Greater DCU
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The Greater Democratic Communist Union is a massive socially progressive European nation. Ruled by a democratically elected government, the nation is dedicated to and run on the principles of Progressive Communism and European Socialism, philosophies that have often led to tension and, occasionally, hostilities with some of the region’s more aggressive capitalist/fascist regimes.
Greater DCU is a pleasant nation in which to live, as the many immigrants who arrive each year can testify to. The planned economy ensures steady and impressive economic growth while the free healthcare and education services are the envy of the region. While the Politburo is strong and centrally controlling, the democratic system ensures that civil rights are respected across the nation. The citizens of Greater DCU are generally warm and friendly, though occasionally suspicious of foreigners. The rights of Free Press and Free Speech are also held dear among the populace.
The Greater Democratic Communist Union is often officially shortened to Greater DCU or abbreviated to GDCU. The nation can also be referred to as the Union while the term Verde describes the nation’s geographic location. Verdean is also used to denote the people of the Greater DCU and their culture and practices.
See Who's Who in GDCU for a list of notable figures in today's Verdean society
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[edit] Geography
The peninsula of Verde takes its name from the rolling green fields that make up much of the region. Much of the nation is composed of flat grasslands and fields and hills with only the mountainous southeast and coastal plains offering contrast. This monotony was famously captured by the 17th century bard Seamus McDonough who wrote, "When one is tired of Verde, one is tired of endless fields of cabbage". The fact that McDonough went missing shortly afterwards also says a lot on the traditional cut and thrust of the region’s politics.
Major geographic landmarks are rare but include the Verde River (one of the largest in the region) and the Ambrosia Mts. The coastline is almost among the longest in mainland Europe the peninsula surrounded by the Bay of Cheddar to the north, the Implarian Sea to the west and the Gulf of Verde to the south. Land borders include the People's Republic of Vocur and Rokolev. The climate is generally temperate with temperatures rising further south and along the Gulf Coast.
[edit] Politics
Main article: Communist Party of Verde
[edit] The Communist Party of Verde
The political landscape of Greater DCU, along with every other aspect of life, is dominated by the Communist Party of Verde. The Party is the only political organisation permitted to operate within the Union and it is the only source of authority. In fact there is no national Head of State or Head of Government, the highest ranking politician is the General Secretary of the Communist Party. However the Party and its political system remain resolutely democratic with all citizens over the age of 18 being allowed to stand or vote for positions.
Power in Greater DCU is very much concentrated in the hands of Party officials. The roles of industrialists, the military and even the judiciary pale in comparison to those wielded by politicians. Decisions that affect the Union as a whole are made almost exclusively by either the Politburo or Assembly while local issues are often handled by the well developed network of local branches. Despite the centralising tendencies of a series of Politburos, the two-tier system continues to grant significant authority to grassroots organisations. This trend can be seen throughout the Union system – almost all state bodies (especially economic) consist of both a national, and ultimately supreme, grouping and a network of local offices working closer to the community.
[edit] The Party Structure
The Party’s structure can be broadly divided into three bodies - the Populace, the Assembly and the Politburo - stacked in a pyramid organisation. The Revolutionary Council is a separate body that oversees the rate of progress towards the Communist state. There are a myriad other councils, executives and committees woven into this basic structure but these are the major decision making groupings.
- The Populace consists of the entire voting public and grassroots Party branches. All citizens over the age of 18 are required to be Party members and are eligible to vote in elections.
- The Party Assembly is the primary decision making body of the Union and seats the 200 Assembly Members who represent the various constituency of the Greater DCU.
- The Assembly members elect the Politburo which is the highest decision making body in the Union. Headed by the General Secretary it is responsible for the day to day running of the nation.
As there is only one political party allowed (the Party itself) there are no parliamentary parties operating in Greater DCU. Instead a number of loose ideological factions exist within the Assembly. However membership of these factions is not compulsory and as a result Verdean politics are generally much more fluid and personality based than foreign counterparts. The primary Assembly factions are the Social Union (currently in the ascendancy), the Conservative Communists and the Free Enterprise Alliance.
Elections are held every 5 years and it is a matter of the Populace to vote for their representatives to the Party Assembly. The Assembly Members then elect a General Secretary and must approve of his Politburo.
Profiles of most major Politburo members and other prominent personalities in Greater DCU can be found at Who's Who in GDCU
[edit] Economy
[edit] The Command Economy
Unsurprisingly for a state built on the teachings of Marx, Greater DCU operates under a planned economy. Ultimately all economic decisions are the responsibility of the behemoth Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Enterprise (SITE). This massive organisation includes over a dozen separate branches including the Central State Bank, the Agricultural Production Board, the Gas and Petroleum Energy Board and the Department of Arms Procurement and Development. These massive organisations are responsible for setting production targets, running virtually all industrial, agricultural and other aspects of the GDCU economy.
While overall targets are dictated by the Politburo, there is substantial input from the lowest level of the industrial base as local Economic Priority Councils generate the demand for their community. Specially developed computers and software are required to process the vast amounts of data moving through the system and are necessary to manage a modern day planned economy. These systems allow SITE to assign resources to critical areas of the economy and greatly increase the overall economic efficiency of the Union.
Although small sole traders are allowed to operate independently, the State owns all medium to large firms. Large monopolies have been established to maximise production with the bulk of a single commodity being manufactured in one or two dedicated sites. Due to an ideological opposition to wage slavery and a desire to increase motivation, workers at a given site are granted a percentage of the company’s profits in addition to a minimum wage. Dedicated SITE teams that rove the country and identify wasted resources for reassignment have further reduced the traditional inefficiencies associated with State owned firms.
As required by Marxist ideology, private land is non-existent in Greater DCU. It is not so much a matter of the State owning the land, as it is that the very concept no longer exists.
[edit] International Trade
Despite the opening of the borders, trade with foreign nations continues to be low. The bulk of transactions are conducted with fellow socialist powers on a government-to-government basis. Few major industries have opened their doors to Europe with only the Department of Arms Procurement and Development trading on the open European market. Nonetheless there is some degree of a balance of trade with the fruits surplus production often exported. In recent years SITE has also begun to import certain specialty goods from abroad, but there remains a political and economic limit on the acceptable quantity of foreign trade permitted. Even with this there has been talk of allowing a small number of foreign firms to locate within the Union, however few have proven willing to abide by the regulations and requirements of SITE.
One result of this, not unexpected, trade outlook has been that the effects of globalisation on the GDCU economy have been considerably migrated. While hardly self-sufficient, the Union still retains complete control of its economic affairs. This ensures that outsourcing is an unfamiliar term to the business community and [[Wikipedia:Heavy Industry|heavy manufacturing and industry continues to make up a substantial proportion of total output. However recent modernisation drives and the maturing of the economy have resulted in the evolution of many of these firms into hi-tech precision engineering facilities.
[edit] The History
Main article: History of Verde
The fertile fields of Verde have long been an attractive settling ground for various foreign invaders. As such the history of Verde is an almost continuous series of invasions, conflict and resettlements. The first recorded settlers in the region of Verde date back to 4000 BC when Neolithic farmers founded a few sparse settlements. These were later conquered by the Celtic tribes who had passed through Rokolev and onto the plains of Verde circa 500 BC. For almost a thousand years the Celts spread across and settled on the peninsula, giving it its name and laying the foundations for a future culture. This peaceful existence was shattered in 1424 AD when a small collection of Alamein ships was sighted off the coast. In the coming centuries invaders from Cidonia, États Confédéres d'Europe and Pallux would follow suit and occupied large tracts of land. By the mid 1700’s the Verdean peninsula was occupied by five distinct nations – the Gaelic Free State, the Duchy of Smithfield, the Principality of Borogravia, the Free Cities and the Diocese of Ambrosia.
These nationstates warred almost constantly for two hundred years as the petty factions dedicated themselves to the destruction of the rivals. The fluid nature of Verdean politics ensured that barely a year would go by without some minor crisis between two nations – a crisis which would usually grow and later plunge the region into yet another pointless war. However the “war to end all wars” occurred in 1918 when large-scale industrial warfare broke out between the powers. For seven years the petty states fought each other to a standstill as life in the region continued to deteriorate rapidly. As millions of young men continued to die on the battlefields, their families were starving in the cities. All the time the following of socialist radicals such as continue to grow. Finally the long awaited revolution took place on the 22nd of February 1925. Masses of workers, soldiers and all citizens from around Verde rallied to the Red Banner of Alexandre Vinkourov and the Communist Party of Verde. After several months of civil war the old regimes had been washed away and the Greater DCU established.
After the Revolution the borders to the Europe were shut and work began on reconstructing Verdean society. Eighty years later the result is a unified socialist state founded on the twin principles of democracy and Marxism.
[edit] Society
Visitors to Greater DCU are often surprised by the generally pleasant atmosphere and society, which contrasts sharply with the stereotypical image of communist nations. Social affairs are directed by the Party, which ensures that while no one is too rich, poverty is almost unheard of. While the planned economy maximises employment, free healthcare and education (regularly ranked among the highest in Europe by the UN) have resulted in a well educated and happy populace.
Status in Verdean society is primary based on standing within the local Party organisation, which is in turn highly dependant on performance within a professional sector. For example a highly innovative engineer will attract praise from his local Party branch and thus gain prestige and respect within the community. There are a number of civilian awards based on military orders that are often rewarded to community members for admirable work in either the local community or in their workplace.
[edit] Demographics
As a result of centuries of invasion and settlement there is no standard ethnic makeup in Greater DCU. While it is known that those of Celtic descent make up the largest proportion of the population, exact figures are unavailable. This is a direct result of the Party’s insistence on the One People, One Party, One State policy which does not allow for the existence of ethnic divisions within the Union. As such the term Verdean is used to describe all peoples within the Greater DCU.
The same theory applies to languages within the Union. While there have traditionally been five separate and distinct languages, during the Reconstruction a new, common, language was developed. Simply referred to as Union Standard, the tongue is now the first language of the majority of the population, certainly those under thirty. The use of the preceding languages is still common however and most citizens are capable of speaking a second tongue. While these languages have been bastardised after several centuries of isolation, a Cidonian descendent from GDCU could still communicate with a citizen of Cid City.
[edit] Sport
Sport is a highly popular pastime in Greater DCU with participation encouraged at all levels. Most sports remain firmly amateur although certain clubs will subsidise their players to a degree. These days tough training regimes and diets are also common among the top athletes. The popularity of certain games can vary across the nation eg Gaelic games are more popular in the north-west while soccer predominates in the Smithfield. Overall though the most popular team games are rugby union, Gaelic football and soccer. Cycling and tennis also enjoy firm followings.
While national teams, in particular soccer, once took part in European tournaments; wars, isolation and general regional tension have limited this participation. It has been a number of years since a team from Greater DCU played outside the Union.
[edit] Religion
Perhaps surprisingly for a Socialist nation, religion in Greater DCU is tolerated, if not encouraged. The Union is even home to a Cardinal of the Church of Pallux. This is the product of a deal between the revolutionaries and clergy during the Revolution. The Church would surrender all material power and influence and in return it would be permitted to maintain its structure and wealth. Both sides benefited from this arrangement – the Communists faced one less foe in their struggle while the Church was able to guarantee its long-term survival.
While hardly taboo, religion is rarely mentioned in Greater DCU today and never in official channels. Local Party officials tend to passively discourage religious participation and there is no doubt as to the secular nature of the State. Cardinal Desmond currently heads a congregation that makes up, approximately, 7% of the Verdian population, most of whom are residents of the Ambrosia region. Ambrosia remains the traditional stronghold of the Church but even there the faith is in sharp decline.
[edit] Military
Main article: Military of Greater DCU
Relations between capitalist and socialist nations in Europe have rarely been better than tense and so the maintenance of a strong military is a necessity for any state that preaches European Socialism. In Greater DCU the principle guardians of the Party are the Red Army, Red Navy, Union Air Force and Strategic Rocket forces. Each body plays a key role in the defence of Greater DCU and overall the military receives a substantial percentage of the nation’s yearly budget. Conscription is required to maintain the manpower levels (and in particular the massed ranks of the Red Army) but professional soldiers continue to form the backbone of the armed forces.
While the Party continues its domination of all aspects of political life into the military, there is generally little interference of the workings of the officer corps. So while each company has an attached political officer, these are generally officers selected to oversee morale and handle civilian relations and are subordinate to commanders in the field. The same applies in reverse and those who pursue a military career as a senior officer may not sit on either the Assembly or Politburo (unless in their capacity as chief of Staff).
