Communist Party of Lovia (neo-marxist)

The Communist Party of Lovia (neo-marxist), often abbreviated as CPL.nm, is a Lovian neo-marxist political party that was founded in April 2010 as the successor to the long-standing Progressive Democrats. The CPL.nm is the result of a long process of polling among the Progressive Democrats members, of whom 80% chose to make the move to a more leftist approach. The communist party of Lovia is from its foundation up till now the largest one in Lovian history.

The CPL.nm is to be positioned on the far-left end of the political spectrum and is not to be confused with the former Lovian Communist Party, which dissolved itself only shortly before the CPL.nm came into existence. The "neo-marxist" index is hinted to respect the diversity of the leftist thoughts and the democratic traditions of the party. Having delivered various Prime Minister and MOTCs, the party is considered to be most influential in Congress. All party decisions are to be made by democratic voting, though Yuri Medvedev is still considered as one of the leading figures of the party. Other important figures are Alyssa C. Red, Jon Johnson and Marcus Villanova, former member and PM. The Communist Party is one of the leading forces in the Lovian Leftist movement.

In September 2010 the more leftist New Lovian Socialists merged with the CPL.nm. Ferenc Szóhad, former NLS-chairman, became MOTC for the CPL.nm.

Communist party
The CPL.nm is the first Lovian party to declare itself communist in its official statutes. There used to exist another party which had the word 'communist' in its name, the Lovian Communist Party, but this was more of a conservative party with social democrat views on economic issues. The first line of the CPL.nm Party Manifest reads:

''The CPL.nm is a communist party, meaning that its views are build on communist theory and the traditions of the communist movement in general. Its ultimate goal is the peaceful establishment of democratic socialism in which society is no longer enslaved by its own constructs.''

The party clearly doesn't make the history of the movement a taboo and even criticizes other parties which call(ed) themselves communist. She also says to draw 'inspiration from the writings of classical marxism but does allow amendments to the original theory'. The party tries to establish a critical theory of contemporary society based on empirical evidence in stead of on dogma and then uses this theory to develop concrete measures that are ought to be implemented by the government.

The CPL.nm 'borrows' a lot of theoretical concepts from socialism, progressivism and the New Left movement from the '70s. Even though it is a communist party it does accept the democratic traditions and institutions of Lovia and wants to cooperate within a pluralist system.

Party image
The public opinion on the CPL.nm is overall positive, praising many values the party stands for and some of the policies they helped to put in practice. There is however a portion of the people who see the communist party as an advocate of oppression as they believe the party wants to establish a soviet-like system. Party officials don't grant a lot of attention to such claims as they try to focus on the modern and democratic aspects of socialism. A lot of other left-wing parties and organizations have been inspired by the modern and credible image of the CPL.nm and try to promote a similar program. The main base for the party's success consists out of younger Lovians with a higher education as well as large families with a low-income. The communist party has however troubles convincing a majority of the middle class who prefer stability over change.

The CPL.nm has some very well-known members who's popularity contributes to the party image. The recent political revelation Jon Johnson is a very social character with a positive image. The Nova Times described him as 'politically very correct' and in general people see Johnson as an honest politician who stands close to the people. A more controversial figure is big shot Yuri Medvedev, who is criticized from many sides. Some consider his unusual views on how to do politics to be nothing more than a handicap for the party. Medvedev is the one who wants to maintain the revolutionary image from the party, preventing it from establishing itself as a classical socialist party.

Symbolism
Which symbols the party is ought to bare has always been the subject of discussion. The preceder of the CPL.nm, the Progressive Democrats, had their party color changed from red to lime to cope with its image. Nowadays the party is openly socialist but the same troubles of image and symbolism remain. The initial party logo bearing a communist star was replaced by a more neutral and modern one that ditched classic symbols. The new logo is to 'portray the progressive approach of the party towards the history of the communist movement as a whole'. Though some people in the party would like to drop all references to communism, as well as in the party name as in its manifest, most members still support a minimal grade of linkage.

The biggest defender of the radical image and the ties with the past is party leader Yuri Medvedev, who build in clear references throughout the party image. The colors are still red and yellow and one might find a communist star or a red flag on an occasional propaganda poster, but radical tokens as the hammer and sickle have been dropped. The party program however still states that 'the CPL.nm is a communist party' and that it seeks to 'establish a democratic socialism'.

Party program
The CPL.nm party program corresponded for some time to the one of the Progressive Democrats. Nonetheless some major ideological changes had been made from the start. Recently, a more communist program was written. The Communist Party of Lovia is a neo-marxist party that is inspired by various movements from which the democratic and socialist ones are the most notable. The party officially puts itself on the line of progressivism and wants to move away from dogmatic views. The main ideologist of the party is Yuri Medvedev, who writes most of the in-depth material. The official party line consisted of various publications for while but has now been put into one Party Manifest.

Small overview
The CPL.nm defends the integrity of the civil freedoms but also wants more attention and financial support for social issues. According to the party, discrimination should be regarded as a crime. Nonetheless it defends progressive values and is tolerant towards the legalization of abortion and gay rights. The party also defends a strong social security and accessible education and healthcare, wants to raise spending on education and cultural subsidies and considers a non-commercial broadcasting system as a possible tool for the education of society as a whole.

Economically it wants to find a balance between growth and social justice and defies the neoliberal market dogma. Social security and progressive taxation must be maintained and large capitals need to be taxed at a high rate. The CPL.nm seeks to use nationalized industry and a state bank as tools to guide the economy and financial markets. It also wishes to stimulate consumption of ecological and local products by taxing the import of foreign products. The line of government control is in the party program extended to the environmental issues as the party wants more government involvement in crucial sectors like transportation and energy. It considers quota on fishing and farming as good measures to protect society from high prices and ecological disasters.

The CPL.nm wants to establish a system of democratic socialism and give as much power to the Congress and the people as possible. In foreign politics they want to see a just and consequent Lovia and support for conflict regions.

Propaganda machine
The CPL.nm is one of the most notable parties in election time. When campaigning the party always comes with a lot of material such a posters, banners, etc. The campaigning is known to be divided over two main 'focuses': the party and it's general views and specific candidates. The most notable colors in the promotional materials are of course red and yellow, but there is no real convention or line. All kinds of colors, fonts and styles are used next to each other which strengthens the image of an open and diverse party. The influences on the larger works can be described as modernist, minimalist and constructivist. The CPL.nm also uses a whole bunch of signature slogans such as 'it's your party' or 'a sexy alternative'.

The party also has its own website, called The Comrade. The new site received positive critics upon opening. Especially the figure of Chairman Meow, the imaginary moderated, could win the hearts of both sympathizers and opposers. 'I could only laugh seeing that kitten' and 'that cat is purrrfect' are some of the comments made by website visitors. Comrade Meow is loosely based on Chairman Máo and gives the site a funny touch. Party officials are amazed by his success and are thinking of giving him a role in future campaigning.



From the left to the right: A minimalist election poster, two constructivist election posters and an ad against intolerance

Publications and library
The CPL.nm has an entire department devoted to written publications and even has a 'party library' in its headquarters. Currently the CPL.nm is working on two essays: one with suggestions of a scientific theory on homosexuality and one on the statistical relation between intelligence, social position and political orientation. Both works are examples of the pioneering role the communists wish to take upon themselves. Both essays will consist of evidence, either by example of statistical, and the construction of a possible theory with this evidence using the principle of grounded theory. The Communist Party also holds the rights on publications that were made by some of its party members before they s founded the CPL.nm. Examples of such works are Yuri Medvedev his defense of the King against Anti-Cabalist extremists, White King/Black King, and the joint publication of Medvedev and Red on the past and future of the socialist ideals, A New Vision on an Old System. A list of all political works published by CPL.nm members:
 * RED, A.C. & MEDVEDEV, Y., A New Vision on an Old System. Socialism Today . Noble City, The House Publishers, 2008-08-22
 * MEDVEDEV, Y., White King/Black King. A Game Of Chess . Noble City, The House Publishers, 2010-02-22
 * MEDVEDEV, Y., Theory In Practice. Guide To A Solid Foundation . Noble City, The House Publishers, 2010-07-22

Next to its own publications the party library has copies of other works that influenced the party views. Some examples of authors that have a place on the library shelves are K. Marx, V. Lenin, F. Hegel, J.P. Sartre and H. Marcuse. A list of the most important works in the party library :

Socialism and film
In cinematographic history themes like socialism and communism are very common. Many movies were more or less inspired by a progressivist, socialist or libertarian idea. Movies mostly are considered weaker then books but they have a broader public. The Communist Party recognizes the impact movies have and started a collection of their own. All members can access the movie archive for free and sometimes the CPL.nm organizes a movie night. The idea behind this all this that the motive underneath the story can be layered and hard to understand, but when you get to the bottom of the film and see its true meaning you can actually learn something. Movies can teach us, they are able to make us think about the world.

A quote from Edward R. Murrow on television as a medium to illustrate this philosophy: ''This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box.''

Party working
Everyone can apply for membership of the party as long as he/she accepts the provisions made in the Party Manifest. A member has the right to drop out of the party at any time without owing anyone an explanation but can also be removed when his or she acts in conflict with the Party Manifest. All party members are responsible for their own actions and statements and thus can cast their vote in any way they like with only a possible removal from party membership as consequence. All party-based decisions are to be made by a democratically voted majority by the party members.

The official views of the party are expressed in the Party Manifest. Members can also express their opinion on the party website, The Comrade. Next to these the party and its members are free to publish articles, books and other documents that might express views of the official party guideline.

Union and Youth Organization
The Communist Party works closely together with various non-governmental organizations to achieve its program. Some of these organizations have become over time a branch of the party itself, giving both the organization and the party more impact. The best known example of this is the party-related union, Vox Populi. This representative workers union is the biggest in the country and fearlessly defends the rights of the working class. Vox Populi delivers a large party base and advocates for a more democratic approach in the economy. Unlike most unions, the Vox Populi is a unity in stead of being company- or branch-based. Central in the working of Vox Populi is the democratic approach and employee participation in the making of decisions.

The CPL.nm also has a youth organization called MORENO or the 'young socialists'. MORENO aims at people between 16 and 24. People can join in the year they become sixteen but the office board is cautious in allowing new people to avoid charges concerning indoctrination. 'We are very careful in allowing kids that are pushed too much by there parents' assures the office board. MORENO is set up to teach young adults the importance of values like equality and solidarity and was led by Alyssa C. Red until Juliette Thomassen took over. The organization also does a lot of community service and holds rallies to promote their ideas.

Groupthink
Since their foundation the CPL.nm had the main goal of trying to find a way to unite all leftist ideas and politicians. After a few failures and after the startup of some new socialist parties like the New Lovian Socialists and the LLCP, the party top discussed a new plan to start conversations with different political leaders. This plan was called Groupthink, a term which has multiple dimensions. First of all it expresses the equalization of the participating MOTC-members their minds. The party can only act strong if every member defends its policy. It also refers to an internal dimension which is a way to make sure that all members of the CPL.nm are on the same line and that the official party line is respected. This results in easier and more transparent politics. Besides this Groupthink is also trying to find unity among younger members and employees, the only way to convince is to unite. The new initiative was unanimously accepted at a party meeting and it's seen as one of the greatest goals of the party. The Lefties will make a more coherent and constituent policy than ever.

The Groupthink concept ended more or less when the LLCP dissolved itself in Walden. The NLS and the CPL.nm continued a barbell-like relationship in which the NLS functioned as an appendix to the CPL.nm. The NLS party program overlapped the CPL.nm Manifest, besides a few issues on republicanism. In fact, the NLS started as a ultra-leftist party, gradually approaching the CPL.nm range of ideas, making it inevitable that it would lose the upcoming elections in favor of the stronger and more efficient CPL.nm. After a week of discussion, the NLS finally dissolved itself in September 2010 in the CPL.nm.

Criticism
The Communist Party has at times been the subject of criticism from republican movements, fascists, classical liberals and conservatives. During the Mid-term Elections, 2010, both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Christian Party of Lovia openly stated they were anti-communist, and spread anti-communist propoganda. The Liberal Democrats' successor, the Liberal Union, only criticizes the economic program, and not the entire movement, of the communists, similar to their criticism of the conservative movement.

Heinrich Webb, leader of the right-wing anti-communist protest group All Communists Are Bastards (A.C.A.B.), has expressed his doubts about the Communist Party. He states that "communists are extremists who are harmful for the Lovian democracy." The CPL.nm has been accused of electoral fraud in the 2010 State Elections by Semyon Breyev and other right-wing politicians.

The party officially reacted on the criticism by calling it ungrounded. "All we see are hollow claims by people who desperately want to fight the current wave of emancipation and progression", Yuri Medvedev stated.

Members
When the CPL.nm was founded, most members of the Progressive Democrats made the transition. Official statistics show that about eighty percent of the members kept following the official party directions. Most prominently, the social-liberal Arthur Jefferson resigned from the party when its ideological shift was announced. Currently, the CPL.nm is one of the largest political parties and also one of the most influential. Two Members of the Congress were delivered by the party, one of them even is the Prime Minister. The CPL.nm hopes to extend its influence by gaining members of the former LCP and by getting members elected in the upcoming mid-term elections.

Marcus Villanova departed too as he created a center leftist party called the Labor and Liberal Centrist Party, only to return later on in April 2011.

The CPL.nm has a few specialists in its ranks, such as Alyssa C. Red for justice and Jon Johnson for economy. Yuri Medvedev is the specialist on political strategies and the main party ideologist. The party is always trying to attract more people with knowledge on certain aspects and succeeds quite well in its appeal to the intellectual elite. More recently, Jonathan Frum committed himself to the CPL.nm.

List of members

 * Yuri Medvedev (MOTC): founder of the Communist Party; a genuine neo-marxist who is very keen on keeping the theoretic base supporting the party views.
 * Jon Johnson: a balanced socialist who heavily stresses low-level democracy and cooperation as the key mechanism to achieve the socialist ideals.
 * Alyssa C. Red: a more traditional socialist who defends a bottom-up approach and a close contact between the leaders and the party base.
 * Marcus Villanova (Former Member): A self desrcibed "democratic Socialist" who has been in many left political parties.
 * Ferenc Szóhad: one of the more left-oriented members of the party and former leader of the far-left New Lovian Socialists.
 * Philip Bradly-Lashawn: an old-style communist with strong anti-capitalist feelings who cares more for symbols and action than theories.
 * Hengst Smid: former member of the now dissolved Lovian Communist Party who defends classic principles as the welfare state and big government.
 * Olaf Engelund: a social-democrat who is attracted by the bigger image of what the party seeks to achieve and the way it handles politics.
 * Pierlot McCrooke: a revelation upon his appliance for membership, but believed to be at least a social democrat with party sympathies.
 * Jonathan Frum: not registered as a member but he gives his full support to the party, even kicking in some ideas from time to time.
 * Juliette Thomassen: a progressive and open-minded socialist that leads MORENO, the party's youth organization.
 * Stephen Grimsley: an artist, the creator of Comffitti, a staunch progressive, a supporter of Cannibis legalization and a member of HEMPPAC.
 * Steven Robinson: a consultant for the party, laywer, and the fourth generation after founding father Stephen Robinson.
 * Andrew Villanova: guitarist and singer from First Fold Then Tear, homosexual apart of Zhoosh.
 * Joseph Yorn: a scottish-british-hurbanovan who has attended over 350 Socialist workers rallies.
 * Emily Villanova: an artist who helps create Comffitti, congresswomen.
 * Ernst Villanova: grandfather of Marcus Villanova, in congress just to finsh out his sucessful life.
 * Burt Schwartz: a marxist historian which specialized in Lovian social and economic history.
 * Vincent Wallace: a former convict who has bettered his life and seeks to help poor people break the 'vicious circle' they are in.
 * Davis McCardle: a lawyer who has won some famous pro deo cases and is a staunch defender of legal reforms.
 * Ron Nash: educated as a mathematician and physicist and very committed to Lovian education programs.
 * Salvatore de Giovanni: humanitarian aid worker and doctor, he is also the brother of Guido de Giovanni.
 * Guido de Giovanni: humanitarian aid worker and poet, he is also the brother of Salvatore de Giovanni.
 * Eugene Murrow: journalist for various newspapers and producer of television shows related to news events.
 * Isabella Munson: mother of three with a troubled past, she advocates the rights of black women in particular.