The STEP High Garden

[Drogue]

STEP stands for the 'Save The Environment Party'. We are a party to lobby elected officials, and to aid discussion on all issues. We do not enforce block voting. You may still vote how you wish in any poll, but we will discuss and post the official party opinion here. We are a party of individuals, so you do not need to agree with us on everything to join, and your opinions are welcomed. If you do join, then you will get the support of the party if you run for election. If you want to join STEP, simply declare your support in this thread, or PM me

We are not just a one issue party, we have a range of beliefs, set out here:

The STEP Manifesto:
1) We believe in developing a natural harmony with Planet, including a high Planet and low eco-damage rating.
2) We will pursue our goals peacefully, but when provoked, will defend ourselves. We will intervene if a faction attacks our Pact Brother, or to prevent atrocities, but will seek a speedy resolution with the minimum damage and loss of life. We will never sanction the use of Planet Busters.
3) We strive for an equal, fair, tolerant and free society for all, where power and position are allocated by merit rather than birthright or wealth.
4) We are for research towards ecological and exploration technologies, and the building of tree farms and other ecological base enhancements.
5) We see our future in Eudemonia and Transcendence, as we believe the happiness of people, and the harmony with Planet, are integral parts of becoming enlightened.
And we like to Party!

Due to the pollution in New Apolyton, STEP has moved it's offices to the lush lands and vibrant culture of Aurora, in Akiria, and I advise all STEP supporters to move there, it really is a lovely city (and commuting is a bit of an annoyance).

This thread is mainly for party communication, debate between party members, posting our policies, and gentle, short discussion. For debates/arguments please use the Save the Environment Party (STEP) or Debating Room thread.

Members:
Drogue: Leader, Director of Exploration and Intelligence and Governor of Akiria.
Hercules: Founder, Director of Peacekeeper Operations.
In other words, the pacifist STEP controls all military and exploration units.
We will have peace in our time

[GeneralTacticus]

Due to the pollution in New Apolyton, STEP has moved it's offices to the lush lands and fungus of Pandemonium.

Now that's an expensive propaganda trick. A pity, for you, that pollution in NA recently plummeted from an all-time high of 80.

People, there is a new threat to the calm harmony of Planet. That threat is in the form of Free Market, a rampant disease that will destroy Planet.

Oh come on. Spare us the hyperbole.


As for the rest:
Copied from the STEP Thread:

Aside from the eco-damage (ED),

This point has been repeatedly addressed. Don't use it again until you can actually support it.

the civil unrest and lack of respect for police,

See above.

the injustice to the less skilled members of our society,

Where's the injustice?

and the general all round evilness of FM,

What evilness?

we have an large MW problem in Terminal Dogma,

Actually, we have one boil otuside the base, which can be dealt with via a switch from a Former to a Trance garrison, followed by a rush.

and with extra ED (thus more worms) and negative psi combat, this could turn into a major faction-wide problem.

Care to support that with some evidence?

Will we let our children be slaughtered to satisfy our greed

No. This is what the army is for.

[Drogue]

Do we have to post again what we posted on STEP? I really don't fancy going through another argument of the same thing!

Yes the ED rate has lowered in NA, but there is still too much pollution to see the stars and beautiful suns, and I'm very much a country person. Besides, Pandemonium looked quite nice I've been meaning to move for a while (the commute from TBIBTU to NA was killing me!) and Maniac did ask if people wanted to see his great province.

[GeneralTacticus]

Yes the ED rate has lowered in NA, but there is still too much pollution to see the stars and beautiful suns,

Then why didn't you move before, when things were much worse?

[Drogue]

Never got round to it. I was living in TBIBTU, and Herc set up STEP before I arrived. But I decided enough was enough!

Love the region BTW Maniac, nicely done!

[GeneralTacticus]

Oh well, at least I won't have to look at all those damn signs up around the STEP offices when I commute to work every morning.

[Nubclear]

Would the STEP party be willing to sell its former HQ buildling in New Apolyton to the CNN?

[Archaic]

Of course they wouldn't. They don't support a Free Market, remember? That building, like every other one in this faction at this point in time, is state owned.

[Pandemoniak]

The CCCP is glad to welcome their green fellows of the STEP. Numerous militants of the CCCP have announced their will to encourage, debate and participate at any particuliar action the STEP and CCCP could launch.
As you may have notice, the situation in Pandemonium is totally instable, and we are really close to a crisis. We urged our governor to do something quickly in order to preserve peace and prosperity, but we've been told by a member of the Governor Office that "As long as there's no crisis, nothing has to be done". Our only issue seem to take things in hands by ourselves
Not only the government is threatening our social rights, for which we fought so proudly, but they're also threatening our world itself, pollutiong more and more ! They wish to destroy what took us so long to build : a egalitarian democracy.
We must remain united. We must vote "Never".
Proletarians, all around the Planet, vote "NEVER" !

Citizen Bosco Domai,
Local Foreman of the CCCP, in Pandemonium
in Walk together with the Planet

A pity, for you, that pollution in NA recently plummeted from an all-time high of 80.

Oh, not even 80,000 tonnes a day of polluting materials released in New Apolytonian Wild Forest. Planet probably wont even notice.
Pandemoniak,
in From Lady Deirdre's Garden of Gaia

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000
Would the STEP party be willing to sell its former HQ buildling in New Apolyton to the CNN?

That building was controlled by Herc, so I guess it's up to him and the DIA. I thought the CNN already had new offices?

[Archaic]

Originally posted by Pandemoniak
Not only the government is threatening our social rights, for which we fought so proudly

Sureeeee..........there's a reason why there's the word Free in the term Free Market you know. Your precious Planned Economy denies the people their social rights, telling them exactly how much and of what they're allowed to purchase, along with setting strict quotas for supply. Fool.

[Maniac]

Due to the pollution in New Apolyton, STEP has moved it's offices to the lush lands and fungus of Pandemonium.

Brilliant! Does that mean you will change your location in the citizen register and post your citizenship in the Jedinica Vrijstaat thread?

We urged our governor to do something quickly in order to preserve peace and prosperity, but we've been told by a member of the Governor Office that "As long as there's no crisis, nothing has to be done".

Hé?

Your precious Planned Economy denies the people their social rights, telling them exactly how much and of what they're allowed to purchase, along with setting strict quotas for supply.

Even more and ... So in your view social rights = consumerism...

[Archaic]

Originally posted by Maniac
Even more and ... So in your view social rights = consumerism...

The freedom of choice is a social right, is it not? Under a democratic government, the only difference in social rights between a Free Market and a Planned economy is Planned's completle lack of freedom of choice for both the individual and the corperation.

[Maniac]

Actually social rights mostly deal with certainties, not freedoms. For example, the certainty you get health care when you're sick, the certainty you can't get fired whenever your boss wants to, the certainty you won't die of hunger if you happen to be without a job for a while, the certainty you have a certain degree of mobility by public transport. And so on... Things that aren't guaranteed in a free market. However I understand you don't understand it. It is logical people from low and lower middle class are mostly concerned about certainties while people coming from high and higher middle class are more concerned about freedom and don't care as much about certainties and social rights.

[Archaic]

Key word mostly Maniac. The freedom of choice is a social right, and you haven't rebutted that.

As for the things you're talking about......how are they not guarenteed by a Free Market? Even with the minimum of governmental interferance, the government will still run various public services for its own profit and for the interests of the public (Both from the providing of the service and the reinvestment of profits into the community).


Let's go over them one at a time.....

the certainty you get health care when you're sick

Public Health services. Private services will almost always likely be better (Better in this case meaning how quickly you're cured really, and the comfort of the surroundings, etc) but they charge more for the service.

the certainty you can't get fired whenever your boss wants to

Protected by the discrimination laws against unfair dismissal any democracy should have,

the certainty you won't die of hunger if you happen to be without a job for a while

Heard of "Work for the Dole"? It was a concept the Australian Government implimented during the 1990's. Simply put, the government guarentees work as a low level civil servant (Everything from clerk to roadworker to street sweeper) at mimimum wage, providing on the job training while at the same time encouraging them to look for better work using those new skills. That wage allows for food to be bought.

the certainty you have a certain degree of mobility by public transport

Which would exist under a Free Market simply because it's a good source of revenue for the government, though there would of course likely be privatly run competitors.


EDIT: Oh, and for the record Maniac, while I was born into an Upper Middle Class family, with the position I've been put in since my parents split up about 9 years ago (ie. I live with my mother who works as a part time nurse, instead of with my father, who's the Program Director and the main announcer on a local radio station.), I've been hovering between Lower Class and Lower Middle Class. (It may suprise you to know that I went to Public Schools for my entire Primary and Secondary years. Just good luck on my part that my particular high school had what's considered to be the best public education available in the state.) Also, I was firmly leaning towards socialism until about 3 years ago, when I actually started getting a proper firm grounding in economics and politics.