First Conference of the IUSR (IUSR, Invite Only)

[Krasniya]

First Conference of the International Union of Socialist Republics
August - September 2014






Welcome to the First Conference of the International Union of Socialist Republics. During this conference, we will be discussing issues of varying degrees of importance to the Union, of both an internal and external nature. The conference is set to run for a week, as to have the time to solve and discuss many subjects of relevance to the IUSR. Only nations within the IUSR may participate, unless particular unaffiliated nations are invited to join the conference. If any issues remain unsolved by the end of conference week, extension may be considered, otherwise they will have to be solved via the usual process. This conference is a chance to deal with multiple issues all in one go, and for the leaders of all the nations of the IUSR to voice their opinions on the matters at hand.

Issues to be discussed

☭ Counter-revolutionaries in Krangita, the Somstratzkan SR.

☭ The fate of the Tchaikovsky Oblast, Krasniya, and the Krimiyan Oblast, Krasniya, in regards to whether their administrative authority should be transferred to the Pribaltika and Biel-Tan respectively.

☭ Discussions of a possible cultural exchange between the IUSR and Nuevo Meshiko.

☭ Increasing military presence in Libhiriya, and the possibility of Libhiriya becoming a Socialist Republic.

☭ Discussing the possibility of annexing the anarchic former territories of Krajstali (Muldovah and Prumania) between Czervenika and Biel-Tan, as to assist the people living in the chaos, who still support the IUSR.

☭ The possibility of intervention as to halt the imperialist aggression of Yuzan, Castilea and Great Slatain.

☭ The possibility of invading, or funding Communist groups in Castilea as to end their genocide of Castilean Muslims.

Rules

☭ Posts are in full RP form, from the perspective of your nation's leader. Posts may be small due to many posts being a giving of opinion on a certain matter. The final decision on a matter is by the permanent and elected Federal Socialist Republics, with the other nations giving their opinions and the FSR listening to them. They will be taken into consideration when decisions are made.

☭ The Constitution of the IUSR may not be breached by any decision.

☭ Non-IUSR nations may only join if invited to do so via telegram from either of the FSRs.

☭ Socialist Republics may bring up new issues, should time permit it, and all other issues have been decided on.

Palace of the Workers,
Zimograd,
Krasniyan FSR,
IUSR.
16/8/2014.

Premier Iosif Bramanov entered the main hall of the Palace of the Workers. Before him, he saw rows and rows of men and women; the Commissars of many of the Socialist Republics of the IUSR. At the front of all of these rows, he saw the four leaders of the Socialist Republics of Somstratzka, Biel-Tan, Pribaltika, and Belakras. At the front of the hall were two podiums of equal standing. Approaching from the other side of the hall to take position on the rightmost podium, he saw his comrade, General-Secretary Jana Lebedeva, the leader of the Federal Socialist Republic of Czervenika. It was good to see her, as it had been a while. The last time they met was for a hunting trip in Krajstali, which had recently been expelled from the Union, and collapsed into anarchy. It was a shame that Josip Kranc could not be participating. Nobody knows where he had got to, as he and his family had fled the nation following the collapse.

As Iosif and Jana walked in from opposite sides of the hall to take position on their podiums, they were greeted by a grand applause from all the Commissars of the Union. As they arrived, Iosif gave Jana a nod and a smile, and was met with the same. Iosif stepped up, and shuffled some papers, upon which was written a short introductory speech.

"Comrades of the Union, today is a momentous day. For over a year we have built this Socialist Union with the aim of uniting the Communist nations of the world. When Jana Lebedeva and I founded this Union, we could not have known that one day, this day, we would be in the presence of comrades from four other countries, united with us in their goals. True solidarity such as this has never graced Zemlya in such a way.

This Conference, the first of many, is to be held so that we may discuss together, as one, the many issues and challenges that our glorious Union has to face. With all of us here, we can get true perspective, and valuable advice for the decisions we make. While the leadership that Comrade Lebedeva and I hold is undoubtedly very effective - it has got us this far - we cannot ignore the opinions and advice of our comrades who have joined us under the red banner. Every nation of the Union is important to the Union's stability as is the farmer and the engineer to the stability of our Socialist economies.

So, let us begin, comrades. The first issue we have on the tables is that of our comrades in the Socialist Republic of Somstratzka. Our comrades are suffering from a counter-revolutionary uprising in the South of their nation. This is of course, unacceptable. The Somstratzkan government and Dominick Lim are undoubtedly on the path to full communism. They have made great efforts in nationalising their economy. However there are some who seek to disrupt this progress, their minds poisoned by their capitalistic neighbours in Yuzan and Kuki-Airani.

I now invite Dominick Lim to stand, and explain the situation, and what he advises us to do. We will then discuss this matter, and make a decision. Comrades, President Dominick Lim of the Somstratzkan Socialist Republic"

[Somstratzka]

Dominick Lim went up to the podium and proceeded to speak to the other leaders.

My fellow IUSR leaders,

The situation in Somstratzka I must say is a terrible one. There are counter revolutionaries that have managed to take Krangita in the south and are gaining extra support from villages in the mostly untouched forests in Somstratzka. They have stolen many weapon from the Somstratzkan Armed Forces. They have dropped napalm bombs on Somstratzkan Armed Forces and have killed currently hundreds. We have started ground operations with elite forces from Somstratzka from the ground and the air. We also have the support of many from all the other main cities. I have planned to start sending some of the navy from Thrifti down south to start bombarding them. The air force is also doing hourly checks on any movement from rebel troops.

My fellow leaders. Diplomacy is currently not the way to handle it. We can't just give them money to lay off because then they have the chance to stock up on military weapons. But then we have another problem. Sources report that Yishrael will give them some military weapons and necessary funding to take over Somstratzka. I say the rest of the union fights back against these problematic rebels. Your military can go to our military bases near main cities. We hope for a helpful discussion on this horrid situation.

Thank You

Dominick Lim proceeded to sit down with the other IUSR leaders hoping that this situation had an easier way.

[Czervenika]

It was conference time again and this year more than others was especially filled with plenty of issues that needed resolving, both internal and external. General Secretary Jana Lebedeva simply glanced over her checklist once again as Premier Iosif Bramanov finished speaking. The first issue especially managed to stand out to the young leader: the rebels in Somstratzka. It had all come as a huge shock, considering the improvements to people's standards of living that socialism brought, but she also knew the Union wasn't immune to enemy sabotage. Czervenikans definitely knew it quite well as they weren't quick to forget their own economic collapse that had been instigated by capitalist saboteurs.

Sure enough, President Dominik Lim of Somstratzka proceeded to explain the situation more in-depth and it was definitely grim. Foreign powers seemed to be involved, but that hardly came as a surprise to Jana. "Having dealt with sabotage of our own great nation we can sympathize entirely with the Somstratzkan situation. As a result, we are in full agreement that diplomacy is not the answer here. Rebels against the glorious socialist system must be repressed with full force."

Evaluating Czervenika's current isolationist stance, Jana knew their military was currently at full strength. That potentially allowed for full assault against Somstratzkan rebels, although it did put civilian lives at risk. However, war was war and as far as Jana was concerned this was the brink of full-scale war as long as the rebels had foreign support. "If the rebels have foreign support then so do the loyalist forces. It is the Union's duty to aid any and all allies against threats of all kinds. We may not have any other choice but to mobilize, but I'm willing to hear alternatives." She explained, hoping for further feedback from the other nations present.

[Belakras]

Pavel Kavchenko stood. He nodded in agreement with the General-Secretary.

"These rebels are nothing but pawns of imperialist powers" he stated, "I have no sympathy for them. They, and their foreign collaborators must be rooted out and dealt with. The Byelokrasniyan SR fully supports military intervention in the Somstratzkan SR".

He turned to look at the General of the Byelokrasniyan People's Army. The General nodded at Pavel.

"As soon as it is authorised by the Federal Socialist Republics, we will give the order to move troops to assist our Somstratzkan comrades. Somstatzka is of key strategic importance, should we decide to combat the imperialist movements of other Pacific nations. For that strategy to remain in place, we must stamp out the counter-revolution".

[Somstratzka]

My fellow leaders. Even in this war I would like to keep civilian casualties to a minimum as I am sure you would all do. Yes, I agree that Somstratzka may be a big piece now but every socialist republic has it's major part in this union. Providing that the FSR's agree to full military intervention, we will have designated bases for each SR. Somstratzka will be based at Base Capital (somewhere further south of Swanstad) and Base Lee (North of Los Blancos) Krasniya will be based at Base Fortune (somewhere south of Thrifti), Czervenika will be based at Camp Diamond (somewhere south of Nyonji) and Belakras and Pribaltika will be based at Point Oil (West of Pasara).

Each nation would be able to launch their own attacks but we have placed armies in different areas to also protect certain cities. Somstratzka is in charge of the biggest two cities. Swanstad and Los Blancos which to me is only fitting as this is our homeland. Krasniya will be taking care of Thrifti which is a massive seaport in Somstratzka where lots of Somstratzka's fish comes from and where Somstratzka has much of it's navy. Czervenika will take charge of Nyonji, which some call the origination of the Atlayi tribes. It is a city filled of many races with the dominant race being Eitusian's and Yuzanese that have migrated to Somstratzka. Belakras and Pribaltika have been put together to defend Pasara which is one of the most important cities to protect. There is a wealth of oil projects going on there as there is an abundance of oil. If the rebels get the oil they can be able to power their military in mass amounts.

Somstratzka would also like all SR's that will come to help providing the FSR's agree on this that most of the fighting will be in the jungle or on large amounts of grassland.

Thank You

[Krasniya]

Iosif nodded to Dominick Lim.

"The decision is clear then. The Federal Socialist Republic of Krasniya authorises full military intervention to combat the counter-revolutionaries in Somstratzka, with full co-operation of the government of the Somstratzkan SR, under the strategies created by their generals. Of course, we will do all in our power to keep civilian casualties minimal. Is this also authorised by the Federal Socialist Republic of Czervenika?" Iosif stated, turning to Jana Lebedeva.

"Da, of course" responded Lebedeva, nodding.

Iosif concluded day one of the conference; "The orders will be given at once. Today's issue of Somstratzkan counter-revolution has been decided on, with the IUSR agreeing on full military intervention. Tomorrow, we will discuss the status of the Krasniyan territories of the Tchaikovsky Oblast, and Krimiyan Oblast, and whether their administrative control should be transferred to that of Pribaltika, and Biel-Tan respectively.

I look forward to day two of this conference, and hope you all enjoy your stay in Zimograd. Slava Soyuzu!"

"Slava Soyuzu!" The leaders and Commissars responded in unison, and started to leave the hall.

Iosif stepped down from the podium, and walked to Jana Lebedeva. He asked; "Care to join me for some vodka in Ploshad Soyuz? The city looks wonderful, lit up at night. We can see the Zimograd Kremlin"

"Sure. It's been awhile since I've been here, having been kept busy back home." said Lebedeva, accepting the offer.

"Harasho, davai tovarisch" the Premier said. He grabbed his coat and they headed out to see Zimograd and enjoy a drink, while discussing Marxist theory, recent events, and tomorrow's conference.

---

END OF DAY ONE. PLEASE DO NOT POST UNTIL DAY TWO OF THE CONFERENCE HAS STARTED

[Krasniya]

Palace of the Workers,
Zimograd,
Krasniyan FSR,
IUSR.
17/8/2014.

Premier Iosif Bramanov returned once again to the leftmost podium in the main hall of the Palace of the Workers. He stepped up and announced today's issues to be discussed for day two of the conference;

"Welcome back comrades, to the First Conference of the International Union of Socialist Republics. Today, we will be discussing the following proposals: The transferral of administrative authority of the Tchaikovsky Oblast, the Krasniyan FSR, to that of the Pribaltikan SR, and the transferral of administrative authority of the Krimiyan Oblast to that of the Biel-Tani SR.

Leaders of the IUSR should give their nations' opinions on the matter, and the FSRs will decide on the proposal once sufficient discussion on the matter has passed.

Here to give his opinion on both matters, is the Premier of the Pribaltikan Socialist Republic, Nikolai Saratov..."

[Pribaltika]

Nikolai stood. "Thank you Premier Bramanov".

"It is in my opinion that the Tchaikovsky Oblast, the exclave of the Krasniyan FSR, should be transferred to that of my nation, the Socialist Republic of Pribaltika". Nikolai took a sip of water. "I believe this is a good idea for a few key reasons. The first reason being, that the Tchaikovsky Oblast is simply a remnant of a bygone war. While necessary in the First Great War, it is no longer such. The Tchaikovsky Oblast shares a border only with Pribaltika, and being an exclave, has a very large Pribaltikan population. We also believe that the logistics of the exclave would be simpler, if transferred to our administrative authority. It is also true that this region of the IUSR is stable and secure; with such territorial transfers not resulting in any major conflicts of interest. We believe the positives of transferring the administrative authority of the Tchaikovsky Oblast far outweigh any negatives that may occur."

The crowd gave the Premier of Pribaltika an applause. His arguments seemed convincing, at least. He only hoped the other leaders would think the same way.

"In regards to the fate of the Krimiyan Oblast; we do not see the reasoning for such, and question why it has been brought into this debate. It is known that the population of the Krimiya are mostly Krasniyan, and as such it seems more reasonable that Krasniya retains authority. Krimiya is not a distant exclave, and is very, very close to the Krasniyan mainland, separated only by a small body of water. The Pribaltikan SR therefore advises against the transferral of the Krimiya to Biel-Tani authority.

Thank you"

Nikolai Saratov takes his seat, and awaits comments from the other leaders on the issues at hand.

[Biel-Tan]

Having taken into consideration Nikolai Saratov's points, Premier Stepan Revanov rose from his seat and takes a deep breath.
"I see your point, comrade Nikolai, however, I must bring to your attention that the people of Biel-Tan face similar issues to that of Pribaltika. There has been a mild, if not concerning, population explosion, and quite frankly we are running out of space. Now, this is not a matter of priority, but rather of convenience. But transferring the Krimiyan Oblast to Biel-Tan will also strengthen the ties between the two nations.
And concerning the Tchaikovsky Oblast, the people of Biel-Tan have reached the consensus that it should, indeed, be transferred to Probaltika.

I thank you for listening."
As the crowd applauses, Premier Stepan sits down eagerly awaiting a response.

[Somstratzka]

Dominick Lim went up to the podium to speak on the issue.

My fellow leaders,

I believe that both area's should be transferred to Pribaltika and Biel-Tan respectively. My opinion is after taking into consideration from both Pribaltika and Biel-Tan. The Tchaikovsky Oblast has a large Pribaltikan population and only shares a border with Pribaltika and Krasniya. This definitely should not cause any conflicts. As for the Krimiyan Oblast, Biel-Tan is having a huge spring in their population. I suggest that Biel-Tan are given the Krimiyan Oblast.

Thank You.

[Czervenika]

Day Two of the conference was well underway which simply brought a new set of issues to the table. Today seemed to focus on the pressing issues of Tchaikovsky and Krimiyan Oblasts administration. Fortunately Jana already had a stance on such issues, one she didn't hesitate to share with the other leaders present. "It is well known that the two territories in question are homes to large populations of ethnic Pribaltikans and Biel-Tanis respectively. As socialists, we are expected to uphold the values of sovereignty and democracy. That leaves us with a single option: let the people decide their fate in region-wide referendums." Jana explained before once again taking her seat. She figured that if there was any opposition to the idea that it would be voiced here.

[Krasniya]

Premier Bramanov started speaking once again. The audience was mixed in chatter, with differing opinions flying about the place. Lebedeva had made a valid point.

"Lebedeva's advice is good advice. Given the differing opinions on this subject matter, the best course of action is to let the people of the Union decide. While the Krasniyan FSR is officially for the transferral of Tchaikovskaya, we are against Krimiyan transferral. However this is the opinion of the leaders, and directly that of the people. Therefore, we shall hold a referendum in each nation, over the next four days, two days for each territory. The transferral is now dependent on a democratic vote, rather than Federal authorisation.

The crowd chattered once again. It seemed to be a positive reaction. Who could argue against such a decision? It was likely the most ideologically correct way to handle the situation.

"Thanks for joing us today comrades. Tomorrow we will be discussing the possibility of a cultural exchange with the nation of Nuevo Meshiko. I look forward to hearing your opinions on this more friendly issue tomorrow.

Slava Soyuzu!"

"Slava Soyuzu!" the Commissars and leaders repeated.

---

END OF DAY TWO. PLEASE DO NOT POST UNTIL DAY THREE OF THE CONFERENCE HAS BEEN STARTED.

[Krasniya]

"Welcome comrades, to day three of the First Conference of the International Union of Socialist Republics"

The Commissars and leaders applaud in the usual formal fashion.

"Today we are joined by Roberto Andrews, the elected President of the Northern Nawatl nation we all know as Nuevo Meshiko. He is here today to inform us of his nation's intentions of holding a cultural exchange between his nation and the International Union of Socialist Republics, and inform us of what such an exchange will entail. Given his nation's socialistic tendencies and successful economy I am sure we will have much in common to discuss.

I now invite to speak on behalf of his nation as an ambassador to the IUSR, President Roberto Andrews"

Iosif awaited the speech by Roberto. It had been a while since the IUSR and Nuevo Meshiko had diplomatic discussions, and he looked forward to hearing what the Neomeshikan leader had to say.

[Nuevo Meshiko]

Zimograd, Krasniya, IUSR
Palace of the Workers
Wednesday, August 20th, 2014
10:00 local time

It'd been a while, yes. Not that he could remember much, but others had told him the story, and he knew enough. Enough to know the reason for his near-murder was standing in the same room. He took a deep breath to shake away those thoughts from his mind. He had resolved to forget all about it, and do what was best for his people. And he knew what was best for his people, given the current state of things.

"As-salaamu alaykum, gentlemen, señorita," he bowed slightly in the direction of the only woman in the room, "it is nice to see you all here again, nearly a year after our initial alliance.

"I realize you folks have little tolerance for petty matters, so I will go straight to the point. I have come here to suggest the possibility of a bilateral alliance, of a nature not unlike our first, but most importantly, we request the opportunity , as has been mentioned before, of a cultural and academic exchange between our two natio... er--federal entities.

"As you are all well aware of, one of the great 'virtues' of capitalism that right-wingers often extoll is the free market, which they theorize, leads to competition, which in turn, spurs innovation. This is, to some extent, true--"

Sudden harsh whispering interrupted him, exactly the reaction he was expecting. He waited patiently until the murmuring subsided. The Premier, he noticed, uttered no word, but instead limited himself to continue closely watching him. He knows me better than he admits.

All eyes were on the Nuevo Meshikan leader again, a slight flame of anger burning in each one of them. They clearly did not like what he had said about the free market, but whether or not they agreed was a different matter entirely. These people were true communists.

He continued. "As I said, I believe that the capitalist claim that the free market encourages innovation holds some weight. The objective of that innovation, however, is something they fail to mention."

The place was thunderously silent.

"The objective of capitalist innovation is, and has always been, to take over, to spread and subdue, to control and to weaken for personal gain. There is no distribution of wealth; there is only profit. And that is their only motivation. Profit alone requires innovation, innovation which is put to terrible use.

"How else do empires such as Slatain take over developing regions struggling to get on their feet? How else do these 'executives' oppress thousands of their employees and rob them of the fruits of their labor? Think about it. Why has it taken so long for socialist nations such as ours to overcome, to gain our freedom and succeed? Why has most of the world always been (and remains) under the tyranny of capitalist powers?

It is because the motivation for profit is there. That motivation which leads to innovation, which they use to devise a myriad of ways to manipulate the working class to do their bidding. The "work force," the proletariat, is their main resource, and they number in the thousands. That's thousands of workers commanded to do their bidding, commanded to innovate, so that their particular oppressor can outdo the others and thus the cycle continues.

"This enslaved workforce toils day and night, often for fractions of a Shūkur an hour, to make them more and more powerful, and more unstoppable. And while the motivation for profit remains, they will never cease to innovate. Thus their technology advances by leaps and bounds, and their supporters accuse us of 'being stuck in the past,' of using capitalist innovations and technology, whether or not that may be true.

"What can we do? Sit around and wait until their products swallow us whole? Until our most gullible citizens are blinded by the dazzling colors of capitalist merchandise and begin to complain, 'why can't we have that?'

"No! We unite! We fight back, we make our own innovations, but in an ethical matter. We share ideas, we research, we develop, we create. We show the globe what the socialist world is capable of. Of producing. Of creating. Of innovating. All for the benefit of its people. We show them that socialism is the very meaning of innovation, that it is possible to remain loyal to your values and still create something fresh, that blandness is a thing of the past and socialism is the future. The they better not mess with us because we are united.

"Comrades of the IUSR, this is why I am here today. To point out that the left has been divided far too long, that the threat of capitalist takeover looms ever so closely, and that only by working together and looking past our petty differences, only that way can we achieve something great and garantee safety and prosperity for our people.

"You may have heard of our economic success. Nuevo Meshiko is a stable and prosperous socialist state. But we cannot stop there. Our work is not yet done. There is much pressure from outside to remain dynamix. To not conform. To quickly innovate in order to remain relevant and competitive on the global stage. Otherwise the capitalists will swallow us whole.

"I have come here to say that Nuevo Meshiko cannot do this alone. There is a shortage of workers in Nuevo Meshiko. There is a high demand for researchers on all fields, from linguistics to astronomy and aeronautics to medicine to natural sciences to physics and nanotechnology. We need new input, fresh and enthusiastic as only an outsider can be. Nuevo Meshiko has lots to offer, but not always who to offer that to.

"Nuevo Meshiko has also a lot to learn from outsiders, in particular with nations who share the same values we do: the love of one another and the belief in true equality. We have many a young Nuevo Meshikan eager to get out and explore the world, to observe, contribute, bring that knowledge back home, and then continue to contribute some more.

"It seems to me that the IUSR presents the perfect opportunity to enrich Nuevo Meshikan minds, and we believe the IUSR would also greatly benefit from such cooperation. (Far too often I have heard the conformist Krasniyan stereotypical thought that bleakness, as long as everyone has it, is all right. I honestly do not believe equality has to be that way.) To sum up, I believe such a level of cultural and scientific exchange would help usher in a new era of prosperity for the socialist state, one unmatched even by the capitalist pig-dog oppressors and their tyranny. We can bring them down, but only by bringing ourselves up first.

"That, my friends, is my proposal here today. Neo-Meshikan universities and state-of-the-art research facilities, laboratories, museums and galleries are open and welcoming to each and every IUSR citizen. The question is, are you willing to take the challenge for the betterment of both our people?"

[Krasniya]

President Andrews' speech was followed by a thunderous applause. The Commissars and Leaders seemed impressed, their initial anger at his opening statement all but gone.

Premier Iosif Bramanov was taken aback by the comments made by the Neomeshikan President. That blow to the head must have done him some good he thought to himself. Maybe this was a good sign for the future of Neomeshiko-IUSR relations.

Bramanov awaited the opinions of the other IUSR leaders before going on to make his own offers and comments for this cultural exchange. The usual comments of the "bleak", "bland" and "grey" Krasniya often hurt him more than he dared show. He had put a lot of effort into revitalising the image of the IUSR, but it was missing something. Something that maybe a hub of culture such as Nuevo Meshiko could bring to the table.

[Biel-Tan]

Premier Stepan Revanov stood and applaused Roberto. Ready to speak his mind, he stopped and took a deep breath.
"Comrades, President Roberto speaks the truth. We, the IUSR, hav survived this long because we are a union! Why should we be so selfish as to refuse a cultural exchange such as this? Innovation and progress has been a part of our nature for centuries, and if we succeed, for centuries more to come! Despite his... initial comment about the ...'free market'," the last sentence clearly emphasised with disgust," I agree with his proposal. The Socialist Republic of Biel-Tan will hope to support the people of Nuevo Meshiko!

Thank you."
Stepan sat back down, with pride, rather than regret in his stomach, and awaited the response of the other SR's.

[Belakras]

Premier Pavel Kavchenko stood to give his opinion on the matter. He briefly looked behind him at his advisors. They looked to have mixed feelings on the speech by Andrews, and Revanov's response.

"Comrades, I believe there is a lot of merit to the words of President Andrews. We could benefit greatly from a cultural exchange; however, while you have inspired many of the revolutionary comrades here today with your praise for socialism and the... hesitant criticism of capitalism, you have not informed us of what you seek from a bilateral alliance with the IUSR."

Kavchenko's comments roused a muttering amongst the men and women behind him. Premier Bramanov still looked as still as ever, cold and calculating. He clearly wanted to hear more from Kavchenko.

"Now, I mean no disrespect when I say this to you President Andrews, but in what ways will the IUSR benefit from an alliance with Nuevo Meshiko? Yes, things in the Union may be looked at as bleak from the perspective of an outsider - but what does it matter when we have free universal healthcare, education, housing, and one of the finest transportation systems in the world? Not to mention that we have one of the most well-trained, powerful, and influential military forces in all of Zemlya."

The muttering increased into a louder discussion. Kavchenko noticed Bramanov nodding a little as he spoke.

"So, I ask you President Andrews, may you please be more specific in your terms of such an alliance? If we are to take the offer of a bilateral alliance seriously, we must have concrete terms to agree upon, rather than some inspirational rhetoric about socialist unity"

Bramanov nodded more. The chatter increased even further.

"Now if President Andrews was completely serious about the unity of socialist nations in Zemlya, I think he would have come here to discuss the integration of his nation into the IUSR, not to pat each others' backs"

The discussion escalated into shouting, cheering, and booing. A completely mixed reaction from the Commissars. Kavchenko thought for a second that he saw Bramanov chuckle, but if so he quickly hid it. Kavchenko awaited opinions of other IUSR leaders, or even Andrews himself, should his speech have sufficiently engaged him.

The hashtag #shotsfired quickly started trending on Chirper.

[Nuevo Meshiko]

That had gone better than he anticipated. Even Bramanov looked every bit impressed, surprised even, albeit cautious. President Andrews was feeling rather good about himself. That is, until the Belakran leader stood up and spoke.

The President chuckled. The Belakran leader was observative and witty, but the comments he made he would have expected more from Bramanov himself. Andrews took a stand.

"I assure you, Premier Kavchenko, that my criticism of capitalism was every bit as sincere as yours. Being a devout socialist does not blind me to the truth regarding ideas different from my own, regardless of how hard they may be to swallow. Does that make me hypocritical? Capitalist? No. One does not have to consume a drug to note what properties make it attractive to the vulnerable, however fleeting these effects may be. One must look at the bigger picture, and what the long-lasting negative effects of said drug are. Only by understanding the problem in its entirety can we hope to work against it.

"With regards to the free healthcare, housing and transportation that you boast, when was the last time you visited my country? We have all of those things, and more. Free universal healthcare, free public transportation, adequate public infrastructure, free housing, free utilities including electricity and water services. And yes, free education up to the tertiary level. A quarter of our national budget is devoted to education alone. Are you sure bleakness is a necessary price to pay for all you enjoy?

"You ask me, what do you gain from us, other than free unlimited access to all our cultural and academic research facilities? I'm afraid you have answered your own question, Premier, with your initial statement. Your way of doing things is not the only way to do them. We're willing to learn from you, but will you open your mind and be willing to learn from us?

"Look at our country. Look at its people. They are happy people. Vibrant people. The smallest town in Nuevo Meshiko will stand in sharp contrast with the majority of IUSR cities. Bleakness is not a price you have to pay.

"We offer you all our knowledge, our infrastructure and our people. We offer you a unique insight into our political and economic model, into the very heart of Neo-Meshikan culture. We offer visitors eager to learn from you. We offer you international and intercultural cooperation on an unprecedented level.

"Look at our nation. Our national currency is one of the most valuable in all of Zemlya, no capitalist oppression involved, and it hasn't merely got to do with our nation's size, but with our economic output.. Our small private sector is extremely well regulated, and dwindling. Our GDP per capita rivals that of the most capitalistic oppressor known to us, Yuzan. Yet we are their polar opposite. Our people are happy and unexploited. I daresay we might be the single most well-developed nation on this planet, boasting an HDI of 93%, and the least corrupt government anywhere. All without compromising the happiness of our people, or the environment, for that matter.

"As for Neo-Meshikan integration into the IUSR, alas, that has been attempted before, and did not go as expected. But that is another matter entirely.

"Honestly, Premier, if you cannot see anything worth learning from our humble and welcoming nation, then perhaps I have wasted my time by coming here today."

[Czervenika]

The first two days of the conference had managed to go smoothly, leaving Jana Lebedeva with several check off items on her list. Progress. It was a good thing, and this conference represented it in more ways than one: progress in getting through each of the proposals and progress for socialism as a whole. That made the young leader feel pretty good about the whole thing as she prepared for what was to come in Day Three: a visit from a very special quest. It was a man she knew well, but certainly hadn't spoken to for some time. This gave her great anticipation for what he was about to say in front of the entire Union. While not a communist the man, Roberto Andrews, President of Nuevo Meshiko usually had good points to make and surely this would be no exception.

"Wa-alaykum salaam" Jana simply nodded as she greeted the Nuevo Meshikan leader as he made his presence known. He was exactly as she remembered him so suddenly she got curious more than ever as to what he was about to say. Perhaps he would even go beyond a "cultura exchange" and join the IUSR, although that was incredibly unlikely; the President had very different goals to those of the IUSR and Jana accepted that.

Capitalism and innovation? It was certainly something Jana hadn't been expecting to hear about in this room today, yet it had shown up as the President proceeded with his speech. Naturally, that first bit have had the Czervenikan leader nearly rolling her eyes, but out of professionalism she simply didn't. The later bits seemed to had provided an explanation for it all anyways, and as always the President managed to bring up good points. This had the entire room drowning in applause from the other leaders present, including Jana.

"As you may know, Czervenikans pride themselves in the arts and education. We have developed these areas all free from capitalist and imperialist influence and hope we can continue to do so. The limits of the human mind can only be reached while free from the shackles of a profit motive; why create something when there's no profit in it? That's a question many people may ask themselves, but in Czervenika and the rest of the Union we have answers. It's only through compiling these answers together we can reach the peak of development." Jana proceeded to explain in response to Roberto's words, "In other words, this is a goal we need to strive for together."

[Krasniya]

The room was alive with conversation. The speeches by the Byelokrasniyan Premier, President Andrews, and General-Secretary Lebedeva had provided plenty of fuel for discussion.

After a few minutes of internal discussion, Premier Bramanov decided to speak on the matter. As the room descended into silence, Bramanov cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I believe it is clear that we have much to learn from each other. Many valid points have been made today, by both President Andrews, Premier Kavchenko, and General-Secretary Lebedeva. I believe Kavchenko's comments may have been somewhat reactionary, but of course we may forgive his bluntness, as he is a loyal comrade and strong supporter of the Union."

Kavchenko nodded to the Premier, feeling somewhat regretful of his words. He sought only to defend the honour of the Union with his comments.

"I can presume that all leaders agree?" Bramanov asked, looking to Premier Saratov, who remained quiet. He simply nodded.

"Then that settles it. The International Union of Socialist Republics will gladly enter this alliance with Nuevo Meshiko. Of course, we can discuss full specifics at a later date, but for now we can officially state that we are allies once again.

Slava Soyuzu, Slava Noviy Meshikii!"

The Commissars and leaders applauded. The IUSR is finally allied with Nuevo Meshiko once again. It is a great day for all, to have an old burned bridge once again rebuilt, stronger than previously. Bramanov was happy about this, and hopes that previous offences will be forgiven.

Such an achievement called for celebration. Bramanov and Andrews had some drinking to do.

---

END OF DAY THREE. PLEASE DO NOT POST UNTIL DAY FOUR OF THE CONFERENCE HAS BEEN STARTED.

[Krasniya]

Day four. Today was likely to be one of the most important days of the conference. Iosif was nervous, but still confident that everything would go to plan. He and Lebedeva once again made their way to their podiums. The men and women Commissars applauded as usual. Iosif looked out at the leaders of the IUSR; but this time another stood amongst them. Of course, it was the Libhiriyan leader, Vladmir Kazemi.

The IUSR had supported Kazemi and the Communist Party of Libhiriya in their fight against the despotic Al-Salehi, who ruled the Libhiriyan Junta. A few days ago, Salehi surrendered to the Communists, the elected and most popular party in Libhiriya. Kazemi was here to accept the offer the Union gave him before they intervened militarily to assist the rebels.

By being here, it was a good indication that Kazemi intended to take that offer.

"Comrades of the Union, and allied nations,

Today we will be discussing something of utmost importance to the future of the International Union of Socialist Republics; the integration of another nation. That nation is Libhiriya, who as you all know was recently involved in a bloody civil war, in which our comrades in the Communist Party of Libhiriya, along with our own forces, were victorious over the corrupt Salehi, and the extremists of Batoristan and Kuzbeckistan.

If Libhiriya was to become a Socialist Republic of the IUSR, it would be a great step forward for the proletariat of Zemlya, showing that not only is Communist power the decisive force in Zemlya, it is also a growing one.

Despite the best efforts of iron-fisted Generals, delusional clerics, and East Aziyan imperialists, the proletariat of Libhiriya has proven they are a force to be reckoned with. When combined with the force of the IUSR, a red tide will surely strike fear into the hearts and minds of the capitalists, imperialists, fascists, and theocratic madmen of the world."

The hall erupted in applause and cheering. Iosif felt that was quite possibly one of the best speeches he had ever given. He continued when the applause had subsided.

"I now invite to speak, my dear comrade, the people's elected leader of Libhiriya, Premier Vladimir Kazemi..."

[Libhiriya]

Premier Vladimir Kazemi stood up as those present showed their respect to the leader of Libhiriya. Kazemi was obviously nervous as he began his speech.

"Comrades first of all let me express my utmost gratitude for being invited here as an ally of the IUSR. I am honored to be here in Zimograd representing the people of Libhiriya."

The Premier coughed out some of his nerves before continuing his speech.

"Today I am here to seek official membership into the International Union of Socialist Republics. Libhiriya seeks this membership not out of need for military protection or economic security nor the need for validity on the international stage. Libhiriya seeks this admission in the name of international socialism."

Kazemi takes quick sip of water and readjusts his glasses before continuing.

"Libhiriya does not march into this union as a crusading know-all socialist utopia, we are far from that. We ask to enter into this union to share the greatest ideology in human history, the ideology of equality, peace, justice, the ideology of working people. Numerous polls conducted across Libhiriya have come back conclusive, the people are in favor of union. Other nations will accuse us of forcing our ideology down the throats of a predominantly Muslim nation. We do not understand these baseless attacks. The IUSR has always allowed freedom of religion and has shown nothing but tolerance for religious people. We see no reason why this is even talked about in middle eastern circles. It's pure speculative slander. The CPL has always acted in the same manner as the union."

Kazemi takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Well comrades I could go on about their hypocrisy all day! But I'm not here to do that."

The Premier looks around the crowd once again before wrapping up his speech.

"Comrades I'm not here to beg for Libhirya's membership, I'm not here to demand it. Our intentions are clear and honorable and we welcome replies and any questions or concerns."

Premier Kazemi appears to finish but goes back to the microphone.

"Glory to Libhiriya, Glory to the Union!"

Kazemi raises his fist into the air to the applause of his fellow leaders. Before the Premier sits down he goes up to Premier Bramanov and shakes his hand, the Krasniyan Premier stands up and raises his comrade's arm into the air.

[Pribaltika]

A tear of happiness dropped from Premier Nikolai Saratov's right eye. The speech by Bramanov was good, and Kazemi's just made this conference twice as inspirational. These were men of the proletariat, for sure. As Bramanov and Kazemi held their fists high together, the Commissars and leaders erupted in applause and cheering once again. As Kazemi took his seat again, Saratov stood.

"I think that Libhiriya, is without a shadow of a doubt a perfect candidate for becoming a new Socialist Republic of the IUSR. Our comrades fought side-by-side with theirs, and their people are all for unification. What is there to debate today?" Saratov laughed, triggering a small chuckle from the crowd behind. "I think it is clear that Libhiriya should join the Union. We fought together, share the same ideology, and wish to progress the international socialist movement. This is clearly a no-brainer comrades. I will be honoured to see Kazemi become one of us, and his nation become another beacon of solidarity within the Union."

[Biel-Tan]

To this, Premier Stepan Revanov nodded in agreement.
"Yes, yes, comrades. It is fairly obvious that Libhirya has nothing but the best intentions. I say, let them join the IUSR! Let us show the world that we, the proletariat, are not to be messed with! That we, too, can hold power! One day, I promise you this, my comrades, one day, the capitalists will tremble on their knees as they beg for mercy, trying to bribe us to let them live for what they have done, and we will say NO! Socialism shall succeed, we have proven this thus far, and we will not stop now! Let us show the enemies of the left that we are the future!"
With the utmost passion flowing through his speech, Premier Stepan threw his hands into the air and shouted:
"Slava Soyuzu, Slava Sotsializmu!"
He felt nothing but pride as he sat back down into his seat whilst being patted on his back by those sitting next to him. He was eager to see the response of the others, as the inspiration and glory was near palpable in the air.

[Czervenika]

On this fourth day of the conference Jana Lebedeva knew more than ever that the fighting in Libhiriya had paid off. Much of the Union had been involved and very willingly. It had especially showed in how military recruitment numbers had shot upwards during that short period. That alone was enough to make the Czervenikan leader proud, for her own nation, for the rest of the Union, and Libhiriya. They had certainly chosen the correct ideological path so the next step seemed rather obvious. Iosif himself wasn't quick to overlook this either as he proceeded to deliver his powerful speech on the subject.

Naturally, Iosif's speech was met with applause from all those present. Jana as well joined in before proceeding to make her own thoughts on the subject known. "The world's capitalists and imperialists can trample all over us, but still we're resilient. Why you may ask? Because we're a Union; Unions help each other strive for a common goal. This is a goal that our comrades in Libhiriya seem to share and having a strong alliance with others with that goal can only help strengthen all of us." She began, expressing her full agreement with Libhiriya's integration into the IUSR. Any good socialist knew that it was a joint effort, thus Libhiriya's need for allies was an important one.

"So it seems to be decided. The people have spoken. Libhiriya, the newest member of the IUSR. Welcome to a new phase in world history, comrades. Glory to Libhiriya! Glory to the Union!" Jana continued as she greeted the Libhiriyan leader, Premier Vladimir Kazemi, directly. She then simply took his hand in hers and shook it in a sign of formal welcome. Full transition into the IUSR was bound to take the recovering nation some time, but with the help of allies like Krasniya, Czervenika, Pribaltika, and Biel-Tan it was entirely possible and was going to happen. Today was definitely one of the Union's brighter days and this brought a smile to Jana's face as she returned to her seat, awaiting any final words from the others.