Libertarian Socialist Party

Created by: Garry Stahl
Appearance: Various moves the Starbase 600 game.
Number of Members: Approx 1,000,000, it can jump to as many as a billion if conditions are right.
Nature of Members: Political outsiders.
Organization: Barely
Game Role: To get coffee out of Jay's nose.
World Role: Hodge-podge collection of political misfits.
Relative Influence: Minor, a small party that gets the occasional member elected.
Public or Secret?: Public, but relatively unknown.
Publicly Stated Goal: Promote the cause of Libertarian Socialism
Real Goal if Different: To get political wonks to eject various beverages from their nasal passages.
Relative Wealth: Minor. As a herd of cats.
Group advantages: Coming out of left field.
Special Abilities: Opponents are usually sputtering in disbelief.
Group disadvantages: Not very big as political parties goes.
Special disadvantages: After they stop sputtering they usually laugh.
Those who favor them: People who think politics is taken too seriously.
Those opposed to them: People that take politics seriously.
Area of Operation: Earth
Headquarters Location: "The White Hart" Pub Princeton, England.
Public Face: Political oddballs and outsiders.
Notable Members: Basil Hornblower: founder
History of the Organization: In 2110 Basil Hornblower was tired of his political science teacher's heavy handed views. So he started the Libertarian Socialist Party, which claimed to support both political views at the same time. (Party song ...Reality will never phase us / Sometimes even we amaze us....) When instead of sputtering his teacher sneered, Basil took it one better. He ran for city alderman.
It was a slow season, and the Council had been rocked by a tawdry scandal that year. Basil and his fresh faced supporters were welcome. The bad news? He won.
Reeling from his victory Basil let the thing get totally out of hand. Soon the Party had a life of its own. Basil retired from politics and swore he would never try something like that again.
Today the Libertarian Socialist Party remains a small but vital part of Earth politics. It has become a platform for the political outsider to make a statement. It has even managed to elect representatives to Earth Dome and once as Federation Councilor for Earth. Successes never however, follow successes. The very nature of the Party by-laws sees to that. Such things as a party leader can never hold a party office twice, and party conventions and meetings must take place in Pubs. However, the establishment needs be wary of them. Anytime you are feeling well entrenched one can expect some maverick from the LSP to wreck the whole thing.
Category:Groups
Category:Political Units
Category:Epiphany Trek