Theodorism

Theodorism is a political ideology which was developed by the then Crown Prince Jonathan as a theoretical model for an ideal Austenasian government, deriving concepts both from monarchism and communism. It advocated soviet/council democracy, workers' self-management, the abolition of social classes which are based on wealth, eventual world revolution, and - unusually for an ideology with communist concepts - a monarchy to oversee the implementation of socialism and hold reserve powers to maintain the Theodorist system.

Despite gaining popularity abroad, with several micronations adopting variants of the original idea, Theodorism failed to make an impact on Austenasian politics, and in February 2014 the now Emperor Jonathan I confirmed that he no longer advocated its implementation within the Empire.

History

Theodorism was officially unveiled on MicroWiki and a Facebook group known as MicroGroup on 14 January 2012 by Crown Prince Jonathan of Austenasia. Despite facing immediate criticism from Daniel Anderson, it was later defended by Joseph Puglisi, the then Håkon of Zealandia, Will Sörgel, and Matthew Burklandssen, with Riley Small and John Gordon also expressing support for it, although the arguments put forward by the then King Hakon in particular were criticised by Heinrich Schneider.

Two days later, the Theodorist Party of Austenasia was founded, the first political party to be founded in the Empire. A week after the ideology was unveiled, the Crown Prince published an essay entitled "In defence of Theodorism" in response to several criticisms which had been levelled against it. On 24 January, the party reached a milestone of 10 members (further increasing to 11 later that evening), 2 of them being Austenasian residents and the others being colleagues or friends of said Austenasians.

On 27 January, less than two weeks after Theodorism was unveiled, the Federal Republic of Domanglia underwent a Theodorist revolution, ousting its Chancellor and becoming the Theodorist Kingdom of Domanglia. However, due to internal disagreements within the new government, the former Chancellor retook power two days later before the unstable group which had taken over could begin to implement Theodorism. A Theodorist party was founded in the Federal Commonwealth of Havnesgade-Amager in April 2012, and three months later Theodorism rose to prominance within Palasia for several weeks.

On 14 September, Crown Prince Jonathan published an essay entitled "The Vanguard Monarch", making several revisions to Theodorist theory in response to the failure of the Domanglian revolution. Chief amongst them, the monarch was transformed from a purely ceremonial position to a powerful figure tasked with overseeing the implementation of socialism after a revolution and preserving the Theodorist system when necessary through the exercising of reserve powers.

The summer of 2013 was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the popularity of Theodorism and by the foundation of factions distinct from original or "orthodox" Theodorist thought. Burnham became a Theodorist state on 31 May 2013, and Basilius Justinian, vanguard monarch of the nation, along with Vera Hewitt, introduced Justinian Theodorism the following month. On 8 August, the Grand Duchy of Prsanea became Theodorist. This occurred following the foundation of a Californian anti-Theodorist organization in response to groups advocating a Theodorist revolution within Frexico. On 25 August, Adam I of Überstadt proposed a revolutionary model called Democratic Theodorism. The Theodorist Party of Überstadt was founded with this platform on 2 September.

In February 2014, the now Emperor Jonathan I dissolved the Theodorist Party of Austenasia. He no longer advocates the system for the Empire.

Concepts

Pan-Theodorist/Orthodox Theodorist Ideals

Theodorism advocates:

Economic

• Workers' self management - companies and industries are run by the workers themselves rather than by private owners or managers. The private sector is tiny and heavily regulated, if not nonexistant.
• Jobs for all - the unemployed who are not in education may choose to either have all welfare cut or be allocated a menial job by the government with a wage just over subsistence level until they find a job that they would prefer to do. Refusing to seek employment when it is available and therefore contribute to society will be considered a crime.
• Inheritance tax to the level of abolishing all inheritance beyond that which is considered necessary to sustain a reasonably comfortable standard of living for the rest of one's life.
• Redistribution of income through taxation and welfare to eventually create a scenario wherein all people shall have roughly the same amount of wealth, with slight variations depending on the level of their contribution to society.
• Limited redistribrution of wealth - those who have so much property that they have no practical use for it (billionaires, owners of huge estates, etc) should have what they do not need confiscated from them immediately after the revolution and have it given to those who need it most.

Social/Political

• Legislative power to be held by a Supreme Soviet, elected by members of regional soviets, and so on in a hierarchical fashion, with local power being held by a soviet (council) elected by the people of that locality. The executive and judicial branches are to be structured by the Supreme Soviet.
• A monarch as head of state to act as a personification and symbol of unity and political stability for the nation. The first Theodorist monarch of a nation should be either a central figure in the revolution or a pre-existing monarch who welcomes Theodorism and commands the respect of a large proportion of the population. The monarch should not regularly intervene directly in politics after the revolution, but should hold extensive reserve powers to protect socialism and the Theodorist system should it ever be threatened.
• Vanguard parties to be founded in every nation to advance Theodorism - whenever possible, through means which are legal within that nation. After the revolution, the vanguard party will act as the instrument of the monarch's reserve powers to maintain socialism.
• Secularisation - faiths and religious beliefs should never be persecuted or discriminated against, but religion should not be established; there should be complete and utter separation of church and state.
• Article XII of the Austenasian Constitution of 2011 or a similar document to be adopted, as outlining basic human rights to be enforced by Theodorist states.

Logo of the Theodorist Party of Austenasia.

International

• An eventual world revolution, as vanguard parties across the world gradually expose capitalism as unfair and corrupt, eliminating false class consciousness and the belief that capitalism is "inevitable" or "natural". Ideally, such a global revolution should happen in stages at an appropriate pace depending on the conditions of the respective country - the Eight Stage Transition.
• Just as nations are united under their own monarchs, the monarchs in the western and eastern world shall each be united under an Emperor, a monarch who is primus inter pares amongst all monarchs in their respective part of the world, to promote unity and co-operation between those monarchs' nations.
• Worldwide peace, unity, and co-operation. Inhabitants of foreign countries are, first and foremost, human beings. If a nation is afflicted by poverty to the extent that not even Theodorism can rescue it merely by being implemented domestically, other Theodorist nations should aid it by sending to it any surplus resources of their own.
• International disarmament. In a Theodorist world, there will be no need for militaries. Law-enforcement organisations may be required, but armies will not, as peace shall prevail.

Justinian Theodorism

Justinian Theodorism employs the Theodorist mode of revolution, but with the end goal of abolishing the monarchy and indeed the state, instituting pure socialism. This has led the founders of the Justinian Theodorist ideology, Basileus Justinian I (Richard Hytholoday) and Joseph Emmanuel, to refer to Justinian Theodorism as a "transitional ideology", to change the nation and the state from a Capitalist system to one that is classically Socialist.

The Vanguard Monarch has his role as a cultural figurehead officialised, and the monarch becomes the head of any and all cultural institutions and bodies created by the state by default. He/she/ze also, as per Orthodox Theodorism (the name given to the original Theodorist ideology proposed by Crown Prince Jonathan of Austenasia) plays an active part in Government, although the monarch is on equal standing with other officials, with no royal benefit.

It is believed that Justinian Theodorism is mutually compatible with other forms of Theodorism, despite having a final aim that is different. The future of Justinian Theodorism is currently managed by the Justinian Workers' Alliance, an international group that oversees the ideology in the Micronations that it has taken root in.

Democratic Theodorism

Democratic Theodorism advocates a more democratic form of revolution and opposes classical ideas of Orthodox Theodorism.