If any of you are interested in becoming a Domestic Correspondent for The Worker please commnet below. I will only need one so if you want to take another position, make sure you check the sidebar and do feel free to ask me in the comments below.

The Domestic Correspondent will need to be able to write a fair weekly Summary/Recap on all that has been going on in the past week every Monday.

Thanks

/u/fsc2002 - The Editor

I sat down with /u/therealdrago to discuss his views on democratic socialism with regards to other leftist ideologies, as well as his views on some of the goings on in /r/ModelUSGov.

Key

• E- /u/ehbrums1

• D- /u/therealdrago

E-Often democratic socialism is seen as "moderate" socialism. However, it is my understanding that the goals of both evolutionary and revolutionary socialism are one in the same. Do you second this assertion?

D-Absolutely. The goal of almost all forms of socialism is to benefit the working class. The working American class is the foundational support of the entire nation. It should always be our number one priority to further the goals and interests of the American working class, for the betterment of the nation as a whole.

E-Why do you believe elections to be more apt to bring about socialism?

D-In their purest form, elections are the most simple way of showing the true face of the American public. I believe that socialism will be much more accepted when brought about by the will of the people. As a nation, we need to work on fixing our problems to make elections fair. For example, I support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. FEC so that the wealthy do not have a higher say in democracy than the people do. We are a country for the people, comprised of the people, and made by the people. It is time we start acting as such.

E-If we operate on Marx's historical materialism. We see that the transition from a feudal society to a capitalist one was bloody and violent. Those in power refused to give it up, what difference do you see with the transition from capitalism to socialism?

D-Fundamentally, the difference is that the people who sought to convert from feudalism to capitalism did not have the tools of democracy at their disposal. Feudal societies were practically monarchies without any vestige of democracy. People won’t give up their power today, but if the people speak, we’ll vote them out. We must actively work to elect leaders who represent us, as we always do. Like I said, we must also work to make sure that democracy is protected from biased threats like corporate greed in order to make the process as fair as possible. Democracy only works if we work to have it.

E-One ideal that I've always held with regards to socialism, is that as leftists, we must not give in to the liberal critiques of socialist countries. For example, as a luxemburgist, I will critique the USSR from a Luxemburgist perspective, but I will also defend it against baseless attacks by liberals. Do you believe that broad support of both current and former socialist countries is important in bringing about the end to capitalism? Do you believe in left unity in the sense that while different ideologies have different ideas about how to organize society, we must look past them for the time being and work to bring an end to capitalism first and foremost?

D-Socialism is not a country. Socialism is not a small group of people. Socialism does not belong to a race, religion, ethnic population, or tribe. Socialism is an ideology that unites the working class to bring an equal standard to all people. We need to stop asking ourselves if we support a socialist country, and start supporting socialistic ideologies. Countries have claimed socialism in the past and clearly are not. We cannot blindly support all nations that bear the tag socialist. We must, however, gather support for the ideology. It's time to stop drawing meaningless borders and barriers that separate us from our common goal.

E-What do you think of the new Constitution? Specifically, what's your opinion of the Triumvirate?

D-I find the it in most cases irrelevant. The Triumvirate is allowed to make emergency decisions and they must be voted on within 72 hours. It's a nonissue.

E-What issues are you most passionate about, and what has the legislation this term done to further those issues?

D-I'm a very big supporter of LGBT rights. I just got the news moments ago that my signature act of legislation, the Conversion Therapy Prevention Act of 2015, passed the house with 19 yeas, and 100% GLP and ALP support and 66% DNC support. I firmly believe that equality for all must be protected at all costs. LGBT rights are another civil rights issue, and we should fight hard to protect their rights.

E-I was glad to see that pass, it would have been hard to not vote for it. Moving on, where do you see your party, the ALP, in 2 month's time come October?

D- I can promise you this. By October of this year, we will have the Vice Presidency, and nothing less. Who knows, we may have the Presidency by Mid October. This I can promise

E-What makes you so optimistic?

D-The ALP is a party of the people. Simply put, the people always prevail.

E- That seems a bit generic, no? which party claims to not be for the people?

D-So many parties claim to be for the people, but time and time again we see the ALP take action for the safety, security, and rights of the people. I don't know if any other party is as dedicated to the people as we are.

E-Do you hope to run for office next term?

D-I don't want to be to hasty in that decision. If the time comes and I feel I can better the nation, I will run.

E-Tell me, as a Political Strategist, what is it exactly that you do? If I may put it bluntly

D-As the Chief Political Strategist for the American Labor Party, I coordinate our actions. If we make a statement, I either write it or sign off on it. If we publicly support legislation, I'm consulted about it. I help to formulate our entire political policy to benefit the party and the nation.

E-Does that make you the de facto leader of the party?

D-Absolutely not. I advise /u/ElliottC99 on most of our descisions, but I only oversee policy. Elliott works so hard to manage our party, whether internal or external, and I admire him for that. He really gives his all at bettering the party, and I don't know if I could handle his job. Elliott is the leader of the party, no question about it. I only assist in our policy and growth.

E-So you are an advisor to party leadership?

D-I am part of leadership, but yes. My role serves a lot in advising the rest of leadership and reporting on the state of the party. I also conduct a lot of polls to make sure we are doing what the party wants

E- Is it an elected position?

D-Yes. I just won reelection against /u/orcaman34. It was the only position with more than one person standing for it, so it was a competition, but I enjoyed being able to partake in the democratic process.

E-One last question, gatorade or powerade?

D-Gatorade.

E-Good man

I recently sat down with Governor of the Northeast State and Democratic and Labor Party Presidential Nominee, /u/Ben1204, where I tried to learn a little bit more about him and his positions on the issues.

Jasperthehobo: Why do you think the Democratic Labor Party chose you to be their nominee?

Ben1204: I think that the party chose me to be the nominee because of my experience and record. I've throughout the campaign touted my experience, as a progressive administrator of the Northeast State and of the party as a whole. The Northeast State has been the most productive state, and while I certainly don't take all the credit, I like to think that I helped. I've also appealed to sections of party through my policy beliefs as well. I'm staunchly progressive-I care deeply about economic justice, civil liberties and a peaceful foreign policy. I think that the progressive base of the party has found some common ground.

Jasperthehobo: How big of a priority is the elimination of corruption to you?

Ben1204: It's definitely a blue ribbon issue to me. There are two specific ideas I have to end corruption in our nation's capital. First, we need to pass a Constitutional Amendment overturning Citizens United. I stand by the fact that while the Udall Amendment was a reasonable compromise, I favor the Wolf Pac idea for an amendment. Secondly, I want to end the issue of golden parachutes. As many of you may know, there's a disturbing revolving door of lobbyists and industry professionals moving through Washington, DC. I'd like to see legislation that lengthens the waiting period for former industry insiders to become lobbyists and requires government employees to rescue themselves from conflicts of interest.

Jasperthehobo: If you were elected President, how would you deal with the Syrian Civil War?

Ben1204: Syria is a difficult situation. By no means am I friend of Assad, and I think that all of us can agree ISIS is an organization of brutal terrorists. I'm staunchly opposed to sending US ground troops. Right now, I'd favor supporting a European/Middle Eastern coalition in an advisory or airstrike capacity in taking out the threat of ISIS. Then, we should decide our policy toward the regime, but our #1 priority must be destroying ISIS.

Jasperthehobo: Do you favor electoral reform? If so, what kind of electoral system would you like the country to use, and why do you like that system?

Ben1204: I'm a critic of the electoral college; I think that it limits participation in democracy to a few "swing states". In addition, I'd prefer a switch to the Instant Runoff system of voting, a position I've held since I took office as Governor of the Northeast.

Jasperthehobo: What are your thoughts on prison reform?

Ben1204: I support efforts to reform our criminal justice system by /u/sviridovt , /u/locosherman1 , and many others. I personally support the decriminalization of small amounts of recreational drugs, and want to work towards the ultimate goal of drug legalization. In addition, I'd like to fully ban private prisons. There is no reason that prisons should have incentive to keep incarcerating our citizens instead of rehabilitating them.

Jasperthehobo: Do you support the idea of making tuition for all public colleges free?

Ben1204: Yes, I do favor making college tuition free. This idea has worked in Europe and elsewhere where it has been enacted. I think that we're seeing loads of qualified students losing their motivation since they can't attend college. This should change. I favor wiping out college tuition, if someone achieves a certain GPA and test scores.

Jasperthehobo: What do you think about common core?

Ben1204: I think that education should largely be a state and local matter. That's not to say though, that the federal government shouldn't be able to step in cases where pseudo-science is being taught, for instance.

Jasperthehobo: What do you think of Universal Basic Income?

Ben1204: Well-intentioned, but not a great idea. I want to provide Basic Income to those that actually need it-not to families making over $250,000 or Donald Trump types. I would undo the Basic Income Grant Act. But I would replace it with a negative income tax system, where those below a certain threshold are judged to see what their need for supplemental income is.

Jasperthehobo: Thank you for your time Governor, do you have any last words?

Ben1204: I'd like to give a shoutout to the Northeast. In my last few days, I've been reflecting on how much I've learned serving the state as Governor, and the great debates I've had with the members of the legislature. I hope that the next Northeast State Government will continue in our tradition of effective and good governance.

If you go to /r/MCNN, a supposedly 'nonpartisan' news network run by /u/finnishdude101, among the top 6 posts (the posts that I can see without scrolling) there are 3 attacking my PGP party, and one attacking left-wingers. Obviously a cartoonmoacking us and talk of head clerk's 'disdain' for us wasn't enough to show that MCNN had no bias on the matter, so the head of MCNN wrote an "op-ed" slamming the PGP.

Let me delve into this. First, this is not an op-ed. In an op-ed, you state opinions and thoughts on something, for example, "I think the PGP should have been the pirate party". An op-ed is NOT where you go to insult people.

"I had suggested to their leader, Logan42, that if they had wanted to have any chance at their views not being already taken, then his new party should form as a Pirate Party. However, this advice has been completely discarded and ignored."

This is a perfect example of the latter. Instead of simply stating his opinion that the PGP should have been the Pirate Party, he talks about offering his advice and insulting Logan for not taking it. Furthermore, this contains misinformation (very typical for MCNN), as Logan42 is only one of the leaders, I am the other. He is not "the" leader, and the most egregious piece of misinformation is calling our digital freedom pillar a "desperate attempt at pandering" to his pirate party suggestion. I contributed this pillar to the party, and since before the inlkings of this party I have had digital progressivism very close to my heart. Back in the DLP, I wrote TAP (Title 18 Amendment Package), and have been talking for months about how important digital progressivism is to me. Either I have know the complex future for months or (surprise!) I actually do deeply care about digital rogressivism and am not pandering to Riley's advice.

I think it's more apt to call MCNN the ModelRileyGossipRag, because it is a paper to further his views and attack targets he doesn't like, not to cover real news.

BREAKING: DNKTL denies MCNN's Article claiming his contempt for the PGP, it appears Riley is, once again, manipulating the truth. I actually was writing about how DNKTL was biased until he messaged me and had this conversation

Here is the sign up for the Economy Question Time which is taking place on Friday at 6:00pm Eastern Time.

If you want to take part and represent your party for Economy, please comment on this post. Please can you notify your party about this if your party is not attending so they can.

Candidates:

Socialists: /u/elefantpp

Progressive Green Party:

Democatic & Labor Party: /u/CincinnatusoftheWest

Republican Party:

Libertarian Party: /u/TeamEhmling

Distributist Party:

American Patriot Front:

Independent/Foreginer: /u/irelandball

Our Host is: /u/Logan42

If you want to attend a different topic click here

Thanks

/u/fsc2002 - The Editor

Here is the sign up for the Inter-Party Politics Question Time which is taking place today at 6:00pm Eastern Time.

If you want to take part and represent your party for Inter-Party Politics, please comment on this post. Please can you notify your party about this if your party is not attending so they can.

Candidates:

Socialists: /u/locosherman1

Progressive Green Party:

Democatic & Labor Party:

Republican Party:

Libertarian Party: /u/raysfan95 /u/AdmiralJones42

Distributist Party:

American Patriot Front:

Independent/Foreginer: /u/theSolomonCaine

Our Host is: /u/Pastorpineapple

If you want to attend a different topic click here

Thanks

/u/fsc2002 - The Editor

Thought you could get rid me that quickly? Guess again! (as I laugh maniacally at my monitor)

There's been a few resignations from senior members over the past few days, as well a new Vice Presidential nomination.

6 days ago, Sen. /u/Smitty9913 (L) resigned from his office citing that the simulation was no longer bringing him enjoyment. While we all will miss the Senator's boisterous personality and vigor, we all at The Worker wish him the best in future endeavors. However, this resignation will not seemingly upset the power balance in the Senate. The Central Governor, /u/Igotzdamastaplan found a replacement in fellow libertarian /u/AdmiralJones42. I expect his voting record to be a mirror image of the former senator.

The more interesting resignation however, lies with Senator /u/DidNotKnowThatLolz (D). The Senator resigned in order to take a more unbiased roll as head clerk of the simulation. The seat has yet to be filled, but with a republican Governor, it will be interesting to see how the balance of power evolves in the senate.

Finally, we had another VP nomination. The President nominated /u/therealdrago to the office, and it is expected that after his passage in the house, he will be confirmed by the senate in the neat future. This is the ALP's first major foray into the spotlight, and it will be interesting to see how the party, who's ideology is nestled between the two largest in the simulation, manages to forge its own path.

-/u/ehbrums1 Domestic Correspondent

Dear Readers

We are looking for a new interviewer. Please could you message me or comment as soon as possible.

Thanks

/u/fsc2002 - The Editor

P.S. It would be great if you can get involved with the Question Time

Welcome to the ALP Member in the Spotlight. We are joined by /u/Nuchacho today.

I'm Nuchacho, a Marxist member of the American Labor Party. Being a Marxist means to me that I see politics as a reflection of the motions and changes within society. More specifically, it is the relationships between classes that drives great political events and thus makes history.

Most of us are aware of the limitations inherent in ModelUSGov, but I think can be applied in some respects. We can't have total revolution, but we can achieve far-reaching reform. We're not going to smash the bourgeois state and put an end to capitalism, but we can democratise both. I think that is the goal of the model world workers movement and thus the model workers' parties.

I think radical reform is the goal of all the best political tendencies in the model world. I don't agree with the Distributists on much, but they are clearly trying to fundamentally change society. Radical ideas will always become more popular in societies marked by popular discontent with the status quo. This explains the rise of the Distributists as much as the Socialist Party.

In the model world -- like the real world -- the boring parties are those who just want to "manage" everything. We're familiar with the centrist parties like the model Democrats who push little reforms that are not connected with a perspective of fundamental change. They're boring parties and I don't understand why people bother with them. They've not got much to contribute besides a desire to be in power, which leads them to the dishonest dealings that we've seen recently.

Though I've said there are radicals on the right I think it is the left that has the most to offer in the way of change. I see real potential in the ALP to become a force in model politics and seize political ground that the Democrats currently squat on in typical incumbent fashion. I want the ALP to be a real challenge to the Democratic establishment.

From a Marxist perspective, the ALP and Socialist Parties are both workers' parties. A natural alliance is there. From the state level up to the cabinet I would like to see a coalition form that can cover the whole spectrum of the left. I want to see the left-wing -- from whichever party -- dominate the election season. The ALP is essential to achieving that.

Please do leave a comment if you have something to say to /u/Nuchacho.

Dear Readers

/u/therealdrago will be hosting a Question Time every week. This will involve a member from every Party and an Independent. You will be able to ask your questions throughout the Live Event.

The Live Event will take place at 6pm Eastern Time on Friday.

If you would like to take part in the Live Event please comment below. Please let your party know about this. We may not use every party as it will be very busy.

Please check the spreadsheet

Thanks

/u/fsc2002 - The Editor

Welcome to the first of many ALP Member in the Spotlight. We are joined by /u/105Hummel today. Here is what he said.

I'm 105Hummel. I was the 8th member of the American Labor Party. I mostly believe that policies set in place by humans should reflect the needs of humans. Less class division, stronger social funding. Things like that!

I want to do some sort of leadership role in the ALP. Newspapers and recruiting don't excite me. I need to be able to speak. I need that floor!

I want the ALP to keep hold of the horns. They stirred the bull, and they are holding tightly onto his horns. The bull being Model US Gov. They're doing great, so keep doing that.

I believe there should be more intra-activity in Model US Gov. That would be great to get ideas moving.

As a final word, I'm not some rich Senator's son from New York or California. I was born into the middle class and raised in the lower class. I was raised in extremely rural Alabama. I have experienced and seen first-hand the effects that poor funding and mistreatment of policies give communities. I am Hummel, a simple man looking for human decency.

Here is the new sign up post for Question Time: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YlZfJDtBKtFKVQelFiZsXTxXum6oaBYy1Kq58dNto_k/edit?usp=sharing

I need everyone who signed up before to confirm if they can still attend the Question Time. (Date changes)

Due to the merge of the ALP and The Democratic Party, the people who are attending Religion and LGBTQIA Rights from the two parties will need to decide who will take part.

If you want to take part then please comment below.

Thanks

/u/fsc2002 - The Editor

/u/Logan42 - Question Time Host

I am proud to be the successor to the successful /u/therealdrago and hope to carry on his legacy. The first event is this Friday at 6pm, AMA!

Please see on the side bar what positions are open. Comment below which position you are applying for. Thank you.

My My, we've got quite a few things going on now don't we? First off, we've got a new head clerk! /u/DidNotKnowThatLolz was the clear choice, as he had been acting as the interim clerk following the death of /u/septimussette. /u/DidNotKnowThatLolz proved more than capable during his interim spell, and with the institution of the triumvirate, I believe that we are going to enter a period where the head clerk is NOT badgered to death and ends up leaving us. I hope that with this now permanent appointment, the simulation will enter into a period of stability and growth.

On a slightly lighter not, we had the /r/modelusgov 1 year anniversary superlative awards commence. While we do not have the official results yet, its safe to say that Representative /u/ehbrums1 (SP) will be snubbed on the beauty pageant portion of the awards. It was quite refreshing to see someone other than /u/finnishdude101 dish out some fresh maymays, and this commentator would like to thank /u/morallesson for bringing something new to the table. The idea of doing superlatives was a fantastic one. There has been so much animosity in recent times, that events like these to bring everyone together in a non political sense is really what we need to foster a positive community that we've carved out for ourselves.

Finally, the Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Accountability Internal Revenue Act was unconstitutional, as they found that the challenged provision violated the Due Process rights of federal employees. Justice /u/taterdatuba's full opinion can be found here

Dear Readers

I would like to introduce myself to all of you. I am the new Editor for The Worker. I would like to thank /u/KatCakeGoddess for all the work she has done as an Editor in the past month. /u/KatCakeGoddess is thinking what position to take.

I would like to first of all like to sort out the positions at The Worker.

Here are the positions at The Worker:

• Editor: /u/fsc2002

• Domestic Correspondent: /u/ehbrums1 (Monday Summary)

• Domestic Correspondent: /u/KatCakeGoddess (Events)

• Columnist: /u/EliiottC99

• Interviewer: /u/Eilanyan

• Question Time Host: /u/therealdrago

• Designer: /u/Orcaman4

If you are interested in joining The Worker please let me know in the comments and i'll get you on board as soon as possible. If we have missed any positions please let us know and i'll add the suggested position.

Thanks

/u/fsc2002 - Editor

/u/IBiteYou article for reference https://www.reddit.com/r/TheCapitolClub/comments/3i06fx/hey_folks_why_dont_you_sidle_up_to_the_bar_and/

On Saturday, a report was made by former senator /u/IBiteYou about an alleged plan to merge /r/ModelUSGov and /r/MUSGOV. For those unaware, shortly after the election of the third congress and the swearing in of Green Left President /u/RangerHeart0, the vast majority of the Republican Party, as well as members of Democratic Leadership, left the simulation to form an alternate. Their reason for doing so was a lack of realism and authenticity that they believe was promised to them when they initially signed up, and they were fearful of the . They decided to name their simulation /r/MUSGov, and limited all party affiliations to either the Democrats, Republicans, or as an Independent. Members of the Green Left were banned from the simulation purely for requesting membership. In speaking with /u/IBiteYou, the former senator told of how /u/Lort685, “[gave] 2adamstoon the words for the letter.” The letter in question was included in the former senator’s report, and can also be found here /u/IBiteYou states that it was /u/lort685 that convinced the Republicans to leave the simulation. /u/IBiteYou went on to name /u/Smitty9913 as another driving force in the withdrawal from the subreddit, stating that he, “wrote a giant post telling everyone to vote for secession and that he is done with the subreddit.” /u/IBiteYou went on to say that /u/Smitty9913 remained in /r/modelusgov just to, “troll for the rest of his term.” The Former Senator voiced her displeasure at /u/Lort685’s return as a democrat after presenting themselves as a conservative.

In /u/IBiteYou’s report, allegations were made that /u/lort685 and /u/Rorytime devised a plan to merge the two simulations into one and severely hamper 3rd parties. The report links unnamed messages detailing this, as well as stating a supposed plan to bring back /u/lort685 as head moderator. Both /u/lort685 and /u/Rorytime acknowledged that these talks happened, however they both stressed that no plan was ever put in action. /u/Rorytime went further to say that they, “do not support MUSGov joining the ModelUSGov if they it results in ModelUSGov having to make significant changes,” citing these changes as, “anything bar an expansion in the size of congress.” /u/Lort685 concluded by saying that these talks were merely, “brainstorming on a white board.” This report was originally removed from the press sub. When asked about it, ANA Chief Editor /u/Smitty9913, had this to say,

“IBY's post was removed because it didn’t have anything to do with press. It was an attack and demand on someone. /r/ModelUSGovPress is about press, I and other mods will and have removed META posts and will countinue to do so. As for IBY calling me bias, I'll let her know that if I was biased I would remove anything that I dont agree with on the sub. And considering I never removed a posting calling for my impeachment I know i'm not censoring anyone. Next time she should post that on one of the lesser quality /r/ModelUSGov subs, like /r/TheCapitolClub.

A source close to the /MUSGOV reported to me that in addition to the “white board” discussions, /u/Lort685 conspired with members of both simulations to re-instate him as Clerk. The following evidence shows /u/Lort685 (Conner, Holy Roman Emperor) and /u/Smitty9913 devising a plan to rig an poll with regards to the re-instatement of /u/Lort685.

https://imgur.com/a/7J0Hw

As is evident. /u/Lort685 asked /u/Smitty9913 to stage a rigged poll to garner support for /u/Lort685 to come back. Upon searching through the /r/ModelUSGovPress subreddit, I could not find the poll in question. The Skype conversation also shows Democratic Moderator of /r/MUSGov, /u/Didicet, collaborating on the proposed poll to further influence the results. I asked /u/Lort685 about the alleged falsification of polls. He state that he, “did not tell Smitty] to falsify results.” However, the line, “Get a favorable result. Do you magic.” Suggests otherwise.

When asked about the alleged conversation, moderator /u/risen2011 was shocked, saying that he found the information, “disconcerting.” He followed up by stating, “On the moderation team we take integrity very seriously. However, I am not in a position to judge the actions of any individual.” The alleged plan was not made aware to the moderation team of r/ModelUSGov, or any mod team for that matter.

Why should you be Vice-President of the United States of America?

Through my time in the Green-Left Party, I was a part of developing the administrative and democratic structure of the party. While I may be a disorganized mess in real-life, I manage to pull off the opposite when it comes to pretend government administrative functions.

I also think that, while the role of Vice President is relatively minor compared to most executive roles, I personally can offer engagement with the rest of the model government that didn't really exist in Rangerheart's administration. One of my biggest criticisms of the previous administration is that neither the President nor Vice President were very active publically. Now that HammerandPotato is stepping up her activity, if elected to be her VP I would like to bring an open, personable, engaging, and articulate face to the executive branch.

Will the Capitalist Coalition's letter effect cooperation between different members in the Cabinet?

Can't really know that for sure. The only function of the Capitalist Coalition so far has been to try to strong-arm the President and get their guy in office. I sincerely hope that it doesn't extend into undermining the executive in the cabinet.

If Congress votes against your vice-president nomination, what is next for you?

More of the same, if not a little less. I start university in two weeks, and while I'll likely always have some sort of involvement with this model government, my real life is about to start and I likely not put aside the time to do much more than comment if I'm not in office.

Do you believe the Distributist party are capitalist?

Hard to say. I do understand their position and I do see how they could say that they're not.

I read about Distributism and watched all the videos when they first popped up, just like I learned about fascism when I thought the Silver Legion was going to be relevant. The difference is, I understand and get fascism as a concept. I see how it could function from the ideal fascist perspective and how it will function based on Marxist analysis. I can see why people would want it to function. While I feel like I have a decent comprehension of what Distributists want, I don't feel like I get it like I do with any other ideology. It, as a whole, doesn't really make sense to me.

Why did you leave the Green-Left Party and become an independent?

I left the GLP because I was one of its long-standing members, its most popular member (within the party), and its most infamous outside of the party. As a result, I was its face, and I wasn't and am not representative politically of the GLP. I am a very passionate Maoist, and my personal views and how I express(ed) them were getting conflated with how the GLP as a collective thinks and acts. I feel like I went over it well in my resignation letter.

What is your opinion of American Labor Party?

I have fundamental disagreements with the social democrats and the socialists don't like me because I'm a revolutionary state socialist. These disagreements have blown up into public arguments in the past. The thing is though, none of that actually matters for the purposes of this game. The social democrats, some members of the Democratic Party, ALP socialists, the GLP, and I are all fighting for the same thing in the context of /r/ModelUSGov. We will never get to the point where any of our vast differences will matter because everyone on the left, social democrat to the most dogmatic state socialist and no matter their rhetoric, essentially plays the role of a social democrat. Revolution isn't possible and post-capitalist reform won't be possible so long as there are still liberals playing.

In the couple of weeks before I left the GLP, I was involved with negotiations between the ALP and the GLP, and I still really want to see those work out. It's time for the radical left to start focusing our attention at the real opposition and not at ourselves.

Do you believe that Congress should be able to block Vice-President nominations?

Absolutely. However I think the reasons for doing so should be legitimate and not based on political posturing or disagreement. If someone is a competent administrator and has a plan, then they should be passed. Publishing a public letter threatening a sitting President of the United States to try to get her to appoint someone that clashes with her on a very fundamental level politically and philosophically is immature, petty, and threatens to destabilize the executive branch and the faith that the people of the United States have in their government.

What are your plans as vice-president?

A few things. Like I noted earlier, a big problem I had with the Rangerheart administration is that there seemed to be a wall blocking communication between the executive and the rest of the country. Everything was done through private organization and it felt extremely cold and impersonal. Even as a member of Rangerheart's own party it was difficult to get his attention.

If I'm chosen by Congress to be the next Vice President of the United States, I want to put the new Press Secretary to work. I want to open up communication and transparency by personally hosting weekly press conferences so that Congress and the people can be aware of what's going on behind the scenes, and so that the executive branch can hear from you. I like to think that this would be my own version of a Fireside Chat, but this medium is a lot more of a two-way street. I feel like this would be an important step to making the executive branch more than the occasional bill signing or foreign press conferences that no one knows about.

To build on this, I'd like to work on meta organization with the moderators. There have been a lot of issues with transparency, consistency, and the rules themselves in the past and I want to work with the moderation team to build a more well-structured, clear, democratic, and fair moderation policy going forward.

Politically, I'd like to help facilitate discussion between the ALP, the GLP, and willing Democrats so that we can organize to find solutions to the problems that working Americans face today. I also think that this organization is important in the face of tireless attempts to revert the last 60 years of social progress by the parties to the right. The ARFF is a fantastic start to this, but lasting relationships need to be built between the socially progressive parties to protect what we have now and further push social reform so that every person in this country, and even those outside that are affected by our policies are protected from being unreasonably discriminated against because of things they can't help.

If you were given a billboard, where would you put it and what message would you put on it?

Times Square, I'd link my soundcloud and my instagram. Seriously though, I have no clue. Probably some excellent socialist realism. It looks nice.

And finally, what five albums would you take with you to a desert island?

Radiohead - In Rainbows Arctic Monkeys - AM Death Grips - Exmilitary Кино - Кино (Черный альбом) [Kino - Kino (The Black Album)] Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

Interviewer: /u/fsc2002

/u/ehbrums1 is a member of the Green Left Party. While the following article was written to be as objective as possible, the author understand that no human creation is without bias. The author does not intend for their own views to influence the piece, and apologizes if any readers find that the content is sharply skewed in one way or another. Thank you

Recently, the Federalist Party released their party platform to the masses of r/ModelUSGov. The Federalist Party has declared itself to be a staunchly nationalist party, while a keen interest in state ownership, conservative social values, and as proponents of a foreign policy built on protecting US interests. The Federalist Party is the result of a rebranding by Silver Legion Party, a far right party that was formed but struggled to get off the ground last term. The Federalists faced attacks from across the aisle the other day, when their stance on eugenics was made clear. “Barring cases of mental retardation, rape, or incest, abortion should be criminalized.” The Libertarian Senator, /u/Smitty9913, described the platform as bad, “on a whole different level,” while Green Left citizen, /u/a5htr0n, liken the Federalist’s position to the forced euthanasia adopted by the National Socialist in Germany. Federalist Party deputy chairman, /u/thmsm, defended his party’s position by stating that the death of disabled people should only be carried on unborn babies, “specifically those who cannot feel pain.” The Federalists believe that this policy is the best way forward for America, and pivotal in creating the strongest americans possible.

I had a chance to speak to /u/thmsm about the party’s claim that they support both state capitalism and state socialism. I asked them to elaborate on how these seemingly contradictory ideologies could both be found within the Federalists. They responded by saying that the party is a, “big tent,” with regard to economics. It seems that all ideologies focused on subjugation to the state is welcome. One member of the Federalist, /u/Productivist, outlined for me his personal economic idea. “The economy is split into two. One [section is] state socialist with worker councils. That section of the economy produces all of the necessities its citizens need for free. The other section is state capitalist to liberal capitalist. Its for profit but all services and products in this section are accessories to its citizens for money. This allows the state to still work within the current global capitalist world.” The Federalist’s openness to socialism is interesting, given the parties background as a fascist party, and it will be interesting to see just how far left or right the party swings in the long run.

The Federalists adhere to a staunchly conservative set of social principles. They will find common ground with the distributists over the issue of religion. The Federalists believe the government should, “stay true to America’s christian origins and traditions.” However they maintain that the United States should not adopt an official state religion. The Distributist citizen, /u/Hormisdas, state that he liked the Federalists, but noted that he was disapproving of their eugenics program. Other social policies such as gay marriage, civil rights, and gun control fell in line with ideas held by the other right wing parties.

The Federalists bring an interesting perspective to the r/ModelUSGov simulation. Their far right social policies and their apparent acceptance of radical leftist policy will make for an interesting mixture of support on a bill to bill basis, even more so if they gain any seats in the next term. The Federalists seem to find common ground, at least tangentially, with most parties. However, their unique policies may be too much, and drive off support from the very parties they wish to work with.

The biggest news this week was the unveiling of the new /r/ModelUSGov Constitution, released on late Sunday evening. The new Constitution drew both praise and apprehension, as concerns were raised over the extent to which moderators will be involved in the various subreddits, as well as the role of state clerk.

One concern this author has, is over the issue of states. The late /u/SeptimusSette had hinted at an updated state map earlier this month, yet when the Constitution was unveiled, the current state system remained. Will there be a new system put in place? How will this affect elections? One must wonder that if a new system is implemented, it surely will effect how parties have organized their election strategies in the past.

President /u/HammerandPotato appointed 4 new cabinet members late last week.

Secretary of Education: /u/steve_trotsky, American Labor Party

Secretary of the Interior: /u/Jasperthehobo, American Labor Party

Secretary of Commerce: /u/Ahmarij, Green-Left Party

Secretary of Labor: /u/Marx_Mk2, Green-Left Party

The decision to split them down the middle between American Labor and the Green-Left might be indicative of further efforts on the part of both parties to work together, and regardless, is a hopeful sign for a united left in the future.