Riccio, for what it's worth, assures Rome that it has no quarrel with the Roman acquisition of Malta. We are sure at least some military minds to the east may have been worried about Riccese ire as a result of the annexation, but we have no real ambitions in the East. The primary Riccese interest in the East is in the possibility of a shorter route to East Asia via Egypt and the Levant.
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Why Must Bread Be Won?
In light of the downturn of the early 1820s, the Riccese Government underwent radical expansionism to try and resume the trend of growing economic power. Besides establishing a system of subsidies to businesses and consumers, Maresciallo received a highly publicized letter from Oberti of On Enmity fame, which contained but a few short paragraphs detailing the most prudent course of action in the recession.
In his letter, Oberti detailed that in times of economic woe, those rendered destitute had a great tendency to become radical and violent. Whether the crippling of one’s livelihood was due to a tax raise, a war, or a loss of employment had little relevance; at the end of the day, people required money to satisfy both their actual needs and their lofty wants. The government that could stave off the creation of a deprived underclass would be one whose rule would be long lasting, Oberti stated.
Oberti moved from theory to actual policy, however, on the topic of the stimulus. “Just as people can be greedy, they can be unwise,” he stated, referring to the very likely capacity of a person to spend first and evaluate their purchases second. The issue he was getting at was that of food; whether single or a family man, a person would steal in a heartbeat to obtain nutrition, survival instinct kicking in for such an act. As nice as the luxuries of civilized society were, it was ultimately being hungry that made the citizenry become much more thirsty for blood. Oberti cited this was knowledge to even the Romans, who kept good order by ensuring even their poorest citizens remained well-fed, often enough to keep all but the most resistant populace in line.
“We use the term ‘breadwinner’ to describe the main worker of a home… but I must ask, why do we assume bread must be ‘won’ at all?” Oberti concluded.
The Government couldn’t agree more. Faced with mass economic uncertainty, the stimulus’ transfer payments to industry and consumers had indeed neglected the all important survival necessities. The Riccese Food Program was soon signed into law; citizens were encouraged to head to local government facilities to receive a card that could be used to qualify for free food in most major towns. This card could be redeemed at select repositories around the country. These repositories were primarily in major cities for two reasons: firstly, it was major cities that had the most potential to become a bedrock of chaos if the people went hungry, and secondly, it made it very hard to defraud the system as the names on the cards were marked down upon a visit. The food program was made possible through the government purchase of grains and other food materials imported via the extensive foreign trade network; the government thus stimulated the all-important shipping industry while also laying the foundation for free food.
Before long, the bulk of the urban poor were receiving free bread and other dietary essentials, serving to keep them fed… and any disagreements civil.
