Vaushist Party

**Vaushist Party**

**Factions:**

* Anarcho-syndicalism
* Social democracy
* Democratic socialism
* Market anarchism
* Anarcho-communism

**Party Flag**

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The **Vaushist Party** (**VP**), also referred to as the **Marxist-Kropotkist-Chomskist-Vaushist Party** (**MKCVP**) was a socialist political party in the Myjohanian Union and the Johanian Republic, founded in 2020 by Vaush, as a merger between the three-year-old *Democratic Socialist Labour Party* and disaffected elements of the *Social Democratic Party of the Johanian Empire*. The party was behind the Second Johanian Republic's socialist reforms and governed the country together with the Myohanian Communist Party throughout Shitcraft IV. During Shitcraft V, the VP was the most prominent party in the Johanian Autonomous Republic until its dissolution by Vaush in May 2022.

The VP was founded during the Leftist Uprising in which Marxist-Myohanists and libertarian socialists worked together to abolish the Johanian monarchy. The broad anti-monarchist ideology was the driving factor in its initial growth. Johanians across the political spectrum flocked to the party, as Marxists, socialists, and centrists made up its ranks. Despite large levels of opression by the Imperial government, the VP continued to grow albeit underground in Odessa with other minor socialist parties. Gallus III, one of the leading Marxists, engaged in fierce debates with other over revolutionary and reformist tactics and theory. Gallus believed that the party, led by a small committee, should be the vehicle that mobilizes the working class to carry out the revolution. The writings of Vaush shared a similar sentiment; Vaush also called for united direct action against the Imperial Government and for it to be replaced with a revolutionary one. He also argued in favour of government-mandated worker-cooperatives to replace capitalist institutions. This inspired many minor parties to merge into the Vaushist Party. Vaush was largely seen as a revolutionary leader who had a praxis for establishing socialism in Johania. Following the June 2020 election, the Vaushist Party won by a landslide and rewrote the Johanian Republic's constitution.

After the founding of the Johanian Republic in 2020, Gallus had introduced a mixed economy, commonly referred to as the New Economic Policy, which allowed for capitalist practices to resume under the federal government's dictation in order to develop the necessary conditions for socialism to become a practical pursuit in the economically undeveloped parts of the country. Socialist modes of production were enforced in prosperous states of the second Johanian Republic since Vaush argued that they met the necesssary conditions for moving towards collectivism and market anarchism.

## Organization

The highest body within the VP was the Party Congress, which convened every five years. When the Congress was not in session, the Central Committee was the highest body. Because the Central Committee met twice a year, most day-to-day duties and responsibilities were vested in the Politburo.

The Vaushist Party was a socialist party based on *Federal Unity; Local Uniqueness* (*FU;LU*). This principle, conceived by Vaush, entails democratic and open discussion of policy issues within the greater party, followed by the requirement of total unity in upholding the agreed policies for federal matters. The party had several associated sister-parties that were locally oriented, such as the Juliengrad Vaushist Party, the Vaushist Taipei Party and the Caucasus Confederal Vaushist Party. These sister-parties were nominally independent and had unique policies, however, they were all members of the Vaushist Party's Congress meaning they were subservient in federal matters but retained local party autonomy. Despite this being a nominal coalition between multiple parties, the lack of diverting actions in the Federal Senate, in accordance with the *FU;LU*, resulted in them simply being considered a part of the parent Vaushist Party.

### Branches

Since the VP was founded by Vaush as a merger between the anti-capitalist faction of the Democratic Socialist Labour Party (DSL) and the Social Democratic Party of the Johanian Empire (SDP), the party became very much a big tent for centrists and leftists. This resulted in various factions being formed within the VP. Despite the FU;LU principle, internal debates and disagreements permeated party discussions.

Remnants of the DSL became the VP's anarchist faction, wherein members' core issues include the abolishment of the state, the reorganization of the party into a confederation of trade unions and a move towards direct democracy. The anarchist faction were therefore philosophically opposed to the party's existence, but retained their loyalty to it since it was considered a means to an end. While several members of the former SDP became ideologically aligned with Vaush, some retained their beliefs in social democracy and strong nationalization. These centre-leftists were generally considered to be part of the VP's social democratic branch. The social democrats, while not being anti-capitalist *per se*, nonetheless strongly aligned with Vaush for what was considered pragmatic reasons and largely held ambivalent positions on capitalism itself. Their core issues included health care, education and nationalization of general services.

## Ideology

Libertarian socialism was the cornerstone of Vaushist ideology. However, the party ideology was largely shaped by Vaush's interpretations of the works of major socialist thinkers such as Marx, Kropotkin and Chomske. This resulted in major deviations from the libertarian socialist movement, such as Vaush's belief in a transitional workers' state and its role in contemporary capitalism. The major deviation from mainstream libertarian socialist and anarcho-syndicalist thought came in the form of the party's stance on workers' organization. The mainstream libertarian socialist point of view asserts that workers should organize themselves either in trade unions or communes based on mutual aid. Vaush continued to assert the legitimacy of the party body through what he percieved to be a pragmatic doctrine. The doctrine was dubbed *People's Party* and it was coined in Vaush's book *The basics of Anarcho-Liberalism* in which he asserts that party organization is essential for the working class to maintain their collective power in the state. Vaush explained and legitimized the VP's right to rule while explaining its role as a vanguard party. For instance, the ideology explained that the VP's policies, even if they were unpopular, were correct because the party was enlightened. The relationship between ideology and decision-making was at best ambivalent; most policy decisions were made in the light of the continued, permanent development of socialism in Johania.

### Anti-imperialism

The Marxist theory on imperialism was conceived by Gallus in his book, *Imperialism's symbiosis to Capitalism*. According to Gallus, imperialism was a specific stage of development of capitalism; a stage he referred to as state monopoly capitalism. Egon the Extraordinary from the Social Democratic Party of the Johanian Empire (SDP) considered capitalism's revitalization as proof that it was evolving into a more humane system, adding that the basic aims of socialists were not to overthrow the state but to take power through elections. Korgran, also from the SDP, held a highly dogmatic view; he said that there was no crisis within Marxist theory. In contrast, Gallus believed that the resurgence was the beginning of a new phase of capitalism; this stage was created because of a strengthening of class contradiction, not because of its reduction.

### Expansionism

While being staunch anti-imperialists, the Vaushist Party enacted major programmes of territorial expansion during ShitCraft IV such as the effort together with Raukirland to annex the westcoast of the New World. These policies were motivated by Vaush's idea of the cubal revolution in which the entire working class of ShitCraft will eventually need to overthrow capitalism. Practically, the Second Johanian Republic's expansionist policies largely resulted in local duchies and monarchies being abolished in favour of a republican Johanian state government and the influx of multiculturalism as being a cornerstone of the identity of Johanians. The policies also arguably eased the process of providing humanitarian aid for victims of the Kurenjingu.

Throughout the VP's existence, the expansionist policies were largely criticized by its anarchist faction who viewed the state as an oppressive institution and opposed annexations, instead favouring a confederative system of socialist federations who joined together through mutual agreements of free association.

### Vaushism

*Main article: Vaushism*
Vaushism, while not an ideology *per se*, refers to Vaush's thoughts and policies. Vaush's introduction of the concept "Transitional Representative Workers' State" in 2020, was an important moment in Johanian ideological discourse. According to Vaush, the Johanian Republic did not need to immediately construct a completely directly-democratic socialist society, but rather supported the temporary preservation of the liberal democracy federally and capitalist pratices locally in certain states. Vaush initiated his praxis in the Johanian Republic's People's Constitution with the introduction of mandated worker cooperatives, strong federalism and representative democracy, all existing under a presidential system headed by fellow party member Gallus Chickenman III. The increasing bureaucracy which followed the introduction of a federal senate was at complete odds with the Marxist notion of "the withering away of the state". Vaush explained the reasoning behind it at the 16th Vaushist Party Congress held in 2020;

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> Syndicalism is the end goal, no doubt about it, however, currently the State needs to stand as the protector of the working class and their interests. It is the guardian of the revolution since it is spearheaded by the people's revolutionaries.
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Vaush deviated greatly from classical Marxism on the subject of electoralism; Vaush said that the working class must pragmatically look towards electoralism in order to achieve short-term goals.