates bourgeoisie, seeing it as a vehicle for outside domination of Lazarus's affairs, both internal and external.

Lazarus's leftist credentials are also shown by the solidarity shown with other leftist regions. Beyond simply establishing diplomatic relations, for instance with The Internationale, Communist International, and others, the Lazarene Liberation Army frequently cooperated with The Red Fleet and left-aligned militaries when defending and liberating left regions. The most notably instance was in the defense of The Internationale following La Pasionaria's deletion, for which Lazarus was awarded Hero of The Internationale, Fourth Class.

However, from the start there was always a debate amongst the citizens of Lazarus over how much the PRL was a "theme" versus a true application of socialist ideals to NationStates. A number of the most involved members of the region were true leftists in real life, Milograd, Harmoneia, and Kazmr being prime examples. However, there was always an acknowledgement that anyone was welcome in the region, and as such many, if not a majority, of residents did not necessarily subscribe to socialist ideals. Even among those who did, there was perhaps a tendency in public expressions to veer towards absurdism and satire, a sort of /r/FULLCOMMUNISM in NS, exemplified in some of the more casual articles found in the Lazarene Gazette.

Over time, two factors contributed greatly to the slow retreat from earlier ideals. One was the combination of inactivity on the part of real life socialists and a corresponding increase in importance for those who were there for the fun of roleplaying as a socialist. Though the aforementioned members served as the first three Chairmen of the region, the final two did not share the same commitment, though Funkadelia

“Lazarus's new blood came from those
already part of the "gameplay elite,"
many of whom already had citizenship
elsewhere and may have been there
largely for the roleplay aspect”

certainly supported the red theme throughout his tenure.

Perhaps more insidious, though, was the failure to transition to a true democratic worker's state. Time and again, motions for increased democracy were rejected* while a cult of personality was slowly built up around the office of Chairman. In the final year, a point was reached where it seemed the Chairman could do no wrong, and the elected People's Congress even gave the office the power to unilaterally amend the Constitution even over the objection of the sitting Chairman, Funkadelia.
* The author participated in this at the time, and fully admits to his mistake. The experience of the PRL was been eye opening for him both with regards to NS, and, in a way, real life.

The trouble may also have been exacerbated by the struggle Lazarus had with gaining new blood, particularly those who would have been willing to commit to a socialist ideal. As a game-created region, Lazarus faced overwhelming social pressure, both from other feeders and sinkers and from user-created regions, allied or otherwise, to refrain from recruiting. However, as a region where people returning to the game revived, rather than new players being born, most who passed through already had a previous home to return to. Thus, most of Lazarus's new blood came from those already part of the "gameplay elite," many of whom already had citizenship elsewhere and may have been there largely for the roleplay aspect.

The final Chairman, Stujenske, saw the culmination of the various issues faced by the PRL expressed by a full-on retreat from socialism. Rising to the position due to a crisis of inactivity, Stujenske himself once privately expressed that he thought the theme was holding the region back. Over his tenure, he both further centralized power into his own hands and introduced a new "iron" theme that seemed to have a more nationalistic, almost right-wing tone as opposed to socialism. In retrospect, Stujenske's ultimate betrayal of the revolution to the New Pacific Order, which he had long been a member of along with others in the region, seems clear.

Unfortunately, in defeating the NPO, the revolution died as well. Those who had viewed the PRL as a roleplayed theme were willing to abandon it in order to garner more widespread support, while the handful of true-believers may well have subscribed to the anarchist theorist Mikhail Bakunin's words that, "the most imperfect republic is a thousand times better than the most enlightened monarchy." A democratic but self-ruled Lazarus was certainly preferable to a dictatorship imposed by a foreign power, and to try and install the PRL without the support of most of Lazarus's allies and the underground state would have led to disaster.

The People's Republic of Lazarus now seems consigned to history's dustbin, but that does not mean the end of its ideals. Some of those most devoted to the founding principles of the PRL remain in the region, and there is hope that they may at the very least keep Lazarus on a free course. The Lazarene Liberation Army, born from a combination of defender and socialist ideals, still lives with its name intact, and may be at its strongest since the peak of its early days. And of course there is always the memory, burning bright red, to inspire hope for the future.

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NEWS · REAL WORLD · USA · MARRIAGE EQUALITY · LGBTQ STRUGGLE
by the Party for Socialism and Liberation

The U.S. Supreme Court in a historic and profound ruling has upheld the civil right of same-sex couples to get married. In a 5-to-4 decision, the Court ruled today that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In addition, the Court ruled that states must recognize legal same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Only a few years ago, it would have been impossible to believe that this monumental moment would occur today.

How could it be that the U.S. Supreme Court, which as recently as 1986 shamefully upheld the reactionary sodomy laws of the state of Georgia (Bowers v. Hardwick), would now echo the demands of a movement that rose up at Stonewall and in other urban centers in the late 1960s? Beyond Stonewall, the modern LGBTQ movement would grow in strength into an unstoppable force that would eventually encompass millions of people in the fight for civil rights and full equality.

This huge victory reflects the growing support for LGBTQ equality that has shifted dramatically over the past few years. After the hateful Proposition 8, the ballot measure aimed at banning same-sex marriage in California, was narrowly approved by the voters in 2008 (eventually overturned in the courts), an already strong LGBTQ movement intensified in the face of full-blown anti-gay bigotry spewed out by the right wing. As the movement continued to surge, public opinion began shifting away from bigotry in favor of LGBTQ rights.

The real legacy leading to this ruling
But the real legacy leading to this court ruling goes back much further than Prop. 8. It goes back all the way to the pioneers of the movement before Stonewall, and the explosion of the modern LGBTQ movement across the country after Stonewall.

There should be no misconception that the Supreme Court and/or the current bourgeois politicians who now claim to support LGBTQ are the ones to be remembered or honored for their actions on this issue. All movements fighting for civil rights and economic justice should see how a movement against centuries of persecution and violence could win such a victory, through resistance and independent struggle.

The LGBTQ movement, massive, vocal, independent and militant, and its growing unity with other struggles, such as women's rights, voting rights, union rights and the fight against racism and war, is why everything changed and the tables were turned against the anti-bigots hiding behind the cover of religious concerns.

The newly won right to marry, a civil right, will provide opportunities in all areas of progressive struggle against the status quo. As a movement that was built in the streets with protests and mass action, when initially not one bourgeois politician would speak out in favor of simple equality, this victory can bring confidence and renewed energy for all those fighting for justice.

Idea we live in a post anti-gay world is false
The premise already being floated by politicians and others that we now live in a post anti-gay world is false. Discrimination and violence against LGBTQ people are rampant, especially among poor and oppressed working-class LGBTQ youth and elders, trans people and people of color. Such a false idea, that it's over and done with, is just as absurd as the claim that we now live in a post-racism world. Every day, Black and Latino people are being targeted by the police and right-wing terrorists in shocking numbers. A united fight-back must and will continue to grow.

Recently, Jennicet Gutierrez, a brave undocumented trans woman from Mexico, confronted the now "pro-gay" President Obama at a White House meeting about the gains of the LGBTQ movement. She courageously spoke out about the extreme persecution of undocumented trans women in U.S. immigration detention centers.

"When he [President Obama] started getting into the speech." she said, "and saying how much progress the LGBTQ community is making, I just couldn't resist but to think about my conversations with my trans sisters who have been released from detention centers, and the abuse that they're facing and seeing their faces with so much pain and agony.

"I firmly believe that it was the right thing to do," Gutiérrez says of speaking out at the White House. "I gave a voice to those people who are suffering and I gave a voice to those who are no longer with us."

This and countless other issues involving discrimination and violence against trans people, as well as all LGBTQ people, show the need for continued struggle. The new ruling provides a historic and important milestone in the ongoing fight for equality for all.

The lesson of this great victory is clear. Judges don't change history. Nor do capitalist politicians. They only reflect the truth created by the demands of street-based mass struggle. It's the people, organized and united, that change history. The time is now to keep up the fight.

Read the article at Liberation News.

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[Drop Your Pants]

The red Laz flag is the only thing left from the PRL, i give it an airing about once a week

Nice article though.

[Misley]

The red Laz flag is the only thing left from the PRL, i give it an airing about once a week

Nice article though.

Well, it's not flown over Lazarus anymore. I'm biased, but I liked the PRL banner more. Red is a far better color than green.

I really enjoyed the article, too. It's kind of exciting to have our first featured article by someone outside the NSLeft sphere, and Lazarus is a topic that is interesting to discuss as a socialist "experiment" in NS.

[Funkadelia]

I am not much of a socialist in real life. During the my time in the People's Republic I was far more right wing than I am today.

However, it did make me come to respect actual communism and socialism. While I still wouldn't call myself that today, I was (and still kind of am, shhh) eager to jump into the elan and the culture of it all. I know that to some that might make me a poser or what have you but I really enjoyed the PRL for its unique symbolism and as the largest socialist region in the entire game. I think we did pretty well as that, no matter the circumstances.

It's a shame that the PRL turned out to be not much more than the NPO in disguise. I would have loved to have kept that going on for a while. It kinda got ruined with the whole "iron" crap but if the name wasn't tarnished by the NPO I would not have been very keen on changing the theme.

[Solorni]

In early 2013, the year of the revolution, Lazarus was the site of a deadlock between two competing imperialist factions (in the real-world, rather than NationStates sense): the New Pacific Order (NPO, of The Pacific) and NS Imperialists, most notably North East Somerset.

This is untrue, Lazarus was and perhaps still is a battle ground between the NPO, NS Defenders and NS Imperialists. It was the unity between defenders and the NPO at the time which allowed them to expel perceived members of the third party. This partnership between the NPO and Defenders was supported by many prominent Defenders. There was a reason why Lazarus joined the FRA and was #1 on the TRR list of in-game embassies. There is a reason Lazarus joined the FRA while the Pacific has not.

Ignoring the role of NS Defenders in trying to control and convert Lazarus is a white washing of history that makes things impossible to explain and fully understand. I can understand the want of defenders to wash their hands completely and put the blame on entirely on other groups. But as a historian it is not a feeling I share.

[Funkadelia]

As I have told you time, time, and time again, it was almost entirely the NPO that did this. They put up the PRL to be defender, both to antagonize the imperialists who had retreated to their other regions (LKE, UIAF, etc. etc.) and probably to gain more support from people like DYP and Harmoneia, who are obviously quite important in Lazarus. It was accepted by defenders who were not really in cohorts with the NPO in the way that you frame it, which is willingly, but mostly out of necessity. Having two defender GCRs is, and I am sure no one in the FRA will deny this, very important for the FRA. Defenders were willing to work with the PRL simply because it was defender. That's pretty much what defenders do... Work with other defenders. The reason for all of the things you listed are by virtue of the fact that Lazarus is a GCR, not because defenders and the NPO struck a back room deal. I don't think the NPO assets in Lazarus would have won many defender hearts or minds trying to do that.

[Solorni]

Explain what you mean by defenders having to work with the NPO out of necessity.