I'm not a military history person so I don't know the nitty gritty about the ups and downs of electing your own officers, but at the very least the process would almost assuredly be refined as the years go on. This is a rather broad policy, after all. We don't know about any rules/regulations/etc that might be added after more experience that could make it more functional.
The Fire Never Dies: Labor's Star Ascendant
- Thread starter Meshakhad
- Start date
-
- Tags
- iww socialist america
Is inefficient and dumb, there's a reason why no country in the whole world use this system. You want competent officers that know what they do, not the ones who knows how to run in a popularity contest. Because that's it what this system going to turn into IMO.
To be clear, election isn't necessary. In wartime, most promotions will be handed down from above due to that being more efficient. What this does is encourage the troops to make their opinion known. Senior officers can simply say "no". And yes, the system will be refined over the decades.
In a way, it's a military version of syndicalism - which, if you haven't guessed from the fact that I'm writing an IWW-wank, is an ideology I favor. Veteran soldiers won't be voting for someone who's just a people pleaser. They'll want someone they think can command. And just as workers in a factory will probably have a good idea of what it takes to run a factory, soldiers will have a good idea of what it takes to be an officer. They won't have the whole picture, which is why the final decision remains in the hands of the higher-ups.
At times, there will be issues. Some officers will get promoted purely based on their popularity. But I don't see much difference between that and someone getting promoted purely based on them being an ass-kisser. If anything, at least the popular guy has the confidence of the troops.
I don't plan on this actually having a noticeable impact on military operations, by the way. The main impact for the story is that a higher proportion of ASU politicians will be veteran officers, having developed their political skills by running for promotions.
That's seem fair enough I suppose. There's people who climb the promotion ladder from politics alone in the current system so...
I suppose another thing to prevent people not suited for command would be to put certain requirements to be elected. The commander of officer could propose candidates too. This could be one of the development of the system in later times for example.
Last edited:
Absolutely. The election system will mostly come into play when promoting from within - and if a candidate only wins a narrow majority, they are much more likely to be rejected, while a candidate who wins an overwhelming majority will generally get the promotion.
dentista campora
Banned
The vast majority of the world's armies are nothing but glorified corruption schemes, the reason most armies do things is because said things help line the brass' pockets.
Maybe the world needs something different.
In my opinion armies are a waste of money. By the way, because of your username i gather that you are argentinean like me? If I am honest with you, the best thing to do is to delete most of the armed forces like we did here and just have enough for self defense. I know that a lot of people think different than I, but unless a country isn't at risk from another then having a large army is just a corruption scheme like you said. A self defense force without the capabilities to invade other nations is enough IMO.
dentista campora
Banned
I feel like the americans ittl should drink from tradition and create a militia based army, a huge american red guard of weekend warriors.
We know yanks are more than able to set aside time to shoot stuff, so make it official!
No country in the world bases their army on such a concept. Not even Switzerland or Singapore.
There will be a militia system - the Red Guards - but the core of the Red Army will remain professional. For that matter, the ASU will likely maintain a much larger peacetime military than the US did, given that it will view every other great power as a potential adversary (and the feeling will be mutual).
I have a feeling the fate of Canada will be essentially becoming TTL's equivalent of Finland post-WWII, taking drastic steps to appease and keep decent relations with the southern colossus to avoid invasion, even if it means completely breaking with the mother country if another war starts.
Probably ends up as a particularly radical social democracy with a strong communist movement that by necessity it has to tolerate or else.
Probably ends up as a particularly radical social democracy with a strong communist movement that by necessity it has to tolerate or else.
Windows95
Banned
Do you think the flavour of radical social democracy is Kautskyist/more radical than the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation?
dentista campora
Banned
No country in the world is a union-ruled socialist state.
In fact, such a country has never existed at all!
Why though? The ASU might win a hypothetical war with the British Empire but they'd be very foolish to risk such a thing on what might happen when it's not a huge necessity. Canada may not like the ASU but as long as there exists diplomatic relations there will be no reason to provoke the Americans per say.
Pretty much.
Canada's leaders won't be willing to risk their country on the assumption that the ASU will back down. Even a British victory would still come at a terrible price to their country.
That's the point of what Imperium was saying. Canada does not want to provoke the Americans. In fact, it really, really, really wants them to remain unprovoked! It will do anything to keep the Americans from invading and occupying them, because no matter what an American invasion would be extremely costly to them, as Meshakhad says.
I certainly don't buy that the British Empire could even survive for long after the emergence of a revolutionary socialist United States. Without American finance capital the European market system will have no ground to stand on after the war...
dentista campora
Banned
Somehow i feel that the coming general strike will be a looooot worse for the british establishment
I wasn't aware that American capital was that important. That said, there is one faint silver lining for Britain: they will be able to write off their debts to American financiers.