New Paristan
| |
| Flag of New Paristan | |
| Motto: Liberté, Egalité, Communauté | |
| See the Alçaera Map | |
| Region | Anticapitalist Alliance |
|---|---|
| Capital | Montmartre |
| Official Language(s) | Paristani |
| Leader | Prime Minister Max Chartres |
| Population | 60 million |
| Currency | Franc |
| NS Sunset XML | |
History
The Colonial Period
New Paristan was discovered in the late 15th century by explorers from Francestan. These explorers, as is often the case, were seeking new colonial territory, which came as a big surprise to its native population, who were subsequently driven to near extinction by their new colonial masters.
New Paristan quickly became a cultural hub, a magnet for artists, intellectuals, thinkers, poets, malcontents and anyone who wanted to get away from the oppressive atmosphere of religious intolerance and social inequality that was prevalent in Francestan. Because of its rebellious, independent spirit, the Paristani citizenry quickly developed a deep desire for independence. This desire was crushed brutally and repeatedly by the Francestani colonial leadership. The 17th and 18th centuries were characterized by isolation and repression.
Independence
In 1789, Francestan became embroiled in a brutal revolution. The middle class, fed up with the arbitrary and oppressive rule of King Jean Louis VII, began a bloody campaign to overthrow the monarchy and the aristocracy which supported it. The peasants soon joined and within two years the King and most of the nobility had lost their heads to the guillotine.
The Paristani citizens, inspired by the courageous actions of the Francestani bourgeoisie, soon took up arms and fought their own war for independence. Since much of the Francestani army stationed in New Paristan had been called back to Francestan to defend the monarchy, the Paristanis won a relatively easy victory. Independence was declared on July 14, 1790.
By the early 1800s, both Francestan and New Paristan had developed stable democratic governments. Because their affinity for the Francestani revolutionaries had led to their own successful fight for independence, the Paristanis remained close to their former colonial rulers. New Paristan adopted the motto of the Francestani revolution, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity." In 1810, the Paristanis held a national referendum to choose a new flag. Several unique designs were submitted, but a hugely popular grassroots campaign had also put the flag of the Francestani revolutionaries, the tricolor, on the ballot. The tricolor won by a large margin. It flew as New Paristan's flag until the Revolution.
The Industrial Age
The Industrial Revolution brought the usual kinds of upheaval to New Paristan. New Paristan's cities began to develop rapidly. Its capital, Montmartre, tripled in size, and in short order it was a burgeoning urban center. Its other regional capitals soon followed.
The growth of the cities did not decimate New Paristan's agricultural sector, which flourished in the southern part of the country. It remained strong throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, producing wine, cheese and all manner of fruits and vegetables for export to its neighbors. The Paristani wine industry retains its prestige to this day.
Nationalism and Capitalist Decay
For much of the 20th century, New Paristan was a stable bourgeoise democracy. Governments came and went through relatively fair and regular elections, and overall the populace was happy. By 1980, however, something had begun to change. The economy had taken a nosedive. Companies were laying off workers right and left. Unemployment kept rising. Discontent was rampant.
The 1980 elections saw Jean Marie LaPlume elected as Prime Minister, a charismatic far-right leader who blamed illegal immigration and "corrupt communist union bosses" for New Paristan's economic problems. His first act was to seal New Paristan's borders and impose hefty tariffs on imported goods. He forced harsh union-busting legislation through the National Assembly. He cut social spending down to nothing and slashed corporate taxes and regulations. He couched his ultra-capitalist economic agenda in nationalistic language and riled his supporters to action with great speeches that encouraged a sense of cultural superiority.
Unfortunately, all of that jingoistic bluster didn't solve any of New Paristan's economic problems. The stock market continued to slide. Unemployment rose to record levels. The abolition of New Paristan's social safety net caused a huge increase in the homeless population. The agricultural sector was nearly obliterated because nobody could afford to buy anything.
The Rise of Bruno Leclerc and the Militant Union
Prime Minister La Plume's grip on power was solidified by the national media, by now almost completely controlled by three giant corporations, all of whom were major contributors to La Plume's campaigns. The television stations and newspapers championed La Plume's positions through biased reporting that deceptively purported to be "fair and balanced." By and large, the Paristani populace bought into the media lies. Prime Minister La Plume seemed indestructible.
But not for one man. Bruno Leclerc was a frustrated assembly line worker at an electronics plant. Over the years he had seen his pay slashed, his benefits disappear, and the union at his factory torn apart by internal dissent, beaurocritization and, ultimately, the harsh anti-union legislation of the La Plume government. Finally, he decided that enough was enough. He talked some of his coworkers into coming to a secret meeting at his small apartment in the industrial city of Lille (now called Leclerc). That small meeting saw the creation of the Militant Union, the revolutionary force that would lead New Paristan into a new era of socialist prosperity.
Leclerc was quickly fired from his job once word leaked out about his Militant Union. Legend has it that when he was fired, Bruno said to his boss, "Sir, it is not I who am fired today. It is you." He then walked out of the factory and into history.
Two years of very careful, very secretive organizing later, the Militant Union had members in every major industry in New Paristan. Hearing of this threat, Prime Minister La Plume began to crack down. He outlawed "meetings of more than 10 people in one place at one time." He gave the police broad new surveillance powers. But when it became clear that the Militant Union had become too powerful for such measures, La Plume became desperate. He imposed a nationwide curfew. People were arrested and put in prison merely for "suspicious behavior." Many Militant Union members were executed for treason. But Leclerc was not stupid. He kept a low profile, only going out when necessary to attend to some matter of urgency. The MU began to have a life of its own.
La Plume's crackdowns on dissent and ironclad grip on the media could not quell the growing tide of discontent. People began talking in hushed tones about a revolution. Bruno Leclerc sensed an opportunity approaching.
Revolution and Renewal: New Paristan Today
Finally, the bubble burst. The stock market crashed. The economy ground to a halt. La Plume declared martial law.
The Militant Union responded. Bruno Leclerc called a general strike. Millions of workers marched on the National Assembly building in Montmartre, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister La Plume.
La Plume called in the army to disperse the protesters. But many of the soldiers did just the opposite, and joined the protesters.
Bruno Leclec made an impassioned speech, calling for massive social change. He exclaimed, "We must not fear the future, for it is our task as workers to lead it!"
Meanwhile, the National Assembly was feverishly debating a course of action. The pro-La Plume majority government was calling for Leclerc's head, while the opposition minority was calling for La Plume's head. A no confidence vote was held. The result shocked everyone. Almost half of the La Plume government ministers broke with their party and voted against the Prime Minister. Every other member of the National Assembly voted against the Prime Minister.
There then followed a moment of extreme tension. La Plume had to know he was beaten, but he was tenacious. In the end, however, La Plume made a brief speech, emphasizing that he "was confident that one day he would be vindicated," and stepped down from power. He left the country amid great secrecy.
