Selucia

National news threads that host the key national news outlets for each of the game’s countries.

Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Polites » Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:30 am

Republican Populism Wins
Republicans return to dominance with populist message

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Inauguration of Cyprianus Tiburtius Numitor as Caesar


December 4470 - After running a strongly populist campaign, based on escalating the "natural" conflict between the people and political and economic elites, the Republican Party managed to emerge successful in the November 4469 elections and returned to the position as largest party. These elections also witnessed the collapse of Selucia's traditional two-party system, with two new contenders, the Optimates on the right and the Labor Party on the left, participating in elections for the first time and gaining around 35% of seats in the Senate between them. Although the two traditional major parties, In Marea and the Republican Party, retained their positions as the largest parties, both experienced a significant decline in their vote share. But the most unexpected surprise of the last election is the unprecedented collapse in the In Marea vote, with the former ruling party losing almost half of their votes and seats compared to the previous election. The Republican Party on the other hand, owing largely to its unorthodox "ferocious populism", lost only five percentage points of its vote share compared to the previous election and retained monopoly over its own electorate. Although the Republicans did face competition on the right from the newly-founded conservative Optimates, the Republican combination of social conservatism and economic populism allowed them to maintain their distinct yet sizable electoral niche, leaving them less vulnerable to challengers from the right compared to In Marea's vulnerability to Labor Party campaigning and allowing them to form a center-right coalition government with the Optimates. Once in government the Republican Party attempted to push through their key electoral promise: the establishment of a class-specific "People's Tribunate", a large jury selected from the poorest 90% of the population and with the power to try political and economic crimes committed by the wealthiest and most powerful citizens, and empowered to impose the death penalty for corrupt acts committed by political and economic elites. However, although the Republican campaign emphasized the establishment of popularly-judged political trials as its core message, the Republicans were unable to translate its electoral win into policy, as the proposal to establish the People's Tribunate encountered unanimous opposition in the Senate. Regardless, given that the party's Plebeian Republicanism proved to be a winning electoral message, it is likely that the Bousaid-Numitor administration will continue to emphasize its populist credentials, internal opposition from the Optimates notwithstanding.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aquinas » Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:21 pm

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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aquinas » Thu Oct 18, 2018 2:50 pm

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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Sisyphus » Thu Oct 18, 2018 2:57 pm

New Party Pushes For Political Change To Help Selucia Realise Its Greatness
Controversial Law Proposed To Replace Established Dual-Consular System of Government

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Senator Quintus Viridius Fabianus proposing the contentious Lex de Princeps Civitatis.

August 4471 A new political voice has emerged in Selucia with the aim of challenging the establishment and encouraging fundamental changes to the current system of government.

The Party of National Unity (Factio Unitatis Patriae) has won its first seat in the Senate following a by-election in the southern district of the city of Sadarium. Party founder Quintus Viridius Fabianus immediately unveiled his plans for change by proposing the Lex de Princeps Civitatis in his inaugural speech.

His party believes that the current dual-consular system, comprising of the Consul Populi and the Caesar, should be replaced with a single head of government that he refers to as the Princeps Civitatis.

Senator Fabianus told senators: "Selcuia has the potential to be the economic powerhouse of southern Terra and to have a much greater diplomatic influence on international affairs - but we are stalling.

"I would argue that the main factor that holds us back is the dual consul system - two people sharing imperium is not synonymous with an efficient approach to policy making. I have heard all the arguments about checks and balances and the need for reciprocal veto, but from what I can see for too many years it has been nothing more than checks, obstacles and political posturing.

"Therefore, I propose a constitutional amendment that would see the existing roles of Caesar and Consul Populi merged into one - a single, elected head magistrate who would oversee the republic, direct the executive, guide policymaking in the senate and would be our sole commander-in-chief... a Princeps Civitatis.

"One government, one democratically-elected head of the republic and a unified approach to policy making. That surely is the way forward for our republic, for national unity and for greatness."

In response, the Princeps Senatus, Albertus Laelius Pomponius, argued that the checks and balances between the two heads of the executive were not as disruptive has claimed and that the dispersal of power it created was necessary.

Senator Pomponius added: "Without our bicephalous executive the head of state risks becoming nothing other than a Dictator, an office so hated we have abolished it centuries ago. The Senator's proposal is, ultimately, a solution in search of a problem."

In its manifesto the NUP also aims to be a champion of big government, to introduce more robust national security and law and order policies and to promote the monotheistic approach of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church over and above the polytheistic Religio Seluciana.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:34 pm

Clash between the Government and the Senate
The President of the Camera prevents the processing of a law prepared by the Government that would stablish classes in the Selucian society

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Adia Pastora, presiding over the Selucian Senate

The conflict after the results of the 4473 elections in Selucia has not been slow to emerge in this legislature, staged between the government and the Senate. The Princeps Senatus, Adia Pastora (IMCS), has paralyzed the processing of a regulation that would approve the division of the society of Selucia into classes, presented by the government led by Factio Republicana. The president, citing conflicts with the Constitution of the nation, has decided to appeal the law to the Supreme Court of Selucia, which is currently in the process of electing its new members for the period 4474-4494.

From In Marea-Civis Sinistram, winner of the last elections but has not had the possibility of forming a left-wing government with Pars Laborem and has continued in the opposition, it has been criticized that a party that includes in its own name the mention of a republic, intend to divide society into classes, seconding the attitude of the Princeps Senatus.

"Although Mrs. Pastora's performance simply responds to the responsibilities of her position, from In Marea we fully support this measure and we hope it will not go further. As Republicans and leftists, we find it extremely difficult to believe and assume that at this point, there is still some parties that think that we are not the same and that therefore our society should be divided into social classes, and it is even more difficult for us to believe that such a measure comes from a party like Factio Republicana, so supportive of their own "Republic", which for years we have been seeing their true colors.To believe that today's society needs to be divided into classes is something totally retrograde and meaningless, which reinforces negative stereotypes and promotes inequality between individuals, and under no circumstances we will vote in favor of such barbarity "
said the Secretary General of IMCS and leader of the opposition, Helios Sigilis. It is expected that the ruling of the Supreme Court will be known by next year, after the appointment of the new judges and their decision.

Uncertain future for Anthea Galanou
The great fall of her party in the regional elections of Insularia place her in a difficult position

Anthea Galanou, Praetor of Insularia from 4441 to 4469, faces the most difficult challenge of her political career.

After being ousted from the leadership of the region in the elections of 4469 and announcing her passage to the opposition, the elections of 4473 have led her to a difficult position to maintain: In Marea-Insularia Sinistram has fallen to the third position, something that didn't happen since 4386, and it is not necessary even to give stability to the regional government, since Pars Laborem has obtained an absolute majority of 80 seats over 150.

Although from the party they ask for calm, the loss of the government of a region that has been in the hands of In Marea from the 4387 of uninterrupted form until the past elections, and the fall in votes in these elections, makes difficult the continuity of the regional secretary at the leadership of the party.

"It is true that in politics everything is mobile and we can not predict what will happen in the next elections, but Anthea is amortized,"
said a veteran regional senator.

"The population of Insularia welcomed the defense of the powers of the region against the case of Deltaria, and Anthea has done many good things for this region, but it has been years, and in politics either you renew or die. Anthea during these last legislatures has maintained a low profile and has little legislated despite enjoying great absolute majorities, and that, when new parties appear on the left, is synonymous of disaster "
said another senator, concerned about the loss of votes.

The regional secretary for the time being has remained silent and has not ruled about her future, but many rumors point to her jump to national politics as Secretary General or, more likely, Princeps Senatus, which would move the current leader of the Senate to the General Secretariat and Helios Sigilis, current secretary, as a strong candidate to recover the Insularian region.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:03 pm

The friendly face of the political left
The former member of the Insularia regional court has been re-elected Consul after finishing second in the first round
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With the current environment of political tension in Selucia between the confrontation of the left (In Marea-Civis Sinistram and Pars Laborem) and right blocks (Factio Republicana and Factio Unitatis Patriae), it is rare to find a calm and friendly person who tries to build bridges . That is the mission carried out by Fulvia Arusa (Victoria, Insularia, 4401), former member of the Insularian Regional Court and Leader of In Marea-Civis Sinistram since 4459. Elected for her fourth term in these elections after defeating Factio Republicana's candidate, Cyprianus Tiburtius Numitor, in the second round, who had the support of Factio Unitatis Patriae and had won the first round, Mrs. Arusa has always avoided the direct confrontation and has sought consensus in her statements, always pronouncing herself in favor of individual liberties and human rights.

The candidate of In Marea, which does not hide her aversion to the political right, recognizes that she has "good contacts" with leaders from the entire political spectrum, and assumes that she can not appeal to everyone.

She recognizes that she is happy to renew her mandate a few years more, especially for having managed to overturn the electoral result and position herself as winner after starting the first round with just 27% of the vote (Numitor obtained 48% with the support of the FUP ), but giving the bell to get 53% in the second round without support from other parties.

She says that her relationship with the Caesar de Selucia, Caecilia Bousaid, is "excellent", and qualifies her as "a woman of character, who fights for what is just".

"Obviously, there are notable ideological differences between Mrs. Bousaid and I. However, I have already dealt with her for many years, and I see in her many characteristics that I recognize as my own, she is a fighter and elegant woman, who believes that she is giving the best of her, who tries to improve the lives of others, and who loves a good debate as long as it stays within the forms ".


However, she acknowledges that her relationship with the other visible head of Factio Republicana, Cyprianus Tiburtius Numitor is "practically non-existent".

"He is a person who does not inspire confidence in me, I do not think he is clear about what he wants to do, and that he simply gets carried away by the first thing he hears on the street and that he seems to have a consensus. I wouldn't debate with him, although as Consul de Selucia, it is my duty, at times, to meet with all the political leaders ".


On the result of these elections, the Consul recognizes that In Marea needs a change, but believes that its Secretary General, Helios Sigilis, is doing very well.

"I know Mr. Sigilis well, and I know that, just as at the beginning of his candidacy he managed to delude millions of citizens, he will do it again."


Finally, on the recent electoral result in Insularia, where the party led by Anthea Galanou can not raise its head, the Consul has acknowledged that, as much as it hurts, Mrs. Galanou should seriously reconsider her political future.

"Anthea has done very well during her 20 years of government in Insularia, but times change, and the last three elections have shown that the citizens of Insularia ask for something else, that she is not offering them. It's needed to make changes, and if they are not done, it should be time to step aside and make way for others who can handle the situation better. "
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Polites » Wed Oct 31, 2018 12:14 pm

Selucia Adopts Presidentialism
Constitutional amendment due to pass this year

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Princeps Senatus Cyprianus Tiburtius Numitor and Caesar Caecilia Bousaid debating the Rector bill in the Senate

January 4478 - In the largest constitutional upheaval since the founding of the Tenth Republic in 4347, Selucia is due to adopt a presidential system of government this year, abolishing the current semi-presidential constitutional arrangement and replacing the Republic's dual Consuls with a single popularly elected Rector of the Republic (Rector Rei Publicae). The constitutional amendment, introduced by Senator Quintus Viridius Fabianus of the Party of National Unity, is currently being voted on in the Senate and most observers expect this bill to gather the required 500 votes needed to implement constitutional changes, as leaders of three party groups in the Senate all announced their endorsement for the proposal. The proposed change comes as a result of the perceived instability and lack of democratic accountability experienced by Selucian semi-presidentialism, where the two executive leaders, the Consul of the People and the Caesar, have roughly equivalent powers and responsibilities, and where periods of cohabitation often lead to conflicts between the two heads of the executive and between the legislative and executive branches. The bill represents the culmination of the political efforts of Senator Fabianus, who founded his Party of National Unity in 4471 with the explicit goal of adopting a more unitary and majoritarian form of democracy and who made presidentialism a keystone of his constitutional proposals. The implementation of the Rectorate was at first seen with suspicion by all Senatorial factions, but the current conflict between Consul Arusa and Caesar Bousaid regarding the implementation of the Tiburtian Law on Classes has highlighted the in-built institutional conflict that characterizes the current Consular system, reminding Selucians of past episodes of political crisis, such as the conflict between Consul al-Mutanabbi and Caesar Nerva in 4425, the dispute between Consul Yukimura and Caesar Nerva in 4411, or the infamous 4400 political crisis, all of which the amendment's supporters believe could have been avoided had there been a single executive leadership. Most recently, during Trigunian President Petrovic's brief visit to Selucia he chose to meet exclusively with Caesar Caecilia Bousaid, circumventing Consul Fulvia Arusa who seems to not have even been informed of the planned visit.

If, as seems likely, the constitutional amendment is approved this would be the first time in modern Selucian history when the Republic experiments with a single republican head of the executive, brief periods of monarchism under various Imperators notwithstanding. As such it is not entirely obvious that the Rectoral system will prove to be a definite improvement, and many fear that, rather than enhance democracy, the amendment will instead centralize power into the hands of a single individual. Whether the various checks and balances that are part of the Selucian political system will be enough to guarantee a smooth functioning of democracy will become apparent over the following decades as the presidential system will prove its worth in the face of upcoming challenges.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Thu Nov 01, 2018 3:08 pm

Chain of resignations in In Marea
After the approval of the new law that changes the form of election of the head of State and Government and the elimination of the current positions of Consuls, the high leaders of the party announce their march
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Adia Pastora has been elected new General Secretary of In Marea-Civis Sinistram

The approval of the new law that establishes the figure of the Rector of the Republic as the only figure that encompasses the functions of head of State and Government in Selucia has opened the conflict in In Marea-Civis Sinistram, the only party of the four with representation in the Senate that opposed this law. With 196 votes, it needed a minimum of 5 more to be able to prevent the constitutional reform, which has finally come out ahead with the votes in favor of Factio Republicana, Factio Unitatis Patriae and Pars Laborem. Immediately after the result of the vote, Helios Sigilis has appeared to announce his resignation as Secretary General of the aquamarine party.

"For almost 20 years, I have had the honor of directing the decisions of this party from my position as Secretary General, but the failure of this important vote demands responsibilities, and I assume mine. From this moment, I announce my resignation, and I will let other people decide how to focus our party's national policy from now on"


After the call for new elections, with Fulvia Arusa as the only candidate to lead the country by In Marea the results obtained (26% of votes for Mrs. Arusa, 20% of votes for the party in the Senate) were charged two new victims: Anthea Galanou, regional secretary of In Marea-Insularia Sinistram, and Arusa herself.

The march of Anthea Galanou takes place after five consecutive elections without being able to recover the Praetorship of Insularia, and to continue losing voters towards Pars Laborem in the region. The new elections for regional secretary held immediately after gave the bell, with Helios Sigilis being elected as the new candidate for Praetor of Insularia and with very high expectations in it, hoping that he can work with the regional party the same miracle he did with the party at national level after his arrival at the leadership.

On the other hand, Fulvia Arusa announced that, after having lost these elections, "she did not have the strength to continue"

"I already feel older, and some quite unstable situations destabilize me mentally more than I would like, so I have decided that the best thing for me is to withdraw from the political front line"
she said in her statements, leaving the door open to possible regional candidacies or ministerial positions. However, the former Consul has taken the opportunity to criticize what, in her opinion, has been a treasonous pact between Pars Laborem and the right.

"After these elections, we were able to confirm that the candidate for Rector of the Republic of Pars Laborem, Mr. TIberius Gaius, had the support of both Factio Republicana and Factio Unitatis Patriae, which would explain why, in a totally strange way, Pars Laborem decided to vote at the last minute in favor of the abolition of the Consuls and the creation of the Rector, surely both parties offered him the possibility of supporting his candidacy in exchange for the votes. "


The Consul has had no qualms about criticizing what, in her opinion, is a "tremendous error"
"Centralizing power in the hands of a single person is never good, and it is even worse that this person, who is already the head of government and state, also has the power to propose governments, giving rise to clear ideological biases that may not clearly reflect the popular will, time to time, and we will be pulling our hair out of this disaster "


After the departure of Fulvia Arusa, the Council of the party decided in an urgent meeting to abolish the position of Leader of the party, leaving only the Secretary General as the highest figure of power, subject also to the decisions of the Council itself.

After this, the party has held primaries among its militants, of which Adia Pastora, former Princeps Senatus, has risen as the new Secretary General, in search of a new direction to give to the party and orient it in a political sea in which it has been drawing more and more and has been lost.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Sun Nov 04, 2018 5:14 pm

Document of the Internal Affairs Ministry leaked speaks of "attempted attack"
The text, sent by the Interior Minister to the Rector of the Republic, talks about the dismantling of a terrorist cell that tried to attack the Senate
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Internal Affairs Minister, Helios Sigilis, appears before the press

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Selucia, Helios Sigilis, has appeared today at a press conference to explain the leak of a document sent from his ministry to the head of the Republic of Selucia, which talks about the dismantling of a terrorist team that wanted to attack, through a series of detonations spread over a radius of 200 meters, against the building that houses the Senate of the Republic, at a time when the voting of some laws was scheduled.

The text, which indicates that
"around six fifteen in the afternoon, the police force has proceeded to the arrest and subsequent transfer to police station of a group of six people linked to radical groups, which have been commandeered the arsenal they possessed in their domicile, consisting of homemade bombs whose purpose was destined to cause uncontrolled explosions in the surroundings and the interior of the Senate of the nation.

At the moment, the purpose that the terrorists, four of Selucian origin and two with Baltusian nationality, wanted to obtain with the attack. Identified as Messenio Brutus Arian, Cadio Septimus Fulgus, Heleno Minero, Cassius Pruno, Samuel Johnson and Elliot Snear, have been brought to court and are currently being held in the high security prison of Oriensos, where they will remain until the relevant authorities so decide."


The leak of the document has provoked a quick reaction from the ministry, whose maximum representative, Minister Sigilis, has called a press conference just hours after the incident was known.

"We are facing a tremendously unfortunate event, and there will be obvious reprisals when the culprit is found. It is outrageous that such a document, sent only to the political chief of our nation, has been filtered so unconsciously, thereby endangering any investigation that is being carried out related to terrorists and also the security of the families of the detainees "
said Helios Sigilis.

"It is clear that this leakage comes from within the ministry itself, because nobody else knew of its existence, and although we still do not know what may be the reasons that led someone to perform this action, we will take appropriate action when it is discovered what happened"


In any case, the minister has avoided talking about the political or religious ideology of the terrorists, while assuring that
"the terrorist cell has been totally disarticulated and at this moment, our nation and its institutions are totally safe".


Although most of these people are unknown to the general population, one name stands out: Heleno Minero, a millionaire from Occidentria. The future of the terrorists is unknown, but after the approval by Factio Republicana and Factio Unitatis Patriae of the law authorizing the death penalty in cases of terrorism, various social groups and even members of In Marea (the Minister's party) have begun the campaign to prevent its application and retransmission on television, asking for "respect for human rights", and above all, "not to fall into barbarism and inhumane and animal-like acts such as the broadcast by public television of executions, which put the reputation of the country in question before the international community "
Last edited by Aethan on Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Polites » Sun Nov 04, 2018 5:18 pm

"Freedom is Power"
Interview with Cyprianus Tiburtius Numitor on democracy, populism, and "vulgar politics"

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February 4480 - Our reporter has conducted an interview with Cyptianus Tiburtius Numitor, one of the two co-leaders of the Republican Party, former Caesar and former Consul Populi. A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.


Interviewer: Senator Numitor, you recently stepped down from your position as Princeps Senatus. Are you planning on retiring from politics altogether?

Cyprianus Tiburtius Numitor: I have served Selucia for 27 years and I believe that, together with Caecilia Bousaid, we have achieved our main goals. It is time to let the next generation of leaders come forward and carry the Republican torch. This will in fact be my last term in the Senate. After this, it is up to the General Congress of the party to decide on its course.


I: One question any retiring polititcian probably asks themselves is what their legacy will be. You mentioned that you have achieved your political goals, but yet, you are also a very polarizing figure. In the most recent survey evaluating past Caesares Republican voters rated you at 7, while In Marea voters at only a 2. Are you not concerned that your legacy will ultimately be one of deep division?

CTN: I would be more concerned if I were to be loved by everyone! That would mean I didn't get to do anything other than be likeable and pleasing for all sides, and that would mean I have failed. I would have gotten higher scores if I'd have been seen as a figure of national unity and friendship and singing Kumbaya round the fire. But that's not why I joined politics.


I: Then why did you join?

CTN: I didn't join to bring civil concord, but discord. Being good and friendly is easy. It is much harder to be cruel and to know when to use hatred and conflict constructively. A good political leader, especially in a democracy, must learn how not to be good, and use that, or not use it, according to necessity. Previous Republican leaders have unfortunately forgotten that. They forgot the very reason why the party was founded in the first place: as a reaction against the new left goody two-shoes diversity embracing "progressivism" that is nothing but the left wing of neoliberalism. The Republican Party was founded against "Diversity Day", against transnational capital, and against that narrow-minded understanding of progress that is nothing more than a legitimizing tool for capitalism. Instead of trying to make the citizens poor and the public rich, as should be the goal in a Republic, this type of "progressivism" says it's ok if the economic differences between the rich and the poor increase, as long as the elites look more like the non-elites. Instead of asking how many women we have on the Supreme Court or how many gays are elected Praetor, we should be holding elites to account and forcing them, on pain of death, to pursue the common good.


I: You've gained a lot of notoriety by calling for "ferocious populism". What do you understand by populism and why do you think it is something that would benefit Selucia?

CTN: Populism is not an ideology or a type of regime, it is a style of politics. Populism is an essential and unavoidable outcome in regimes based on democratic principles but where the people do not in fact rule. In representative democracies majorities do not rule, they choose which elite rules over them for a certain period of time, and more often than not these elites pursue their own interests. Capitalism plus electoral politics only results in economic and political inequality. This is where populism comes in, as the cry of pain of the vulgar. As we've mentioned elsewhere, in any polity there are two main classes, those above that wish to rule, and those below that merely wish to not be ruled. And it is the latter that are the best guardians of freedom, because they are the ones that wish to be free in the first place. So this is where populism comes in; it is a reaction to the lack of effective power that the vulgar have, in spite of the best promises and high principles of the elites. And this is why we need populism. For too many years in our party we have lost our way and given to high-brow philosophizing and theorising, when in fact we should have been more vulgar and less good.


I: How does that tie in with your two most controversial bills, the Law on Classes and the Law on the People's Tribunate?

CTN: Vulgar politics entails primarily appealing and stoking the elite-mass division. It is easier to think of oneself as an equal co-ruler in a democratic polity than to accept the reality of second-class citizenship most citizens are reduced to. A plebeian Republicanism relies on making the distinction between nobles and ignobles, the few and the many, the rich and the poor. We must insist that liberal democracy can never be what its proponents claim it would become, so we must reject the idealism behind the notion of free and equal citizenship for all. Not because we object to the ideal itself or to efforts to achieve genuine meritocracy, but because the dream of free and equal citizenship can never be fulfilled. Ultimately no formal equality can prevent the strongest members of democracy from abusing and dominating ordinary citizens, so what a plebeian Republican should advocate is differentiating between the few and the many, particularly singling out the most advantaged in society and subjecting them to additional burdens, and, why not, spectacular violence.


I: Isn't formally classifying every citizen into classes against the spirit of the constitution, and ultimately immoral?

CTN: Yes, it is immoral, and it is something we have to live with. A plebeian republic can only offer a disenchanted and compromised version of free and equal citizenship, and this is demoralizing. We must relinquish the pure ideal of undifferentiated democracy if we are to implement effective plebeian reforms, and this bad conscience is something we have to live with. After all, social democracies have often made use of the category of the "least advantaged" subject to additional attention, and that category is bound to be arbitrary. The category we need instead is that of the most advantaged. What is even less moral about our proposal is that our reforms are not entirely based on reaction to actual or threatened wrongdoings from individual perpetrators, but also stem from the vulgar desire to see powerful individuals publicly burdened and even humiliated, even if not always guilty of actual offenses. When introducing the People's Tribunate we not only justified it on the grounds that it will make elite citizens afraid of attempting things against the republic, but also that it will allow the people to vent their anger stemming from their status as second-class citizens in a state where first-class citizens not only risk dominating others, but also win most honors, fame, and wealth.


I: Isn't that essentially a form of ostracism?

CTN: I'm glad you brought this up. I think that ostracism, as originally practiced, was a very wise institution. In ancient Kalopia being ostracized was not a punishment - you did not have to be guilty of anything to be sent into exile. Any citizen could be exiled for ten years merely for becoming too arrogant or too prominent. It was not a judicial procedure, but a preemptive political one designed to maintain democracy against overly prominent citizens and also protect them against destabilizing assassinations. Now, I don't think it would be a good idea to bring back ostracism in its original form, but the People's Tribunate serves similar political and emotional purposes; it will hold elites accountable and create a public violent spectacle that will serve as a pressure valve satiating popular demands for violent retribution while also protecting against those that would wreak more violent vengeance.


I: You seem to have taken much inspiration from antiquity, from ancient democracies and republics and from the first Selucian republic. But are those ancient models still in any way relevant to modern conditions? The world has moved far from the conditions where these ancient democratic city-states flourished.

CTN: That is very true. The conditions in which we live are indeed very different. Modern life is characterized by large degrees of specialization, interdependence, and different and complex forms of interactions between politics and economy, far beyond what the ancients could have imagined. This means that the way in which we think of freedom and democracy should be distinct from both the liberal and the republican mainstream, because in modern societies we can't just reduce freedom to one single defining feature, be it absence of interference, self-determination, or active citizenship in a free state. Instead we should recognize that, ultimately, freedom is power, that is control over social and political domains, but also, and more importantly, power and control over one's representatives, whether political and economic. In ancient thought freedom is only possible through politics. But what of the rest of us? In modern society we can't all be involved in virtuous political actions, and for that matter only a small minority of people are actively involved in politics. We now have representatives for that. Rather the type of freedom that can be achieved in modern societies can only come about through channeling private vices and social conflicts towards public virtues, by institutionalizing class struggle. This conflict will not lead to freedom because it will lead to reason or virtue or a clear-sighted understanding of the common good, but because it will provide both classes with the power to control and coerce each other.


I: Lastly, what are your expectations of Selucia after your withdrawal from politics, especially now with the presidential system your party helped implement?

CTN: We are essentially entering uncharted waters here. There are those that fear that the Rector system is too reminiscent of the Imperator office under which Selucia experienced a period of dictatorship. To those critics I would say that there is no rule stating that strong leadership will inevitably lead to authoritarianism. It all depends on the relationship established between the leader and the people. Populism cannot effectively function without strong leadership, so the question is what kind of leadership we will have. Hopefully future Rectors will know the wisdom in serving as a primus inter pares and achieve a more horizontal relationship between the leader and the people. If they do that Selucia has the potential to become a model democracy, one that understands the complexities of modern life while offering effective solutions to the powerlessness of ordinary people in representative democracies.



OOC: This post draws heavily from John P. McCormick's Machiavelian Democracy and other books and articles by the author, as well as Lawrence Hamilton's Freedom Is Power (from which the title of this article is taken) and other books and articles. Some influence comes from other authors in the modern Republican tradition, particularly Philip Pettit, Quentin Skinner, and Cécile Laborde, as well as Chantal Mouffe
Last edited by Polites on Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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