The Democritus Sun (approved participants only)

[Democritus Founder]

The year is 1990, and the sun rises on a day of new opportunities

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The RP series Realm of Democritus continues, in an alternate world dominated by a lone super power - the Soviet Union.

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DIVERGENT HISTORY

The 40 years that have elapsed since World War Two ended in 1950 have not erased the memories of a generation lost. Whilst the Franco-British Union, their Polish allies, and the people of a new 'Danubia' were able to defeat revanchist Germany over a three-year period, the subsequent Allied invasion of the Soviet Union and later Japanese attacks on both the USSR and European colonies in the Far East prolonged the bloodshed. As Operation Unthinkable stalled - then reversed - only the limited deployment of new 'atomic bombs' by the Franco-British Union were able to halt a successful Soviet counteroffensive before it could roll across Europe. Imperial Japan, exhausted after meeting determined resistance from both the Red Army in Siberia and a Pan-Pacific alliance backed by the Europeans, agreed to peace terms that ensured no occupation of the Home Islands by either side.

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF 1990

The Soviet Union, encompassing nearly a quarter of the Earth's surface with the annexation of Xinjiang and Manchuria at the war's conclusion, has sat behind its receded western borders preparing for a second round of war with the West that will hopefully never come. The new Soviet generation demands change however, and the iron wall the USSR displays to the world has begun to show streaks of rust. A strong and independent Poland sits behind its own extended border - covering half the Baltic, much of Ukraine, and nearly all of Belorussia behind it. Unease in the East is tempered by relative parity in the West, as despite control of the Suez Canal area the enduring Franco-British Union is now but one of many powers alongside Danubia and others. The exception to this uncontested European landscape is the Italian Peninsula, which is governed by a state divided between elements of communism and fascism after a bleak civil war.

Decolonization has seen the rise of many young republics across the globe, including a new Australasian Federation of Pacific island territories, however elsewhere the balance of power remains unstable. Class and societal tension tears at the Middle East, and the world fears the implications for world energy supplies should the states in Arabia collapse. The American continent has been divided for over one hundred years, while other smaller states across the globe navigate an uncertain path through a Cold War dominated by a single super power.

The new decade offers promise of technological advancements, scientific progress, and political reform across the world. New leaders must face a nuclear arms race, disputed borders, historical grievances, economic crises, emerging nations and a changing climate. With no international institutions to hold countries and corporations to account, these are challenges that will be faced alone. But the harshest decades of a painful peace are now pages in history - the future belongs only to those strong or cunning enough to take it.

[Democritus Founder]

Rules

This thread is for approved participants only to post IC updates on world events and domestic developments. Participants are generally invited by the core RP group only, or for approved members of Democritus. It is a continuation of previous roleplays in the Realm of Democritus series, although prior participation is not necessary. Do not post here if you have not been approved by Democritus Founder/New Metropolitan France as RP OP.

For the moment, please confine posts to events taking place on January 1 1990, or an introductory reflection on your IC history.

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PLEASE PUT THE IC DATE AT THE START OF EACH RP POST

Frequently asked questions and other supporting details will be provided here soon!

[Orostan]

THE SOVIET UNION OF 1990

The USSR today occupies the position of the strongest economic and military power in the world. It is the largest state by far as well and consists of almost a quarter of the world's surface. Despite its immense resources and economy, not all is well. Since the devastating war with the west in 1945 to 1950 that ended in an unfavorable peace the USSR has done nothing but prepare for a second round of war. For forty five years successive Chairmen have built the economy and state around being ready for a war that is looking increasingly unlikely to ever happen. With incredible amounts of resources put into the Soviet nuclear weapons, tank, infantry armament, and air programs the Soviet people have only seen very gradual increases in their quality of life, with only the Chinese SSRs of Xinjiang and Manchuria experiencing sharp increases in those measurements since the end of the second world war - and even then only a very gradual climb since the late seventies.

The leadership of the Soviet Union is dominated by men who still remember the war and the atomic bombings that stole victory from their country. Some even witnessed the nuclear devastation of Voronezh or Tver and survived it. The last nuclear attack of the war against Kronstadt has been burned into the minds of Leningrad’s people as well. The older generation is intensely conservative and unwilling to change the system built by Stalin more than the man himself said it should be changed. Even Molotov, a close associate of Stalin and his successor as General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR created the 1968 Soviet constitution with an emphasis on "completing" the 1936 constitutional project rather than deviating from it. The separation of party and civilian government that was made law in 1968 has so far been much more of a suggestion to the Soviet Union, and it is still customary for Communist Party members to occupy all high positions in the government and for the General Secretary to also be the Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR even though the legal reasons for this no longer exist. In fact, many people would refuse to allow anything else. The older generation believes their civilization owes its survival to the party and a good part of them believe the greatest internal threat to the USSR is that party growing soft. Their sons whose childhood and adulthood were defined by rebuilding from the war have similar if less intense feelings about the party. Their sons and the grandchildren of those that fought in the war however are a new generation and only just now coming into political activity and independent economic life, and their positions diverge significantly from those before them. They were born long after the damage of the war had been repaired but the fundamental quality of their way of life have changed little since then - a source of dangerous discontent for the soviet state.

The governments of Konstantin Chernenko and Yuri Andropov during the late seventies and early eighties only amplified problems in Soviet society. Andropov was so consumed by visions of another 1945 that he devoted even more resources to the military than had already been dedicated. In a time when the USSR needed more consumer goods and more housing Andropov built up only heavy industries and economic sectors of immediate military value. The government of Nikolai Ryzhkov that was elected in 1985 has tried its hand at reform and had some success, but Ryzkov tries to be a centrist between the reformers and conservatives and that position gains him the favor of neither.

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CHAIRMAN SAYS "DUAL USE" INDUSTRIES WILL BE FOCUS OF NEXT FIVE YEAR PLAN

Ryzkov said in announcement made in cooperation with the rest of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet that the thirteenth five year plan set for next year will be focused on expanding "dual use" consumer industries such as the vehicle industry which can be used for civilian production at peace and for military production at war. In particular construction of new factories will be focused in the Chinese SSR where rising incomes and population have fueled demand for personal vehicles and trucks. The need to meet increasing demand for products in the Chinese SSR is of particular concern because the economy of Soviet China revolves around heavy industry and resource extraction and light industry is especially underdeveloped there. The Xinjiang SSR and Mongol SSR are in similar economic situations and are the focus of this year's five year plan due to being by far the poorest republics of the union. Since the Chernenko years GOSPLAN has opted to focus on only one or two republics at a time for economic and particularly light industrial development. However light industry actually provided only a minority of growth in all five year plans since the seventh plan that ended in 1965. Instead large specialized industries have provided most growth. Soviet China produces incredible quantities of steel and chemicals, Xinjiang produces cotton along with the other Central Asian republics and the Azerbaijan produces oil. The next plan is expected to focus on plastics and other chemical goods necessary for the consumer economy (batteries for example) to make use of China's already developed chemical sector and satisfy rising demand. It is certainly a help to military considerations that a plastics industry can be easily used for the construction of weapons components, and the same is true for an electronics industry that is another priority of the next five year plan according to the Presidium document. Consumer electronics have been uncommon in the USSR for a long time but their production is increasingly seen as vital as the military value of electronic equipment only increases. Even if there is not a proportionate expansion in electronic use by the military the civilian sector provides a valuable place for the industry to gain experience and innovate in ways that can be employed by the military. The preliminary results of the current five year plan show...

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POLAND POLICY WILL NOT CHANGE

In his new years address Chairman Ryzkov spent little time on foreign concerns but Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Kapto has said that Soviet policy is unlikely to change in the following year. He also reiterated the Soviet Union's position that the present borders of Poland are "absolutely illegitimate" which has been held since 1975. While Ryzkov favors a more 'balanced' approach towards Poland than some of his predecessors and stopped the late 1970s policy of imposing economic sanctions on nations which entered any type of security or economic arrangement of military value with Poland he has not ended the idea of pressuring Poland and still believes it is necessary to ensure that state is incentivized to make an agreement on the redivision of the Baltics, Belarus, and Ukraine with the USSR. The goal set by Chernenko of "reaching a long term solution to the western border problem" by the year 2000 was not one of the goals of Ryzkov's predecessor that was repudiated and the bill that set this as the goal of the Foreign Ministry remains in the archives with the approval of the Supreme Soviet. The most significant events this year in the continuing break with Chernenko’s policies is likely to…

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[Nowa Polonie]

The Polish Century

The Poland of 1990

DREAMS

Amid buildings built centuries ago, the skyscrapers of today join their fore-runners of yesteryear in sharing domination of the city skyline of Warsaw and other cities - Poland today is not the same country she was a century ago; oppressed, ruined economically by years of mismanagement and repression. And yet, as the wheel of history turns, it goes, as all wheels do, in circles - Poland, once again a Mother of Nations, holding together a pan-nationalist confederation of her sister countries, as glorious and unstable a Commonwealth as ever was seen in the lands of the Masovians.

If contemporary historians were to look at the recent history of Eastern Europe, then they may aptly refer to the 20th Century as the 'Polish Century' - after disappearing for more than a hundred years from the maps of Europe, the nation of Poland was reborn amidst the ruins of the Great War, and she returned in triumph. Beginning its modern history in 1917, under the leadership of the revolutionary leader Józef Piłsudski, Poland reasserted not only national sovreignty, but through both shrewd diplomacy and military force, regained and enforced her position as a regional power. Piłsudski, after having secured the country's sovreignty and preventing the return of Russian influence over the country in the form of Bolshevism, retired as the leader of the country, his political career ending permanently from 1925 - his leadership gave to Poland her sovreignty, allowed her to rebuild her strength, and left an indelible stamp of revolutionary and pan-nationalist sentiment on the leadership of the country; the ecstacy of liberation, and the first few sweet drops of international success as a young new Republic had the nation hooked, and every leader in the country since has been held to standards of personal drive, charisma, ambition and a disregard for the status quo - it was status quo that had kept their country partitioned by three empires, after all.


Succeeded by Rosa Luxemburg, a revolutionary leader of her own sort, Poland underwent yet another rapid transformation - Poland's agriculture saw widescale consolidation and collectivization, huge public industrial corporations were formed, and amidst the Great Depression, the country used rapid nationalisation as a tool to stabilize its free-fall economy; before Luxemburg, most of Poland's farming had been done by the horse, in rural areas, the mode of transporation was the horse-drawn carriage, and in cities, many lived in cramped, slum-housing - she left it with the tractor, the motor car and the tenement block. Despite now possessing what was now one of the most centralized, state-managed economies of the 'market economies', floating somewhere between Dirigisme and outright state-capitalist control of the economy, the period saw galloping strides in the liberalisation of Polish public life, with women achieving rights and public recognition unparalelled, even to neighbouring European countries, homosexuality was decriminalized under her in 1932, and later legalised entirely by her successors. The years beween 1920-1935 were very good years for Poland, but good times cannot last forever, and as night follows day, content gives way to discontent, and peace to war.

Madame Luxemburg died in office in 1935 of ovarian cancer - her death would mark a general depression in public life across the country. Her successor, a quick compromise candidate, utterly failed to live up to the larger-than-life legacies of his predecessors, and was soon driven from office and into suicide, having left the country economically uncertain, under-armed, and fragile in the face of what would be one of the most difficult and adverse periods of European history. War came first with Germany, and then later with the Soviets - for the second time, foreign armies crossed back and forth over their country, being fought all the time by the Poles and their allies, and as the wheel turned once more, what almost seemed like disaster was replaced by yet another triumph - the development and deployment of the atomic bomb ended the Second Polish-Soviet War, or as it is referred to outside of Poland, the Second Great War, and Poland secured for herself more territory, more international recognition, and new allies.

The immediate post-war period saw a programme of not only intense reconstruction, but massive expansion of Poland's administrative apparatus; Poland's prior experiment of incorporating Belarus had proven educational, and using the model of Belarus' autonomous legislature, new federative republics were born, even an entirely new nation in the form of the Jewish Autonomous F.R, founded in 1948 by the Polish Government as a homeland within its own borders for the Jewish peoples of Europe. The Polish Socialist Party, the party of Pilsudski and Luxemburg, remained, and remains, in-office - going into coalition varyingly with Poland's anti-Soviet Communists, the Polish Greens, and virtually every centre-left/left party in Polish politics. After reconstruction would follow massive expansions to Poland's welfare infrastructure, with the country offering universal complete coverage of public healthcare by the early 1960s - efforts to expand the welfare state went forward with a conscious and earnest effort to match, or at least keep pace, with both increases to civil liberties and living standards, and Poland became one of the first countries in Europe, and certainly the first in Eastern Europe, to outright legalize homosexuality (though they are still restricted the civil partnerships, with the issue of homosexual church marriages remaining a controversial one in Poland), to decriminalize a great many kinds of narcotics and to lower its voting age to enfranchise those aged 18y/o and over, regardless of gender, creed, faith or even prior criminal history. Poland has aspired to be, and indeed has become, a model of civic society.

DISCORD

Economic slowdown and bureacratic decay are the principle calamities of the Polish Republic today - a tremendous welfare state has created the perfect conditions for a low-growth, high-tax, high emigration economy, where young people now more often move abroad to seek gainful employment, employing their expensive, world-class Polish educations for the betterment of other countries while their parents and older siblings work for far less at home. Though most intend to return one day, and send money back to their home country and families, there is a sense that the system, both national and international, that has been built in Poland, is somehow falling short, failing to work as it should. Financial woes are trouble enough, but in Central Ukraine, Soviet-sponsored seperatist terrorism is becoming a very real and very frightening problem - over the past fifteen years, the peaceful protest has become the riot has become the car-bombing has become the political assassination - the political standards of one of the Polish federation's youngest member-states is rapidly declining amidst a barrage of Soviet funds, equipment and propaganda intended to alienate neighbours to the point that they are prepared to kill one another, and to transform a dream made real into a living nightmare; night to day, and Heaven to Hell.

DANGER

Composed of a peace-time force of over 500,000, and prepared to mobilize at least a million more within 24-hours of a potential conflict, Poland's Armed Forces, so famous and adored at home for their role in Poland's modern history in protecting and carrying out national interests in recent history, it is, one might be shocked the learn, one of Poland's principle problems - its organisation is utterly politically compromised, with its generals and officers often possessing views that the military should take a larger role in state affairs, some particular fringes even believe in a reintroduction of quasi-military rule, as was seen earlier in the century under President (and also Marshall) Pilsudski - most Poles have completed national service, and the Army's influence in public life is huge, and its historic and very real contemporary role as the final protector of Poland's sovreignty and freedom puts them beyond any political reproach - its budget is bloated, its whims indulged, and it draws from all spheres of public life the best and brightest into its orbit - thousands of young professionals who could do unbelievably meritous work in the bureacracy elsewhere are instead swallowed up by the officer corps of Poland's huge military.

The genie was out of its bottle though - the Soviets, taken off-guard twice now by their Polish cousins, has taken vengeance to heart; they have developed nuclear weapons of their own, they police their borders harshly and build up their forces, watching and evaluating, assessing when to strike. The War had ended, and it had brought land, influence and a greater sense of confidence to the Poles and their ally nations, but it had deprived them of lasting security; for fifty years now, the principle diplomatic aim of the Polish Prometheist Republics has been to prepare for or outright prevent a Soviet Invasion. Even in spite of rapid economic growth in the post-War era of rebuilding and consolidation, which saw huge investment by the Poles into the economies of her Eastern sister-republics, the ever-nagging pain of Poland's economists and Government Ministers has been the constant financial drain of maintaining the diplomatic and military defense networks that Poland needs to ensure continued peace and territorial integrity.

DECADENCE

''If the war starts it's all over anyway, so let's party!'' is the slogan of a generation of young Poles - a libertine culture and lax attitudes and legislation towards narcotics have seen Poland transform into a European capital of debauchery; while Police in England break up illegal raves, English youths join their European compatriots to make pilgramage to the night-clubs, raves and underground parties of Warsaw and Krakow, legendary in their reputation for excess. Many look on in worry though, and not necessarily because from a Conservative disdain for what is seen as a decay of public morals - deaths from excessive consumption of alcohol and narcotics are rising, and becoming a very real problem across major Polish metropoles, and while Polish narcotics are regarded highly by psychonauts for their affordability, quality and purity, perhaps, some say, there can indeed be too much of a good thing. Religious organisations, parents groups, and a plethora of other interest groups across Polish public life are fast making the 'Polish Pill Panic' its principle moral panic of the public and political sphere.

But Poland is not yet lost - she may no longer be able to call herself one of Europe's 'young' Republics, but with time and time again, Poland's young politicians inherit from their predecessors that same legacy of youthful vigor, revolutionary ambition, belief in the brotherhood of nations, and no small measure of near ruthless pragmatism, and though the storm rocks the ship of state, and threats and enemies at home and abroad threaten discord, Poland will be Poland, and its answers to war will be peace, freedom to oppression, and solidarity to hatred.

[Grandes Terres]

Une Nouvelle Décennie

1st January 1990

As dawn breaks on a new decade for the Republic, 60 million French wake to find themselves in a time of change. Rising awareness of multiculturalism, alternative media, changing music movements and the ever advancing march of technology. Some feel left behind by this new world, while others see an opportunity for progress, wealth and personal liberation from the social norms of the past. As Minitel and the World Wide Web expands, the spread of knowledge and interaction between peoples previously oblivious to each other creates innovations, mutuality and new connections but also causes new problems for society not experienced before. Following the Sexual Revolution of previous decades views of love and sexuality are changing among society, particularly the younger generation who have broken free from the societal norms of the past to forge a new future of personal liberation.

Despite a changing society and advancing technology in France, President François Mitterrand remains at the helm since his election in 1981 and has brought many changes during his time in power, from the liberalisation of media in France to the creation of the RMI social welfare system, Mitterand still maintains generally favourable public opinion among both the old and young thanks to his charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent in his role as President, where he will soon celebrate an entire decade in office.

Looking forward, Mitterand and his government will seek to improve domestic infrastructure through new high speed rail projects, dedicated freight railways, de-tolling of the Autoroutes and improving connections between France and it's neighbours, particularly with it's FBU partner the United Kingdom. Economically Mitterand plans to maintain France's Dirigisme economic doctrine whilst simultaneously utilising technology to advance public institutions and state-owned enterprises to improve efficiency, productivity and ensure France remains at the cutting edge of newly emerging technologies and the new markets emerging with them. Internationally Mitterand seeks to increase European integration and cooperation with its neighbours through trade agreements, infrastructure projects and student exchange programs. Outside of Europe, increasing cooperation and support with Françafrique nations throughout Africa including the continuation of Operation Épervier with the government of Chad as well as working with France's overseas neighbours who border Overseas France to increase trade and cooperation.

President François Mitterrand refuses a chauffeur when possible, preferring to drive himself in his light blue 1983 Renault 5 around the streets of Paris.

[Lendenburgh]

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Athena Pallas looks out from the People's Diet of the Austrian Republic in Vienna

The Danubian People's Congress Demands a Global Summit on Climate
Prague, BH, Danubia - January 1, 1990
Prime Minister Silva Kraner made an emphatic plea in her New Year's address to the nation in the face of leading meteorologists and climate scientists from around the world confirming that the world had warmed a total of .5 ºC in the past century as a result of human activity:

A global solution to climate change, whether it's discussed in Prague or not, is an absolute imperative for the world's leaders. This is a matter of our very survival, and I cannot stress this enough. If we do not act to cease damaging the planet, no economic activity will be ecologically possible on Earth. We have benefited greatly over the past centuries from the exploitation of natural resources, now that we have the technology to continue our civilization in an environmentally conscientious manner, it is our responsibility to cease this exploitation, and preserve the remaining resources of the planet for future generations' prosperity.

A climate summit will not be an easy task, I understand, but it is only by bringing the leaders of every nation together that we have a hope of addressing a problem which all of us are responsible for. We must find a way for developed and wealthy nations to wean their way off carbon and endless growth-consumption cycles, so that the global south can improve its standard of living without sending the planet into abject disaster. Yet, at the same time, we must respect the disparate interests of global nations so that this is a cooperative effort.

I am sure that, despite the ideological differences of the global community, we can find common interest in at least our survival.

The Prime Minister also made remarks about plans for a state sponsored jet-liner design to enter service with national airlines, and the economic status of the nation's manufacturing industry, but her statement on climate was by far the most impactful of the night. Political commentators believe that environmental reports that the Rhine river floods of 1985 and '89 could be repeated on the banks of the Danube with a much higher human cost reached the PM before she gave the speech. Needless to say, even after solving the hole in the ozone layer, the global climate situation is still life-threatening.


Danubian People's Congress authorizes Lex Humanum, National Diets call for Schism from the Catholic church, purging of political parties
Budapest, HN, Danubia - January 1, 1990
The controversial human rights bill put forward by the Young Socialists League at last year's plenary meeting of the People's Congress has finally been passed. The 'old guard' of Imre Nagy's Communist Party may have finally lost their near 40 year grip on national politics. The conservative factions, especially in the Hungarian and Czech national diets, put up a solid resistance to the bill, with most debate being had over the provisions to expand national insurance benefits in women's reproductive health and to legalize the personal possession of narcotics. However, the core tenants of the bill which provide funding for mental healthcare in the country, with a specific focus on at-risk youth, were able to win over moderates in the National Congress.

However, the implementation of the new code of rights presents an enforcement problem from the national-level, with national diets being unable to take action against religious institutions which receive state funding, yet ideologically oppose providing new reproductive health education and services, as well as new harm reduction measures. The Diet of Slovakia has called for an immediate schism between the Catholic Church in Rome and all Catholic Churches in Danubia, in order to uphold the code of fundamental human rights as well as allow religious institutions to continue to stay open. Most clergy within the country seem to be supportive of the new measures, the Catholic church in the country one of the primary proponents behind the legalization of gay marriage in the 70s, but the Vatican's control over church policy has created some challenges for institutions like hospitals in the country, which under new national law would be required to provide contraceptives.

[Georgian Kingdom]

Goliath of the Middle East

The Haashimi Kingdom of the Arab Federation, as its rulers call it, is a sleeping giant, with age-old traditions and ways of doing things. Oil is a big part of the Federation's economy - it is how the Federation manages to maintain world's 5th largest army to protect its natural resources and keep the royal family safe. Here, the ruler Sheikh Al-Jameel and his royal family live a lavish lifestyle while giving some of the wealth to the rest of the population as a generous allowance to keep them happy. It is a vast, deeply conservative and stable country: Loyalty to the state and king are taught at an early age. The King Al-Jameel is viewed as the father of his people, but by tradition and practice he can be a stern parent. The King is very respected and feared ruling with an iron will at times. The Arab Federation needs a strong hand controlling the Holy Lands, the true home of the three major religions.

Now, however, the Arab Federation is changing, or perhaps awakening. It is beginning to look outwards, towards the best that the rest of the world has to offer in terms of ideas, culture and might. These things must be introduced carefully, to avoid the ills of free-thinking that are present in some Western nations. When the Federation does fully realize its strength, however, it will be formidable indeed. It has boundless resources to draw upon, and the steadfast courage of its people to bolster its armies. It can be a formidable foe, and a difficult one for an enemy to attack. One thing that the Arab Federation does have is endless desert, and the lack of apparently defensible frontiers actually becomes a defence in itself. Invaders can be lured deep into the desert, and left to the mercies of sandstorms and heat and the Federation’s endless, empty deserts.

To the west lies the wealth of Europe and access to the wider world through the Mediterranean ports. The Arab Federation is a diverse nation. During WWI, many Assyrians, Armenians, and Greeks settled in the levant creating distinct and sizeabale communities, especially in Palestine and southern Syria. In the north, there is a large Kurdish population speaking a different language and having a different culture. Thus now, the great mission to maintain the fragile peace and to rule such diverse nation with a plethora of natural resources lies on the shoulders of the King.

[Unitiria]

IRAN AT THE DAWN OF THE DECADE

Looking down on Tehran from Shahyad Tower, one will see a much different country from when it was built in 1971. The Kurds and the Azeris have left, one for independence and one for the yoke of the Soviet Union. In exchange, the vast Persian-speaking lands of Afghanistan have been absorbed. After a peaceful anti-monarchy coup in 1973, Iran and Pakistan divided the country, and southern Azerbaijan was ceded to the USSR in exchange for long-term peace in the form of the Soviet-Persian Non-Aggression Treaty. Kurdistan was released a year later after decades of separatist agitation, a result of the extreme Persianization pursued by the central government; however, Persian voices still ring out often in the Kurdish halls of government, and the ties between the two countries are stronger than ever.

But territory is not the only thing that has changed in Iran since the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. To fully understand modern Iran, you need to go back further, to the Prime Ministership of Mohammad Mosaddegh. Entering the Majles alongside the coronation of the young Shah in 1944, he ushered in a new era of Iranian politics. National sovereignty, always a major point in Iranian politics, was central to his movement and the party that he led, the National Front. He would quickly rise to the position of Prime Minister in 1951, and nationalized the oil reserves that for so long had been controlled by foreign companies. Although this greatly angered the West, they had neither the resources nor political will to oppose the move. With Iran's sovereignty and independence secured, Mosaddegh was an unstoppable political juggernaut.

Using the funds made available by the oil nationalization, Mosaddegh set about creating an expansive welfare state to placate the communists and socialists in the government. His rule, which lasted from his election in 1951 to his death in 1967, was marked by a reduction of the powers of the Shah and a resurgence of the Persianization and pan-Persian movements that had marked the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi I in the first half of the century. Not that the Shah had no power; he and his wife, Farah Pahlavi, were instrumental in the expansion of women's rights, education and the arts in Iran during their time on the throne.

The death of Mosaddegh left a gaping hole in the political landscape. Ardeshir Zahedione would attempt to fill this hole to no avail. Luckily, however, a worthy player would step up - Dariush Forouhar. Forouhar, an avid pan-Iranist, had one central goal: the consolidation of the Persian-speaking territories of the Middle East - Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan - into one greater Persian nation. He massively increased covert support of Afghan pan-Iranist groups through the late 60s and early 70s, a move that would pay off in the anti-monarchy coup in Afghanistan in 1973. That crisis was the opportunity he needed. Pan-Iranist activists quickly took control of the Afghan government, and Afghanistan was officially integrated into the Imperial State of Iran in 1974. To ensure the security of the now-massive border with the USSR, southern Azerbaijan was ceded to the Soviet Union in exchange for a non-aggression pact and demilitarization of the border.

With the 1980s came deregulation and privatization in almost all sectors. This was paired with the growing tentacles of corruption. The people were relatively prosperous, but the divide between the wealthy, secular urban areas and the traditionalist, poor rural areas grew massively. The Islamist movement, which had been relegated to the background by the nationalist rhetoric of the Mosaddegh and Forouhar eras, was growing stronger.

And that is where Iran finds itself at the dawn of the decade. A burgeoning welfare state grinds against privatization and deregulation. A young Shah tries to stay relevant in an increasingly democratic and liberal nation. Iranian arms and money continue to find themselves in the hands of Tajik separatists and pan-Iranists. An ancient Shia establishment agitates for more influence in a secular nation. A country looks ever more to the West as its neighbours grow ever more hostile. And Iranians everywhere wonder what the future holds for them and their nation.

درود بر شاه! افتخار ایران!

[Bengal and Assam]

A New Decade: The Republic of India


This year, our fair country will go on to celebrate its 42nd year as a free and sovereign nation. At the end of the previous decade, our nation stands strong with 218 million people living within our borders calling themselves "Indians", along with millions more in other Subcontinental provinces that we have stayed separated from for the past 42 years.
However, despite our 42nd year as a broken nation, we still remain a very diverse and inclusive nation, one of hundreds of cultures, languages ethnicities etc.
The 80s was a mixed experience for our country, as we experienced political issues that brought pain and suffering to many, while also economically growing, giving more Indians a better standard of living and way of life.

This was also a decade when Indian culture got recognition across the globe, as a Tollywood cinema finally ended up in the Oscars. We hope that the final decade of this century, and the next millenium is one where our country will shine as the City on the Hill for this Subcontinent and its people.
However, as elections loom next year, things do remain uncertain.

[Fregantes Empire]

Date: 01/01/1990
The Last Decade of the Century Dawns

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From 1948 Onwards

As the last decade of the 20th Century dawns, the Sun rises on the Deccan. For this special edition, we will be covering the brief 42 year period that brought us here.

For more than a century, the British had imposed a colonial rule on India, the crown jewel of their global empire. A subcontinent, for whom unity is a rarity, was albeit not unfamiliar to unity under a foreign power. Foreign unifiers all left their mark, yet the subcontinent endured, and none lasted. The British would not prove to be an exception either. The Raj, a regime that terrorized a society would also embolden it. The shackles of the colonial yoke would grow weaker with each year into the 20th Century. The WWII led to a famine in Bengal, while Indian soldiers were fighting in Europe against the Germans and then the Soviets, in South East Asia against the Japanese, for someone else's empire. The Japanese occupation of Singapore would shatter any remaining illusions: the Empire was weak, and too broken to be repaired. Even the loyal imperial subjects in Australia and New Zealand were aware of it.

As such, when the Raj faced mass revolting in the entire subcontinent from 1947 and onwards, the governor in New Delhi tried to flee alongside the British administration. Many succeeded, yet the governor was recognized and delivered to popular justice. The Raj collapsed on January 12th 1948. The subcontinent was free again, yet without a clear direction. With the collapse of the British state apparatus in India, the Princely States stepped in to fill the void. Many locals flocked to their banner as the only surviving state institutions capable of providing stability and certainty. Meanwhile, the territories and the presidencies under the direct control of the fallen Raj government descended into anarchy and civil strife. The subcontinent looked to consume itself.

The "Indian Interregnum" as it is called today, would see larger than life characters stepping up to help and lead their nation. Two such figures would be instrumental in the Deccan: Mir Osman Ali Khan Asaf Jah VII, the Nizam of Hyderabad and Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the Maharaja of Mysore. The two 21-gun salute princely states were remnants from the time of the Mughal and Maratha Empires. Whereas The Kingdom of Mysore had experimented with democracy and education, the State of Hyderabad had its own armed forces and its own circulating currency. The alliance of the two states would be the foundation of the Deccan Confederacy. The Hyderabadi Armed Forces, alongside its newly constituted counterpart in Mysore, would quickly move to bring order and stability to the rest of the Deccan. The liberation of Mumbai from radicals and the seizure of Goa from the Portuguese would especially prove to be crucial. With the Deccan Plateau united by late 1949, the Confederacy would move to expand north and south.

The Northern and Southern Campaigns would both prove disastrous. By the time the Deccan was united, new players had consolidated their own holdings. In the South, the new Republic of Madras and the Kingdom of Travancore and Kochin would defeat the Deccan armies and force them to retreat. The two southern states were not in a state to pursue the Deccan army themselves, and a peace treaty was soon signed. In the North, the Indian National Congress had established itself in the old Bengal Presidency, and the Sikhs of Punjab had seized New Delhi. The Gujaratis and the Rajput deserts would claim the lives of many Deccani soldiers, and even more would be martyred on a failed campaign to seize Cuttack from the Bengalis. In 1950, the subcontinent would stablize, with all remaining countries recognizing each other. For the Deccan, the unification was a massive success, yet the more imperial ambitions of the two monarchs were foiled completely.

The first decade would be dedicated to building the pillars atop which the Confederacy would stand. A prime issue of the time was about the old Bombay presidency. The initial idea during the formation of the confederacy was that the old presidencies and territories would be given back to princely dynasties of from the age of the Mughals and Marathas. The idea would prove to be untenable immediately. Whereas the Kolhapur and Bastar princely states were preserved and Berar was recognized as a new princely state, in the terriories acquired from the old Madras and Bombay presidencies, a republican fervour was brewing. Established right after the Deccan takeover, the Mumbai City Council would announce that the city and its surroundings would reject any monarch over their head, while reaffirming their loyalty to the confederation as a whole. After fierce negotiations, Mumbai and the remaing republican lands were welcomed into the confederation as the Marathi Republic, alongside the Free City of Goa and the Republic of Andhra. The Deccan Confederacy was born as a union of 10 states, with the Andaman Islands administered as a confederation territory. The Confederacy was first headed by the Council of Princes, a body akin to the Swiss Federal Council, where the 10 heads of states would each hold a say in government and one of them would head the Confederacy for a one year rotating term. For Muslim monarchs, the Confederate title would be "Padishah/Badshah" ("Master Shah", an Islamic and Mughal Imperial Title), for Hindu monarchs it would be "Chhatrapati" ("Umbrella Ruler", the Maratha Imperial Title) and for republican heads of states it would be "Rashtrapati" (President, "Country Ruler"). Osman Ali Khan would be the first Padishah of the Deccan Confederacy, followed by Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar as the first Chhatrapati of the Deccan Confederacy.

The following decades would see profound changes in the country. After the military failures and an uneasy status quo at home, the Deccan Confederacy favoured peace in the subcontinent above all else. That peace brought with it new opportunities. Mumbai and Goa would become regional and global hubs of trade and shipping. The new found wealth of the western coastline would fuel the nation's modernization, and strenghten the democratic institutions in Maratha and Goa. Calls for a Confederation-wide parliament and an elected confederate government would manifest themselves. Following that, the Deccan Parliament and the office of the Prime Minister as the head of the government were established, leaving the Council of Princes more as a ceremonial college than anything else. The Confederate Government would move to harmonize the national infrastructure and the bureaucracy, gargantuan tasks that are still in progress. Perhaps the most important achievement of the central government was the adoption of the Deccan Constitution and the new Deccan Armed Forces. It was also the policy of the central government to adopt a non-aligned stance to the Soviet-West divide.

The internal politics of the nation has been defined on the "Mumbai - Hyderabad" axis. The Mumbai faction is known for its republican, progressive and business friendly nature, whereas the Hyderabad faction is known for its more conservative and states' rights issues. This divide stems from the cosmopolitan wealth of Mumbai and the political influence of Hyderabad. Whereas Hyderabad is the national capital and holds all the confederate state institutions, Mumbai is the biggest and the wealthiest urban region in the country. One cannot ignore the other, and one cannot get their way without the other. Mumbai's wealth brought Madras, Travancore and Sri Lanka to the economic orbit of the Confederacy, but this was thanks to the diplomats of Hyderabad signing the FTAs. Any prime minister has to balance the interest groups in these two cities and these two states to be successful.

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The Sun Rises on the Deccan

While over the decades the central government has managed to centralize the state apparatus and the armed forces, the work is far from done. The Council of Princes still holds immense influence within the Confederacy, and all attempts to abolish it were met with a constitutional wall. The accumulated wealth of the princes is tightly monitored to make sure the princely pockets do not influence national politics, yet it is always impossible to fully achieve that. The Princes are not against democracy nor the central government, but any further degradation of their financial and social privileges will not be easily achieved.

The two key figures of the nation could not be any more different. On one hand, the Padishah of the Confederacy, Mir Barakat Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VIII, the son of Padishah Osman Ali Khan and the grandson of the last Ottoman Caliph Abdulmejid II, from whom he claims the Caliphate as a ceremonial title. He is an ambitious ruler dedicated to make Hyderabad the modern centre of Deccan political and economic power, and a state worthy of the upcoming millenium, yet also a light believer in the special status of the Council of Princes and in the Hindustani Empire that might never come. On the other hand, the Prime Minister of the Confederacy, Advaith Dewan, a Mumbaikar from birth, whose family rose to the top from the bottom thanks to a shipping business linked to international trade. A secular and a progressive man, his opinion of the aristocracy is one that was inspired by Voltaire and Rousseau. He wishes to pursue further Deccan influence in commerce and diplomacy.

On the international stage, the Bengalis to the Northwest still pose the biggest threat to Deccan interests. Whereas the old guard in the INC might still dream for a united India under a republican regime, the Bengalis themselves might be questioning the actual worth of such an undertaking, much to the relief of Hyderabad. The Sikh stratocracy in Lahore still holds the old capital of New Delhi, and they are the linch pin of a coalition of Northwestern states in India that keep Bengal and Iran in check. As the Indian status quo continues, Mumbai and Goa wish to expand on the commercial ties with the USSR, China and Europe. Given all of this, it is no surprise that within the halls of government in Hyderabad and the corporate skyscrapers of Mumbai, one common idea dwells: any unification of the subcontinent requires a continuous diplomatic effort, fuelled by the economic and commercial might of the Deccan, Bengal and perhaps Gujarat. Whether such an undertaking is worth it or not, or whether the Confederacy should actively pursue such a policy is left to the imagination of individuals. Yet, it is rumoured that the Prime Minister has requested policy suggestions on the issue.

The new decade has unique challenges for the Deccan, time will tell if the peoples of the Plateau will rise to prove themselves worthy.

[Arela]

The Andes Times

1st January 1990

The House of Pizarro, Andea's government palace

Spanning across the deserts of the Pacific Coast, the mountains of the Andes, and the rain forests of the interior, Andea is a vast and diverse country. However, the heart of Andea lies in Lima, the capital city founded by the Spaniards 455 years ago. A quarter of Andea's population resides within Lima, and the city remains the centerpiece of the country's economic, political, and cultural institutions.

For the past two decades, the Liberal Party has had a near monopoly on the country's politics, pursuing a policy of cutting taxes and government spending while promoting international trade. However, although the liberalization of Andea's economy did have success in raising living standards, it also introduced a wave of unprecedented corruption. With bribes becoming an everyday occurrence, roads falling apart years after being constructed, and an increasingly absent police force, the issue of corruption had become too much for Andeans to bear.

The electoral campaign for the 1990 Andean election saw the upstart mayor of Lima, Alejandro Sanchez, create his own party from scratch. Avante, as it's called, rallied the public on a shared anti-corruption message, and the results proved catastrophic for the Liberals. Although the ballots are yet to be fully counted, Sanchez holds a 22% margin over his rival, and it has become clear that Avante has secured a super-majority in parliament.

With two decades of Liberal hegemony broken overnight, many wonder what comes next. Sanchez's coalition is more tenuous than at first glance, with Avante being divided between a left-wing and right-wing faction. But for now, Avante remains united.

[Anxiety Cafe]

The Silver Kingdom: 20 Years to the Bicentennial

The sunrise today illuminates an uncertain world; a divided Europe and North America, a Global South rife with conflict, and a climate that, by some measures, seems to be becoming increasingly hostile. But for Argentina, this new year and new decade looks to be one of growth and prosperity.

Celebrating the 180th anniversary of her birth this May, the Argentine Kingdom has hardly been a land of peace; her tumultuous upbringing involved dueling royals, political spats, and numerous violations of sovereignty by foreign powers. Her first monarch, the Doña Carlota Joaquina, hand-created the nation out of the ashes of the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, but earned the ire of many, both at home and abroad. Her daughter and successor, Queen Doña Ana de Jesus Maria, is considered chief among the Kingdom’s founders, establishing its Parliamentary tradition to balance the ideologies of the liberals and conservatives, and founding the capital city, La Plata, to ease the animosity between Buenos Aires and the other provinces.

The Kingdom’s traditional rival, the Brazilian Empire, became her strongest ally, while disputes with her other neighbors erupted into a war that paralyzed regional cooperation and ensured suspicion in bilateral relations for decades — even to the present, according to some. Despite this, Argentina thereafter remained conflict-free, preferring to abstain from the great wars that rocked the globe. She consolidated her national borders, became home to millions of European and Arab immigrants, and looked to exploit her abundant natural resources.

Now, with the North American alliances shattered, Europe threatened by the Soviets, and East Asia divided among several powers, Argentina looks closer to home for allies. Her leadership hope to claim Argentina’s birthright as a regional power — not by invading her neighbors, but by elevating them. With her longstanding partnership with the Empire of Brazil as a blueprint and stepping stone, the Kingdom seeks a South America that will emerge from this fractured world united and independent of foreign powers and the struggles that plague them.

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The Gate to La Plata: Solving the Nation's Shipping Woes
Buenos Aires — 1 January 1990

The English Bank, in the Río de la Plata

The English Bank, so named for shipwrecking the Englishman John Drake (Francis Drake's nephew) in 1583, has long been a barrier to navigation in the Río de la Plata. Located just under 20 km south of Montevideo, this rocky submerged shoal currently lies between the two main navigation channels in the river; the Punta Indio to the north, which lies parallel to the Uruguayan shore, and the Magdalena to the south, which leads to the ports of Buenos Aires. It is through these channels that the overwhelming majority of Argentina's trade is conducted, connecting the outside world with the various navigable rivers of the Platine basin in the Argentine interior.

This peculiar geographic situation, however, has in recent times led to a bottleneck: the ports of Montevideo and Buenos Aires are already oversaturated, and the other smaller ports along the Rio de la Plata are unable to make up for the increasing shipping traffic. The English Bank, located at the entrance of the Rio de la Plata, may serve as the solution to these issues, in contrast the obstacle it has been in the past.

The island's development zones

The "Puerta del Plata" Project seeks to speed up the natural sediment buildup on the bank using dredged materials from the nearby navigational channels, transforming the English Bank into the English Island - an approximately 120 square kilometer artificial island that will serve as a the central transportation hub for Rio de la Plata - and through it, for the entire Argentine nation. This new island will be named Argirópolis, for Sarmiento's famed fictional city.

The northern portion of the island will become the nation's largest port complex, fulfilling the goal of centralizing the Rio de la Plata's overseas shipping activity to alleviate the overstressed ports of the mainland. On its eastern shore, this zone will be dredged to 40 feet, being a deepwater port and allowing Panamax ships to dock. Directly opposite, on the zone's western shore, the port systems will be more oriented to barge traffic, as is used within the tributaries of the Rio de la Plata. This reduces the need for shipping with origins or destinations beyond the Platine region to dock in the river's other ports. Also included in this zone will be a cruise terminal, as well as a ferry station, with regular routes to the river's major cities.

Directly to the south, covering almost a quarter of the island, is an area zoned for urban development; shopping centers, office complexes, and beach resorts are among the expected projects, although these would of course depend on private initiatives. However, the Rio de la Plata Port Association is almost certain to be placed there; grouping together the various port authorities of the river, it will help coordinate this shift in regional trade.

Finally, in the island's central-west, will be a new international airport to serve the Montevideo metropolitan area. The existing airport, Carrasco International, is heavily congested, serving millions of passengers yearly, but limited in its expansion by the surrounding urbanity. The new airport will run all of Carrasco's international lines, with direct flights as far as Central Europe and North America, while regional routes to domestic and South American destinations will remain at Carrasco.

The remainder of the island, save for a military base on its eastern shore, will be an ecological preserve or be open to further development. Linked to the mainland by a tunnel to the Isla Flores (to avoid disrupting shipping lanes) and then a bridge to Montevideo proper, the island will be a free trade zone to encourage its success. The link to the mainland will be entirely rail, and primarily used for freight shipping between the island and Uruguay, although passenger routes will also run on these lines, especially once the airport is completed.

Argirópolis is, so far, the only publicly announced portion of the government’s “Platine Development Strategy,” an infrastructural revolution that Prime Minister Aguirre has labelled key to establishing the Río de la Plata as a major shipping route between South America and the outside world. The Platine basin, which reaches into the heart of South America and has access to the region’s three largest nations, is not fully navigable, with navigational works primarily limited to the Bermejo and Paraná (and its tributaries in Brazil). Clearly, Aguirre hopes to change that, and in the process, economically tie together the region.

[Puertollano]

Gran Colombian Gazette

President Espinar announces re-shuffling of cabinet following growing disastisfaction

BOGOTA - GCG - 1/01/90

Following a second quarter of slumping economic growth and stagnating wages, President Fabian Espinar has announced that his entire cabinet will be re-shuffled and several key figures in his government will be replaced with new faces from major sectors like private industry and the military. In a televised address to the nation that interrupted the regular programing on all Gran Colombian networks, the President said that "the time for a fresh start begins today and the time for good governance will begin once again."

Minister of the Economy Luis Fernandaz has found himself without a job after this re-shuffling, however within hours of the announcement, Mr Fernandaz said that he has accepted a job opportunity with a large petro-chemical firm as their Government-Relations manager. Other major shake-ups in the government include the Minister of the Interior, Mario Velad, who has been relegated to the position of Vice-Minister for Culture and Information, and Raul Terrajo who previously was the Minister for Trade and Transportation who now sits as Senior Adviser to the President.

The Minister of the Economy will now be Dr Harold Barragain, the former CEO of one of Gran Colombia's largest insurance agencies and a man who previously served on the Joint Commission on the Economy during the regime's efforts to privatize and open-up industry to the market during the 1980s. The new Minister of Interior will now be Lt Almado Cruz, someone considered a close ally and confidant of the President. Not least, the new Minister for Trade and Transportation will be Lan Chen, a Chinese-born immigrant to Gran Colombia who studied in Brazil before returning to the nation to become one of the leading spokespeople for liberalizing trade relations.

This re-shuffling of the Cabinet marks one of the biggest shake-ups in Gran Colombian politics since the 1976 military coup that General Espinar led less than two decades ago. His personal popularity dipping since the high-water mark in the early 1980's following the defeat of the communist Gran Colombian Liberation Front to his military forces. It also comes with growing dissatisfaction with the economy and the direction of the country, with reports of minor protests in Bogota, Caracas and Miranda. However, despite the shifting of positions within government, the mood on the ground is passive, but not too optimistic that the economic policy will change anytime soon. Many still fear the chaos that was the Gran Colombian Civil War and view Espinar and his military government the only thing holding back a Soviet take-over of government.

[Pacific-Australasia]

January 1, 1990: A young republic emerges across the Pacific...

The history of the Pacific is one similar to that seen across the New World and Africa. Indigenous populations with a rich culture and history confronted by imperialist ambition, and dreams of the Pacific under a European banner that were promoted by settlers with the support of their home governments. Kingdoms such as Fiji and Hawaii, alongside territories that held other forms of local governance and autonomy, fell under the influence of powerful European and American nations. It was these great powers that created protectorates, colonies and dominions such as New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. At first the settlers of these European possessions stood apart from the first peoples of the Pacific, breaking promises to protect culture, history and language in the process. These were times of injustice, cruelty and enforced conformity that shaped the memory of generations, and will continue to be felt for generations to come.

This mirage of European supremacy was shattered when the great powers were challenged for Pacific hegemony by rival imperialist Japan. At first, the settler governments in Canberra and Wellington alike saw the fall of the Pacific as impossible - the Allied Powers were entrenched in fortified garrisons and coastal strongholds across the region, from which the British Royal Navy would defend its colonies and dominions. Then Singapore fell, and in an instant faith in British and French protection was forever broken as the Southern Pacific was left to fend for itself. While the European Empires and their colonies would survive the conflict, they would never again be able to retain their hold on the region.

The war had also brought the Pacific peoples together. Aboriginal, Māori, Papuan, Pacific Islanders, and European Australian & New Zealanders fought side by side in the conflict, exposing artifical social barriers imposed by an antiquated colonist system. By 1950, with the long war in Europe and in Asia at an end, the newly independent dominions of Australia and New Zealand began to conduct talks with communities across Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia on issues of trade and cooperation to rebuild after the conflict. While this originally started as little more then a customs union it quickly became the foundation of the nation of Australasia. A series of defensive pacts, political arrangements, and even a singular Pacific Currency were implemented by 1972 which paved they way for the Australasian Charter in 1975. This Charter would sever the final links between the acceding states and Europe, establishing one independent federal republic in the region under the nation of Pacific Australasia. Not all European colonies were allowed to join the new nation peacefully; New Caledonia and French Polynesia were prevented from doing so by the government of the Franco-British Union, leading to tensions that still exist to this day, whilst Vanuatu emerged triumphant only after tremendous struggle against interference by London and Paris. Additionally, many Pacifican territories were unable to sever links with the West Coast of North America for similar reasons.

With the new state established, the process of integration and nation-building commenced. To a degree this process continues today, with indigenous peoples of some areas in the Pacific still campaigning to exercise the rights and protections to which they are entitled in the founding Charter. The state operated economy and a military capable of standing up to most regional powers have been able to support this fragile multicultural nation as it set roots across the Pacific. Today, the Australasian nation stands as a prosperous republic that represents what can be achieved through regional unity. While the nation has challenges ahead of it ranging from an energy crisis, economic inefficiency, opposition to nuclear testing, to the question of what will become of the occupied Pacifian Islands, many are hopeful that Pacific Premier Muldoon will lead the nation forward into a bright and stable future...

Creaking heard across the Pacific as Australasian economy stagnates

Officials continue to navigate uncertain waters as the final quarterly economic measures for 1989 were formally tabled today. Although no confirmed statistics have been released, most analysts are already tempering expectations. One commentator based in Canberra made the following grim warning;

The Australasian economy is fundamentally dependent upon a strong Trans-Tasman axis. That axis has been sustained for forty years through expanded mining and agriculture, reliable oil imports, and a guaranteed export market in the Franco-British Union. But an endless series of accessions to our federation across three vast realms – Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia – has swelled our population to around twenty-five million. Our welfare state was designed during the Great Depression, and is simply unable to operate effectively across a thousand remote islands. If oil prices rise before new hydro facilities and improved consumption measures are introduced in 1993, I think we are going to have to have a conversation about how long full employment is considered sustainable.

Pacific Parliamentarians have sought to downplay such alarmist rhetoric by pointing to new schemes designed to refine Australasian internal migration requirements, oil import and agricultural export contacts recently signed with the Soviet Union, and potentially untapped industries across the federation. Some have gone further, expressing beliefs that dependence on Australia and New Zealand is a flawed argument;

Australia is the economic engine room, that’s true, but we have yet to realize the true benefits of Pacific regionalism. A unique opportunity to connect our people across vast distances with the latest technologies, to legislate towards common goals for regional prosperity, and bring about progress by local people for their own benefit rather than profits for foreign-owned conglomerates. For more than a century the former settler colonies raced ahead, but this is a decade in which indigenous peoples will assert their equal right to determine the fate of our federation, and their own destiny. Pacific Australasia is envisioned as a genuine partnership, so let us face these troubles together.

Australasia opposes nuclear proliferation, pledges to protect Pacific peoples

Loud chants could be heard reverberating through Australasia’s major cities today as protestors voiced opposition to nuclear proliferation. Organizers of the largest demonstration successfully brought together thousands of participants in Auckland - the multicultural ‘capital of the Pacific’ – and issued a clear call to action directed at French Polynesia.

The most recent French nuclear test was in November, and we hope that today’s protest will show our Pan-Pacific movement has not lost momentum over the holiday period. We do not accept false assurances that these underground detonations are safe, and hope that our government will demand full access to both Fangataufa and Moruroa atolls to conduct radiation readings and structural assessments. We worry for the safety of Tahitians, and condemn the prolongment of nuclear abuse under colonialism. President Mitterrand, we urge you to immediately denuclearise, grant New Caledonia and French Polynesia independence, end your nation’s campaign of state-sponsored terrorism, and pay reparations to all affected parties.

The Pacific Australasian Parliament banned nuclear weapons and nuclear propelled-vessels from its territory between 1985 and 1988 following a successful non-governmental campaign against surface detonations in French Polynesia, and civilian protest flotillas continue to operate from Australasian ports. Whilst the demands of today’s protesters have not been adopted as government policy, officials are believed to be preparing a new series of diplomatic and military efforts aimed at enforcing the nation’s nuclear free maritime borders, and raising the issue in correspondence with both Soviet and Franco-British Union envoys in the coming weeks.

[Orostan]

POLITICAL LIFE IN THE USSR

While the Soviet Union is typically viewed as repressive by outsiders, it is not seen as such by those who live in it (for the most part). Under Stalin where the method of politics that has defined Soviet political life began criticism of government and economic officials was encouraged even during the war when newspapers could be found still filled with criticism over inefficient management or other problems impeding the effort to win the war. However the meaning of "freedom of speech" in the USSR is not the same as it is in liberal countries like Poland. Criticism is expected to serve a specific purpose, and criticism aimed against the essential features of the Soviet system like socialized industry is discouraged. While strictly speaking advocating for a return to capitalism or being a reactionary is not illegal itself anti-communists walk a fine line and risk stepping over legal boundaries should their condemnation of Soviet power be too aggressive or 'unproductive'. Other parties including reactionary white guardist ones were made legal in 1968 with a decision many Soviet citizens disagreed with but almost all are obscure organizations. The most popular alternative to the CPSU is the "Social Democratic Party of the Soviet Union" which occupies only a few seats in local soviets and even then is only fleeting in its presence. There are however a large number of independent candidates who have won higher political power in the Supreme Soviet or even stood on the USSR's Presidium but they too have always compromised a small minority of seats there. Openly separatist political parties or parties that seek the end of the USSR as a single state are, of course, very illegal.

The Supreme Soviet unlike western legislative bodies does not engage in the typical political fighting that parliaments are known for. Instead, following the principle of democratic centralism, a discussion is had over some law long before it reaches the Supreme Soviet and by the time it is ready to be voted on it has already been widely accepted - the vote is a confirmation. A law that would be rejected never even reaches the Supreme Soviet. It is the same for Soviet elections where candidates are selected for the ballot by public meeting and then elected in a vote which is basically a confirmation. Sometimes independent candidates are selected, but almost all of the time a Communist is selected. The average Soviet citizen usually can attend at least one of their district's meeting for the selection of deputies in one of many public buildings and is encouraged to by the government. The real power of these elections however is not in the candidates themselves who meet only infrequently, but in their ability to select the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet which does almost all of the actual governing in the USSR. The Soviet system actually places less power in the hands of individual leaders than many western systems but the governing philosophy and laws of the USSR ensure that power can be used more efficiently than in many western systems.

It should also be said that the CPSU is much more selective in its membership than it once was. The loosening of direct political control over most of society that attracted careerists has functioned to both improve the quality of the average CPSU member and direct criticism towards local authorities and individual Communist Party members rather than the entire party which is well regarded by the Soviet population, especially the older generations. The incorporation of more than a hundred million Chinese citizens in Xinjiang and North China have led to the addition of large numbers of Chinese Communists into the party with different ideas on what the role of the Communist Party is. Post-war movement of Chinese laborers to European soviet cities for rebuilding has created bases for the Chinese section of the CPSU even in Moscow and Leningrad, and that branch of the CPSU enjoys a considerable level of autonomy due to it carrying the trust of the Chinese people and its indispensable function as an intermediary between Moscow and the Chinese population. It is made even more valuable and influential through its influence over the People's Government of North China which if formally integrated into the USSR would add well over two hundred million people to it.

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SMALL PROTEST IN MOSCOW OVER "CLIMATE CHANGE", FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS IT WILL ATTEND DANUBIAN CONFERENCE

In Red Square this evening there was a gathering of some two or three hundred people, mostly students and youth, asking the government to use its role in the world to advocate for the reduction of carbon emissions and other gas emissions deemed harmful to the atmosphere. The protest lasted several hours and dispersed and involved students from a number of higher education institutions and young workers and although their cause was not popular an association of students that participated in the demonstration announced their intention to demonstrate again next week. Associations in Leningrad and Stalingrad have made similar statements although there seems to be no support for such protests in the Chinese SSRs, neither in Xinjiang or North China. These protests take place as the government of Danubia declares its intention to host a conference to address concerns about increases in global temperature. The Soviet Union has in the past linked the promotion of the "global warming" theory to the propagation of neo-malthusian thought. All of the early promoters of this issue have been western and many have advocated for policies directed at reducing the global population or otherwise limiting growth. Recent studies including those by soviet scientists have however given some credibility to the idea that the global climate is gradually warming although fears about population growth outstripping food supply have been thoroughly discredited. The Danubian conference invitation came without any preconditions or required commitments and as such the Foreign Ministry has announced that the USSR will attend the conference but has given no indication the Soviet Union plans to commit to anything or is in agreement with the severity of the climate change issue. As climate change is caused by the atmosphere's retention of heat in the "greenhouse" effect, the emissions of gas such as carbon dioxide and methane are those the west will most likely seek to restrict. GOSPLAN says...

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SOVIET UNION LEADS WORLD IN SPACE EXPLORATION

The USSR's Mir space station is the largest artificial object ever put in space and represents a great accomplishment for humanity and the socialist system. The ninth mission to Mir, Soyuz TM-9 will launch next month and carries only crew to manage the station's scientific experiments. Instead of the reliable Soyuz, the future missions to Mir may be done with the new Buran spacecraft which is a reusable space plane launched on the also new Energia super heavy-lift rocket system. The Buran was tested in 1988 successfully and preformed a successful launch and landing completely automatically - a first for any craft of its type. Buran is completely reusable, but unfortunately Energia is not. The scientific advantage that will be enjoyed with this partially reusable system is immense and will allow Mir to be expanded beyond its present size. In the future Mir may become an orbital base for future missions to the moon and Buran will be an essential part of that Mir expansion. The Buran's capability to carry larger payloads means that the military value of the system is very high, a fact sure to be noticed in the west. This has caused the Soviet government to reiterate that its space program is for the purposes of peaceful exploration and "self-defense" only. The next flight of Buran is expected in...

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SECURITY TIES STRENGTHENED WITH DECCAN AS PART OF YEAR 2000 STRATEGY

The Deccan Confederacy is seen by the Soviet Union as an important economic partner in India and the sale of weapons for the Deccan's defense is also seen as important to protect Soviet interests from Iran which shares a long and dangerous border with the USSR. The golden age of Iranian-Soviet relations during the seventies only lengthened that border when Iran solved the Afghan problem in exchange for the USSR solving its Azerbaijan problem. Because of much cooler relations caused by Iran's realignment towards the west and backing of terrorists in Soviet Turkmenistan, the Soviet foreign policy strategy for the next decade calls for a "strengthening of economic and security ties" between the USSR and the Indian states, especially the Deccan and Punjab which have both been armed by the USSR. The non-aligned Indian states of Gujarat, Sindh and Rajputana have benefited from good relations with the USSR as well though perhaps not as much as their larger neighbors. In recent decades the Soviet Union has had a growing economic relationship with the Deccan as well with its textile factories clothing Soviet people and Soviet steel building the Deccan's cities. In the future the Deccan's trade with the USSR may grow to...

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[Arela]

The Andes Times

Sanchez proposes economic ties with Chile and Argentina

January 5, 1990

A crowded street in Lima

Ever since the War of the Pacific, Andea has found itself surrounded by a hostile Buenos Aires-Brasilia Axis. The post-war situation was made even more precarious as Andea's alliance with Chile slowly dissipated over the years. However, with the war having ended 107 years ago, the new generation of Andeans have become increasingly receptive to mending ties with their neighbors and turning over a new leaf.

In an effort to boost the Andean economy, President Sanchez proposed free-trade agreements with Chile and Argentina, which would abolish all tariffs for consumer and capital goods over the course of five years. Additionally, Sanchez stated that he would be open on discussing agricultural policy. However, the President also made it clear the necessity of protecting the livelihoods of Andean farmers.

In the final part of his address, Sanchez claimed that Andeans would welcome foreign investment from Argentina and Chile with open arms. However, it's uncertain whether foreign investment from those countries will ever materialize, even if the free-trade agreements are signed. Historically, foreign companies have been unwilling to invest in Andea. Despite the liberal reforms of the past two decades, Andea remains the poorest country in South America with a GDP per capita of $910. Sanchez skirted the issue, talking about Andea's "untapped potential."

Andea to crack down on tax evasion

Avante, which gained a super-majority in Parliament due to its anti-corruption message, was quick to enact its first anti-corruption bill. This entailed the creation of the National Superintendence of Tax Administration (SUNAT). The SUNAT will give the federal government control of enforcing taxes and customs, instead of the current byzantine tax collection system which allows for the bribing of local officials.

[Puertollano]

Government secures $8bn arms deal with the FBU

The government of Gran Colombia has secured an $8bn (Dieppen currency) arms deal with the Franco-British Union following negotiations through the embassy in Bogota. The Minister of Defence, Héctor Lain, accompanied with the Gran Colombian ambassador for the FBU announced this purchase earlier today in a press conference to both national and international media. Minister Lain said that "the purchase represents a major development in the advancements of the capacity of our national armed forces, air forces and special operations units." The Minister continued to say that: "President Espinar thanks the Franco-British Union for their cooperation in military matters, the beginning of which, we hope, is a long and fruitful relationship with our European partners." While the exact numbers have not been disclosed to the media, it is believed that the Gran Colombian government has purchased significant units of portable anti-aircraft weapons, main battle tanks, armoured-personnel carriers and multi-role aircraft.

Ruling Coalition's National Convention concludes after heated weekend

The ruling coalition of Gran Colombia, the National Reconstruction Initiative, has concluded its annual National Convention last weekend. The party, which was founded by President Espinar a year after his successful military coup in 1976, has significant sway over the direction of government, with its delegates appointed by key party figures (many of whom were integral in the initial military revolt). Over the conventions weekend, the party loyal were spoken to by the President himself, declaring that "the National Reconstruction Initiative's goals still must be met. There is a feeling among the public that we have lagged in recent years in providing a wealthy and prosperous nation - the exact premise of our Initiative is improving our economy and building a future for Gran Colombian families." The President of the National Reconstruction Initiative echoed the President's message not long after, with an hour long speech blasting what he called "careerist younglings who seek only fame and fortune, and who did not spill their blood for the defeat of the communists during the Civil War." The dividing lines within the ruling coalition itself have been drawn starkly - a dying old guard who had helped Espinar grab hold of power, and a younger guard who are the children of the industry and military's elite who see their time power being taken from them by older members refusing to leave their positions in government and society. The most major proposal that passed through the National Convention over the weekend was the request for government to refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the CSA's claim over Panama, arguing historical ties to Gran Colombia. Another lesser important proposal was an affirmation of the coalition's "undivided and undying loyalty for President Fabian Espinar".

[Lendenburgh]

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January 13th, 1990

Religious tensions continue to mount- Danubian Congress votes to dissolve the High People's Court
In the face of many clergy, mostly from the Czech and Slovak republics, calling for a schism from the Catholic Church, the official decision has been made to temporarily dissolve the High Court- which would mediate such a dispute with the other republics. The Slovene SSR has already passed an act which would put the republic's stamp of approval on any church that wished to withdraw from communion with Avignon, while not making a blanket decision. In contrast, the Austrian and Hungarian SSR's have forbidden any church calling itself Catholic from undertaking a schism, while the Slovak and Czech SSR's have mandated a schism for Catholic churches within their borders.

In response to the vastly disparate opinions across the nation, many religious leaders are expected to meet in Prague later this week. Additionally, a plenary meeting of the Danubian Congress has been scheduled at the behest of the Slovene President to discuss an amendment to the Praecipua, the nations' fundamental declaration on human rights, to include religious freedoms and a separation of church and state explicitly. The Old Guard of Nagy's Hungarian Socialist Party has always been associated with the Catholic church, meaning this rift could bring political consequences in the next elections.

High Speed Cargo Line to be constructed from border with Italy to Odessa
Though high-speed passenger lines run through the Carpathians, most cargo infrastructure which can avoid Romania in cross-Danubian transport comes from the Austro-Hungarian era. The Hungarian SSR has devoted nearly $1bn to improvements on cargo lines throughout Carpathia, while the Danubian Congress has agreed to jointly fund a new high speed connection from Maribor to Trieste and Vienna. Not only will these projects cut down on travel times for goods and passengers, they will also serve to bolster the defensive capabilities of the Triumvirate, and improve logistics across the board. The Space Assembly Center near Győr will also be connected to the line, allowing for parts assembled in Hungary to be brought to the Triumvirates launch facilities much more quickly.

Paks Nuclear Power Plant to receive 2 additional reactors
Funding cuts to AeroDanubia as rail subsidies increase
Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" Hits #1

[Lendenburgh]

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January 17th, 1990

Defenestration!

Prague, CZ
The ecumenical council summoned by Catholic leaders from across the country has literally come crashing down. Earlier today, many observers reported seeing several men being thrown out of the window of the City Hall in the Old Quarter of Prague. The police confirmed that the bodies belonged to prominent religious officials who had been attending the meeting in the City Hall, including Szabó Valentin, Archbishop of Budapest, Michael Holthusen, Bishop of Sankt-Pölten, and Stephen Riehl, Bishop of Graz-Seckau. All three of the men were implicated in the abuse scandal broken by Pravo last year, having knowledge of their subordinates' abuses of children and taking no action. Reportedly, before they fell through the window, the Archbishop of Prague had condemned them as "enemies of God" for their inaction during the abuse scandals, and their continued advocacy of church policies that are widely considered homophobic and misogynistic.

All others present at the council have been taken into police custody, however the regional prosecutor for Prague District says their preliminary investigation turned up "no evidence of foul play," and that charges "most likely will not be brought in these accidental deaths."

The Archdiocese of Prague has published a Bull announcing their Schism from the Papal Church in Avignon:

Exurge Domine,
Arise, O Lord, and judge your own cause. Listen to our prayers, for foxes have arisen seeking to destroy the vineyard whose winepress you alone have trod. We beseech you also, Paul, to arise. It was you that enlightened and illuminated the Church by your doctrine and by a martyrdom like Peter’s. For now a new Porphyry rises who, as the old once wrongfully assailed the holy apostles, now assails the holy pontiffs, our predecessors. Let all this holy Church of God, I say, arise, and with the blessed apostles intercede with almighty God to purge the errors of His sheep, to banish all heresies from the lands of the faithful, and be pleased to maintain the peace and unity of His holy Church. Such were the words written by Pope Leo X to prevent the protestant destruction of God's Church on Earth. Again, His Church stands threatened by the unfaithful, those who would use his words to pursue sin. Again, we rebuke this heresy. Again, O Lord, we call upon you to cast your light upon your children.

[Nowa Polonie]

STRAIJK KOBIET - WOMEN'S STRIKE



''MY BODY - MY DECISION'', ''THE POLISH WOMAN IS NOT YET DEAD'', ''FREEDOM AND RIGHTS'' - Polish women have assembled in huge numbers in response to the growing international scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church. As it feels to some that the very foundations of Poland's moral bedrock are shaken as the authority of the Church is grievously injured, traditional feminist grievances have been super-charged by a new flood of voices calling for the Church to be held accountable for historic abuse.

The woman's place within the Roman Catholic Church has, historically, been one subordinate to its male members - the role of children, to be subordinate to adults. It was not always so - once the Mother of God herself was considered a leader within the Early Church, one looked to for guidance and leadership by men now known to theologians as the ''Church Fathers''. This inequity has brought injustice, it has brought shame upon the Church, and it has brought grief - and now, as people around the world truly begin to learn the scale of the historic abuse that has taken place within 'God's Church', their grief has turned into burning anger.

The Catholic Church has ever been popular in Poland - more than half of its population regularly attends Mass, it is the home of some of the most historic cathedrals and monasteries that remain in Europe, and a Pole currently sits upon the Pontifical Throne. This has all now been thrown into question; the 'Women's Strike' movement has asked of all women to abstain from Mass until the Church responds, and many of them are bringing their husbands and children with them too. While Poland is politically secular, its people have remained devoutly faithful, and while this has not, and likely will not change, the dearth in the attendance of Church attendance and donations threatens to utterly undermine the spiritual authority of the Catholic Church in Poland.



The case of the former priest known only as ''Jan A.'' has rocked the Polish nation - accused of innapropriate contact with girls as young as seven years old. The outcry has been immediate, intensified by revelations that actions were taken within the Church to conceal abuse and move problematic priests to different parishes, rather than to allow secular authorities to punish them.

In the Polish Sejm, immediate legislation has been brought forward to increase the length of sentencing for crimes such as pedophilia to as many as thirty-five years, but many say this is insufficient - lawmakers, the public, and even reformers within the Church are demanding of Poland's bishops, arch-bishops and cardinals to move towards complete transparency in the Church's conduct, and to appeal to the Pontiff himself to address the issues that are tearing apart the Church from the inside. With news of a schism within the neighbouring Czech Republic of the Danubian Confedaration, there are real fears within the leadership of the Polish Church that unless they move immediately towards a complete over-haul in the Church's attitudes and behaviour, that its place, ultimately, will be in Poland's past history, rather than in its future.

[Grandes Terres]

21st January 1990

Government launches SNCV to construct two new cities within the 'empty diagonal', announces new immigration programme

Today the government announced the single largest urban development plan in French history, detailing two new cities which are to be built from the ground up and strategically located in some of the most underpopulated regions of the 'empty diagonal', a region of France stretching from the Belgian border to the Atlantic that has significantly lower population density and lower economic activity than the rest of France. The aim of bringing large, prosperous cities to these regions is to stimulate economic and population growth. In order for these cities to be populated and not just sit empty, the government has announced an unprecedented and ambitious plan to bring 1 million French-speaking immigrants into the country over the next 10 years as the two cities are built. These immigrants, the majority of whom will likely come from Françafrique, will be granted French citizenship for themselves and their family on the condition that they must maintain their primary residence within the new city they are assigned to for 25 years after their arrival. The goal is for each city to have a population of 500,000 each, hence 1 million immigrants will gradually be accepted as both cities gradually expand. The cities will not be exclusively made up of immigrants as the government accepts that this would cause disunity within French society and isolationism within the cities, so French nationals are also being encouraged to register interest in living in the new cities, where they will receive tax breaks and lowered utility bills for the first 25 years of residency. The aim of the programme is to create "Truly multicultural cities in some of the most sparsely populated regions of France, to help build the local economies and populations of these regions overall and a create more well-balanced demographics across France as a whole. As French sociologist and philosopher Auguste Comte famously said, "Demography is Destiny".

The locations of the two planned cities are described as "a city equidistant between Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand, and a city equidistant between Troyes and Clermont-Ferrand". These equidistant locations were chosen as they match the trajectory of the 'empty diagonal' and are both situated in open farmland appropriate for planning out a city. The naming of the northern city sat between Troyes and Clermont-Ferrand has been decided, with the city being named 'Fourmis' after the stream which flows through the area. Similarly, the southern city, located between Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand, has been named 'Lacluse' after the local stream and small hamlet in the area. In terms of urban design, a radial city grid has been decided on to structure the cities, inspired by the radial grid of Paris, but with greater accuracy and symmetry in the grid thanks to more modern construction and planning methods. Each city will have its own airport and high speed rail terminal, as well as state of the art public services and amenities such as a water park, cinemas, zoo, universities and tram systems to make the cities more attractive places to live and raise a family.

Map showing the locations of Fourmis and Lacluse in relation to France:

[Puertollano]

Espinar visits Andea, Argentina and Brazil

President Fabian Espinar of the Republic of Gran Colombia has concluded his tour of South America - meeting with the leaders of Andea, Argentina and Brazil. He began his journey visiting the countries southern neighbour of Andea, the President ingratiating himself with the new government of Alejandro Sanchez and his Avante party. The two leaders engaged in high-level negotiations, though the details of the negotiations naturally remained secret, a common thread that was found throughout the President's engagements across the South American continent. Following his meeting with President Sanchez, Espinar and his wife reportedly stayed at one of Andea's premier hotels for celebrities and foreign dignitaries before leaving the next morning for the Brazilian Empire. However, on his transit to the airport, the President was picketed by Gran Colombian expats, many of whom were victims or were the families of victims of the governments repression during the 1970s and 1980s. His meetings in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia with the Brazilian Emperor similarly went well, according to the Gran Colombian embassy in Brazil. "The Emperor and the President met at length, for hours, building our bilateral relations stronger than ever," the ambassador said to local media. The Gran Colombian charm offensive across South America concluded in the Argentine Kingdom - President Fabian Espinar meeting with the King of Argentina, re-affirming their mutual trust and peaceful relations. Following the end of the meetings between the President and the King, along with their officials, Espinar gifted the King a silver Morion helmet, commemorating the Argentine's Kingdom 180th anniversary.

Cabinet approves new laws while President away

During the President's official visits to Andea, Brazil and Argentina, the Council of Ministers approved new laws to be enacted immediately. The most important motion that was passed through the Council of Ministers, with the explicit support of President Espinar prior to leaving the country, was tabled by Defence Minister Héctor Lain. The new law grants the President sweeping new powers to give small arms to 'approved individuals' and 'approved organisations'. The motion, labelled the 'Anti-Narco Self-Defence Act', will allow the central government to give weapons to citizens who they deem appropriate to combat 'threats to the Republic of Gran Colombia' as per the wording of the Act. The Defence Minister said that "this is a major step in curtailing the influence of the drug cartels within the country, by arming well-intentioned citizens to combat the scourge of drugs" in the country. Another procedural motion that passed through the Council of Ministers was a waive on environmental approvals for new petroleum extraction, particularly in the state of Venezuela.

[Arela]

The Andes Times

Sanchez announces enlarged defense budget

January 30, 1990

The Andean Air Force has 35 F-15s

After two decades of atrophy under Liberal administrations, Sanchez has called for a renewed and strengthened Andean military. Under the 1990 Defense Authorization Act, defense spending will be gradually raised from 0.67% of GDP to 2.8% of GDP over the course of four years. Sanchez has stated that the defense buildup will be paid for by the crackdown on tax evasion by the newly created SUNAT.

As part of the military reorganization plans, Andea will create the Home Guard. The Guard will be responsible for protecting local authorities, critical facilities, and checkpoints across Andea. It will also handle disaster relief and organize guerilla groups in case of foreign occupation. The Guard will be comprised of 57,000 reservists, who will receive 31 days of military training per year.

Notably, Andea was once a member of the now-defunct Alliance of Free Nations, an alliance that included tech sharing with Pacifica. Additionally, during the Colombian narco-socialist insurgency, Andea was courted with generous financial assistance from the AFN, allowing the acquisition of a far more capable military than Andea's economy would suggest. However, the Pacifican Civil War led to an abrupt end to economic and technological assistance, leading to significant degradation of equipment due to the lack of maintenance.

Although the Pacifican Civil War is now thankfully over, the conflict has shown the dangers of relying exclusively on one power for military hardware. As a result, President Sanchez has called for renewed efforts in domestic military production. Domestic production will focus on spare parts needed for maintenance, and small and small and portable weapon systems, such as firearms and Stingers. However, while production of firearms can be set up rather quickly by modernizing existing factories, complex systems like Stingers will strain Andean manufacturing, and domestic production of such advanced systems is expected to start in the mid-2000s.

Sanchez also stated that Andea would look towards foreign countries for maintaining and modernizing its weapon systems. Without financial assistance from the AFN, Andea is unlikely to acquire new weapon systems for quite some time. Rather, Andea will focus on modernizing and salvaging its existing weapon systems for the time being. Even so, large parts of Andea's military will have to be mothballed, as properly maintaining them without AFN assistance is not feasible.

The reorganization plan calls for the mothballing of 80% of Andea's terrestrial vehicles, leaving Andea with 146 tanks and 552 armored vehicles. Half of Andea's navy will also be mothballed, leaving behind 7 frigates and 6 submarines. The Andean Air Force will be the least affected, with Congress hoping to keep all its F-15s fully operational. Even so, Andea's helicopter fleet will be reduced by 35%, down to 83 helicopters.

[Georgian Kingdom]

Violence erupts in a Border City

January, 1990

Gunfire and burning vehicles in the Arab border city of Basrah led the Haashimi authorities to impose curfew in the city on Wednesday.

Located on the Iran-Arab border, the gunfire erupted in the city late Tuesday after the arrest of a leader of one faction of the Shia militia,- the Federation's most bloodthirsty group. Suspected militia members opened fire and hijacked and burned vehicles, apparently in retaliation for the arrest.

The Royal Security Services declared a state of emergency in the city which is located near the Iran border.

There were reports the city hall building was hit by gunfire.Arab Federation's Minister of Security Services Hakeem al-Nayaz said, “We have raised our grave concerns about these incidents and the safety and security of our employees directly with his Majesty Sheikh Al Jameel.”

The Hashimi Royal army said that the suspect was the leader of a Shia separatist group known as “The Knights of Revolution.” They are an extremely violent and heavily-armed group of separatists who are sympathizers of the Shia doctorine common in neighboring Iran. One of the militia's aims is to overhtrow the current Hashimi monarchy and establish a republic in the Arab Federation based on the Twelver Shia clergy rule. It is believed that most of the group's supplies are smuggled across the Arab-Iran border into the Federation.

The suspect, who reportedly had three illegal AK-74 rifles when he was detained, faces charges of homicide and terrorism in the Arab Federation.

Federation's cooperation with the Trimarium.

The Arab Federation is eager to boost economic cooperation with the member states of Triumarium. The Hashimi king Sheikh al-Jameel said the Arab-Trimarium relations are deep-rooted and unshakable. Damascus wants to be a “prosperity partner” of the Trimarium in economic cooperation.King al-Jameel said that his country is very flexible in economic cooperation with other countries and noted as an example that the petroleum industry in northern Syria and southern Iraq areas is developping at a faster rate with various investments. After meeting with his Polish counterpart, the king said that the Trimarium is ready to invest into our petro-chemical indsutries with a contract-ensuring equitable profit sharing as well as "immediate reinvestment of a fixed portion of the revenue from the resulting profits" into various public welfare sectors in the Arab Federation with a special focus on women's rights. Also, the king pledged to maintain high standards when it comes to Tramarium-built oil wells trying to meet "initial high quality and ecology criteria" to avoid ecological damage from the oil.

King Al-Jameel talking about the Trimarium-Arab Cooperation

[Puertollano]

Military mobilizes in "fight against drug traffickers"

Defence Minister Héctor Lain announced today that the military has been mobilized across the country to being the "fight against drug traffickers." The Armed Forces of the Republic of Gran Colombia, as well as the Air Force, has been moved into the Departments of Chocó and Antioquia as part of this mobilization, after the military was notified by the very top of the chain of command. Although no specific time or date has been given, the Defence Minister said that this operation against drug traffickers in northern Gran Colombia will end "only weeks" after it begins. This move comes after President Fabian Espinar returns from his visits to the other South American states on the continent. Though he has not been seen to comment on the matter as of yet, the mobilizations of the army has received unconditional support from the major news channels in Gran Colombia, all of which are either run by the state or heavily influenced by the National Reconstruction Initiative and those close to President Espinar. There are no current reliable estimates on how many soldiers have been mobilized in these Departments, however, estimates put it at nearly 200,000 so far, with an additional 50,000 arriving within the next day. The overall logistics of the operation have been overwhelming, though the government seems certain that this is required and will only be a temporary state of affairs in the nation.