The Platform - Faction Information

[The Platform]

The Platform

Faction Information )

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Quick Info

Flag of the Platform

■ Alignment: Bundschuh ■ Ship Tag: (=)

Summary

The Platform is a Bundschuh sect espousing a far-left, anarchist political ideology. A compromise between platformist and synthesis anarchist tendencies, it and the sect were founded by the infamous Rheinland dissident Erich Klugmann and the more enigmatic and reclusive “Civil Servant” several months before the Blackout.

In spite of the contentiousness of its radical-left stance, the Platform has risen to prominence within the wider Bundschuh for several reasons. A fiery speech issued by Klugmann to the Bundschuh in 830 AS preceded the initial founding by half a month; the speech had lambasted the organization for ironically growing stagnant and tepid during his exile.

He advocated a vision far more extreme than he had in his days of leading the Vereinigte Widerstandsarmee: opposition to the state as a concept. In periodical pieces and follow-up speeches, he elaborated to his idealistic audience that a nation-state–even one with good intentions–was doomed to backslide into some variation of corrupt politics, stratified corporatism, and an entrenched prison-industrial complex. Illustrated timelines of the rise and fall of the Federal Republic of Rheinland–and of the Council of Gallia–served as ideological object lessons to support Klugmann’s arguments.

The Battlegroup Strausberg’s massacre of the crew of Bautzen Station in 832 did even more to sway a portion of the Bundschuh than Klugmann’s rhetoric alone; by the latter half of 833, ex-Zoners made up a substantial minority of those identifying with the Platform. This group had extrapolated from Klugmann’s rhetoric a sobering conclusion: a nation-state would only tolerate Zoner freedom and independence so long as it served that state’s purposes. These former Zoners had witnessed that political neutrality hadn’t spared Freeport 11 from The Core, Gran Canaria from Bretonia, Freeport 9 from the Corsair Empire, and most prominently, Planet Erie and Pennsylvania from the Republic of Liberty.

Starry-eyed political theorists from the Bundschuh’s latest generation joined these bitter ex-Zoners. They were further joined by Sirian leftists distancing themselves from perceived authoritarianism among the Coalition-Hessian Bloc, and by huddled masses yearning to breathe free from across the Sector.

Combined into an unwieldy but democratic confederation of subfactions allowed to keep their own identities, the Platform stands poised to radicalize not only the ideologies of the Bundschuh and Rheinland’s ideological dissidents, but also those beyond its borders. In the end, the State–and resistance to the State–share a universal language.

Objectives)

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Long term political aims

These aims do not change overtime, but the methods required to sustain these aims are adapted to best meet them. These goals are ratified by the collective agreements of the Civilian and Paramilitary wings of the anarchist political party,

■ Engage in a guerrilla war against the Second Empire of Rheinland, the Corsair Empire, and other states, corporations, and organizations, using all means available to the Bundschuh.

■ Ratification & Recognition of a Charter or other “legal document” intended to codify–for the aid of its continued stability and shared direction–a decentralized anarchist combatant organization; one that is anti-authoritarian, anti-nationalist, and anti-capitalist. Additionally, able to hold its own without becoming overly dependent on other factions and organizations.

■ Promotion of and martial guardianship over mutual aid groups, to supplant former corporate and governmental models of resource and service exchange.

■ Ideological diffusion via propaganda and direct action; possible expansion of influence towards other nearby, potentially volatile planetary populations (Marne, Sprague, Houston, Erie).

Current operational goals

Platformers are encouraged to independently organize with cells to make impact where possible, attacks against opponents or support of allies are made within seconds while on patrol trusted to the critical thinking of freedom fighters, while larger operations could take a few hours to days to mobilize with the backing of civilian and paramilitary command moving in zealous unity.

■ Expulsion of Imperial corporations from Sigma-15 and the on going Imperial and corporate involvement in Hammersee's use of indentured servitude.

■ Rescue and liberate as many foreign freedom fighters from prisoner imports across Sirius and Gallia, empowering relations with other pro-democracy resistance groups.

■ Disruption of corporate operations and power, causing maximum financial damage to their income revenues by providing alternative options to Bundschuh sympathising workforces. (Abusive management assassinations, workforce and labour union empowerment, supply interdiction, underground supply networks.)

Capabilities)

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Civilian Unions

For many, the Paramilitary rotation allows for civilian life to breathe in as many as possible. Some may fully dedicate themselves towards the means of the armed fight for self-determination, others may find other means of fighting the capitalist and authoritarian regime by putting their skills towards industrial trades. The Bundshuh are still dependent on the logistics of a revolutionary population, such as engineering for ship repair and space salvage, towards production and logistics for their underground smuggling networks.

These workers produce the bulk of the underground financing the Bundschuh see too, non-combat associates of the Platform in the anarchist alliance play a huge role in supporting both military and civilian wellbeing. In return they receive support of fair representation along with goodwill assistance in desperate times, such as ensuring the safe refuge of close friends and political asylum seekers. And even in the most politically aggressive measures, lend a hand to an outlawed workers union to ensure their corporate manager doesn't make it home that night.

To ensure that pressure is applied at all times against their targets, this co-operation between the Paramilitary and Civilian associations has empowered attitudes across the Bundschuh, many are still filled with the courage to become involved directly into contributing to political change and spread pro-democracy ambition for the betterment of the powerless majority, but this time armed with the support and backing of their anarchist compatriots to fight against systemic stratification. The Independent Journalists Association organized from Bruchsal have endorsed and propagate reports on corporate conspiracy and coverups, and facilitate the distribution of propaganda and media specialists that target the quiet anger of a oppressed population.

Civilians still have a large say in how the Platform anarchist alliance operates, most of those independently form co-operatives within the locality of their stations, such as the Volunteer-Engineers-Corps based on Saverne that support both the paramilitary and black market ship demands, and the Anarchist Union of miners based on Bielefeld

Anarchist Paramilitary

The paramilitary are made up of individuals who have volunteered to fight under the flag of the anarchist federation. The paramilitary duties consist of security and combat concerns to those that are within rotation, these consist of people who may have other civilian occupations within the Platform while receiving training and assisting with strategic efforts.

With the influx of dissidents from all over Sirius attempting their first escape of state oppression, and the increased dissatisfaction of civil wars resulting in agreements that compromised public expectations of pro-democracy outcomes. The unpopular Holstein accords following the Rheinland civil war surged feelings of betrayal amongst many Federal resistance fighters, this has bolstered the fighting capability of the greater Bundschuh in both engineering and military experience.

Volunteers enter a skilled field they're already familiar with or are trained under specialists while in service. Everything from civilian trades to combat training are utilized to widen the pool of the Platform's capabilities, such as industrial knowledge for commercial disruption, to financial and academic angles to bolster economic impacts when targeting Imperial assets.

Remaining true to grassroots ethics, ranks between people are minimised and command authority lies with an elected assembly that communicates with civil representatives to fulfil the needs of people. Taking advantage of morale improvements and recognizable skills this provides, this allows the Platform to effectively pass on benefits to their compatriot fighters and quickly source someone with the potentials needed on short notice.

Cells work independently as much as possible towards the benefit of their commune, while larger operations are still coordinated between command branches, delegated initiatives help to ensure smaller offensives are carried out without the need to wait for any central command to authorise it. This allows for easier severance if intelligence has been compromised, a lot of trust is placed on the anti-authoritarian ideals that individuals hold fanatically if they were captured, and negates the risk of corruption or influence via power or finances.

Current 1st-IC @Civil Servant
Political knowledge and proof reading assistance @Zephyranthes & @Petitioner
Faction formation and mission established by @LunaticOnTheGrass