Politics
in Elysium Before the Fool's War
Political
activity within Autarchic Elysium can be separated into three
broad, overlapping categories: the politics of the unemployed and
unbonded laboring classes; the politics of the Guilds, merchants,
minor aristocracy, and other educated elites; and the politics of the
Autarchic court.
The
character of court politics was determined by the character of the
Autarch. Unfortunately, Autarch Miraxus II was a man of very weak
character indeed. Miraxus II was not unintelligent, and had enjoyed
the best education that late feudalist Mars could offer. But he
suffered grievously from a lack of imagination, and even more from an
inability to tolerate anyone who threatened to outshine him – in
one infamous incident, he ordered a Major in the Municipal Defense
Force barred from the palace for correcting a minor point of
nomenclature (a punishment that would do the Major no small good
during the Revolution). As a result, his court was dominated by the
mediocre and the corrupt, who could be counted on to pose no threat
to the Autarch's self-esteem.
The
politics of the educated classes was dominated by the struggle
between the emerging middle classes and the reactionary aristocracy
and Guilds. Although formal political parties were outlawed in Elysium as
subversive, the views of these groups could be broadly
categorized into several factions: the Autarchial faction, supporting
the Autarchy and the court; the Traditionalists, supporting the rights
of the Guilds and aristocracy, though generally in alliance with the
Autarchy; and the Progressives, supporting the new middle classes.
Each of these factions had their own daily newsfiles, informal clubs
of supporters, and political agendas. Broadly speaking, the
Progressives sought to expand the ranks of the Aristocracy and the
Guilds, both in recognition of the new economic realities, and to
create new social and economic opportunities for themselves and their
children. The Autarchials and the Traditionalists sought to
constrain this expansion, while feuding amongst themselves over how
much control the theoretically-absolute Autarch should have over the
Guilds and the aristocracy. Besides these three main factions,
there were also smaller radical factions, most notably the Zealots,
the Republicans, and the Martians.
The
politics of the lower classes was mostly nascent. We say that it
was dominated by the Zealots, the Republicans, and the Martians,
because these were the three factions competing for influence and
support among the lower classes. But, prior to the Fool's War, these
remained extreme minorities within a largely apolitical, apathetic
mass. The primary difference between the three groups was their
focus: while all three were theoretically committed to the overthrow
of the Autarchy, and both the Zealots and the Republicans to the
reconquest of Earth, the Zealots focused on the former, the
Republicans on the latter. The Zealots, in particular, were
uncompromising in their demand for social justice, with articulate
and elaborate plans for the establishment of a democratic government
and the dismantling of the Guilds and the aristocracy. The
Republic, on the other hand, was explicitly, and deliberately, vague
about its immediate political plans, calling for a pragmatic approach
that made use of whatever resources and structures were available to
achieve the grand aim of retaking Earth. The Martians rejected any
attempt to retake Earth, believing that the only reasonable objective
for humanity was to make as good a life as possible on Mars.
In
the short run, the Zealots far outstripped the Republicans and the
Martians in support, both because of their more immediately appealing
aims and because of their larger initial cadre in Elysium. In the
long run, however, the deliberate flexibility of the Republicans
would prove decisive.
After
the collapse of Hellas Trading, the political landscape of Elysium
began to shift, slowly at first, but quickly accelerating as Elysium
approached the Fools' War. Although the Traditionalists remained
nominally supportive of the Autarchy – anything less would be
grounds for arrest by Internal Security – the long-simmering
resentment of the upper aristocracy towards the “malcon-in-chief”
began to boil over, and there were whispers that, perhaps, the
interests of the aristocracy and the Guilds might be better
safeguarded by a different Autarch. Within the Progressives,
attitudes towards the Autarch became positively venomous, and
Progressive newsfiles made a game of skirting the edges of what
IntSec would consider treasonous.
As
yet, little of this penetrated to the lower classes, who were used to
destitution. But that would change, soon.
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