Dissident republicanism
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Dissident republicanism is a term used to refer to various political, ideological and philosophical and movements in the Kingdom of Sierra that espouse radical republicanism. Dissident republicanism is commonly referred to as the extreme end of the historic movement of republicanism and is made up of Sierran radical republicans who reject the Concord Accords that ended The Disturbances and continue to fight for the cause that the Sierran Liberation Army and Sierran Republican Army fought for, mainly the abolition of the monarchy or, in the case of some groups, the secession of the Styxie from Sierra to form an independent republic under the principals of Isaiah Landon. The term dissident was coined by the original members of the movement who were members of the SLA or SRA that rejected the accords and were expelled due to their ideological differences and stances and have taken the mantle of dissident since then. The movement officially began in the early 1990s after the end of the Disturbances, but has become more and more well known and publicly active since the late 2000s and has a strong presence within the Styxie provinces.
Historical context
By the spring of 1989, the leadership of the militant republican and monarchist factions fighting during the Disturbances had gone through a major shift away from the nationalist and militant nature of before and towards new moderate leaders that favored peace. This was met with opposition from pro-war members of the belligerents, most notable the Sierran Liberation and Republican Armies, and such members were expelled in order to "restore peace for the cause". The expelled members dubbed themselves as dissidents believing that their views lead to them being punished by their former affiliations and by the Sierran government and society. When the accords were ratified on July 1st, 1989, all members of the SLA and SRA that refused to agree to disarm fled and joined the dissidents who formed the Provisional Sierran Republican Army in August of that year. Throughout the 1990s, dissident republican organizations were formed, but remained silent in the mainstream as the Disturbances were yet to heal, but began to resurge in 2000s. Since the resurgence of republicanism and the continuing rise of the dissident movement since 2008, the term dissident has been used as members of the movement view themselves as dissidents from both mainstream Sierran society and of the mainstream republican movement who rejects their tactics and dedication to the cause according to dissident leaders and organizations.
Possible historic origins
Many scholars and historians have been doing research into the possible origins of the dissident movement with many claiming that the seeds of what would become dissident republicanism were planted long before the Disturbances. Many historians claim that the dissident movement originated in the late 1870s during the years immediately following the end of the Sierran Civil War where hardline republicans continued fighting in the Styxie until 1882. These militias were known as radical republicans and hardliners that continued fighting long after Landon's surrender. In the years following the end of the war, the term "radical republican" was used to describe Sierrans that advocated for the restoration of the Second California Republic, but later referred to all political republicans that supported abolition after 1903 when the Democratic-Republican Party removed republicanism off of its party platform. During the Great Depression in the 1930s and the Sierran Cultural Revolution, radical republican groups such as Landon's Boys or the Landonite Communes were created and fought monarchists and royalist groups in Styxie towns and cities during the period in an attempt to fight off monarchist groups in the region. Many republicans wanted to use the revolution as a means of promoting republicanism and advocating for abolishing the monarchy, but faced opposition and felt with it using all available methods, including violence, during the so-called Little Civil War.
Ideology and goals
Revolutionary thought
Leftist revolutionary though dominates dissident republican movements and organizations with the most common ideology being Landonism. Dissident republicans are hardline Landonists and believe that his ideology is the best course for a Sierran republic to be structured upon. The ideology's aspects of revolution and a popular front are also very common in dissident groups which many have credited as the main reason why the various gangs haven't fought each other despite various differences in ideology, tactics, and end goals. Many extremists of the dissident movement believe that Landonist thought can only take fold in Sierra through violent revolution and some have attempted to spark it, most notable Dylan Coulter and his assassination of Steven Hong. Violence against monarchists is carried out by both criminal gangs and paramilitary groups and varies in scale from simple crimes such as vandalism and home invasion to extreme acts such as arson, urban terrorism, murder, assassination and even kidnapping of government officials.
Autonomy and Separatism
Some dissident republican groups believe that the only way a Sierran republic could be established is to have one of or all of the Styxie provinces break away and become an independent state under a Landonist-style republican government. These kind of dissident republicans are commonly known as Stuxie separatists and such groups target what they call "unionist oppressors" and this means anyone could be targeted. Royalist Party officials and supporters are targeted in the same way that they are by other dissident republican groups, but separatist dissidents also attack Democratic-Republican officials along with other officials of other political parties. Separatist dissidents are opposed to the Sierran union and want the kingdom to be disbanded and its constituted countries to become independent and/or for the Styxie or some provinces to become sovereign nations as well. Some more moderate members of the sect advocate for greater autonomy and believe that the Styxie provinces should have a republican-style system of government and have the Kingdom of Sierra reformed into a confederation so that the Styxie can govern itself in the style of a sovereign nation. Autonomy advocates are primarily political and non-violent in comparison to their separatist counterparts.
Anti-monarchism
Anti-monarchism is a prevailing thought in all forms of dissident republicanism. The Sierran monarchy is viewed as an illegitimate and oppressive institution by the dissident movement and members often decry the monarch as either a pointless figurehead and meaningless symbol or a symbol of inequality and oppression. Dissident republican organizations encourage its members and others to not swear allegiance to the monarchy, reject any policies supported by the monarch and those that benefit the monarchy as well, and to counter the monarchist movement by any means necessary. This ranges from engaging in debates, holding protests and even crashing monarchist events to attacking Royalist Party voters and officials and anyone perceived as being a monarchist.
Presence in the public square
Public activities
Dissident republican groups portray themselves in the public as either committed socio-political movements or as gang and criminal organizations who engage in gang-like turf war skirmishes with known or suspected monarchists to "preserve" their "territory. Dissident republican gangs mark their territory with graffiti which ranges from the initials of dissident groups and organizations to entire murals dedicated to the SLA and SRA during the Disturbances along with historic Sierran republican figures. Many gang members often make graffiti propaganda posters and have "patrols" in the streets of blocs or even towns under their control. The willingness to use violence as a means of achieving the abolition of the monarchy and the end to monarchism is used by criminal and paramilitary elements of the dissident movement usually criminal gangs or "successor" organizations to the SRA and SLA. Steven Hong's assassination was one of the most infamous acts of violence by more extreme dissident republicans, but other acts include night raids, night-time raids and attacks on property and/or individuals who are royalists and monarchists or even those who support pro-monarchist members of the DPRA. In 2014, Central Valley senator Christopher Miller was found dead in his home and was later found to have been murdered by a dissident republican, though the culprit remains to be found.
Uniforms and attire
Political activism
Flags and symbols
Paramilitary activities
Vandalism and "night raids"
Arson and urban terrorism
Armed robbery and theft
Kidnapping and murder
Effects on Sierran society
Reactions from authorities
The dissident movement was initially classified as a criminal gang due to their activities being mostly basic criminal acts such as robbery and vandalism and believed it was up to local and provincial authorities to deal with them. Sierran authorities, such as the RBI, began investigating and monitoring the dissident movement in 2008 when dissident groups began to establish their presence in the public by forming gangs, controlling town and city blocks, and hosting public events with uniforms and symbols used by militant republicans from the Disturbances. In 2014 following the assassination of Senator Miller, the Sierran government created a commission known as the Styxie Security Commission to investigate the activities of the dissident movement and attempt to maintain security within the Styxie. The commission hired Marxian economist and republican advocate, Michael J. Wolff, to public his research on the Styxie that he gathered and has been used to help retain order in the provinces.
Presence within the Styxie
While initially small, the dissident movement began to grow in early 2000s and by 2008, many towns and cities became hotspots for dissident republican activity. In 2009, Bernard Hamel was elected to the San Joaquin assembly and was a known member of the New Sierran Republicans and open about his support for abolishing the monarchy. Dissident activity began to grow across San Joaquin and by 2010, it began to spread deep into neighboring provinces and as far as Plumas, Shasta, and the Central Valley. San Joaquin remains a stronghold of dissident activity and many have credited its presence for the rise of neo-republican politicians who support political republicanism, though many critics have blamed them for hampering the efforts of the Democratic-Republican Party in the region.
Relationship with the DRPS
The relationship between dissident republican organizations and the Democratic-Republican Party has been a source of major controversy, especially when it comes to left-wing Landonist and political republican caucuses and factions of the parties. Officially, the leadership of the party and the party establishment especially, has condemned the movement claiming it to be "a movement of radical extremists, hooligans and criminals" and have commonly blamed them for the Royalist victory in the 2016 election. Since the most prominent faction of the party, the New Democratic-Republicans, hold more leadership positions within the party, they denounce the dissident movement and have been governing on a neutral stance towards the monarchy, though some outright endorse the monarchy as a whole. Despite these efforts however, many people such as Michael J. Wolff and many left-wing members of the party have credited political factions of the dissident movement for helping the Democratic-Republican Party maintain a stronghold and presence in the Styxie and helping promote republicanism in the kingdom.
Terry Scott, Governor of San Francisco, has been credited with maintaining his status as governor of the province due to support from dissident political republicans in San Francisco. Michael Wolff and other republican advocates have claimed that Scott's rising approval ratings, especially in the Styxie, due to political dissident republican organizations and parties. Jeremiah Goldberg, leader of the New Republicans of Sierra, has been endorsed by Terry Scott and he's had his party aid the New Republican Caucus in gaining more influence within the Democratic-Republican Party and in Sierran politics. Critics and centrist/moderate leaning members of the party have used the ties between Landonist and political republican caucuses and factions and the dissident movement as evidence that the party should embrace a moderate platform and retain support for the monarchy citing the high presence and influence of criminal and paramilitary elements of the dissident movement.
Known dissident organizations
Paramilitary organizations
- Free Styxie Society
- Provisional Sierran Republican Army
- Rico's Independent Republican Army
- National Liberation Front of Sierra
Criminal groups and gangs
Political organizations
Known dissident republicans
- Rocket Boy, arsonist and urban terrorist in San Joaquin.
- Dylan Coulter, White supremacist and killer of Steven Hong.
- Michael Randell Shannon, leader of the Provisional SRA.
- Jeremiah Goldberg, leader of the New Sierran Republicans.