SKILORD
Insurgent
Excerpts from the "Torch" newsletter, a production of the Corporal's Division of the Militia.
"First and foremost, to our critics, 'Torch' is not intended in a negative way. We put a picture of the statue of liberty up there. We are not anti-American, we are not trying to burn down buildings, we simply want to bring light into darkness and find the path to the future..."
"And yes, Corporal is a ridiculously high rank in this army. I am basically in command of half the armed forces of Tropico and I myself admit that this is ridiculous. I see unemployed men on the streets and I think, if these men were trained as soldiers, if they knew the discipline and honor of this life.... but alas it cannot be so.... for the coinpurse of the army is stretched thin providing "training areas" for my volunteers to practice in. We cannot afford to pay men to learn honor and discipline in the name of Tropico, and so instead our men populate the streets as beggars. What a shame, if only El Presidente would see reason."
"And when the land is cleared, I swear to you my people, the Presidente has his men plant saplings there to grow into more trees. Let me explain, the trees are cut down, the land is prepared for planting, and El Presidente, instead of putting food crops there, plants more trees so that someone can sell lumber again in 60 years. The people starve, but we do not grow food, and instead of subsidizing food costs with our own produce we subsidize gasoline for the 1% of the island who own gas powered cars. Somos el 99%, and we don't own cars, we don't need gasoline, we need another meal this week."
"If El Presidente thinks that his time is better spent debating his policies down at the docks, where no one is in a position for him to take them seriously, then maybe it is. But if this is his job, we should not be paying him so much from the public pocket. When I heard reports of this debate that he had down at the docks it sounded like a scene I had heard many times before.
Some noble young rabble rouser is questioning the policies of the regime, people are starting to understand the problems they face and how they really ought to be solved and suddenly out of nowhere some rambling street urchin arrives and passionately defends the regime based on fantastic projections of "what it might be" that ignores the facts on the ground. But the other day what happened was, that street madman was the President of Tropico.
Rabble rousers are going to rouse rabble, and they will probably do so at the docks. It's where you find the most rabble. But these people are rabble for a reason, no one takes them seriously, their opinions do not matter and they are limited in their ability to change things. If any of these men or women went to the Presidente's office with an idea they would be turned away at the gate, at least until they took a proper bath. But if the concerns of the rabble were concerns of us all they would concern no one because we would solve the problems.
So, Isolated from the rabble in his office, defended by bodyguards. Watched by foreign agents and constantly pressured by the concerns none of us have to face, it is a noble and good instinct that brought the Presidente to the docks.
But he should have listened to the people, he should have found out what they were thinking, how he could help them.
Instead, El Presidente lowered himself to the level of a rabble rouser, nay, he lowered himself to the level of a heckler. He went to the docks to defend himself, not to listen to the people. And he managed to besmirch the dignity of the office.
It's alright though, Mr. President. Many a soul looses their good honor down at the docks."
"First and foremost, to our critics, 'Torch' is not intended in a negative way. We put a picture of the statue of liberty up there. We are not anti-American, we are not trying to burn down buildings, we simply want to bring light into darkness and find the path to the future..."
"And yes, Corporal is a ridiculously high rank in this army. I am basically in command of half the armed forces of Tropico and I myself admit that this is ridiculous. I see unemployed men on the streets and I think, if these men were trained as soldiers, if they knew the discipline and honor of this life.... but alas it cannot be so.... for the coinpurse of the army is stretched thin providing "training areas" for my volunteers to practice in. We cannot afford to pay men to learn honor and discipline in the name of Tropico, and so instead our men populate the streets as beggars. What a shame, if only El Presidente would see reason."
"And when the land is cleared, I swear to you my people, the Presidente has his men plant saplings there to grow into more trees. Let me explain, the trees are cut down, the land is prepared for planting, and El Presidente, instead of putting food crops there, plants more trees so that someone can sell lumber again in 60 years. The people starve, but we do not grow food, and instead of subsidizing food costs with our own produce we subsidize gasoline for the 1% of the island who own gas powered cars. Somos el 99%, and we don't own cars, we don't need gasoline, we need another meal this week."
"If El Presidente thinks that his time is better spent debating his policies down at the docks, where no one is in a position for him to take them seriously, then maybe it is. But if this is his job, we should not be paying him so much from the public pocket. When I heard reports of this debate that he had down at the docks it sounded like a scene I had heard many times before.
Some noble young rabble rouser is questioning the policies of the regime, people are starting to understand the problems they face and how they really ought to be solved and suddenly out of nowhere some rambling street urchin arrives and passionately defends the regime based on fantastic projections of "what it might be" that ignores the facts on the ground. But the other day what happened was, that street madman was the President of Tropico.
Rabble rousers are going to rouse rabble, and they will probably do so at the docks. It's where you find the most rabble. But these people are rabble for a reason, no one takes them seriously, their opinions do not matter and they are limited in their ability to change things. If any of these men or women went to the Presidente's office with an idea they would be turned away at the gate, at least until they took a proper bath. But if the concerns of the rabble were concerns of us all they would concern no one because we would solve the problems.
So, Isolated from the rabble in his office, defended by bodyguards. Watched by foreign agents and constantly pressured by the concerns none of us have to face, it is a noble and good instinct that brought the Presidente to the docks.
But he should have listened to the people, he should have found out what they were thinking, how he could help them.
Instead, El Presidente lowered himself to the level of a rabble rouser, nay, he lowered himself to the level of a heckler. He went to the docks to defend himself, not to listen to the people. And he managed to besmirch the dignity of the office.
It's alright though, Mr. President. Many a soul looses their good honor down at the docks."
