Independent Socialist Party of Aquitayne
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Independent Socialist Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Party Chair | Claire Lubeck (81st District) |
| Party Whip | Francis Madore (434th District) |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Preceded by | None |
| Headquarters | 574 North Government Street, Telora, 29-045 |
| Student wing | University Socialists of Aquitayne |
| Youth wing | Young Socialists of Aquitayne |
| Membership (2014) | 8.7 million |
| Ideology | fiscal conservatism, agrarianism, nationalism, statism, social democracy, environmentalism |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colors | |
| House of Lords | 8 / 124
|
| House of Commons | 72 / 786
|
| Website | |
| www | |
The Independent Socialist Party (ISP) of Aquitayne is a minority party in the Parliament of Aquitayne, and one of three non-contemporary major political parties in Aquitayne. The party traces its heritage back to the labor movements of the early 20th century, and the writings of Karl Marx and other socialist thinkers.
Throughout the 20th century, the ISP served as a coalition-building platform for the contemporary parties, the Royalists and the People's Party, each vying for the support of the seats the ISP consistently gained in the House of Commons, though the party would never achieve a majority on its own. Today, the ISP works in much of the same ways, but has, in recent years, focused inward on its own internal ideologies than diluting them with the other contemporary parties. Though the ISP claims it is not a communist movement, it has been likened as such consistently since the Second Astyrian War, and throughout much of its history. The climate towards the party has warmed in recent years due to a strengthening socialist movement in the Royalist Party.
History
1920's
1940's
1960's
1980's
2000's
2010's
Recent electoral history
Political issues
Economic issues
Fiscal policy
The ISP favors an expansionary fiscal policy that favors promoting social programs and state-funded projects above all else. There is debate within the ISP on where the money should be invested, but traditionally the party attempts to raise the funding of the National Healthcare System annually, as it is the biggest welfare program in the nation. The majority of party members are not considered fiscal conservatives.
Minimum wage
Debate within the party over minimum wage has been going on since the late 1970's. Hard-line members of the left have, in the past, tried to use minimum wage laws to cripple small business and large industrial corporations in an effort to bankrupt them and bring them under the arm of the state. Despite this, however, the majority of party members approve of a living wage, though most party members also encourage the active depreciation of salaries across the nation to attempt to bring wages into an equilibrium.
Health care
The ISP stands strongly in favor of the National Healthcare System, and it is consistently one of its largest priorities when the annual budget is making its way through Parliament. The party manifesto states that universal healthcare is key to ensuring a stable nation, and is in line with Leninist and Marxist thoughts, by empowering the people through government-funded healthcare. Ranking members of the ISP as well as prospective representatives consistently run on the NHS platform during elections.
Environment
The environment is a lax issue with party members. Some within the party believe that climate change is a hoax, and don't believe that humans are the cause of global warming. Even so, the ISP has engaged in some pro-environmental activities, such as assisting with the funding of green energy subsidies, which they rationalized through "providing the working class with better opportunities to serve the state".
Education
The ISP believes that every child in Aquitayne should get the same education, regardless of income, status, gender, or race. The party also actively pushes a very pro-socialist education doctrine, often aimed at promoting Marxist thought in young children to "create the next generation of socialist thinkers and activists". The ISP has been somewhat successful, but the majority of their education policy has not been implemented.
Renewable energy and fossil fuels
Renewable energy is not a pressing issue for the ISP, and the majority of their energy-related policies favor coal and natural gas industries. The chair of the ISP has stated publicly that the party does not believe renewable energy is the future of the country, and that the government should not turn its back on the hard labor of its most important energy creators.
Social issues
Equal opportunity
The ISP believes strongly in the equal opportunity of any citizen to contribute to the state. They also believe that equal opportunity begins in grade school, and push socialist policies that attempt to provide every child with the same level of education and access to education as anyone else, as well as the same uniform educational goals and structures nation-wide.
Abortion and reproductive rights
The ISP stands strongly opposed to abortion in any form and believes that the reproductive rights of women come second to the rights of any child they may carry. Some members of the party even stand firmly against birth control, as they believe it to be a way of preventing a potential life. It is because of these beliefs that the ISP has prevented any major legislation regarding employer-funded birth control from ever being passed.
Immigration
The Independent Socialist Party actively tries to minimize the amount of immigration coming into Aquitayne annually. Though there are no outright 'racists' in the party, the political group believes that immigration only leads to a less skilled workforce and increasing social costs to healthcare and public housing. Critics have called the party hypocritical on this stance, but the ISP believes its socialist policies should only apply to Aquitaynian citizens, and not foreigners.
LGBT Rights
The ISP stands firmly in support of LGBT rights through Aquitayne and Astyria, and believes it is not the place of government to dictate who can marry whom.
Legal Issues
Incarceration
The ISP is known for passing legislation with harsh criminal sentences for any crime they believe to be against the state or state officers. In the last decade, the ISP has increased the sentence for felony assault to a minimum of six years, where previously it had been two. The ISP does not support private incarceration.
Right to privacy
Members of the ISP have sponsored legislation aimed at the privacy rights of Aquitaynians since the early 2000's. The party chair stated in 2004 that "if you don't have anything to hide, who cares what the government looks at?" The ISP believes that every citizen is under subject of the state, and thus has no expectation of privacy while in the nation, even though this is refuted stagnantly in the Aquitaynian Constitution.
Foreign policy
Insula Fera
The ISP supported the intervention in Insula Fera, but opposed large bailouts by the Aquitaynian government to Pangeian business and people. The ISP has consistently fought to end the annual foreign aid package sent to New Pangus, as well as restrict the flow of refugees from Insula Fera into Aquitayne. Within the party, the conflict is largely seen as a successful endeavor, though the party also wanted a stronger show of force when EATA forces began intervening in the operation of Aquitayne's forces early on in the conflict.
EATA and ATO
The majority of party members have pro-EATA leanings, and consistently support Confederate actions in Parliament when able, and actively accuse the Royalist Party of coercion when they criticize the Confederate government.
Romberg
The ISP stands strongly opposed to Rombergian imperialism and military action in Lorecia, standing in unison with other parties when Aquitayne stood against Romberg in late 2016. Though relations have cooled since then, the ISP has publicly stated it wants little to do with the Rombergian Kaiser, and has even proposed legislation to kick Rombergian citizens out of the Aquitaynian Foreign Legion.